FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Prologue.

"Tod, wake up."

"Hmmm, huh?" An Abra stirs from slumber, his eyes opening to a dark, dank cave. There was no one else in the cave though that the other voice could have came from.

"You woke finally." A voice in the Abra's head speaks and he feels a rush as he recognizes the voice.

"Enzlo? Is that you?"

"Yup."

"Where are we?"

"Not sure, it's just a cave it seems."

"Where are you?"

"I'm right here."

"What?"

"What do you remember?"

The Abra shakes his head, "I...remember...lots of pain...and you were there and...wait..." The Abra holds his hands out in front of himself then, "Did...you...?"

"Yes, it was the only way to really save you."

"I see...I'm sorry..." The Abra spoke sadly.

"Don't be. I didn't want to be alone without you."

"What happened after?" The Abra said after a moment of silence.

"Arceus threw open the gates and I fled with the other pokémon. Mega Alakazam saw me, I don't remember anything after that myself."

"Do you think he felt me in your mind?"

"Possibly, but I don't think we would be alive if that was the case."

The Abra nodded slightly and he thought hard a moment, "So...what now?"

"Get out of the cave firstly, and find out more about what happened. I do remember something though, before we had been frozen...Mega Alakazam whispered a name to me in my mind."

"What name?"

"Zane."

Chapter 1

"Hey Ruli! Can you help me with this over here?" Treeko shouted across the busy marketplace. I turned from what I was doing, looking behind myself at him briefly.

"Yeah, hang on just let me finish getting this together though." I said and returned to piecing together a large stall. I pulled my paw back, the larger spike on the back of my paw elongated to a long blade and I slashed it down at a large block of wood, cutting a perfect slice down.

I took that piece and fitted it onto a waiting setup next to me. It sat into place easily enough, and then I used a hot pulse of energy to meld the spaces enough so that it would not wobble or fall off.

"There we go." I said and nodded approvingly, and went to help Treeko with boxes of apples. I stacked them up for him in his storehouse, then moved on to the schoolhouse where Pangoro was still attempting to set up a new playground for the children and I had been assisting him in doing so.

I walked around the left side of the building then, noticing Infernape within, his head buried in paperwork as he was scribbling along them quickly, putting them in a pile to his right while taking from a pile in his left. I paused a moment to stare at him, eyes narrowing as I noticed his eyebrows were furrowed quietly.

Infernape still did not agree with what had happened at the trail, nor believed I had any doing in saving the world. He out right refused to believe it, and publicly made it known that he "was not going to let Ruli's trick work on him." Even with the Eeveelutions backing the story he still would not take it as fact, claiming that it must have been Lucian's doing and that I had simply claimed the power of the Mega and left the other Lucario for dead and took all the glory.

Pangoro told me not worry about him, and that he was just being a grumpy monkey after everything that had happened. It seemed no amount of reasoning was going to get through to him and to let him cool off. But a whole year and a half had past since those events now. I was beginning to think there was no hope in bridging the mistrust between Infernape and I.

I shook my head and walked past the window then, waving to Pangoro who was attempting to bend a metal bar with his paws, grunting as he wrestled with it, barely getting it to bend.

"Ruli!" He sighed thankfully as he stopped attempting to bend the metal, "Thank goodness, can you bend this for me?" He held out the metal bar and I took it.

I held it in both paws and grunted as I bent the metal fairly easily into an L shape, handing it back to him and he was smiling. He shook his head as he took the bar, "I swear, I can't believe just a little under two years ago, I was training you. Here you are, making bending metal look easy while I struggle with it."

I smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "I wish it could have stayed that simple. I really do. I was really close to just saying I didn't want to investigate the situation anymore, but events led to another..."

"Without you we wouldn't be standing here bud." Pangoro said and he laughed heartily, "Don't take it so gloomy."

I nodded and smiled briefly, but a shock of sadness hit me and I looked away, frowning then.

"I'll see ya later Pangoro." I said to him as I turned, my purple scarf flinging around behind me along with the longer tendrils on my head and started to walk away.

"Sure thing." He said back, not noticing my change in demeanor.

I walked out from the town and across the coast, going down a steep path to the beaches below the cliff. There, a small group of rocks had been neatly assembled just off the shore and against the rocky cliff walls, far enough so that the water would not wash them away.

I knelt to one knee before the assembled rocks, putting my paw to my chest and closing my eyes. My scarf brushed along the sand under me as I thought silently.

I had set up this grave for Lucian, the Lucario who was my father. Well...he was my father. I wasn't always a pokémon. I had once been a human who went by the name of Zane. My father came to this world before me, but something had gone wrong and he had been born into this world a Riolu. I came to this world after him, hoping to find him, but I had lost my memory upon entering this world. Unlike Lucian, I was not born naturally to this world. I had taken over the body of a Riolu who was close to my age at the time. I could not remember anything but that I was once human. I soon met an Eevee by the name Axel, who became an Umbreon and also, my life mate. We cared for each other and lived in the coastal town.

The Riolu was named Ruli. After taking over his body and getting more used to it, Axel and I went on a search for the answers as to why I was there, eventually finding out that I was part of a plan by humans to invade this world and that more were on the way to try and take it over. Their goal was to break the Mirrors of Fate, seven mirrors that were made out of the plates of Arceus himself. The mirrors held a barrier between this world and the human world, and shattering the mirrors would open it for the humans to invade further. I eventually told Axel that I was a human trapped in Ruli's body, but he did not care, only assuring me that even if I had been sent to harm the mirrors, I could not remember that, and I had no intentions of doing so now.

I met Lucian soon after learning this, and he trained me. He believed me to be the child of Ruli's father, and so he took me under his wing as he had promised the Lucario he would care for his child as his godfather. We did not know at the time we were actually ourselves father and son, it was not until we fought one of the other humans, Morgana, that I found out he also was a human in a pokémon body, and that Morgana was Lucian's wife. Lucian had came to this world at first to destroy the mirrors as well, but decided against doing so for multiple reasons, one being that he had become deep friends with Ruli's father. It was not until we encountered the others, all who also turned out to be a part of my family, that we learned Lucian was my father, and thereby Morgana was my mother. I found out my name was Zane, and upon hearing that name, it was as if all the memories I had forgotten suddenly flooded back.

Lucian was killed by my Aunt Karmen. Sadness and despair hindered me from being able to fight back and my cousin Cane struck me down. Ruli, his soul still harbored in our shared body, sacrificed himself so that I could return to the living world, after giving me a scolding. I killed my cousin and my Aunt, saving the mirrors, avenging Lucian, and saving this world. My uncle Vane was made a ghost type, and in doing so, he made himself vulnerable to the rules of ghost types, and he was now bound to Mistress Chandelure, the leader of all ghosts in this land. He was my only living relative now. His mental state was a little worse for wear though, having been alive but turned into a ghost, he went insane. The Mistress told us that his mind was not able to process that he no longer needed food and water and other things he had needed when living.

Karmen had managed to teleport away four of the mirrors, and they had already stolen one. Five mirrors were lost, in some unknown location. The Eeveelutions were searching the mountains, which Vane had said they were secreted away in, but he did not know what mountains as Karmen had not told him. Epa, the Espeon leader of the Eeveelutions, believed it now very possible they were not even on this continent, and was actually planning an expedition to other lands to search there. There were other lands out there, but ones inhabited only by certain pokémon, many unknown to a lot of those on this continent. Epa wanted me to come with them, my power as a Mega would help against any threats and I had promised to help them in any way I could. I did agree to, but she had yet to summon me for any planning for the last two months.

My Mega form came from a Gem of Arceus, supposedly the last of its kind. The Guardian, Psy, had led me through a mental projection of a blindfolded Abra, but in reality, Psy was Mega Alakazam. He had been dead for thousands of years, but his mental power was so great, he had been able to project himself beyond death, in order to lead me through the events and give me the power I would need to match the humans. Lucian had been slightly jealous of what I had been given, he had trained for years and years and still...he had been so easily cut down by his sister...

I opened my eyes as I sighed deeply, "I miss you..." I whispered softly to the grave, then stood up slowly and turned back to look out to the water of the vast ocean.

What lands did wait beyond the waters? Excitement and trepidation always collided when I thought about what might be out there. As a human, I had been a young pokémon scholar, I had studied multiple text books and documents about the multiple different species of pokémon and their abilities. Many existed on this continent, but I had no idea of knowing what else may be out there.

"Ruli." I turned my head over my shoulder as I heard Axel's voice. He was padding up behind me along the beach, smiling to me. I smiled back as he came up beside me and pushed his head against my stomach, just barely able to come up to that height since he walked on all fours while I stood upright.

"I thought you'd be down here, saying your daily miss yous?" He smiled up at me and I nodded down to him as I chuckled and rubbed the back of my head a moment.

"Yeah, I was, and just thinking about what else might be out there once Epa finally gets around to calling us."

"That's why I came to find you actually." Axel said, "She finally sent a message, the Espeon is waiting at home for you to give it, he won't give it to me." Axel frowned and grimaced and I nodded again.

"All right, let's get on back up."

____________________

The Espeon was waiting patiently just outside our den, which we had built with the help of the other town pokémon. It was just large enough to house only Axel and I. Axel was happy with the den, he had told me it looked just like the one he had seen in his vision from the mirror.

His tail flicked lightly as he saw me, "Ah, Ruli, a pleasure to meet you at last."

"We haven't met before?" I asked in confusion, I had met many of the Eeveelutions during my time here.

"No we have not, I was an Eevee up till just a few months ago."

"Phhh why choose the Espeon clan?" Axel said playfully, "Did you want to work your tail off?"

The Espeon chuckled and I knew why. The Espeons were the hardest working of the Eeveelutions. With their ability to teleport, they acted as messengers, and would teleport others where they would need to go as well, constantly weaving between all the clans to share news and alerts.

"I wanted to assist in as much a way as I could, Prince Axel." The Espeon addressed Axel by his royal title, which I knew bugged him. Axel shuffled slightly beside me, but the Espeon didn't take notice. Axel was the child of the Jolteon Clan's previous Elder, before the Jolteon Clan was nearly wiped out by the invading humans as they stole their mirror. Only fifteen members of the Jolteon Clan had been left. Since then I had heard the Clan had increased in numbers as many Eevee choose to join them, to gain respect and authority as senior members of the clan or to just help the flagging clan out. They numbered near fifty now, but that was still small compared to the other Clan's near two hundred members each.

"Epa has a message for you Ruli, I was told only to tell you." The Espeon looked up to me and I nodded.

"I understand, what's the message?"

"She sends word that someone is looking for you. An Abra has approached us and asked for you by your...previous name."

I blinked, taking a moment to understand. "Wait...my previous name? You mean..." Axel was already bristling beside me, grimacing.

"I don't know what she meant by this, forgive me." The Espeon quickly interjected, "Those were her exact words as quote, "An Abra has approached us and asked for you by your previous name." I assume you know what this means." He stated from my surprised stare.

Epa and Axel were the only ones I had told about my previous name of Zane. I kept the rest private from the prying ears of others, omitting it from the public and Epa was respectful and promised not to make mention of it to others. From then on I had gone only by the name Ruli.

"Yeah...I know what it means. Where is this Abra?" I held back a grimace of my own. I could only think about Psy, was this another projection of his? He had seemed to fade away in the cave where he had given me the Gem of Arceus, his purpose complete he could finally let go and rest, but with all the power he had seemed to hold, I would not be surprised if he had other contingency plans and other mental projections waiting to activate and lead me.

"He is with Epa at the Espeon clan. I have been instructed to teleport you there if you are willing and ready." The Espeon answered.

I looked down at Axel beside me, who looked up at me and I could see his response in his eyes. He would follow me anywhere, to any danger, just as he had in the past. I returned my gaze to the Espeon.

"Let me inform Pangoro, I will met you here again shortly."

The Espeon bowed his head and I turned quickly and marched to the schoolhouse, Axel padding quickly beside me.

"What do you think this means?" He asked me as we walked out of earshot of the psychic type at our den.

I shook my head, face blank as I thought to myself, "I am not sure, I feel the same you do. This screams a lot about Psy...but for all we both know, he passed on. If anything I can say, so far, whenever a psychic type has been involved with anything, its been a turning point. We'll meet this Abra, but we'll be careful."

____________________

A few minutes later, Axel and I met up with the Espeon once more after I had informed Pangoro that I was needed at the Eeveelution camps.

"Please, touch my tail." He instructed us as we returned and he slightly turned his rear end, his tail reaching out to us with the divided prong extended. I was used to this, I had teleported with the Espeons before, but I always hated the feeling of moving through space so rapidly.

I gripped one part of his tail and Axel reached up with his paw to hold it as best as he could. As soon as both of us had contact, we closed our eyes. Instantly, I felt the ground under my feet vanish as we were teleported. The sensation of falling was always jarring, but I held my breath and kept my eyes closed, staying as calm as I could until after just a few seconds, the sensation faded.

I opened my eyes and let go of the Espeon. I recognized the camp we were in, the Espeon camp, settled deep in a valley among some mountains many miles north of the coast town farther up the continent. Multiple Espeons and a few members of the other clans were all here. It was a central hub of sorts at the moment, as all the clans were searching far and wide for the mirrors in all the mountainous regions. There were dens everywhere, made of grass or a combination of rocks.

"This way please." The Espeon led us through the clan, Axel and I walking close behind. Several of the Eeveelutions around us bowed slightly to us as we passed by, and I would give them small bows in return as we kept walking. Axel ignored them though, he wasn't much in favor of the Eeveelutions, despite being one himself. He was banished from the clans after all, and forbidden to have children of his own, not that he was going to have them, being gay. Only Epa's intervention had changed his banishment to a more minimal one. His contributions to saving this world had earned him the right to at least claim me as his mate and to adopt if we wanted, but he was under the condition that he had to come with me whenever the Eeveelutions may summon me to help them.

The Espeon led us to a large looking den and waved his tail to us both. I nodded thanks to him and entered readily, I had been to this den before. As always, Epa was laying on a small bed of green grass, her eyes closed, her tail waving to and fro in the air, glowing a dark pink. Beside her though, was the Abra.

He sat crosslegged, the same way I had seen Psy been in the past, but unlike Psy, he had no blindfold on. His eyes were like closed slits though, that common look for the Abra line, and they also glowed a soft purple light as his tail lightly slapped the ground next to him.

Epa opened her eyes as Axel and I stopped before them, and both of them stopped their glowing as she addressed us. "Ruli, thanks for coming." Epa said and she bowed her head.

I gave her a bow, and now Axel did as well. He respected Epa the most of them at least.

"This is Zane?" The Abra asked right away as curved eyes stared at me.

"I am Ruli..." I said back to him, "I was once known as Zane." I crossed my arms across my chest, holding his gaze, "Why do you ask for me?"

The Abra sat silently for several seconds, but I didn't rush him, I had gotten used to Psy sitting still for minutes before actually speaking as well. Eventually he shook his head.

"I am not sure if you are who I was looking for, to be honest." The Abra bowed his head to me then and he started, "Well, first things first, I want to thank you for saving this world."

He started to float in the air then, "My name is Enzlo, I am an Abra from the human world."

I jumped at this, Axel also jumped beside me and now Epa bristled as well as he screeched.

"The human world! You did not mention this!" Her eyes glowed.

"I am from the human world from a time before we pokémon entered this world." He continued, not showing any reaction to Epa's hostility and she growled.

"What do you mean?" I asked him lightly.

"If you are who I think you are as I've heard, and from what Epa has told me about you, you were a human once. You were a researcher of pokémon species, correct?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"Do you remember anything about the Corsova Clan?"

"The...Corsova Clan?" I repeated, and quickly shook my head, "No, I don't."

"Hmm..." Enzlo hummed slightly and Epa seemed to calm down a bit though as he began, "It was a clan of humans long ago that lived alongside pokémon in the wilds. I was one of the pokémon that lived with them. When Arceus opened the gate, I did not go at first, until my clan gave me the means to; to protect me from the other humans seeking to destroy us. When I entered and came to this world, I believe that the one known as Mega Alakazam sensed my connection to the humans, and either due to caution or hate, he froze me in time."

Enzlo looked to Epa, "From what I understand, Mega Alakazam has faded from existence, which may explain why I suddenly woke up."

"Why did you summon for me though?" I asked.

"Before he froze me, Mega Alakazam whispered the name "Zane." in my mind."

I thought hard, wondering if he was telling the truth. My powers as a Mega allowed me to feel some changes in someone emotions if they were large enough. I could feel nothing from him, but he could easily be lying about smaller details. On the other paw, it wasn't hard to believe that Psy had given him my name before freezing him. Psy had been very wise, very powerful, and saw years into the future to predict the events that had brought myself to this world, perhaps he planted my name with this Abra to draw him too me after his passing.

"But that's the only reason why?" I pressed, and Enzlo shook his head to me.

"That really is all, I do not have any other motives for calling you, besides that and what I heard further regarding your involvement in fighting the invaders from Epa here." Enzlo actually grinned, "I am rather surprised it is the Eeveelutions in charge, I would've thought my species better suited to lead."

"Don't get a big head." Axel said beside me, and I noticed Epa bristled a bit as well.

"The Abra evolution line is an important clan..." Epa said carefully, "It is true they are more powerful and more farseeing than us Espeon, but they are also more physically weak. They did not want the mantle of leader."

Enzlo seemed to merely consider his words to have been truth, "I was just making mention of it..." He said and shrugged his shoulders slightly.

I stared at the Abra, "So what is your plan to do then?"

I didn't get a response for several seconds as he sat there, and if he was thinking of one he never got to it, as suddenly a Leafeon barged into the room.

"Urgent reports!" He shouted, stopping as he saw everyone gathered, instantly bowing, "Apologies!"

"What is the report?" Epa asked.

"Six islands have appeared off the coast, just like, out of nowhere!"

"Out of nowhere?" The Espeon repeated, "Islands just don't...appear out of nowhere."

"They've appeared within sight of the coast town, you can see them from the cliffs." The Leafeon continued, "The Vaporeon clan has been stating there have been multiple sightings of pokémon never seen before in the water already, some of them quite territorial. Air recon is difficult as well, the local flying types of the islands are also unknown and are being territorial as well."

"If they've just suddenly appeared in our world, they are probably just as freaked out as we are." Enzlo said, "You trying to invade their islands to attempt restraining them doesn't help."

"Call off the recons." Epa stated, "I will be going to the Coastal town."

___________________

Just a few minutes later I was staring out to the ocean with Epa laying on the ground beside in the coast town, just behind the school. The Abra Enzlo was partly behind me, sitting on the ground and staring out with us through his squinted eyes. Axel was gathering reports from the towns folk that had seen what had happened. Apparently, not long after I had left to visit Epa about the Abra, the islands had suddenly just appeared in the ocean, not even making a splash that seemed to disturb the water, as if the land had always been there.

Indeed, where just this morning there had been empty ocean, there was now a group of six islands out in the distance. Four seemed to be moderately sized, lands filled with green foliage but the other two were much larger. The second largest had what I could only relate to as being skyscrapers, as if there was a small city on it. The biggest island, while it did have other places that looked like towns or settlements of some kind, still appeared to be mostly wild jungles like the other smaller ones.

"Those buildings..." I said, a paw over my eyes as I peered out at the islands.

"Has anyone yet reported seeing humans on the island?" I asked to Epa.

She shook her head, "The Vaporeons continue to report aggressive water types, and the flying pokémon of the island are chasing off any flying scout party we send too, but they themselves have yet to leave within a few miles of the islands."

"Most interesting..." Enzlo commented beside me, and I looked down at him.

"You know anything of this?" I asked, pointing my paw out at the islands.

"No, of course not." Enzlo said, "I haven't the faintest clue about what they are or why they suddenly appeared."

I nearly didn't believe him, my time with Psy's tricks had me distrustful, but I didn't have anything else to really follow on to say he was lying. I sighed and shook my head.

"Can we get teleporting to them working?"

"We could..." Epa said, "I mean, being able to see the island is all we need, but with how aggressive pokémon have been on the edges of the islands, its dangerous to send in a team onto the land."

"That's why you send me." I told her.

"Surely you wouldn't go alone?" Epa asked.

"Of course not, I'd take Axel with me."

"I'm afraid Axel won't be able to go." Enzlo said and I stared down at him again.

"And why not?" I asked angrily.

"There's a barrier of energy already put up by ghost types in the region. At this point, only a psychic type, or another ghost, is going to be able to push through." Enzlo said, and Epa stared at him herself now.

"What are you talking about? I don't sense any energy from there."

"Hmm..." Enzlo hummed, "Guess age catches up to your mind...I thought it was obvious..."

"He's right." And it was now that Mistress Chandalure appeared in the air above us.

"Morning dearies..." The ghost said a little carefully as she was staring out the island herself, and I wondered how long she had been there listening to us. "But he is right, there's a barrier of energy around the two main islands, dark types won't be able to get through there unless whoever powers them lowers them."

"So not only is there unknown living pokémon, there are also unknown ghost types?" Epa asked, a tone of worry in her voice.

"There is. But calm yourself..." Mistress Chandalure continued, "Whoever they are senses mine and all the other ghosts in the forests energy too. They put up those barriers in defense."

"Is there a Mistress on the islands too?"

"There should be some form of matriarch there somewhere."

"Why are you here by the way, Mistress?" I asked then as the thought crossed me. "Usually our investigations don't concern you..."

The Chandalure remained silent a moment, before she answered, and I could tell she was carefully picking her words, "Your...uncle, Vane. When the islands appeared, and the new presence of a new matriarch entered this world, I lost my absolute control on all the ghosts of the forest. Of course, many have vanished while some know better and have stayed in the forest. I don't worry too much, the worst they will do is some mischief, but your Uncle also vanished, he doesn't answer my summons."

"Who is a human..." Epa growled. "Has he gone to the islands?"

"If he has, he's gone to one of those four others. We can't get through the barrier either. I don't think he even has a plan, other than trying to get away." Mistress Chandalure continued, "But I know he's always talking to himself when he thinks I'm not listening, muttering about plans this and plans that, thinking he'll be able to somehow return to the other world and get back his old human body."

"I'll have to track him down and bring him back." I said. "I doubt there's anything there to help him try and get back, but we can't risk that happening." I looked back at the islands and worriedly stared at the skyscrapers on the islands.

"Again, those buildings are exactly like ones I remember from when I was human, there may be humans on those islands."

"Even more reason to get this figured out." Epa stated, "I will begin making arrangements for you to be teleported." And with that the Espeon teleported away.

"If it really is important for you to catch up with Vane, we should go now." Enzlo said as soon as Epa left, and I stared down at him.

"Think you can get me there yourself?"

"Yes actually, I could." He said back with a note of annoyance that I even doubted it.

"You've still got a lot to explain yourself, don't you deary?" Mistress Chandalure hummed in the air above us both, and Enzlo now did look up at the ghost.

"I'll appreciate it if you don't-" The Abra started, but the ghost cut him off.

"Of course dear." Mistress Chandalure said and she chuckled before vanishing from sight.

I tilted my eyebrows at the Abra suspiciously, "What was that about?"

"Nothing." Enzlo said briskly, then reached up to me, "Take my paw."

"Yeah right." I folded my arms.

"You want the best chance to catch him, you'll trust me on this."

I stared down at him still, as he just sat there, staring at the islands and with his arm extended up to me. After a bit of self thought, I couldn't believe I was really going to trust him, but I reached down and grasped his paw, and instantly felt the weightlessness of teleportation take hold just long enough for myself to close my eyes.