Writing Nightmare
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RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 13 up!
@Lucky Fire: Glad you think so; thanks for popping in to read!
Was there anything that stood out to you or something that seemed a little off? And what kinds of things are you expecting in future chapters?
@Lucky Fire: Glad you think so; thanks for popping in to read!
Was there anything that stood out to you or something that seemed a little off? And what kinds of things are you expecting in future chapters?
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 13 up!
The extreme threats might come sooner than you think, apprentice.
I always like seeing Hector in an active role, especially given in the original draft of this fanfic, Hector barely had any lines, despite being a character instrumental to the protagonist's success. I suppose that's just me being sentimental, though.
The extreme threats might come sooner than you think, apprentice.
I always like seeing Hector in an active role, especially given in the original draft of this fanfic, Hector barely had any lines, despite being a character instrumental to the protagonist's success. I suppose that's just me being sentimental, though.
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 13 up!
[Back to Top]
Oh darn, I wasted post #7200 on something silly. Very well; in lieu of that, I shall make #7201 a good post.
When last we left our dashing young hero, Cepheus White, he'd been beaten up by a mere child and had shamed himself. Then again, the child was about 8 feet tall...
Regardless, he got owned and had to have someone come to his rescue...supposedly. He's been unconscious for a while and now he's going to wake up.
Now what?
Stats for this chapter (14):
Pages: 4.7; Word Count: 2607
Abigail's a bit of a wisecracker, isn't she?
And yeah, you saw it here first: boss scenario GO! Now we're finally getting somewhere.
A bit of trivia: Lazaro is actually based on a very good friend of mine - the friend who actually inspired me to take up fanfic-writing professionally to begin with. I asked him how he liked to be cast, and he said like an ineffectual big lug enemy. You know, like Bowser. And thus I created Lazaro. The "Chavez" is a reference to him as well, albeit indirectly.
I'd also like to apologize for not updating earlier. I meant to a couple weeks back, but then completely forgot about it. I'll try to be faster in the future!
Feedback, comments, and constructive criticism are always appreciated. However, as I have previously stated, keep your replies at a minimum of 20 words apiece. This is not a PokéBeach forum rule, but I'll probably ignore you if you don't have much to say.
[Back to Top]
Oh darn, I wasted post #7200 on something silly. Very well; in lieu of that, I shall make #7201 a good post.
When last we left our dashing young hero, Cepheus White, he'd been beaten up by a mere child and had shamed himself. Then again, the child was about 8 feet tall...
Regardless, he got owned and had to have someone come to his rescue...supposedly. He's been unconscious for a while and now he's going to wake up.
Now what?
Stats for this chapter (14):
Pages: 4.7; Word Count: 2607
~~~
14 – Rest
[Monday, July 19, 1.34 PM]
When Cepheus finally awoke, he found himself in another unusual environment. He was sleeping in a white bed complete with white sheets and pillow, and the room he was in was lined with linoleum all along the floor and leading into a hallway. The only entrance to his room, with its door wide open, had a view of the hallway, where Cepheus could see various men and women in doctor’s scrubs hurrying about.
Cepheus was rather settled at this fact – he’d woken up in a hospital. A nurse entered the room shortly after he woke up, presumably to check on his condition.
“Oh, good, you’re finally awake!” she exclaimed happily. “Are you feeling any better?”
“I am, actually,” Cepheus answered. “I think all the pain has dissipated.”
“That’s fortunate...It’s not every day we take someone who has bruises from being thrown against a wall.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Well, when we got to the Synthetics Plant, we found you and a boy both lying unconscious, and you had several bruises on your back.”
(That must have been when that second tremor hurled me into the wall...)
“Fortunately you had no broken bones and the bruises weren’t too large, and so I’m glad you made a fast recovery.”
“I know I’m in a hospital right now, but which one?”
“Solaceon General.”
“Wait...Where is Jimmy?”
“Jimmy? You mean the other boy that was nearby?”
“Yes, him.”
“He has been placed under arrest for disturbing the peace...A witness told us that Jimmy was using strange powers to cause general havoc to the building and the people in it. The witness even said he somehow threw a large nearby rock at the wall of the Synthetics Plant.”
“Who was the witness?”
“A man by the name of Leroy Jenkins.”
“I see. Additionally may I ask a question?”
“Sure.”
“When may I leave?”
“You can leave whenever you wish, sir – however, before you do, you have a few visitors that have been waiting for you to wake up.”
“Send them in, then.”
The nurse hurriedly left the room, as if headed towards the hospital lobby, most likely to call in the visitors wanting to see Cepheus. Within thirty seconds, three people walked into the room and lined up around the bed he was lying in. The first one was an older girl with blue and white clothing, with black hair having blue highlights in it – Abigail. The second one was a younger girl wearing dark green shirt and shorts to go with it – Emma. The third one was an older man that Cepheus had not met recently. He was dressed in purple robes from head to foot, even extending down his arms, yet not restrictive enough as to not allow him great freedom of movement – much like Stefano’s clothes. He was wearing a gold belt about his waist that seemed to glitter in the light. His eyes were a dazzling periwinkle color, and his somewhat-messy hair was the same color, held in place by a golden circlet.
“Lyon!” Cepheus exclaimed, sitting up in the bed. “I haven’t seen you in years!”
“Hello, Cepheus,” Lyon replied, nodding and smiling. “I hear you’ve been doing quite well for yourself lately.”
“Who’s been telling you that?”
“Our mutual friend...I believe I don’t need to tell you his name.”
“...Ah, yes, of course.” (He must mean Deus...)
“Hey Cepheus!” Abigail chimed in with a loud cheery voice. “You feeling okay?”
“Hi Abby,” Cepheus responded. “Why’d you jab my hand, though?”
“Watch it! You can’t just call me Abby! Only my boss can call me that! ...You’re just lucky that you’re cute, or I’d slap you silly.”
“...Did you just call me cute?”
“Anyway, there’s no time for that! We don’t know what you’re going to do, where you’re going to live, or how you’re going to keep in touch!”
“What...on earth are you talking about?”
“Abigail,” Lyon interjected, “please, allow me to explain to Cepheus the situation in full. I was informed by ‘him’ of all the relevant details.”
“All right...”
“Lyon, what is going on?” Cepheus asked.
“That is what I’m about to tell you,” Lyon replied. “See, after your boss, Mr. Jenkins, went for help, he called both the police and the paramedics – and it was fortunate he did; you were in very rough shape when you were found, and had Abigail not showed up when she did, your situation would have been jeopardized.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if you fall unconscious in...your other appearance, shall I say...you sometimes may not revert back. We cannot take that chance.”
(So that’s why Abigail jabbed my hand...) Cepheus thought. (It was to nullify my fusion with Hector temporarily.)
“In any case,” Lyon continued, “after you were rushed off to the hospital to be treated, the young boy Jimmy Jenkins was arrested for disturbing the peace. There were a few witnesses nearby that saw that Jimmy was using rather strange powers, which you, no doubt, encountered. That’s one of the few reasons why I’m here – the police asked me to collect your statement, since I am a close friend of yours.”
“Yeah...As soon as my supervisor told me what was going on, I had a feeling it might have been Jimmy, so I ran out to the front of the building. And...there I saw him, transformed. Then he threatened to attack me, and I fought back...or at least tried to.”
“And that’s when he summoned a tremor to throw you into the wall.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“How did you know it might have been Jimmy?”
“I can’t explain it. I just had a really strong...gut feeling, so to speak.”
“I see, that’ll do for the statement. Moving on, since Jimmy has been arrested, his parents have been taken in for questioning, to ask what could have led Jimmy to do such a thing. And since your supervisor Leroy Jenkins is Jimmy’s uncle, he’s come under some fire as well. Not to mention, Jimmy’s parents work directly for the government, so suffice it to say there’s a lot of tension going on.”
“Oh dear...”
“And because of this tension, their daughter Emma here doesn’t really have a legal guardian to speak of that is capable of watching over her. And since you two have apparently met and share a common connection – that is, her uncle is your supervisor – it might be ideal if you were to watch over her at least until her parents are no longer in questioning.”
“Wait, what? That seems like a bit of a tall order, just asking me out of the blue like that.”
“Cepheus, please, I have more to say. Let me finish before you jump to a decision.”
“...All right.”
“Another consequence of this attack is that the Synthetics Company feels that their Hearthome plant isn’t quite safe, and it’s possible that some of their machines have been damaged. As a result, they’re trying to move all their Hearthome employees to other locations, at least temporarily. And that would include you. ...Cepheus, I know you want to say something at this point, but please let me finish.”
“...You read me like a book.”
“They’re considering moving you to the Olivine plant, which actually helps to supply a few synthetics directly to the Vernexum world headquarters in Olivine.”
“Why does that worry me?”
“That question is rhetorical; you already know the answer, so I’ll continue. Emma also lives in Olivine City, and the plan for her was that she would temporarily move in with a friend of the Jenkins family. Coincidentally, that friend is Esmeralda.”
“I’ve heard that name before a couple times...”
“She, namely Esmeralda, has also offered to open her doors to you while in Olivine, at least as a temporary residence, until you can return back to Hearthome. During this time you and her can serve as legal guardians for Emma.”
“That thought already sounds weird in my head.”
“Don’t worry, Esmeralda is only a couple years older than you, and you two look about the same age.”
“That didn’t help, Lyon. You just made it weirder.”
“Yeah, I can see why!” Abigail chimed in. “It almost makes it look like Cepheus became a father at fourteen years old!”
“Abigail, you probably shouldn’t say that kind of thing out loud,” Lyon reprimanded. “I think that comment just blew Cepheus’ mind.”
“It did. I’m trying to forget that you said that and am trying to get a firm grasp on my situation.”
“All right, tell me what you gathered.”
“Jimmy’s been arrested, and his parents are in questioning, leaving Emma pretty much by herself. In the meantime, the Synthetics Company is trying to relocate all the Hearthome employees for security purposes, and they’re trying to move me over to Olivine, a higher-quality plant. And someone named Esmeralda is offering to take both me and Emma into her household temporarily while all this settles down, on the grounds that she is a friend of the Jenkins family. Is that everything?”
“You’ve pretty much nailed it.”
“In that case I’ll need to gather a few things from my house before heading over to Olivine. I assume we’ll be taking the subway?”
“That’s right. Tell you what, you go and gather your things, while the three of us will wait for you at the subway station. When we board I’ll tell you more.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
After Cepheus was given permission to leave the hospital, being mostly recovered from his wounds, he left the Solaceon General Hospital and headed back towards his residence in Hearthome City, while Lyon, Emma, and Abigail went to wait for him at the subway station. It took only a scant fifteen minutes for Cepheus to walk all the way back home, but much to his surprise, he found a rather tall-looking man pacing back and forth near his house. The man appeared to be almost gigantic, with a muscular build and was wearing the attire of a police officer. His skin was rather tanned, and he had brown eyes and dark black hair, plus a mustache of like color. Cepheus wondered who in the world this person could be. Could this possibly be Deus when not wearing his cloak? He didn’t want to draw attention to himself, but since this officer seemed to be hanging around as if waiting for somebody, Cepheus decided not to try and act suspicious around this man (who could probably snap him like a twig) and casually ask him what business he had around these parts.
“Excuse me, officer,” Cepheus asked. “May I ask what you are doing here?”
“Ah, hello, citizen,” he replied, his voice deep and clear. “I’m currently looking for a certain individual that was involved in an incident near here.”
(An incident?) Cepheus thought. (Could he mean the synthetics plant attack? I’d better try and not let on what I know.)
“An incident?” Cepheus said aloud. “What kind of incident?”
“There was an attack on the Hearthome Synthetics Plant recently by a rather strange person. The main suspect has been arrested, but we feel like there is another suspect that has not yet been brought to justice.”
“Another suspect, Officer...?” Cepheus at this point was trying to get a good look at the officer’s name badge, so he wouldn’t have to keep addressing him by his title.
“Chavez. Lazaro Chavez. The suspect’s name is Cepheus White, and I have been informed that he lives near here, but we haven’t been able to find him. Nevertheless I’m confident that he will return here – this is, after all, where he lives.”
(Lazaro? That...That’s the name of one of the Three Terrors. And...he’s looking for me. Deus did say he was a bit on the stupid side, so I think he hasn’t noticed I am Cepheus yet. I should keep up the act for the time being...)
“But didn’t you say the main suspect was arrested? What would this Cepheus person have to do with it?”
“We have reason to believe that he may have cooperated in the attack, but there may have been some infighting among the two of them, and we have not been able to find Cepheus since.”
“I see. Well, I wish you good luck in your investigation, sir.”
“Of course. Now may I ask you a question?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Why do you try and conceal your hand from me?”
“Why would I try to do that?”
“Why indeed? I can see you wearing an enigmatic wristband, yet you try and put it behind your back for some reason. That, and I can see the palm of your hand glowing.”
“Hmm...”
“What do you have to say for yourself, Mr. White?”
“...I was not party to Jimmy’s plan on the Synthetics Plant. He attacked me, sir, without provocation. I was acting out of self-defense.”
“That may be so, but using such strange powers like that is enough to cause one to worry. Letting people like you loose on the streets is not good for the rest of society.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Chavez, I do not, nor will I ever, have a reason to disturb the peace or upset humanity in some way. I am quite content with my life as a synthetics employee, and I don’t want to change that.”
“I do understand that, but orders are orders, Mr. White. Now, you may either come along with me quietly, or I shall have to force you.”
Cepheus had been discovered by Lazaro, one of the Three Terrors, and now at this point, his situation was less than ideal. He had been given a choice – surrender without a fight and be arrested by Lazaro, or attempt to retaliate to either mend his situation or worsen it. He knew he wouldn’t be a match for Lazaro in a fight, and yet...he had no choice. He had a mission to accomplish, and Deus had a plan for Cepheus. He was not about to let one of the Three Terrors stop him.
It did strike Cepheus as a little odd, though – Deus had told him about the Three Terrors the previous night. Did Deus know that this situation that Cepheus was in right now would be unavoidable, and so thus warned Cepheus of what might happen next?
“I am sorry, Lazaro,” Cepheus said, engaging his rider form and turning a bright red, growing a great fiery mane, “but you will have to force me.”
Lazaro then tapped the insignia on his own right hand, a white one with a dragon motif, and his own Spirit was summoned – a rather robust blue dragon with gray underbelly and two red wings, with an all-around intimidating appearance.
“You’re Cepheus, eh?” it spoke. “I am Tiamat...and I must say, I really do pity you right now. You don’t stand a chance against the two of us, and yet you still want to fight?”
“I fight for what I believe in,” Cepheus answered. “Should I lose, I will still not regret what I have chosen.”
“Haha! There’s a difference between courage and recklessness, boy. I’ll make you realize the foolishness of your mistake!”
Lazaro then tugged the tether on Tiamat towards his chest, thus engaging his own rider form. If anything, he looked even larger than he was already, now appearing to be over eight feet tall, almost dwarfing Cepheus. His eyes were ablaze with a strange fire, and his fingers had transformed into large imposing claws. From his back sprouted two large red wings, and a wide blue tail that looked like it could crush bones. All this made Lazaro an incredibly terrifying sight, and yet, Cepheus had no choice but to fight him...!
14 – Rest
[Monday, July 19, 1.34 PM]
When Cepheus finally awoke, he found himself in another unusual environment. He was sleeping in a white bed complete with white sheets and pillow, and the room he was in was lined with linoleum all along the floor and leading into a hallway. The only entrance to his room, with its door wide open, had a view of the hallway, where Cepheus could see various men and women in doctor’s scrubs hurrying about.
Cepheus was rather settled at this fact – he’d woken up in a hospital. A nurse entered the room shortly after he woke up, presumably to check on his condition.
“Oh, good, you’re finally awake!” she exclaimed happily. “Are you feeling any better?”
“I am, actually,” Cepheus answered. “I think all the pain has dissipated.”
“That’s fortunate...It’s not every day we take someone who has bruises from being thrown against a wall.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Well, when we got to the Synthetics Plant, we found you and a boy both lying unconscious, and you had several bruises on your back.”
(That must have been when that second tremor hurled me into the wall...)
“Fortunately you had no broken bones and the bruises weren’t too large, and so I’m glad you made a fast recovery.”
“I know I’m in a hospital right now, but which one?”
“Solaceon General.”
“Wait...Where is Jimmy?”
“Jimmy? You mean the other boy that was nearby?”
“Yes, him.”
“He has been placed under arrest for disturbing the peace...A witness told us that Jimmy was using strange powers to cause general havoc to the building and the people in it. The witness even said he somehow threw a large nearby rock at the wall of the Synthetics Plant.”
“Who was the witness?”
“A man by the name of Leroy Jenkins.”
“I see. Additionally may I ask a question?”
“Sure.”
“When may I leave?”
“You can leave whenever you wish, sir – however, before you do, you have a few visitors that have been waiting for you to wake up.”
“Send them in, then.”
The nurse hurriedly left the room, as if headed towards the hospital lobby, most likely to call in the visitors wanting to see Cepheus. Within thirty seconds, three people walked into the room and lined up around the bed he was lying in. The first one was an older girl with blue and white clothing, with black hair having blue highlights in it – Abigail. The second one was a younger girl wearing dark green shirt and shorts to go with it – Emma. The third one was an older man that Cepheus had not met recently. He was dressed in purple robes from head to foot, even extending down his arms, yet not restrictive enough as to not allow him great freedom of movement – much like Stefano’s clothes. He was wearing a gold belt about his waist that seemed to glitter in the light. His eyes were a dazzling periwinkle color, and his somewhat-messy hair was the same color, held in place by a golden circlet.
“Lyon!” Cepheus exclaimed, sitting up in the bed. “I haven’t seen you in years!”
“Hello, Cepheus,” Lyon replied, nodding and smiling. “I hear you’ve been doing quite well for yourself lately.”
“Who’s been telling you that?”
“Our mutual friend...I believe I don’t need to tell you his name.”
“...Ah, yes, of course.” (He must mean Deus...)
“Hey Cepheus!” Abigail chimed in with a loud cheery voice. “You feeling okay?”
“Hi Abby,” Cepheus responded. “Why’d you jab my hand, though?”
“Watch it! You can’t just call me Abby! Only my boss can call me that! ...You’re just lucky that you’re cute, or I’d slap you silly.”
“...Did you just call me cute?”
“Anyway, there’s no time for that! We don’t know what you’re going to do, where you’re going to live, or how you’re going to keep in touch!”
“What...on earth are you talking about?”
“Abigail,” Lyon interjected, “please, allow me to explain to Cepheus the situation in full. I was informed by ‘him’ of all the relevant details.”
“All right...”
“Lyon, what is going on?” Cepheus asked.
“That is what I’m about to tell you,” Lyon replied. “See, after your boss, Mr. Jenkins, went for help, he called both the police and the paramedics – and it was fortunate he did; you were in very rough shape when you were found, and had Abigail not showed up when she did, your situation would have been jeopardized.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if you fall unconscious in...your other appearance, shall I say...you sometimes may not revert back. We cannot take that chance.”
(So that’s why Abigail jabbed my hand...) Cepheus thought. (It was to nullify my fusion with Hector temporarily.)
“In any case,” Lyon continued, “after you were rushed off to the hospital to be treated, the young boy Jimmy Jenkins was arrested for disturbing the peace. There were a few witnesses nearby that saw that Jimmy was using rather strange powers, which you, no doubt, encountered. That’s one of the few reasons why I’m here – the police asked me to collect your statement, since I am a close friend of yours.”
“Yeah...As soon as my supervisor told me what was going on, I had a feeling it might have been Jimmy, so I ran out to the front of the building. And...there I saw him, transformed. Then he threatened to attack me, and I fought back...or at least tried to.”
“And that’s when he summoned a tremor to throw you into the wall.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“How did you know it might have been Jimmy?”
“I can’t explain it. I just had a really strong...gut feeling, so to speak.”
“I see, that’ll do for the statement. Moving on, since Jimmy has been arrested, his parents have been taken in for questioning, to ask what could have led Jimmy to do such a thing. And since your supervisor Leroy Jenkins is Jimmy’s uncle, he’s come under some fire as well. Not to mention, Jimmy’s parents work directly for the government, so suffice it to say there’s a lot of tension going on.”
“Oh dear...”
“And because of this tension, their daughter Emma here doesn’t really have a legal guardian to speak of that is capable of watching over her. And since you two have apparently met and share a common connection – that is, her uncle is your supervisor – it might be ideal if you were to watch over her at least until her parents are no longer in questioning.”
“Wait, what? That seems like a bit of a tall order, just asking me out of the blue like that.”
“Cepheus, please, I have more to say. Let me finish before you jump to a decision.”
“...All right.”
“Another consequence of this attack is that the Synthetics Company feels that their Hearthome plant isn’t quite safe, and it’s possible that some of their machines have been damaged. As a result, they’re trying to move all their Hearthome employees to other locations, at least temporarily. And that would include you. ...Cepheus, I know you want to say something at this point, but please let me finish.”
“...You read me like a book.”
“They’re considering moving you to the Olivine plant, which actually helps to supply a few synthetics directly to the Vernexum world headquarters in Olivine.”
“Why does that worry me?”
“That question is rhetorical; you already know the answer, so I’ll continue. Emma also lives in Olivine City, and the plan for her was that she would temporarily move in with a friend of the Jenkins family. Coincidentally, that friend is Esmeralda.”
“I’ve heard that name before a couple times...”
“She, namely Esmeralda, has also offered to open her doors to you while in Olivine, at least as a temporary residence, until you can return back to Hearthome. During this time you and her can serve as legal guardians for Emma.”
“That thought already sounds weird in my head.”
“Don’t worry, Esmeralda is only a couple years older than you, and you two look about the same age.”
“That didn’t help, Lyon. You just made it weirder.”
“Yeah, I can see why!” Abigail chimed in. “It almost makes it look like Cepheus became a father at fourteen years old!”
“Abigail, you probably shouldn’t say that kind of thing out loud,” Lyon reprimanded. “I think that comment just blew Cepheus’ mind.”
“It did. I’m trying to forget that you said that and am trying to get a firm grasp on my situation.”
“All right, tell me what you gathered.”
“Jimmy’s been arrested, and his parents are in questioning, leaving Emma pretty much by herself. In the meantime, the Synthetics Company is trying to relocate all the Hearthome employees for security purposes, and they’re trying to move me over to Olivine, a higher-quality plant. And someone named Esmeralda is offering to take both me and Emma into her household temporarily while all this settles down, on the grounds that she is a friend of the Jenkins family. Is that everything?”
“You’ve pretty much nailed it.”
“In that case I’ll need to gather a few things from my house before heading over to Olivine. I assume we’ll be taking the subway?”
“That’s right. Tell you what, you go and gather your things, while the three of us will wait for you at the subway station. When we board I’ll tell you more.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
After Cepheus was given permission to leave the hospital, being mostly recovered from his wounds, he left the Solaceon General Hospital and headed back towards his residence in Hearthome City, while Lyon, Emma, and Abigail went to wait for him at the subway station. It took only a scant fifteen minutes for Cepheus to walk all the way back home, but much to his surprise, he found a rather tall-looking man pacing back and forth near his house. The man appeared to be almost gigantic, with a muscular build and was wearing the attire of a police officer. His skin was rather tanned, and he had brown eyes and dark black hair, plus a mustache of like color. Cepheus wondered who in the world this person could be. Could this possibly be Deus when not wearing his cloak? He didn’t want to draw attention to himself, but since this officer seemed to be hanging around as if waiting for somebody, Cepheus decided not to try and act suspicious around this man (who could probably snap him like a twig) and casually ask him what business he had around these parts.
“Excuse me, officer,” Cepheus asked. “May I ask what you are doing here?”
“Ah, hello, citizen,” he replied, his voice deep and clear. “I’m currently looking for a certain individual that was involved in an incident near here.”
(An incident?) Cepheus thought. (Could he mean the synthetics plant attack? I’d better try and not let on what I know.)
“An incident?” Cepheus said aloud. “What kind of incident?”
“There was an attack on the Hearthome Synthetics Plant recently by a rather strange person. The main suspect has been arrested, but we feel like there is another suspect that has not yet been brought to justice.”
“Another suspect, Officer...?” Cepheus at this point was trying to get a good look at the officer’s name badge, so he wouldn’t have to keep addressing him by his title.
“Chavez. Lazaro Chavez. The suspect’s name is Cepheus White, and I have been informed that he lives near here, but we haven’t been able to find him. Nevertheless I’m confident that he will return here – this is, after all, where he lives.”
(Lazaro? That...That’s the name of one of the Three Terrors. And...he’s looking for me. Deus did say he was a bit on the stupid side, so I think he hasn’t noticed I am Cepheus yet. I should keep up the act for the time being...)
“But didn’t you say the main suspect was arrested? What would this Cepheus person have to do with it?”
“We have reason to believe that he may have cooperated in the attack, but there may have been some infighting among the two of them, and we have not been able to find Cepheus since.”
“I see. Well, I wish you good luck in your investigation, sir.”
“Of course. Now may I ask you a question?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Why do you try and conceal your hand from me?”
“Why would I try to do that?”
“Why indeed? I can see you wearing an enigmatic wristband, yet you try and put it behind your back for some reason. That, and I can see the palm of your hand glowing.”
“Hmm...”
“What do you have to say for yourself, Mr. White?”
“...I was not party to Jimmy’s plan on the Synthetics Plant. He attacked me, sir, without provocation. I was acting out of self-defense.”
“That may be so, but using such strange powers like that is enough to cause one to worry. Letting people like you loose on the streets is not good for the rest of society.”
“With all due respect, Mr. Chavez, I do not, nor will I ever, have a reason to disturb the peace or upset humanity in some way. I am quite content with my life as a synthetics employee, and I don’t want to change that.”
“I do understand that, but orders are orders, Mr. White. Now, you may either come along with me quietly, or I shall have to force you.”
Cepheus had been discovered by Lazaro, one of the Three Terrors, and now at this point, his situation was less than ideal. He had been given a choice – surrender without a fight and be arrested by Lazaro, or attempt to retaliate to either mend his situation or worsen it. He knew he wouldn’t be a match for Lazaro in a fight, and yet...he had no choice. He had a mission to accomplish, and Deus had a plan for Cepheus. He was not about to let one of the Three Terrors stop him.
It did strike Cepheus as a little odd, though – Deus had told him about the Three Terrors the previous night. Did Deus know that this situation that Cepheus was in right now would be unavoidable, and so thus warned Cepheus of what might happen next?
“I am sorry, Lazaro,” Cepheus said, engaging his rider form and turning a bright red, growing a great fiery mane, “but you will have to force me.”
Lazaro then tapped the insignia on his own right hand, a white one with a dragon motif, and his own Spirit was summoned – a rather robust blue dragon with gray underbelly and two red wings, with an all-around intimidating appearance.
“You’re Cepheus, eh?” it spoke. “I am Tiamat...and I must say, I really do pity you right now. You don’t stand a chance against the two of us, and yet you still want to fight?”
“I fight for what I believe in,” Cepheus answered. “Should I lose, I will still not regret what I have chosen.”
“Haha! There’s a difference between courage and recklessness, boy. I’ll make you realize the foolishness of your mistake!”
Lazaro then tugged the tether on Tiamat towards his chest, thus engaging his own rider form. If anything, he looked even larger than he was already, now appearing to be over eight feet tall, almost dwarfing Cepheus. His eyes were ablaze with a strange fire, and his fingers had transformed into large imposing claws. From his back sprouted two large red wings, and a wide blue tail that looked like it could crush bones. All this made Lazaro an incredibly terrifying sight, and yet, Cepheus had no choice but to fight him...!
Abigail's a bit of a wisecracker, isn't she?
And yeah, you saw it here first: boss scenario GO! Now we're finally getting somewhere.
A bit of trivia: Lazaro is actually based on a very good friend of mine - the friend who actually inspired me to take up fanfic-writing professionally to begin with. I asked him how he liked to be cast, and he said like an ineffectual big lug enemy. You know, like Bowser. And thus I created Lazaro. The "Chavez" is a reference to him as well, albeit indirectly.
I'd also like to apologize for not updating earlier. I meant to a couple weeks back, but then completely forgot about it. I'll try to be faster in the future!
Feedback, comments, and constructive criticism are always appreciated. However, as I have previously stated, keep your replies at a minimum of 20 words apiece. This is not a PokéBeach forum rule, but I'll probably ignore you if you don't have much to say.
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 14 up!
Chapter 14 was very good; absolutely no errors as far as I can see. I wonder what happens to Hector next. He said that whatever affected Cepheus would affect him, so I don't know exactly what's in store for Hector. Good, nevertheless.
Chapter 14 was very good; absolutely no errors as far as I can see. I wonder what happens to Hector next. He said that whatever affected Cepheus would affect him, so I don't know exactly what's in store for Hector. Good, nevertheless.
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 15 up!
[Back to Top]
I swear, all my fanbase must secretly be in hiding. Well, time to draw them out of it.
Well, then. When last we left our hero, Cepheus, he was about to engage in battle with an opponent (one of three) who he believed could easily outmatch him in a one-on-one, yet, clinging strongly to his values, he must fight against this adversary to prove his cause.
The entire chapter is basically the boss fight, plus one or two other small things, so I will say no more and let you get right to work reading.
Stats for this chapter (15):
Pages: 3.9; Word Count: 2311
And then much was said.
Feedback, comments, and constructive criticism are always appreciated. However, as I have previously stated, keep your replies at a minimum of 20 words apiece. This is not a PokéBeach forum rule, but I'll probably ignore you if you don't have much to say.
[Back to Top]
I swear, all my fanbase must secretly be in hiding. Well, time to draw them out of it.
Well, then. When last we left our hero, Cepheus, he was about to engage in battle with an opponent (one of three) who he believed could easily outmatch him in a one-on-one, yet, clinging strongly to his values, he must fight against this adversary to prove his cause.
The entire chapter is basically the boss fight, plus one or two other small things, so I will say no more and let you get right to work reading.
Stats for this chapter (15):
Pages: 3.9; Word Count: 2311
~~~
15 – Savior
[Monday, July 19, 1.58 PM]
Cepheus and Lazaro faced each other – both in their rider forms, fused with their respective Spirits. On one end, Cepheus had combined himself with Hector the Flareon, and his body had turned a dazzling bright red; he had even grown two vulpine ears and a fiery mane about his neck – he’d even sprouted a large tuft of a tail. On the other end, Lazaro had combined with Tiamat, a Salamence, and he had grown even larger than his already-large stature, looking almost like a dragon now himself. And here they were – these two men were fated to battle each other, and there was no promise that Cepheus was even going to survive this fight.
Yet he must. He had to. He refused to let his friends down, and this thought alone encouraged him to keep going, to fight this otherwise impossible battle.
Lazaro made the first move, lumbering towards Cepheus with a large claw, attempting to swipe it downwards and knock Cepheus out of the fight with just a single move. Fortunately, Cepheus was much more nimble than Lazaro, and he managed to sidestep the attack easily; when Lazaro brought his claw down, it met only the air and then slammed into the pavement, creating a small crater where his attack fell. This worried Cepheus quite a bit; if Lazaro’s claw could crush even the pavement, what would it do to him?
Cepheus distanced himself from Lazaro until they were separated by twenty feet of empty space. Lazaro, already enraged that his first attack had missed, ran forwards toward Cepheus with a loud scream, his claw already lifted up to slam it down again. Cepheus had come prepared this time, and he successfully dodged the attack yet again; before distancing himself, he delivered a swift kick to Lazaro’s jaw before backing away again. Lazaro, already enraged that both of his first two attacks missed, went into a frenzy after noticing blood dripping from his mouth. He let out another scream and breathed a great cloud of fire toward Cepheus’ direction. Cepheus made no attempt to dodge this attack, but rather grinned and stood in the same place, uttering a simple “Thank you” as the flames roared around him.
“You...!” Lazaro yelled. “You...can absorb fire!?”
“It is the strength of Flash Fire – which you should have thought of that before,” Cepheus answered, now using this boost in power to charge right into Lazaro’s chest, already being ablaze with Lazaro’s own flames, and adding his own fire to the attack. The blazing tackle forced Lazaro back several feet and left a large scar mark in his chest.
“Flare Blitz...” Lazaro hissed. “You...You’ll pay for this!”
Instantly, Lazaro appeared to be filled with an unusual energy, fueled by anger and driven by hatred, and ran insanely towards Cepheus, swinging his claws every which way.
(Outrage!) Cepheus thought, instinctively dodging the initial blow. (I’ve got to keep dodging...one hit and I’m done for! If I can wear him out until he gets fatigued, that will be my chance to finish this!)
With each new charge and swipe, Cepheus jumped to the side and backed away again. He found an opening to ready himself with an Agility attack, boosting his movement speed with each step he took, allowing him to sidestep every attack that Lazaro hurled at him with ease. Within forty seconds, Cepheus noticed that Lazaro was wearing down fast, and his Outrage was nearly over – during that time Cepheus hadn’t attacked Lazaro but concentrated on dodging his mad rampage. He sidestepped Lazaro’s next attack, but unfortunately miscalculated and tripped over Lazaro’s tail. At that very moment, time seemed to slow down as Cepheus realized what an amateur mistake he’d made, and that he was soon to face the consequences. Sure enough, as soon as he lost his footing, Lazaro brought his fist crashing down upon Cepheus, sending him straight to the ground and practically embedding him in the pavement.
The shock of the attack caused Cepheus to feel that his rider form had been broken, at least for this fight. Not like it mattered at this point though...his number was up, and Lazaro had practically dealt him a mortal blow. He was totally unable to move and felt both his consciousness and his life slipping away from him. He saw Lazaro standing above him, still looking as threatening as ever, but no longer showing the calm disposition he had when he’d first met Cepheus – no, this man was mad, crazed, out for blood, and would probably not hesitate to kill Cepheus here and now.
“I gave you a choice,” he spoke, his voice an enraged hiss. “And now you realize your foolishness. You could not have defeated me.”
Cepheus let out a small groan, but couldn’t say anything more than that – he was far too weak and in too much pain to even manage a response.
“Goodbye, Mr. White,” Lazaro continued, lifting up his foot as if to crush Cepheus’ head into pieces, “forever.”
Cepheus held his eyes shut and braced himself for the pain that would sever his life from this world. And yet, it would not come. After two seconds he found himself still alive. He opened his eyes a tiny bit and saw Lazaro looking off to the side, as if someone had arrived. Cepheus then saw an icy wind being blasted at Lazaro, forcing the Terror to cover his face with his hands.
“Leave him alone,” Cepheus heard a man’s voice say.
“You...!” Lazaro yelled in response.
“I said leave him alone!”
Another cold breeze blew at Lazaro, causing him to cover his face again. Cepheus knew that dragons weren’t fond of ice, so whoever was doing this was causing Lazaro a lot of pain.
“You won’t...!” Lazaro protested, but a third chilling gust flew at Lazaro again. Lazaro had no choice but to flee with his tail between his legs, and with a shout of “I won’t forget this!” he retreated.
Cepheus still couldn’t move, and his vision was blurred, but he saw someone come towards him and kneel in front of him.
“You okay?” the person said. It was the same person that Cepheus had heard say ‘Leave him alone’, and presumably the same person who had assailed Lazaro with ice.
“Who...” Cepheus began to ask, but within no time he fell unconscious, unable to see, hear, or feel anything. The last thing he remembered seeing was that this person had a light blue aura surrounding him...
When next Cepheus awoke, he felt no pain anywhere in his body, not even the slightest fragment. He found this incredibly unusual – before he fell unconscious he was on the brink of death, and now when he awoke he didn’t feel a scrap of pain or discomfort. Had he been unconscious for that long?
He surveyed his surroundings and instantly knew the reason why – he was dreaming again. The stone floor, the unknown light, the endless dark horizon – it was all there. Much to his surprise, Deus was already standing 20 feet in front of him, instead of waiting for Cepheus to awake to then make his entrance.
“Deus!” Cepheus asked. “What are you doing here?”
“Cepheus...” he answered. “I am sorry. This is my fault.”
“What’s your fault?”
“I had a feeling one of the Three Terrors was after you...and yet I did nothing to stop it. I did not even send someone after you. I am sorry.”
“Then who saved me?”
“I sent him after I realized my mistake. The one who saved you...was Lyon.”
“Lyon did that?”
“His partner is Cryo, an Articuno. And he is most certainly not to be underestimated. The fact that he had a marked advantage over Lazaro in terms of Spirit partners is one thing, but even without that Lyon is a very capable fighter. After Lyon arrived, I showed up shortly afterwards to bring the items you needed from your Hearthome residence, whereas he went ahead to Olivine.”
“So...I’m in Olivine now?”
“Yes, you’re fast asleep, and you probably won’t wake up until the next day. It’s actually only 6.30 PM right now in the real world, and it’s still Monday.”
“I see. Can you explain to me my situation?”
“What specifically do you want to know?”
“Where am I right now, what became of Lyon and Emma, and what state is my body in the real world in?”
“You are in Olivine City in the house of Esmeralda, and you’re fast asleep. Lyon and Emma are in the house as well – Emma because Esmeralda is watching over her, and Lyon because he’s watching out for you. He’ll probably be staying in Olivine for a few days.”
“Who is Esmeralda, anyway? I keep hearing you all say that but I don’t have a clue who she is.”
“Esmeralda is a Spirit Knight who lives in Olivine City; her partner is a Jolteon named Nimbus. She’s close friends with Abigail, and she’s also the one who saved you from Jimmy – the Pin Missile rain was her doing.”
“I see...”
“She owns a rather large mansion near the beach of Olivine – much like a seaside resort. This is how she can accommodate all of you with little trouble. As for her occupation, she is actually a model, and as a result makes quite a bit of money...hence the resort.”
“I see. What does she look like?”
“You’ll figure it out when you wake up, so I won’t explain right now.”
“And what about my own state?”
“To tell the truth...when I found you I wasn’t sure what to do. Your body was in a sort of limbo state – Lazaro’s attack had shocked you out of your rider form, but not completely – your clothes were blue as normal, but I still saw your ears and mane. I tried everything I could to heal you up again...”
“So wait, I’m dead?”
“No, no. I was able to restore you back to normal, although it was a strenuous feat. However, there is a bit of a consequence to it...”
“What might that be?”
“Look at the insignia on your hand, Cepheus.”
Cepheus did as Deus had instructed, and much to his surprise, his insignia was now dark blue instead of red. The pattern was exactly the same, but the color was notably different. Cepheus summoned Hector by tapping the insignia, and when Hector appeared, the two of them were immensely shocked. Hector was no longer red – his fur had become dark blue, the same color of Cepheus’ hair and clothes, and his mane and tail had become a bright silver color.
“What’s going on!?” Hector yelled. “What happened to my fur!?”
“It was only a matter of time...” Deus replied softly, “and it appears the fight with Lazaro only accelerated it.”
“What do you mean, the fight accelerated it!? My fur is blue now!”
“Please, quiet down and allow me to explain to the both of you.”
“Fine...”
“Usually, when a Spirit and human spend enough time with each other, and the bond of friendship deepens, the Spirit and human begin to look more and more like one another, in terms of coloration and sometimes even attire. What usually happens is that the human tends to look more and more like the Spirit, because the Spirit has a stronger force of will. However, what has just happened is the reverse – you, Hector, the Spirit, now look more like Cepheus, the human.”
“That doesn’t make sense!” Hector protested. “Spirits usually have very strong wills, and I as a Knight am no different! Heck, I should have a stronger will than most Spirits!”
“You do.”
“Then why do I look like Cepheus?”
“Because his force of will...is stronger even than yours.”
“What!? A human have a stronger will than a Spirit?”
“Cepheus is fighting for the same bright future that you are fighting for, Hector. Yet, he wants it so much that he is willing to die just so he can change the world. He accepted Lazaro’s challenge knowing the fact that he might possibly be killed as a result. In fact, Cepheus’ will is one of the strongest I’ve seen...I do not think I have seen a human with stronger will. And because you two are closer together...your powers have increased substantially.”
“Astounding...”
Hector then turned to speak to Cepheus directly.
“Cepheus...” he began. “I am truly amazed. You want the future of humans and Pokémon living together again...even more than I want that future...even more than any Spirit wants that future. And...the fact that I look different is proof of that. Cepheus, I have no doubts about you...I will follow you even to the ends of the earth and do whatever you want me to do. We are friends, Cepheus, the best of friends, and nothing is going to change that. I submit to your will.”
“Hector...I am honored. Rest assured, I will fight to change the world, so that you and the rest of Pokémon can live on the earth again in peace.”
“Now, if I may interject,” Deus continued, “you two both need some rest, to recover from those wounds you retained. You’ll wake up the next morning bright and early, but for now you have no need to talk to me in a dream. With that, I depart, and you sleep.”
As Deus left, so too did the dream, which dissipated into nothingness, and Cepheus and Hector both found themselves succumbing to blissful rest. Cepheus was greatly encouraged – Hector now trusted him completely, and now that their bond was closer, their power together was even stronger. Cepheus wasn’t sure what his new rider form would be like as a Pacter, but what he did know is he’d be able to take any threat that came his way – even if it was from someone like Solano. But for now, he did not worry himself about fights to come, but rather let himself sleep peacefully.
15 – Savior
[Monday, July 19, 1.58 PM]
Cepheus and Lazaro faced each other – both in their rider forms, fused with their respective Spirits. On one end, Cepheus had combined himself with Hector the Flareon, and his body had turned a dazzling bright red; he had even grown two vulpine ears and a fiery mane about his neck – he’d even sprouted a large tuft of a tail. On the other end, Lazaro had combined with Tiamat, a Salamence, and he had grown even larger than his already-large stature, looking almost like a dragon now himself. And here they were – these two men were fated to battle each other, and there was no promise that Cepheus was even going to survive this fight.
Yet he must. He had to. He refused to let his friends down, and this thought alone encouraged him to keep going, to fight this otherwise impossible battle.
Lazaro made the first move, lumbering towards Cepheus with a large claw, attempting to swipe it downwards and knock Cepheus out of the fight with just a single move. Fortunately, Cepheus was much more nimble than Lazaro, and he managed to sidestep the attack easily; when Lazaro brought his claw down, it met only the air and then slammed into the pavement, creating a small crater where his attack fell. This worried Cepheus quite a bit; if Lazaro’s claw could crush even the pavement, what would it do to him?
Cepheus distanced himself from Lazaro until they were separated by twenty feet of empty space. Lazaro, already enraged that his first attack had missed, ran forwards toward Cepheus with a loud scream, his claw already lifted up to slam it down again. Cepheus had come prepared this time, and he successfully dodged the attack yet again; before distancing himself, he delivered a swift kick to Lazaro’s jaw before backing away again. Lazaro, already enraged that both of his first two attacks missed, went into a frenzy after noticing blood dripping from his mouth. He let out another scream and breathed a great cloud of fire toward Cepheus’ direction. Cepheus made no attempt to dodge this attack, but rather grinned and stood in the same place, uttering a simple “Thank you” as the flames roared around him.
“You...!” Lazaro yelled. “You...can absorb fire!?”
“It is the strength of Flash Fire – which you should have thought of that before,” Cepheus answered, now using this boost in power to charge right into Lazaro’s chest, already being ablaze with Lazaro’s own flames, and adding his own fire to the attack. The blazing tackle forced Lazaro back several feet and left a large scar mark in his chest.
“Flare Blitz...” Lazaro hissed. “You...You’ll pay for this!”
Instantly, Lazaro appeared to be filled with an unusual energy, fueled by anger and driven by hatred, and ran insanely towards Cepheus, swinging his claws every which way.
(Outrage!) Cepheus thought, instinctively dodging the initial blow. (I’ve got to keep dodging...one hit and I’m done for! If I can wear him out until he gets fatigued, that will be my chance to finish this!)
With each new charge and swipe, Cepheus jumped to the side and backed away again. He found an opening to ready himself with an Agility attack, boosting his movement speed with each step he took, allowing him to sidestep every attack that Lazaro hurled at him with ease. Within forty seconds, Cepheus noticed that Lazaro was wearing down fast, and his Outrage was nearly over – during that time Cepheus hadn’t attacked Lazaro but concentrated on dodging his mad rampage. He sidestepped Lazaro’s next attack, but unfortunately miscalculated and tripped over Lazaro’s tail. At that very moment, time seemed to slow down as Cepheus realized what an amateur mistake he’d made, and that he was soon to face the consequences. Sure enough, as soon as he lost his footing, Lazaro brought his fist crashing down upon Cepheus, sending him straight to the ground and practically embedding him in the pavement.
The shock of the attack caused Cepheus to feel that his rider form had been broken, at least for this fight. Not like it mattered at this point though...his number was up, and Lazaro had practically dealt him a mortal blow. He was totally unable to move and felt both his consciousness and his life slipping away from him. He saw Lazaro standing above him, still looking as threatening as ever, but no longer showing the calm disposition he had when he’d first met Cepheus – no, this man was mad, crazed, out for blood, and would probably not hesitate to kill Cepheus here and now.
“I gave you a choice,” he spoke, his voice an enraged hiss. “And now you realize your foolishness. You could not have defeated me.”
Cepheus let out a small groan, but couldn’t say anything more than that – he was far too weak and in too much pain to even manage a response.
“Goodbye, Mr. White,” Lazaro continued, lifting up his foot as if to crush Cepheus’ head into pieces, “forever.”
Cepheus held his eyes shut and braced himself for the pain that would sever his life from this world. And yet, it would not come. After two seconds he found himself still alive. He opened his eyes a tiny bit and saw Lazaro looking off to the side, as if someone had arrived. Cepheus then saw an icy wind being blasted at Lazaro, forcing the Terror to cover his face with his hands.
“Leave him alone,” Cepheus heard a man’s voice say.
“You...!” Lazaro yelled in response.
“I said leave him alone!”
Another cold breeze blew at Lazaro, causing him to cover his face again. Cepheus knew that dragons weren’t fond of ice, so whoever was doing this was causing Lazaro a lot of pain.
“You won’t...!” Lazaro protested, but a third chilling gust flew at Lazaro again. Lazaro had no choice but to flee with his tail between his legs, and with a shout of “I won’t forget this!” he retreated.
Cepheus still couldn’t move, and his vision was blurred, but he saw someone come towards him and kneel in front of him.
“You okay?” the person said. It was the same person that Cepheus had heard say ‘Leave him alone’, and presumably the same person who had assailed Lazaro with ice.
“Who...” Cepheus began to ask, but within no time he fell unconscious, unable to see, hear, or feel anything. The last thing he remembered seeing was that this person had a light blue aura surrounding him...
When next Cepheus awoke, he felt no pain anywhere in his body, not even the slightest fragment. He found this incredibly unusual – before he fell unconscious he was on the brink of death, and now when he awoke he didn’t feel a scrap of pain or discomfort. Had he been unconscious for that long?
He surveyed his surroundings and instantly knew the reason why – he was dreaming again. The stone floor, the unknown light, the endless dark horizon – it was all there. Much to his surprise, Deus was already standing 20 feet in front of him, instead of waiting for Cepheus to awake to then make his entrance.
“Deus!” Cepheus asked. “What are you doing here?”
“Cepheus...” he answered. “I am sorry. This is my fault.”
“What’s your fault?”
“I had a feeling one of the Three Terrors was after you...and yet I did nothing to stop it. I did not even send someone after you. I am sorry.”
“Then who saved me?”
“I sent him after I realized my mistake. The one who saved you...was Lyon.”
“Lyon did that?”
“His partner is Cryo, an Articuno. And he is most certainly not to be underestimated. The fact that he had a marked advantage over Lazaro in terms of Spirit partners is one thing, but even without that Lyon is a very capable fighter. After Lyon arrived, I showed up shortly afterwards to bring the items you needed from your Hearthome residence, whereas he went ahead to Olivine.”
“So...I’m in Olivine now?”
“Yes, you’re fast asleep, and you probably won’t wake up until the next day. It’s actually only 6.30 PM right now in the real world, and it’s still Monday.”
“I see. Can you explain to me my situation?”
“What specifically do you want to know?”
“Where am I right now, what became of Lyon and Emma, and what state is my body in the real world in?”
“You are in Olivine City in the house of Esmeralda, and you’re fast asleep. Lyon and Emma are in the house as well – Emma because Esmeralda is watching over her, and Lyon because he’s watching out for you. He’ll probably be staying in Olivine for a few days.”
“Who is Esmeralda, anyway? I keep hearing you all say that but I don’t have a clue who she is.”
“Esmeralda is a Spirit Knight who lives in Olivine City; her partner is a Jolteon named Nimbus. She’s close friends with Abigail, and she’s also the one who saved you from Jimmy – the Pin Missile rain was her doing.”
“I see...”
“She owns a rather large mansion near the beach of Olivine – much like a seaside resort. This is how she can accommodate all of you with little trouble. As for her occupation, she is actually a model, and as a result makes quite a bit of money...hence the resort.”
“I see. What does she look like?”
“You’ll figure it out when you wake up, so I won’t explain right now.”
“And what about my own state?”
“To tell the truth...when I found you I wasn’t sure what to do. Your body was in a sort of limbo state – Lazaro’s attack had shocked you out of your rider form, but not completely – your clothes were blue as normal, but I still saw your ears and mane. I tried everything I could to heal you up again...”
“So wait, I’m dead?”
“No, no. I was able to restore you back to normal, although it was a strenuous feat. However, there is a bit of a consequence to it...”
“What might that be?”
“Look at the insignia on your hand, Cepheus.”
Cepheus did as Deus had instructed, and much to his surprise, his insignia was now dark blue instead of red. The pattern was exactly the same, but the color was notably different. Cepheus summoned Hector by tapping the insignia, and when Hector appeared, the two of them were immensely shocked. Hector was no longer red – his fur had become dark blue, the same color of Cepheus’ hair and clothes, and his mane and tail had become a bright silver color.
“What’s going on!?” Hector yelled. “What happened to my fur!?”
“It was only a matter of time...” Deus replied softly, “and it appears the fight with Lazaro only accelerated it.”
“What do you mean, the fight accelerated it!? My fur is blue now!”
“Please, quiet down and allow me to explain to the both of you.”
“Fine...”
“Usually, when a Spirit and human spend enough time with each other, and the bond of friendship deepens, the Spirit and human begin to look more and more like one another, in terms of coloration and sometimes even attire. What usually happens is that the human tends to look more and more like the Spirit, because the Spirit has a stronger force of will. However, what has just happened is the reverse – you, Hector, the Spirit, now look more like Cepheus, the human.”
“That doesn’t make sense!” Hector protested. “Spirits usually have very strong wills, and I as a Knight am no different! Heck, I should have a stronger will than most Spirits!”
“You do.”
“Then why do I look like Cepheus?”
“Because his force of will...is stronger even than yours.”
“What!? A human have a stronger will than a Spirit?”
“Cepheus is fighting for the same bright future that you are fighting for, Hector. Yet, he wants it so much that he is willing to die just so he can change the world. He accepted Lazaro’s challenge knowing the fact that he might possibly be killed as a result. In fact, Cepheus’ will is one of the strongest I’ve seen...I do not think I have seen a human with stronger will. And because you two are closer together...your powers have increased substantially.”
“Astounding...”
Hector then turned to speak to Cepheus directly.
“Cepheus...” he began. “I am truly amazed. You want the future of humans and Pokémon living together again...even more than I want that future...even more than any Spirit wants that future. And...the fact that I look different is proof of that. Cepheus, I have no doubts about you...I will follow you even to the ends of the earth and do whatever you want me to do. We are friends, Cepheus, the best of friends, and nothing is going to change that. I submit to your will.”
“Hector...I am honored. Rest assured, I will fight to change the world, so that you and the rest of Pokémon can live on the earth again in peace.”
“Now, if I may interject,” Deus continued, “you two both need some rest, to recover from those wounds you retained. You’ll wake up the next morning bright and early, but for now you have no need to talk to me in a dream. With that, I depart, and you sleep.”
As Deus left, so too did the dream, which dissipated into nothingness, and Cepheus and Hector both found themselves succumbing to blissful rest. Cepheus was greatly encouraged – Hector now trusted him completely, and now that their bond was closer, their power together was even stronger. Cepheus wasn’t sure what his new rider form would be like as a Pacter, but what he did know is he’d be able to take any threat that came his way – even if it was from someone like Solano. But for now, he did not worry himself about fights to come, but rather let himself sleep peacefully.
And then much was said.
Feedback, comments, and constructive criticism are always appreciated. However, as I have previously stated, keep your replies at a minimum of 20 words apiece. This is not a PokéBeach forum rule, but I'll probably ignore you if you don't have much to say.
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 15 up!
I wonder how he's doing too, but he's got a bit more to worry about on his plate in real life than I do right now.
...About half the story is based in dreams, so were you referring to all the parts of the chapter, or just the part that was actually set in a dream?
I wonder how he's doing too, but he's got a bit more to worry about on his plate in real life than I do right now.
...About half the story is based in dreams, so were you referring to all the parts of the chapter, or just the part that was actually set in a dream?
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 15 up!
Crawling with my fanfic. It's not discontinued. Just crawling.
So, I actually found enough time to criticize something (a boss fight chapter, no less! How exciting!), so I'm Zyflair, you know me, blah blah blah. Let's get this silly show from yours truly over with.
Standard introductory paragraph used at the start simply for those that clearly haven't remember what Cephus just got into. No offense intended for your protagonist, but have you ever imagined the particular ears of a Flareon replacing that of a human's? My sense of humor is admittedly odd, but I get fits of giggles thinking about it. Pushing that aside, the only thing you mentioned about Lazaro was his size, so I take it you already described him in the end of Chapter Fourteen (aaaand, yep, you did). Still, with the start of a new chapter, it's nice to do a bit of a refreshment of details and throw in more than one detail about our current opponent (unless you really don't care so much about him/it, which is probably the case).
You used the phrase "already enraged that (both of) his first (two) attack(s)" twice. What's up with that? It's like you have no idea to describe an angry man. You aren't that apathetic to know frustration. Well, you clearly know it enough to have Lazaro's frustration lead to a derp (though it is debateable whether he'd think about Flash Fire even when calm).
CHAAAARGE! It didn't work last time, but maybe it would this time against an even stronger opponent! Oh hey, it actually hurt. Just when you bring my hopes up, you have Cepheus trip. Seriously, just trip over a tail that's somehow on the ground in front of an advancing dragon. And while we're at it, Lazaro comes out of Outrage and apparently has enough ego to hold back his anger momentarily just to gloat for a good eight seconds before getting derailed byDeus (Ex Machina) Lyon.
Well, that was disappointing.
Moving on, Hector gets an unwanted makeover, because Cepheus has awesome willpower (that doesn't translate physically at the moment).
Yes, yes, I sound impatient, but quite honestly, there's almost nothing different here in comparison to the previous times. The main difference is that we know who's in charge on the enemy side and that they are far from pushovers.
Crawling with my fanfic. It's not discontinued. Just crawling.
So, I actually found enough time to criticize something (a boss fight chapter, no less! How exciting!), so I'm Zyflair, you know me, blah blah blah. Let's get this silly show from yours truly over with.
Standard introductory paragraph used at the start simply for those that clearly haven't remember what Cephus just got into. No offense intended for your protagonist, but have you ever imagined the particular ears of a Flareon replacing that of a human's? My sense of humor is admittedly odd, but I get fits of giggles thinking about it. Pushing that aside, the only thing you mentioned about Lazaro was his size, so I take it you already described him in the end of Chapter Fourteen (aaaand, yep, you did). Still, with the start of a new chapter, it's nice to do a bit of a refreshment of details and throw in more than one detail about our current opponent (unless you really don't care so much about him/it, which is probably the case).
Sustained him? Sustained what about him? His life, well-being, courage, resolve, or what? I think "sustained" was just the wrong word to begin with. I'll leave you to find a wording that actually makes sense.
You used the phrase "already enraged that (both of) his first (two) attack(s)" twice. What's up with that? It's like you have no idea to describe an angry man. You aren't that apathetic to know frustration. Well, you clearly know it enough to have Lazaro's frustration lead to a derp (though it is debateable whether he'd think about Flash Fire even when calm).
CHAAAARGE! It didn't work last time, but maybe it would this time against an even stronger opponent! Oh hey, it actually hurt. Just when you bring my hopes up, you have Cepheus trip. Seriously, just trip over a tail that's somehow on the ground in front of an advancing dragon. And while we're at it, Lazaro comes out of Outrage and apparently has enough ego to hold back his anger momentarily just to gloat for a good eight seconds before getting derailed by
Well, that was disappointing.
Moving on, Hector gets an unwanted makeover, because Cepheus has awesome willpower (that doesn't translate physically at the moment).
... I won't believe it till I see it. Deus shows admiration for Cepheus ideals (the payoff is going to make up for all of the incompetency happening lately, I'm sure). And we end with another failed battle.
Yes, yes, I sound impatient, but quite honestly, there's almost nothing different here in comparison to the previous times. The main difference is that we know who's in charge on the enemy side and that they are far from pushovers.
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 15 up!
I actually like your writing style and think It's pretty unique. I enjoy the concept of synthetics,And I assume since synthetics are machines they don't evolve.That would a horrible world to live in,..pay tons of money for an eevee that can't evolve.. and speaking of eevee and Evolution..Hector is Blue! I'm hoping for more of a personality from him and not just being stuck in an insignia and not actively helping Cepheus make decisions. I also think It would be cool If Hector and other spirits communicated more often.Just because there tied to one person doesn't mean they can't talk/express their ideas and opinion's. If I'm correct Hector turned blue because Cepheus was willing to risk his life facing Lazaro I'd like to see Hector doing some reflecting on what he can do to rise up to the same level of Willpower as Cepheus...And now on to my thoughts on Lazaro himself.. I think Lazaro is really not the brightest crayon in the box and I also think he's a bit tall okay Really Tall.Let's get on to my favorite part of the story though Cepheus gets all powered-up by flash fire(I hate that ability by the way I'll explain why later) Then starts going in and tiring Lazaro out and I actually think he might have a shot at winning and then he makes such an amateur mistake..But then again he did lose to an 8-year old..But in his defense It was a freakishly tall eight year old with telekinetic powers but still that's no excuse!
Random thoughts about this story...
1.Leafeon with an air freshener really that's sad...You want clean air then go become a pacter...
2.Do people still have Pokemon battles with synthetic Pokemon? Or do the synthetics just sit there looking cute...
3.Where's Unova....
4.Will any other spirit Pokemon notice hector's color change and if so what will they think?
5.What Pokemon is Ura being manipulated by?
6. Will Cherrim ever make a come-back?
7. Blue is actually workable from Flareon....
8. Why hasn't he used his ability to detect emotions more often..
9. I actually like DNA's style of writing and word choice a lot
10. speaking of writing....When will the next Chapter be out ?!?
Why I Hate Flash Fire..
I learned About Flash Fire the hard way...Lets just say Last Pokemon With only fire type attack moves against Flash Fire Pokemon Hard...
I actually like your writing style and think It's pretty unique. I enjoy the concept of synthetics,And I assume since synthetics are machines they don't evolve.That would a horrible world to live in,..pay tons of money for an eevee that can't evolve.. and speaking of eevee and Evolution..Hector is Blue! I'm hoping for more of a personality from him and not just being stuck in an insignia and not actively helping Cepheus make decisions. I also think It would be cool If Hector and other spirits communicated more often.Just because there tied to one person doesn't mean they can't talk/express their ideas and opinion's. If I'm correct Hector turned blue because Cepheus was willing to risk his life facing Lazaro I'd like to see Hector doing some reflecting on what he can do to rise up to the same level of Willpower as Cepheus...And now on to my thoughts on Lazaro himself.. I think Lazaro is really not the brightest crayon in the box and I also think he's a bit tall okay Really Tall.Let's get on to my favorite part of the story though Cepheus gets all powered-up by flash fire(I hate that ability by the way I'll explain why later) Then starts going in and tiring Lazaro out and I actually think he might have a shot at winning and then he makes such an amateur mistake..But then again he did lose to an 8-year old..But in his defense It was a freakishly tall eight year old with telekinetic powers but still that's no excuse!
Random thoughts about this story...
1.Leafeon with an air freshener really that's sad...You want clean air then go become a pacter...
2.Do people still have Pokemon battles with synthetic Pokemon? Or do the synthetics just sit there looking cute...
3.Where's Unova....
4.Will any other spirit Pokemon notice hector's color change and if so what will they think?
5.What Pokemon is Ura being manipulated by?
6. Will Cherrim ever make a come-back?
7. Blue is actually workable from Flareon....
8. Why hasn't he used his ability to detect emotions more often..
9. I actually like DNA's style of writing and word choice a lot
10. speaking of writing....When will the next Chapter be out ?!?
Why I Hate Flash Fire..
I learned About Flash Fire the hard way...Lets just say Last Pokemon With only fire type attack moves against Flash Fire Pokemon Hard...
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 15 up!
Whoa, feedback! And lots of it! Looks like I have quite a lot to go through and respond to, but let me go through it one at a time.
First, Zyflair.
I'm not that apathetic? Excuse me, sir, but you don't know that. ...I did? Oh darn, something else to fix. But it's a minor fix, so no big deal.
...Come to think of it, I've been looking over the story, and I feel like I didn't give Cepheus enough air time as I believe he should be deserving. He's not around for a few crucial scenes. Oops, spoke too soon!
~~~
Now, Bisharp37.
Whoa, feedback! And lots of it! Looks like I have quite a lot to go through and respond to, but let me go through it one at a time.
First, Zyflair.
Good to know.
Yes, and I admit it's an admittedly strange concept. Fortunately, that only exists on "Red Cepheus", so I've termed him. "Blue Cepheus" is going to look different to that, as you'll see in later chapters. (I actually forgot if I replaced his ears or gave him new ones so that he'd have 4 total - a bit of a weird thought - but I think I just replaced them.)
...Yup. He does pop up later though.
...Point well taken. You're right. I'll think of a better wording for it, and edit appropriately. Edited: Fixed. Hopefully this new wording flows better.
Troll harder! I can't hear you!
Well, it kinda does translate physically. He should be dead by now - in fact, he should have been dead as soon as he got hit by Outrage. He isn't. ...Don't worry; it makes a bit more sense in later chapters.
You're not supposed to believe it until you see it. I hope that I'll sufficiently prove to you, as the story goes on, that Cepheus is actually more powerful.
...Come to think of it, I've been looking over the story, and I feel like I didn't give Cepheus enough air time as I believe he should be deserving. He's not around for a few crucial scenes. Oops, spoke too soon!
~~~
Now, Bisharp37.
You assume correct - they're machines; they don't evolve.
If you just want a synthetic as a pet, you probably don't want an Eevee that can evolve. It's for the public's own good. Unless, of course, you purchase the Leafeon air freshener.
Hector doesn't get much air time either in this story, when I'm looking over it, and that kinda saddens me. On the other hand, his air time is better than what he had in the draft...which was basically zero. I'm trying to make Hector better than a character who is just "there", hence how I try and make him interact with Cepheus.
That's only part of it. When Cepheus got hit by Lazaro's Outrage, his body experienced a tremendous shock, putting him into a state of limbo - partly in his rider form and partly out of it. I don't think I state it directly at the time it happens (I think Deus mentions it later on in this chapter), but Hector turning blue did have something to do with Cepheus risking his life.
It's not that Hector doesn't have much willpower. It's that Cepheus has a lot of it. I believe I had Deus remark that, to date, Cepheus is the only Pacter human who had more willpower than his spirit partner. (There's actually a second one, but I won't tell you who it is yet.)
Cepheus is already six-foot-five. Anything bigger than him would be considered giant by human standards. Deus is actually seven feet tall and just as large, which in itself is pretty interesting. Then again, he's a god, so...
That eight-year-old had one of my favorite Pokemon on his side. Of course I'm going to have him win. However, on the flip side, if Lazaro is the stereotypical thug, of course he's going to mess up at some point. (No one afterwards in the story makes any mistakes like Lazaro does, however.)
How? Humans don't choose their spirits; it's the other way around. If you want clean air, go plant trees.
I don't say in this story either way. That's up to you to decide. Just keep in mind that, although times change, people don't. Let that be the basis for your guesswork.
When I wrote this story, it was during the era of Generation 4. Black/White were not announced even in Japan until well after I finished Nightmare. Thus, Unova does not exist in my world as of yet. (I also haven't made any mention of it in future books either, but that could change.)
I dunno, maybe?
You'll find out. By the time the story is over, you will definitely know.
I dunno, maybe?
Yes, yes it is. (And yes, I made that recolor.)
I have no idea. In the original draft, his ability wasn't detecting emotions; it was reading minds. Then I realized that, in the entirety of the story, he didn't read anyone's mind. Thus I altered it to something else. However, thanks for letting me know.
Thank you! and probably within a couple days, maybe even tomorrow if people want it.
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 15 up!
I think you have found a very interesting and original way of integrating Pokemon in a working society (as opposed to the dysfunctional mess presented by Nintendo). Your writing style and plot are quite pleasant, but I do wonder whether introducing so many Pacters and all of the information you‘re giving about them (mostly via Deus) are really functional. Especially Pierre feels like a forced character, as if he‘s just there to explain Cepheus being transported to Fortree and Anna getting rescued.
Despite that one point, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this (I read through the whole thing in and hour and a half, lol) and I hope to see more chapters soon!
EDIT: Wow, DNA ninja‘d me while I was afk...
I think you have found a very interesting and original way of integrating Pokemon in a working society (as opposed to the dysfunctional mess presented by Nintendo). Your writing style and plot are quite pleasant, but I do wonder whether introducing so many Pacters and all of the information you‘re giving about them (mostly via Deus) are really functional. Especially Pierre feels like a forced character, as if he‘s just there to explain Cepheus being transported to Fortree and Anna getting rescued.
Despite that one point, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this (I read through the whole thing in and hour and a half, lol) and I hope to see more chapters soon!
EDIT: Wow, DNA ninja‘d me while I was afk...
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 15 up!
That's just how I roll.
Thanks! It makes me know I've done a good job if I'm getting compliments like that.
I know in my original draft I did have characters that I only introduced for a brief time and then said goodbye to them forever. For example, there was also a Sceptile Pacter named Kai who lived in the Fortree base in the original draft. I am pretty sure I deleted him, since he only showed up once. Pierre was a bit similar to that, but he does pop up later (as do a few of the others who seem to be one-shot cameos), so if I did introduce them, they either show up later or are important to the sequel. For example, Victoria has no real significance as a character until the sequel.
Wow, impressive! Then again, I think if you devote yourself to reading all that's up so far, an hour and a half isn't too much of a stretch. Thanks for sticking through with it, though! It's a lot to read 15 chapters in one sitting.
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 16 up!
[Back to Top]
And I just remembered that you guys are about due for a new chapter. It's been 2 weeks after all.
In so doing, I forgot that I meant to edit the bit where Lazaro says he's enraged twice. I did it just now - you cannot see the change on PB, since I didn't edit my post; I edited the original MS Word file. In so doing, I have (unintentionally) raised the total word count on Nightmare to a nice round number: 60,400 across all chapters. (I do not include the chapter titles or the timestamps in this figure.)
Chapter 16 shifts the viewpoint of the story a bit, from the view of Cepheus to the view of the antagonists - the government. There isn't too much to say in Chapter 16, but you will learn the names of most, if not all, of the "power players" in this chapter.
Stats for this chapter (16):
Page Count: 3.6; Word Count: 2116
If you get only one thing out of this chapter, let it be known that Lazaro is ticked off in the extreme. No wait, that happened last chapter too. Okay, how about "corporate meetings are boring"? Yeah, that sounds good.
I understand there are quite a lot of factors introduced here, so if you're wondering about anything, feel free to ask. Except for how I got the names of these people. I don't know that either.
Feedback, comments, and constructive criticism are always appreciated. However, as I have previously stated, keep your replies at a minimum of 20 words apiece. This is not a PokéBeach forum rule, but I'll probably ignore you if you don't have much to say.
[Back to Top]
And I just remembered that you guys are about due for a new chapter. It's been 2 weeks after all.
In so doing, I forgot that I meant to edit the bit where Lazaro says he's enraged twice. I did it just now - you cannot see the change on PB, since I didn't edit my post; I edited the original MS Word file. In so doing, I have (unintentionally) raised the total word count on Nightmare to a nice round number: 60,400 across all chapters. (I do not include the chapter titles or the timestamps in this figure.)
Chapter 16 shifts the viewpoint of the story a bit, from the view of Cepheus to the view of the antagonists - the government. There isn't too much to say in Chapter 16, but you will learn the names of most, if not all, of the "power players" in this chapter.
Stats for this chapter (16):
Page Count: 3.6; Word Count: 2116
~~~
16 – Meeting
[Tuesday, July 20, 8.27 AM]
“This meeting of the eight generals of the Vernexum shall now come to order.”
Within the Vernexum world headquarters building, in a conference room on the sixth floor of the eight-floor tower, the eight most powerful men in the world had come together to hold a meeting on what their next courses of action would be. The decisions these men would make would go forth from this room and end up changing the world, the fates of countless people being decided by these men alone.
“First, there shall be a roll call. Each of you, announce your names. I shall lead... Volus.”
“Extrio.”
“Reuben.”
“Nicolas.”
“Endore.”
“Xavier.”
“Ura.”
“Machina.”
“And together, we are the Vernexum,” Volus said, wrapping up the roll call. “We shall now bring up the issues to be mentioned.”
“I wish to bring up an issue,” Ura began, with a loud proclaiming voice.
“Ura, you always are the first to bring up an issue,” Nicolas said, almost whining. “It’s like you’re so eager to pass some new crazy measure.”
“I don’t see you trying to bring up anything worthwhile, Nicolas!”
“Both of you, stop arguing,” Volus spoke up, piercing the tirade. “Ura, you may have the floor.”
“Thank you, Volus. My issue concerns a man who I believe to be a very dangerous criminal. He goes by the name of Cepheus White.”
“White?” Machina asked. “Isn’t he the man who was involved in that attack on the Hearthome Synthetics Plant?”
“He is,” Endore replied, “and the perpetrator, a Jimmy Jenkins, has since been arrested.”
“Don’t you find that odd at all?” Ura proposed.
“What do you mean?” Endore asked.
“Jimmy Jenkins is a young boy, no more than eight years old. Cepheus White, on the other hand, is triple Jimmy’s age. And yet the young boy is arrested. You cannot seriously not find this in any way odd!”
“Ura...” Nicolas stated, “what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that the local police may have been not only rather hasty but also quite poor in their judgment,” Ura answered. “I suppose that Cepheus may be the real criminal.”
“With all due respect,” Machina stated, “there are eyewitness accounts that Jimmy had assumed a rather strange form, very similar to a giant dogu figurine. That could lend credence to the idea that Jimmy was in possession of a very dangerous Spirit or similar creature.”
“Haha!” Extrio scoffed. “You seriously think that Spirits exist, Machina? They’re nothing more than a fable designed to intimidate the masses!”
“Extrio, you shall soon eat your words,” Ura responded with a smug grin, “but I have it on good faith that Spirits do indeed exist and that there are humans who utilize their power.”
“Oh please, I’d like to see proof of that.”
“Very well. Machina, you know what we spoke of before the meeting, correct?”
“Yes, I remember,” Machina answered.
“Could I ask that you escort those three gentlemen in?”
“...I will, but I want the general consensus of the rest of the Vernexum body first.”
“Ah, yes, yes. Well, my friends, you have heard it. I wish to escort three gentlemen into this meeting, all of which happen to be trusted friends of mine. I have informed them beforehand that anything they see or hear in this meeting must remain secret. Will you allow me to show these men in?”
“If there is no disapproval,” Volus spoke up, “then I ask that we grant Ura’s request. Do any of you disapprove?”
No one said anything, implying that no one disapproved, but the seven men were all staring in Extrio’s general direction, as if just waiting for him to speak his mind.
“Fine, let them in,” Extrio said, “if it will make Ura happy.”
Machina then got up from his seat and quietly exited the room, closing the door behind him. The door led into a corridor, and about ten feet away in the corridor, three men were standing next to each other, as if awaiting orders. These men were the Three Terrors.
The first man, Lazaro, was no longer wearing his police officer attire, but was wearing a brown shirt with a tattered brown overcoat to match. His arms had several cuts and bruises, and his entire midsection appeared to be wrapped in a large bandage, as if there was a massive wound being concealed. The second man standing in the middle was Jentus; though he was not quite as tall or muscular as Lazaro, his presence was still rather imposing. His hair and his beard were both black and scraggly, and his clothes were a timber wolf gray, consisting of a short-sleeved shirt, an overcoat and long shorts that extended to his knees. He looked virtually identical to Lazaro in terms of build; he was just slightly shorter.
The third man, Solano, was markedly different from the other two. When standing next to the other two, his height of six-foot-three was dwarfed, but his appearance was incredibly terrifying. His skin was red and looked like it was comprised of sandstone. He was wearing a golden chestplate from which protruded two eye-shaped designs around his upper chest. (Perhaps they really were a second set of eyes?) He also appeared to be wearing golden platelegs which extended down to his feet, which were adorned with rather ordinary-looking shoes. From his back sprouted eight rock protrusions arranged in the pattern of the sun’s rays, at 45-degree angles to one another. His arms were crossed about his chest, and his eyes were closed in deep thought. Despite his entire body seeming to reflect the sunlight with a golden glow, one could not help but feel the aura of pure terror that emanated from this man. This was a Pacter that had no qualms about revealing his rider form to the world...his persona was based on fear.
As Machina exited the conference room, he walked slowly over towards these three men. Even though these men were called the Three Terrors, he did not appear to be even the slightest bit unsettled around these men – not even Solano. Then again, he’d probably met them before.
“It’s time,” he said. “Follow me.”
Without a word, they all nodded and followed him in to the conference room, where the eight Generals were sitting. They took their spots at three chairs which had most likely been prepared by Ura for them in Machina’s absence. Lazaro took a seat next to Ura, Solano sat in the chair next to Machina, and Jentus was placed in between the two. As Solano sat down, Machina glanced at him with a brief look that said ‘What could possibly be going on in your mind?’. When the Three Terrors were seated, the meeting recommenced. There were a few looks of concern about who these men were and why they were allowed into the meeting. Several glances were shot towards Solano, whose arms stayed folded and eyes stayed closed the entire time. Or at least the eyes on his face did – the pair on his chest didn’t move.
“Gentlemen,” Ura began. “I found these men when looking to snuff out any Spirits who had come to this earth. They generally ally themselves with humans in an attempt to topple us, but I found these three men who do not care for a lifestyle such as that – rather, they openly pledged their support to me. My friends, let me introduce you to Lazaro, Jentus, and Solano...they call themselves the Three Terrors, for they are enforcers of the law.”
“That’s all well and good,” Endore asked, “but why have you brought them in here?”
“I do recall saying that I believed Cepheus to be the true criminal in the Synthetics Plant incident, and now I have proof. Lazaro here was actually attacked by Cepheus.”
“Hold on a minute,” Machina interrupted. “Like the rest of you, I have gone through Cepheus White’s dossier. You must have noticed that Cepheus has been a loyal employee of the Hearthome Synthetics Plant for years, and has been offered promotions several times, which he has declined each time. If he were truly interested in causing harm to the plant, he would most likely do so from a higher position. Though I myself am a bit skeptical myself that Jimmy is the perpetrator, I can see no reason whatsoever to suspect Mr. White...he has no motive.”
“Motive or not,” Ura continued, “that did not stop him from attacking Lazaro. I had sent Lazaro to Cepheus White’s place of residence as I believed that the police made an improper arrest of Jimmy Jenkins, and so asked Lazaro to apprehend Mr. White himself. However, he chose to resist arrest and instead attacked Lazaro.”
“This is laughable,” Extrio mocked. “Why would anyone want to attack this big guy? He’s gigantic. He looks like he could snap a shrimp like Cepheus like a twig.”
“Cepheus did attack me!” Lazaro shouted, interrupting. “It’s like Ura said...I asked him to come quietly, and he wouldn’t. Then he tackled me and left a large burn mark on my chest, hence why I’m wearing this bandage. I managed to outwit him and would have crushed him beneath my feet...! Then some other fool Pacter came along and drove me off...”
“You outwit anybody? That’s a laugh!”
“Pacter?” Reuben asked, interrupting Extrio before he said anything else degrading. “What is a Pacter?”
“I can field this question,” Machina asked. “A Pacter is a human who has partnered up with a Spirit for the benefit of each other. It’s a bit of an unofficial term, as they use that word to describe themselves, but in lieu of a specific piece of terminology, that is what they are called.”
“So wait...this Lazaro is a Pacter himself?”
“Yes,” Ura answered, “as are all the Three Terrors.”
“Then what makes you think we can trust them?”
“Because they will do anything I say without fail. You have my word on this, gentlemen – they will not disobey. However, my point is that Cepheus White is one of these Pacters, and a very dangerous one. If he is not taken care of immediately, I fear more harm may result.”
“Even so,” Machina brought up, “Cepheus White was able to deal a harsh wound even to Lazaro, and although he wasn’t quite a match for him, I still think he shouldn’t be underestimated. I’m still against this plan all the same... In the reports on both these incidents I have been seeing, Cepheus has only fought back when actually provoked, or so the reports say. If he is indeed a Pacter, I don’t think he really has any malicious intent. Therefore, sending someone after him could very well be pointless.”
“You miss the point, Machina,” Ura replied. “The point is that Cepheus White resisted arrest. That is a crime in and of itself. And, as such, he must be punished.”
“...Point taken. What is your resolution, then? Based on the assumption that Cepheus White will most likely fight back, what do you plan to do?”
“I will send another of the Three Terrors to bring him to justice.”
“Let me go!” Lazaro yelled. “I want to crush him beneath my feet!”
“No, you are wounded. Jentus shall go in your stead, and Solano shall accompany him. This Cepheus White may be a match for one of the Three Terrors, but there is no way he can take on two, even with allies. Solano is...undefeatable.”
“But please! I want my revenge on him! I want him to pay!”
“Very well...If Jentus fails in his mission, I may let you go next; I shall consider it. Of course, the whole Vernexum must agree to this plan.”
“Your closing statement, General Ura?” Volus asked.
“I propose that Jentus and Solano be sent to arrest Cepheus White, who I believe to be the true perpetrator in the Hearthome plant attack, and bring him to justice. What say the rest of you?”
The resolution was met with 5 votes Yes, 1 vote No (Extrio), and 2 Abstain (Machina and Nicholas). With that, the action was passed – Jentus would go out and find Cepheus White. The remainder of the meeting consisted with how Cepheus White was to be found (after he had been rescued by Lazaro, his whereabouts were technically unknown by the government), as well as to step up any security measures against other Pacters that might surface. After those remaining resolutions were passed – none of which could be said to be in the favor of Deus or his Pacters – that meeting of the eight generals was adjourned.
Now that all three of the Three Terrors were out after Cepheus’ head, would the young man truly have any chance of survival anymore?
16 – Meeting
[Tuesday, July 20, 8.27 AM]
“This meeting of the eight generals of the Vernexum shall now come to order.”
Within the Vernexum world headquarters building, in a conference room on the sixth floor of the eight-floor tower, the eight most powerful men in the world had come together to hold a meeting on what their next courses of action would be. The decisions these men would make would go forth from this room and end up changing the world, the fates of countless people being decided by these men alone.
“First, there shall be a roll call. Each of you, announce your names. I shall lead... Volus.”
“Extrio.”
“Reuben.”
“Nicolas.”
“Endore.”
“Xavier.”
“Ura.”
“Machina.”
“And together, we are the Vernexum,” Volus said, wrapping up the roll call. “We shall now bring up the issues to be mentioned.”
“I wish to bring up an issue,” Ura began, with a loud proclaiming voice.
“Ura, you always are the first to bring up an issue,” Nicolas said, almost whining. “It’s like you’re so eager to pass some new crazy measure.”
“I don’t see you trying to bring up anything worthwhile, Nicolas!”
“Both of you, stop arguing,” Volus spoke up, piercing the tirade. “Ura, you may have the floor.”
“Thank you, Volus. My issue concerns a man who I believe to be a very dangerous criminal. He goes by the name of Cepheus White.”
“White?” Machina asked. “Isn’t he the man who was involved in that attack on the Hearthome Synthetics Plant?”
“He is,” Endore replied, “and the perpetrator, a Jimmy Jenkins, has since been arrested.”
“Don’t you find that odd at all?” Ura proposed.
“What do you mean?” Endore asked.
“Jimmy Jenkins is a young boy, no more than eight years old. Cepheus White, on the other hand, is triple Jimmy’s age. And yet the young boy is arrested. You cannot seriously not find this in any way odd!”
“Ura...” Nicolas stated, “what are you saying?”
“I’m saying that the local police may have been not only rather hasty but also quite poor in their judgment,” Ura answered. “I suppose that Cepheus may be the real criminal.”
“With all due respect,” Machina stated, “there are eyewitness accounts that Jimmy had assumed a rather strange form, very similar to a giant dogu figurine. That could lend credence to the idea that Jimmy was in possession of a very dangerous Spirit or similar creature.”
“Haha!” Extrio scoffed. “You seriously think that Spirits exist, Machina? They’re nothing more than a fable designed to intimidate the masses!”
“Extrio, you shall soon eat your words,” Ura responded with a smug grin, “but I have it on good faith that Spirits do indeed exist and that there are humans who utilize their power.”
“Oh please, I’d like to see proof of that.”
“Very well. Machina, you know what we spoke of before the meeting, correct?”
“Yes, I remember,” Machina answered.
“Could I ask that you escort those three gentlemen in?”
“...I will, but I want the general consensus of the rest of the Vernexum body first.”
“Ah, yes, yes. Well, my friends, you have heard it. I wish to escort three gentlemen into this meeting, all of which happen to be trusted friends of mine. I have informed them beforehand that anything they see or hear in this meeting must remain secret. Will you allow me to show these men in?”
“If there is no disapproval,” Volus spoke up, “then I ask that we grant Ura’s request. Do any of you disapprove?”
No one said anything, implying that no one disapproved, but the seven men were all staring in Extrio’s general direction, as if just waiting for him to speak his mind.
“Fine, let them in,” Extrio said, “if it will make Ura happy.”
Machina then got up from his seat and quietly exited the room, closing the door behind him. The door led into a corridor, and about ten feet away in the corridor, three men were standing next to each other, as if awaiting orders. These men were the Three Terrors.
The first man, Lazaro, was no longer wearing his police officer attire, but was wearing a brown shirt with a tattered brown overcoat to match. His arms had several cuts and bruises, and his entire midsection appeared to be wrapped in a large bandage, as if there was a massive wound being concealed. The second man standing in the middle was Jentus; though he was not quite as tall or muscular as Lazaro, his presence was still rather imposing. His hair and his beard were both black and scraggly, and his clothes were a timber wolf gray, consisting of a short-sleeved shirt, an overcoat and long shorts that extended to his knees. He looked virtually identical to Lazaro in terms of build; he was just slightly shorter.
The third man, Solano, was markedly different from the other two. When standing next to the other two, his height of six-foot-three was dwarfed, but his appearance was incredibly terrifying. His skin was red and looked like it was comprised of sandstone. He was wearing a golden chestplate from which protruded two eye-shaped designs around his upper chest. (Perhaps they really were a second set of eyes?) He also appeared to be wearing golden platelegs which extended down to his feet, which were adorned with rather ordinary-looking shoes. From his back sprouted eight rock protrusions arranged in the pattern of the sun’s rays, at 45-degree angles to one another. His arms were crossed about his chest, and his eyes were closed in deep thought. Despite his entire body seeming to reflect the sunlight with a golden glow, one could not help but feel the aura of pure terror that emanated from this man. This was a Pacter that had no qualms about revealing his rider form to the world...his persona was based on fear.
As Machina exited the conference room, he walked slowly over towards these three men. Even though these men were called the Three Terrors, he did not appear to be even the slightest bit unsettled around these men – not even Solano. Then again, he’d probably met them before.
“It’s time,” he said. “Follow me.”
Without a word, they all nodded and followed him in to the conference room, where the eight Generals were sitting. They took their spots at three chairs which had most likely been prepared by Ura for them in Machina’s absence. Lazaro took a seat next to Ura, Solano sat in the chair next to Machina, and Jentus was placed in between the two. As Solano sat down, Machina glanced at him with a brief look that said ‘What could possibly be going on in your mind?’. When the Three Terrors were seated, the meeting recommenced. There were a few looks of concern about who these men were and why they were allowed into the meeting. Several glances were shot towards Solano, whose arms stayed folded and eyes stayed closed the entire time. Or at least the eyes on his face did – the pair on his chest didn’t move.
“Gentlemen,” Ura began. “I found these men when looking to snuff out any Spirits who had come to this earth. They generally ally themselves with humans in an attempt to topple us, but I found these three men who do not care for a lifestyle such as that – rather, they openly pledged their support to me. My friends, let me introduce you to Lazaro, Jentus, and Solano...they call themselves the Three Terrors, for they are enforcers of the law.”
“That’s all well and good,” Endore asked, “but why have you brought them in here?”
“I do recall saying that I believed Cepheus to be the true criminal in the Synthetics Plant incident, and now I have proof. Lazaro here was actually attacked by Cepheus.”
“Hold on a minute,” Machina interrupted. “Like the rest of you, I have gone through Cepheus White’s dossier. You must have noticed that Cepheus has been a loyal employee of the Hearthome Synthetics Plant for years, and has been offered promotions several times, which he has declined each time. If he were truly interested in causing harm to the plant, he would most likely do so from a higher position. Though I myself am a bit skeptical myself that Jimmy is the perpetrator, I can see no reason whatsoever to suspect Mr. White...he has no motive.”
“Motive or not,” Ura continued, “that did not stop him from attacking Lazaro. I had sent Lazaro to Cepheus White’s place of residence as I believed that the police made an improper arrest of Jimmy Jenkins, and so asked Lazaro to apprehend Mr. White himself. However, he chose to resist arrest and instead attacked Lazaro.”
“This is laughable,” Extrio mocked. “Why would anyone want to attack this big guy? He’s gigantic. He looks like he could snap a shrimp like Cepheus like a twig.”
“Cepheus did attack me!” Lazaro shouted, interrupting. “It’s like Ura said...I asked him to come quietly, and he wouldn’t. Then he tackled me and left a large burn mark on my chest, hence why I’m wearing this bandage. I managed to outwit him and would have crushed him beneath my feet...! Then some other fool Pacter came along and drove me off...”
“You outwit anybody? That’s a laugh!”
“Pacter?” Reuben asked, interrupting Extrio before he said anything else degrading. “What is a Pacter?”
“I can field this question,” Machina asked. “A Pacter is a human who has partnered up with a Spirit for the benefit of each other. It’s a bit of an unofficial term, as they use that word to describe themselves, but in lieu of a specific piece of terminology, that is what they are called.”
“So wait...this Lazaro is a Pacter himself?”
“Yes,” Ura answered, “as are all the Three Terrors.”
“Then what makes you think we can trust them?”
“Because they will do anything I say without fail. You have my word on this, gentlemen – they will not disobey. However, my point is that Cepheus White is one of these Pacters, and a very dangerous one. If he is not taken care of immediately, I fear more harm may result.”
“Even so,” Machina brought up, “Cepheus White was able to deal a harsh wound even to Lazaro, and although he wasn’t quite a match for him, I still think he shouldn’t be underestimated. I’m still against this plan all the same... In the reports on both these incidents I have been seeing, Cepheus has only fought back when actually provoked, or so the reports say. If he is indeed a Pacter, I don’t think he really has any malicious intent. Therefore, sending someone after him could very well be pointless.”
“You miss the point, Machina,” Ura replied. “The point is that Cepheus White resisted arrest. That is a crime in and of itself. And, as such, he must be punished.”
“...Point taken. What is your resolution, then? Based on the assumption that Cepheus White will most likely fight back, what do you plan to do?”
“I will send another of the Three Terrors to bring him to justice.”
“Let me go!” Lazaro yelled. “I want to crush him beneath my feet!”
“No, you are wounded. Jentus shall go in your stead, and Solano shall accompany him. This Cepheus White may be a match for one of the Three Terrors, but there is no way he can take on two, even with allies. Solano is...undefeatable.”
“But please! I want my revenge on him! I want him to pay!”
“Very well...If Jentus fails in his mission, I may let you go next; I shall consider it. Of course, the whole Vernexum must agree to this plan.”
“Your closing statement, General Ura?” Volus asked.
“I propose that Jentus and Solano be sent to arrest Cepheus White, who I believe to be the true perpetrator in the Hearthome plant attack, and bring him to justice. What say the rest of you?”
The resolution was met with 5 votes Yes, 1 vote No (Extrio), and 2 Abstain (Machina and Nicholas). With that, the action was passed – Jentus would go out and find Cepheus White. The remainder of the meeting consisted with how Cepheus White was to be found (after he had been rescued by Lazaro, his whereabouts were technically unknown by the government), as well as to step up any security measures against other Pacters that might surface. After those remaining resolutions were passed – none of which could be said to be in the favor of Deus or his Pacters – that meeting of the eight generals was adjourned.
Now that all three of the Three Terrors were out after Cepheus’ head, would the young man truly have any chance of survival anymore?
If you get only one thing out of this chapter, let it be known that Lazaro is ticked off in the extreme. No wait, that happened last chapter too. Okay, how about "corporate meetings are boring"? Yeah, that sounds good.
I understand there are quite a lot of factors introduced here, so if you're wondering about anything, feel free to ask. Except for how I got the names of these people. I don't know that either.
Feedback, comments, and constructive criticism are always appreciated. However, as I have previously stated, keep your replies at a minimum of 20 words apiece. This is not a PokéBeach forum rule, but I'll probably ignore you if you don't have much to say.
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 16 up!
I'M LATE.
Moving right along into what I should have done a few weeks ago, I'm generally interested in the workings of the Vernexum. Despite Ura and Machina calling the shots, it seems to appear that on the outside, Ura still has his work cut out for his, particularly with Nicholas being tired of the hot-blooded general's antics.
Machina definitely has the abilities to deal with Ura's show. I'm honestly surprised that Ura hasn't dealt with him like he wants to deal with the rest of the Pacters. It would make our antagonist's life alot easier to get premission to do whatever he wants.
Welp, it's time to see how Cepheus is going to fare, especially when now Solano is after him.
Ready for next chapter now. ^^"
I'M LATE.
Moving right along into what I should have done a few weeks ago, I'm generally interested in the workings of the Vernexum. Despite Ura and Machina calling the shots, it seems to appear that on the outside, Ura still has his work cut out for his, particularly with Nicholas being tired of the hot-blooded general's antics.
Machina definitely has the abilities to deal with Ura's show. I'm honestly surprised that Ura hasn't dealt with him like he wants to deal with the rest of the Pacters. It would make our antagonist's life alot easier to get premission to do whatever he wants.
Welp, it's time to see how Cepheus is going to fare, especially when now Solano is after him.
Ready for next chapter now. ^^"
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 16 up!
thanks for reminding me this still exists.
I never actually state the reason anywhere, but I think you can figure it out.
Also, I have yet to state this anywhere in the story - you'll see it later, actually - but Ura and Machina actually share a past together. It's partially stated in Nightmare, but the full story goes far beyond just what I say here.
Expect the next chapter to go up sometime today. By the way, if it isn't up by 6pm Pacific Time, nag me. It means I forgot.
SO AM I
thanks for reminding me this still exists.
Glad to see you appreciate it! I wanted to see if I could successfully implement another level of authority in here somewhere - specifically on the antagonist side, and I think I succeeded quite nicely. Thanks for reassuring me.
I suppose that is true. It could be that there is a reason - no, there's definitely a reason - why Ura doesn't get Machina out of the picture. It could be that the two of them have an agreement, they have a truce...or maybe it's even possible that Ura wants to get rid of Machina, except he can't for whatever reason.
I never actually state the reason anywhere, but I think you can figure it out.
Also, I have yet to state this anywhere in the story - you'll see it later, actually - but Ura and Machina actually share a past together. It's partially stated in Nightmare, but the full story goes far beyond just what I say here.
Expect the next chapter to go up sometime today. By the way, if it isn't up by 6pm Pacific Time, nag me. It means I forgot.
RE: Nightmare [PG] - Chapter 16 up!
[Back to Top]
Now what?
Oh yeah, that's right.
Well, remember when Cepheus got thoroughly owned? He's now waking up. That's really all I have to say right now. Read it and find out what happens.
Highlights: A hero who can't walk, a large scruffy man, and a reserved psycho-killer. Fun.
Stats for this chapter (17):
Page Count: 4.0; Word Count: 2730
I should probably not have been obsessed with Dissidia while writing this.
Feedback, comments, and constructive criticism are always appreciated. However, as I have previously stated, keep your replies at a minimum of 20 words apiece. This is not a PokéBeach forum rule, but I'll probably ignore you if you don't have much to say.
[Back to Top]
Now what?
Oh yeah, that's right.
Well, remember when Cepheus got thoroughly owned? He's now waking up. That's really all I have to say right now. Read it and find out what happens.
Highlights: A hero who can't walk, a large scruffy man, and a reserved psycho-killer. Fun.
Stats for this chapter (17):
Page Count: 4.0; Word Count: 2730
~~~
17 – Tracked
[Tuesday, July 20, 8.47 AM]
“Is he okay?”
“He’s waking up, right?”
“I hope he’s feeling fine...”
“Why don’t you two give him some room?”
“Okay...”
Cepheus’ return to consciousness before he opened his eyes was greeted by a series of voices all speaking above him – and all of them female. He didn’t know who was who quite yet since he wasn’t quite awake, but the voices seemed to be vaguely familiar. His eyes slowly opened, and he began to survey his surroundings. He was sleeping in a bed, having bright blue sheets, and the room was also sky blue to match it. There were various articles of furniture in the room as well as a mirror, and one wall had a window with its curtains parted and its pane opened to let in the ocean breeze. There were also four people at his bedside standing nearby, as if they were waiting for Cepheus to wake up. Cepheus recognized two of them – namely Emma and Abigail – and they were huddled closer to the bed as if waiting anxiously for Cepheus to wake up. The other two were standing by the wall – one of them was Lyon, and the other one was a woman Cepheus had neither met nor seen before. She had deep brown eyes and long black wavy hair, a slight tan, and was dressed in rather dark colors that complimented her appearance beautifully. Her nails were painted a deep red and she appeared to be wearing a peridot ring on her left ring finger.
“Mr. White, you’re finally awake!” Emma exclaimed. “You feeling okay?”
“I appear to be fine...” Cepheus said, “although it still hurts a little bit to move.”
“You should probably take it easy!” Abigail chimed in. “Lyon told me you were really beat up when he found you!”
“Lyon?” Cepheus asked. “Oh yes, that’s right...that was when Lazaro almost killed me. Lyon, you were the one who rescued me?”
“I was,” Lyon answered, taking a few paces forward from the wall. “I was also told by our friend that even though you seem to have mostly recovered, you shouldn’t push yourself too much. He got you a pair of crutches so you can walk around on them if your joints are hurting. They’re leaning by the side of the bed.”
“I understand... but I do have a few questions.”
“Go ahead.”
“First, the things that I meant to get... ‘He’ said he’d be getting them, so has he brought them here?”
“He has. He’s placed them in my care. They consist of a briefcase and a few other small belongings. He’s instructed me specifically to keep them safe and secluded until you are more fully recovered, and then I’ll give them to you.”
“Ah, good.” Cepheus sat up in the bed, and he let out a slight groan, as if it really did hurt to move, even if only slightly. “My other question...” He then turned to the woman who was standing next to Lyon. “I don’t believe we’ve met yet, have we?”
“Technically, we have,” the woman responded, “but only in passing. My name’s Esmeralda.” She revealed her right hand to Cepheus, and on it was set a bright yellow insignia with a lightning pattern. Cepheus shook her hand firmly.
“Very pleased to meet you. I assume that you are the one who opened our doors to
us?”
“It was a bit of an order, but I definitely don’t mind. After all, we are all allies, right?”
“That’s very true. Even so I must thank you for your great hospitality.”
“You’re very welcome, Mr. White.”
“Um, excuse me...” Emma said. “I don’t want to interrupt, but I want to tell Mr. White something...something important.”
“Go ahead,” Esmeralda replied.
“Well...I want to tell him myself, without the rest of you around. And you guys know already, so I want to tell Mr. White.”
“Ah, right, that. We’ll leave you be with Mr. White for a bit.”
“Aw, I wanted to stay with Cepheus!” Abigail protested. “Even with the bruises on his face he’s still a cutie!”
“Come on,” Lyon replied with a chuckle. “You’ll have plenty of time later.”
The other three people left the bedroom together, leaving Cepheus and Emma alone in the room. There was a brief period of silence, which Cepheus broke after two seconds.
“I worry about that Abigail and what goes through her head,” Cepheus muttered, shaking his head a bit. “Anyway, what do you have to tell me?”
“Well, it’s...this...”
Emma then squeezed her right hand a tiny bit, and when she did so, a very familiar Kingdra Spirit appeared, floating in the air six inches above Emma’s head. Around the Kingdra’s waist was a belt, attached to a tether that led down to Emma’s right hand.
“Louise...” Cepheus spoke softly. Without Cepheus even thinking about it, Hector summoned himself from the insignia on Cepheus’ own hand, and just like in the dream, his red fur and yellow mane and tail had changed to blue and silver, respectively.
“Louise!” Hector exclaimed. “How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in a while!”
“Hector,” Louise responded, “these past few months have been trying on us all, no?”
“Emma,” Cepheus continued, “you formed the bond of friendship?
“Yeah...” Emma answered. “I did.”
“When was this?”
“It was a little bit after I heard my brother got arrested. I...I couldn’t believe that Jimmy would do something like that, but he did. I wanted to believe in something different, that Pokémon were good and not evil, but what my brother did...it was wrong...”
“And that’s when Louise tried to comfort you?”
“Yes...She’s so kind and comforting, just like my mom...I felt really at ease when becoming her friend...”
“I see. Well, all the same, I am very glad that you are feeling all right.”
“You’ve all been so very nice to me...It’s like you all are my new family...”
“We’re Pacters. That’s what we do. We look out for each other. And these tethers...They are proof of that. Emma...shake my hand.”
“Louise told me about this...It’s how we all stick together...”
Cepheus did that, and Emma felt an instantaneous surge of energy much like Cepheus had felt upon having his first handshake with a Pacter.
“Was that...our friendship?” Emma asked.
“In the simplest sense, yes,” Cepheus replied. “Emma, I am happy that you are happy again...and I’m very sorry for what happened to your brother.”
“No, it’s okay...You did nothing wrong. I just can’t believe my brother did that.”
“I wonder what’s going to happen to him...”
Meanwhile, on the ground floor of the house that constituted Esmeralda’s residence, there was soon to start a conversation that would be none too welcome by anyone, and yet it was something that could not in any way be avoided. The only way it could be described would be as a ‘cruel date with destiny’, and no matter its outcome, it was not going to end well.
The doorbell rang at roughly eleven o’clock, and although Esmeralda wasn’t expecting any company, she answered the door all the same. Standing there was a rather tall robust man, having scraggly black hair and beard, and the way he was dressed with gray shirt, trousers, and overcoat, made him look almost as if he was made of metal. This was Jentus, the second member of the Three Terrors.
“Can I help you?” Esmeralda asked.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Jentus responded politely. “The local police have received a report that there’s a potentially dangerous individual laying low around the area of Olivine, and we were wondering if you might have seen this person or know where he is.”
“Why would you ask me?”
“You’ve lived in the area for quite a while, haven’t you? That leads me to assume that you recognize most people around these parts.”
“...I do, yes. What’s this person’s name?”
“His name is White – Cepheus White. He was involved in an attack on the Hearthome Synthetics Plant, and it’s possible that he may have instigated it. He’s currently on the run from the law, which is why we’re looking for him.”
While Jentus was saying this, Lyon walked upstairs and into the bedroom where Cepheus was resting, and relayed the news of what was going on downstairs.
“Cepheus,” Lyon whispered as he walked in, “someone from law enforcement is looking for you, and he looks like he might be one of Lazaro’s friends.”
“That can’t be good,” Cepheus replied. “It means that I’ll have to fight him while wounded.”
“You don’t seriously intend to fight him, do you?”
“Lyon...there’s a possibility that he might end up using violence to look for me, and thus your lives might be jeopardized. Besides, he only wants me – he doesn’t want the rest of you. It’s best if I just make myself known to him.”
“In that case...I must come with you to help.”
“No,” Cepheus responded, taking hold of his crutches and leaving the bed, “it’s fine.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know where this White person is,” Esmeralda answered Jentus. “Can you give me a physical description of him?”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Jentus replied.
“Why is that?”
“Because I see him behind you, walking down the stairs on crutches.”
Esmeralda whipped her head around at this point in surprise, and just as Jentus had said, Cepheus was making his way down the staircase, accompanied by his crutches, with Lyon nearby to offer support in case he fell down.
“What are you doing...!” Esmeralda hissed at Cepheus.
“You wanted to see me?” Cepheus said to Jentus, ignoring the reprimand.
“Are you Cepheus White?” Jentus asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“You are...rather brave to reveal yourself like this, even while walking on crutches.”
“You are looking for me, are you not?”
“I am. And am I to understand you are giving yourself up without a fight?”
“...No.”
“Pardon?”
“You must understand for what I fight for. I fight for a future in which human and Pokémon alike can live together in harmony, without the thought of being oppressed or ostracized, or worse, imprisoned or executed. Is there any harm in the dream I fight for? And even you must admit that the charges leveled against me are fabricated.”
“...I respect you, Mr. White, but unfortunately I cannot disobey a direct order – doing so means my own execution. Therefore, I must take you with me, by force if need be.”
“I have a suggestion. The two of us, we shall fight, one-on-one, in a battleground amiable to us both. We can each bring one person with us to ensure the fight will be fair. If you win, I shall willingly go with you and accept whatever punishment may arise. If I win, you will agree to leave me alone and drop the falsified charges. Regardless of the outcome, though...you must agree to leave my friends alone, as they aren’t the ones you’re after.”
“A gentleman’s agreement...? And terms agreeable to both parties. Very well, Mr. White, I accept your conditions. Pick your second man.”
Cepheus had said this not only for Lyon to help him and support him in case he fell under the weight of the pain, but he also wanted to lure out Solano, who would most likely be Jentus’ second man. He had no intention of fighting Solano, but he wanted to see the person that Deus was so fearful of Cepheus squaring off against. But fortunately, Jentus was his opponent instead.
“Lyon,” Cepheus said, turning to his best friend, “come with me. I need moral support.”
“Cepheus...” Lyon replied, meeting his friend’s gaze. “I’ve told you that I’m against the idea of you fighting in a weakened state, but if you are so bound and determined to fight, then I will go along with you.”
“I’ve picked my second man, Jentus. Who’s yours?”
“Very well,” Jentus replied. “Solano!”
Jentus snapped his fingers, and at his behest Solano appeared, standing ten feet behind Jentus, with eyes closed and arms crossed. Cepheus and Lyon then both got their first look at Solano – how imposing and terrifying he looked, how the sun caused his body to radiate with a golden glow, and how incredibly reserved he was. Cepheus could understand why Deus was concerned – Solano showed no qualms about showing his rider form...if he even had one.
“Solano,” Jentus said, turning around to his companion. “meet me at the field north of town. Cepheus and I are to do battle there.”
Solano merely nodded without responding in words, and vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
“I would square off with you on this beach here, as it’s much wide open,” Jentus stated to Cepheus, “but the terrain would give a disadvantage to us both, would it not?”
“...You do your homework,” Cepheus replied. “You know my Spirit.”
“I was informed by Lazaro. Now, come. This way.”
As Cepheus followed Jentus on the path out of Olivine toward the north, which consisted of mostly large fields of grass used for grazing, Lyon was talking with Cepheus about his continued disapproval of what Cepheus was doing.
“This doesn’t make any sense!” Lyon protested. “How do you know he’s not leading you into a trap?”
“That’s why I brought you with me – for that very purpose.”
“Why can’t we fight him together?”
“There are two reasons. Firstly, as I suspected, he brought backup – Solano – with him. Secondly, Lyon...this is not your fight. He is not after you.”
“Cepheus, you...you really are selfless. But, throwing your life away just to keep us safe? Doesn’t it seem like a little much to you?”
“I know that you would do the same for me in return. And even if that weren’t so...I will do anything to keep the rest of you safe. I want this war to end as much as you do.”
Lyon didn’t respond – he found no words to answer his friend that conveyed enough meaning to expressed what he felt and thought. After fifteen minutes of walking, and Cepheus occasionally leaning on Lyon due to his crutches, the three men arrived at the field in question. Solano was already there, waiting for them, leaning on a short fence on the sidelines, his eyes now open, but his arms were still crossed as always. Jentus took his place on the far end of the field, and Cepheus stood on the opposite end. He gave his crutches to Lyon as he readied himself for battle.
“Cepheus, are you sure you’ll be able to stand up?” Lyon asked.
“I’m sure,” Cepheus answered. “All you need do is support me from the sidelines.”
Lyon did so without another word and stood leaning on the fence, about twenty feet down from Solano. He was intent on watching this battle, and despite what Cepheus may say he wasn’t about to let his friend get captured, even if it did mean a two-on-one fight. In the meantime, both Cepheus and Jentus summoned their respective Spirits – the blue Flareon, Hector, and the silver Aggron, who introduced itself as Garland.
“You’re my opponent?” Garland asked. “I’d ask if this was a joke, but the look of determination in your eyes tells me otherwise, boy.”
“Who are you calling boy?” Hector retorted.
“You both look young, so I guess both of you. But you’re both bound and determined to fight, and I respect that. Shall we begin?”
Cepheus responded by tugging Hector’s tether, transforming himself into his new rider form. There was very little difference between it and his original human form, but there was also enough difference to make it noticeable. Cepheus still had blue ears sprouting from his head and a silver mane about his neck, but there were also blue rings of fire encircling his wrists and ankles, constantly moving as if they were alive. The tail that Cepheus had possessed before was also completely absent. Jentus responded in turn by tugging his own tether that bound him to Garland. He too had very little difference in his rider form, but his head, body, and legs appeared to now be covered in battle armor, his crown was protected by a helmet reminiscent of an Aggron’s own headpiece, and from his back sprouted a thick large gray tail, looking much like Lazaro’s in terms of strength.
“Let’s get this over with,” Cepheus stated softly.
“I, Jentus,” his opponent responded, “will knock you all down!”
17 – Tracked
[Tuesday, July 20, 8.47 AM]
“Is he okay?”
“He’s waking up, right?”
“I hope he’s feeling fine...”
“Why don’t you two give him some room?”
“Okay...”
Cepheus’ return to consciousness before he opened his eyes was greeted by a series of voices all speaking above him – and all of them female. He didn’t know who was who quite yet since he wasn’t quite awake, but the voices seemed to be vaguely familiar. His eyes slowly opened, and he began to survey his surroundings. He was sleeping in a bed, having bright blue sheets, and the room was also sky blue to match it. There were various articles of furniture in the room as well as a mirror, and one wall had a window with its curtains parted and its pane opened to let in the ocean breeze. There were also four people at his bedside standing nearby, as if they were waiting for Cepheus to wake up. Cepheus recognized two of them – namely Emma and Abigail – and they were huddled closer to the bed as if waiting anxiously for Cepheus to wake up. The other two were standing by the wall – one of them was Lyon, and the other one was a woman Cepheus had neither met nor seen before. She had deep brown eyes and long black wavy hair, a slight tan, and was dressed in rather dark colors that complimented her appearance beautifully. Her nails were painted a deep red and she appeared to be wearing a peridot ring on her left ring finger.
“Mr. White, you’re finally awake!” Emma exclaimed. “You feeling okay?”
“I appear to be fine...” Cepheus said, “although it still hurts a little bit to move.”
“You should probably take it easy!” Abigail chimed in. “Lyon told me you were really beat up when he found you!”
“Lyon?” Cepheus asked. “Oh yes, that’s right...that was when Lazaro almost killed me. Lyon, you were the one who rescued me?”
“I was,” Lyon answered, taking a few paces forward from the wall. “I was also told by our friend that even though you seem to have mostly recovered, you shouldn’t push yourself too much. He got you a pair of crutches so you can walk around on them if your joints are hurting. They’re leaning by the side of the bed.”
“I understand... but I do have a few questions.”
“Go ahead.”
“First, the things that I meant to get... ‘He’ said he’d be getting them, so has he brought them here?”
“He has. He’s placed them in my care. They consist of a briefcase and a few other small belongings. He’s instructed me specifically to keep them safe and secluded until you are more fully recovered, and then I’ll give them to you.”
“Ah, good.” Cepheus sat up in the bed, and he let out a slight groan, as if it really did hurt to move, even if only slightly. “My other question...” He then turned to the woman who was standing next to Lyon. “I don’t believe we’ve met yet, have we?”
“Technically, we have,” the woman responded, “but only in passing. My name’s Esmeralda.” She revealed her right hand to Cepheus, and on it was set a bright yellow insignia with a lightning pattern. Cepheus shook her hand firmly.
“Very pleased to meet you. I assume that you are the one who opened our doors to
us?”
“It was a bit of an order, but I definitely don’t mind. After all, we are all allies, right?”
“That’s very true. Even so I must thank you for your great hospitality.”
“You’re very welcome, Mr. White.”
“Um, excuse me...” Emma said. “I don’t want to interrupt, but I want to tell Mr. White something...something important.”
“Go ahead,” Esmeralda replied.
“Well...I want to tell him myself, without the rest of you around. And you guys know already, so I want to tell Mr. White.”
“Ah, right, that. We’ll leave you be with Mr. White for a bit.”
“Aw, I wanted to stay with Cepheus!” Abigail protested. “Even with the bruises on his face he’s still a cutie!”
“Come on,” Lyon replied with a chuckle. “You’ll have plenty of time later.”
The other three people left the bedroom together, leaving Cepheus and Emma alone in the room. There was a brief period of silence, which Cepheus broke after two seconds.
“I worry about that Abigail and what goes through her head,” Cepheus muttered, shaking his head a bit. “Anyway, what do you have to tell me?”
“Well, it’s...this...”
Emma then squeezed her right hand a tiny bit, and when she did so, a very familiar Kingdra Spirit appeared, floating in the air six inches above Emma’s head. Around the Kingdra’s waist was a belt, attached to a tether that led down to Emma’s right hand.
“Louise...” Cepheus spoke softly. Without Cepheus even thinking about it, Hector summoned himself from the insignia on Cepheus’ own hand, and just like in the dream, his red fur and yellow mane and tail had changed to blue and silver, respectively.
“Louise!” Hector exclaimed. “How’ve you been? I haven’t seen you in a while!”
“Hector,” Louise responded, “these past few months have been trying on us all, no?”
“Emma,” Cepheus continued, “you formed the bond of friendship?
“Yeah...” Emma answered. “I did.”
“When was this?”
“It was a little bit after I heard my brother got arrested. I...I couldn’t believe that Jimmy would do something like that, but he did. I wanted to believe in something different, that Pokémon were good and not evil, but what my brother did...it was wrong...”
“And that’s when Louise tried to comfort you?”
“Yes...She’s so kind and comforting, just like my mom...I felt really at ease when becoming her friend...”
“I see. Well, all the same, I am very glad that you are feeling all right.”
“You’ve all been so very nice to me...It’s like you all are my new family...”
“We’re Pacters. That’s what we do. We look out for each other. And these tethers...They are proof of that. Emma...shake my hand.”
“Louise told me about this...It’s how we all stick together...”
Cepheus did that, and Emma felt an instantaneous surge of energy much like Cepheus had felt upon having his first handshake with a Pacter.
“Was that...our friendship?” Emma asked.
“In the simplest sense, yes,” Cepheus replied. “Emma, I am happy that you are happy again...and I’m very sorry for what happened to your brother.”
“No, it’s okay...You did nothing wrong. I just can’t believe my brother did that.”
“I wonder what’s going to happen to him...”
Meanwhile, on the ground floor of the house that constituted Esmeralda’s residence, there was soon to start a conversation that would be none too welcome by anyone, and yet it was something that could not in any way be avoided. The only way it could be described would be as a ‘cruel date with destiny’, and no matter its outcome, it was not going to end well.
The doorbell rang at roughly eleven o’clock, and although Esmeralda wasn’t expecting any company, she answered the door all the same. Standing there was a rather tall robust man, having scraggly black hair and beard, and the way he was dressed with gray shirt, trousers, and overcoat, made him look almost as if he was made of metal. This was Jentus, the second member of the Three Terrors.
“Can I help you?” Esmeralda asked.
“If you wouldn’t mind,” Jentus responded politely. “The local police have received a report that there’s a potentially dangerous individual laying low around the area of Olivine, and we were wondering if you might have seen this person or know where he is.”
“Why would you ask me?”
“You’ve lived in the area for quite a while, haven’t you? That leads me to assume that you recognize most people around these parts.”
“...I do, yes. What’s this person’s name?”
“His name is White – Cepheus White. He was involved in an attack on the Hearthome Synthetics Plant, and it’s possible that he may have instigated it. He’s currently on the run from the law, which is why we’re looking for him.”
While Jentus was saying this, Lyon walked upstairs and into the bedroom where Cepheus was resting, and relayed the news of what was going on downstairs.
“Cepheus,” Lyon whispered as he walked in, “someone from law enforcement is looking for you, and he looks like he might be one of Lazaro’s friends.”
“That can’t be good,” Cepheus replied. “It means that I’ll have to fight him while wounded.”
“You don’t seriously intend to fight him, do you?”
“Lyon...there’s a possibility that he might end up using violence to look for me, and thus your lives might be jeopardized. Besides, he only wants me – he doesn’t want the rest of you. It’s best if I just make myself known to him.”
“In that case...I must come with you to help.”
“No,” Cepheus responded, taking hold of his crutches and leaving the bed, “it’s fine.”
“I’m afraid I don’t know where this White person is,” Esmeralda answered Jentus. “Can you give me a physical description of him?”
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Jentus replied.
“Why is that?”
“Because I see him behind you, walking down the stairs on crutches.”
Esmeralda whipped her head around at this point in surprise, and just as Jentus had said, Cepheus was making his way down the staircase, accompanied by his crutches, with Lyon nearby to offer support in case he fell down.
“What are you doing...!” Esmeralda hissed at Cepheus.
“You wanted to see me?” Cepheus said to Jentus, ignoring the reprimand.
“Are you Cepheus White?” Jentus asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“You are...rather brave to reveal yourself like this, even while walking on crutches.”
“You are looking for me, are you not?”
“I am. And am I to understand you are giving yourself up without a fight?”
“...No.”
“Pardon?”
“You must understand for what I fight for. I fight for a future in which human and Pokémon alike can live together in harmony, without the thought of being oppressed or ostracized, or worse, imprisoned or executed. Is there any harm in the dream I fight for? And even you must admit that the charges leveled against me are fabricated.”
“...I respect you, Mr. White, but unfortunately I cannot disobey a direct order – doing so means my own execution. Therefore, I must take you with me, by force if need be.”
“I have a suggestion. The two of us, we shall fight, one-on-one, in a battleground amiable to us both. We can each bring one person with us to ensure the fight will be fair. If you win, I shall willingly go with you and accept whatever punishment may arise. If I win, you will agree to leave me alone and drop the falsified charges. Regardless of the outcome, though...you must agree to leave my friends alone, as they aren’t the ones you’re after.”
“A gentleman’s agreement...? And terms agreeable to both parties. Very well, Mr. White, I accept your conditions. Pick your second man.”
Cepheus had said this not only for Lyon to help him and support him in case he fell under the weight of the pain, but he also wanted to lure out Solano, who would most likely be Jentus’ second man. He had no intention of fighting Solano, but he wanted to see the person that Deus was so fearful of Cepheus squaring off against. But fortunately, Jentus was his opponent instead.
“Lyon,” Cepheus said, turning to his best friend, “come with me. I need moral support.”
“Cepheus...” Lyon replied, meeting his friend’s gaze. “I’ve told you that I’m against the idea of you fighting in a weakened state, but if you are so bound and determined to fight, then I will go along with you.”
“I’ve picked my second man, Jentus. Who’s yours?”
“Very well,” Jentus replied. “Solano!”
Jentus snapped his fingers, and at his behest Solano appeared, standing ten feet behind Jentus, with eyes closed and arms crossed. Cepheus and Lyon then both got their first look at Solano – how imposing and terrifying he looked, how the sun caused his body to radiate with a golden glow, and how incredibly reserved he was. Cepheus could understand why Deus was concerned – Solano showed no qualms about showing his rider form...if he even had one.
“Solano,” Jentus said, turning around to his companion. “meet me at the field north of town. Cepheus and I are to do battle there.”
Solano merely nodded without responding in words, and vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
“I would square off with you on this beach here, as it’s much wide open,” Jentus stated to Cepheus, “but the terrain would give a disadvantage to us both, would it not?”
“...You do your homework,” Cepheus replied. “You know my Spirit.”
“I was informed by Lazaro. Now, come. This way.”
As Cepheus followed Jentus on the path out of Olivine toward the north, which consisted of mostly large fields of grass used for grazing, Lyon was talking with Cepheus about his continued disapproval of what Cepheus was doing.
“This doesn’t make any sense!” Lyon protested. “How do you know he’s not leading you into a trap?”
“That’s why I brought you with me – for that very purpose.”
“Why can’t we fight him together?”
“There are two reasons. Firstly, as I suspected, he brought backup – Solano – with him. Secondly, Lyon...this is not your fight. He is not after you.”
“Cepheus, you...you really are selfless. But, throwing your life away just to keep us safe? Doesn’t it seem like a little much to you?”
“I know that you would do the same for me in return. And even if that weren’t so...I will do anything to keep the rest of you safe. I want this war to end as much as you do.”
Lyon didn’t respond – he found no words to answer his friend that conveyed enough meaning to expressed what he felt and thought. After fifteen minutes of walking, and Cepheus occasionally leaning on Lyon due to his crutches, the three men arrived at the field in question. Solano was already there, waiting for them, leaning on a short fence on the sidelines, his eyes now open, but his arms were still crossed as always. Jentus took his place on the far end of the field, and Cepheus stood on the opposite end. He gave his crutches to Lyon as he readied himself for battle.
“Cepheus, are you sure you’ll be able to stand up?” Lyon asked.
“I’m sure,” Cepheus answered. “All you need do is support me from the sidelines.”
Lyon did so without another word and stood leaning on the fence, about twenty feet down from Solano. He was intent on watching this battle, and despite what Cepheus may say he wasn’t about to let his friend get captured, even if it did mean a two-on-one fight. In the meantime, both Cepheus and Jentus summoned their respective Spirits – the blue Flareon, Hector, and the silver Aggron, who introduced itself as Garland.
“You’re my opponent?” Garland asked. “I’d ask if this was a joke, but the look of determination in your eyes tells me otherwise, boy.”
“Who are you calling boy?” Hector retorted.
“You both look young, so I guess both of you. But you’re both bound and determined to fight, and I respect that. Shall we begin?”
Cepheus responded by tugging Hector’s tether, transforming himself into his new rider form. There was very little difference between it and his original human form, but there was also enough difference to make it noticeable. Cepheus still had blue ears sprouting from his head and a silver mane about his neck, but there were also blue rings of fire encircling his wrists and ankles, constantly moving as if they were alive. The tail that Cepheus had possessed before was also completely absent. Jentus responded in turn by tugging his own tether that bound him to Garland. He too had very little difference in his rider form, but his head, body, and legs appeared to now be covered in battle armor, his crown was protected by a helmet reminiscent of an Aggron’s own headpiece, and from his back sprouted a thick large gray tail, looking much like Lazaro’s in terms of strength.
“Let’s get this over with,” Cepheus stated softly.
“I, Jentus,” his opponent responded, “will knock you all down!”
I should probably not have been obsessed with Dissidia while writing this.
Feedback, comments, and constructive criticism are always appreciated. However, as I have previously stated, keep your replies at a minimum of 20 words apiece. This is not a PokéBeach forum rule, but I'll probably ignore you if you don't have much to say.
