FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Disclaimer: Pokémon is copyright of Nintendo, Game Freak, etc. Individual characters are my own imaginening, and are not intended to be any part of main cannon / plotline. Individual characters like Aaron, Song, Zin, etc, are my own creations, so please ask before using. Thank you.

Author's Notes: I actually -WANT- to say something, but I won't. It's just for the sad fact that I'm actually really excited of how things are turning out for this story. Hopefully, everyone reading this will understand that, while I take locations from the world, this story has -nothing- to do with actual storylines that are present in either the anime, manga, or games. At least, I'm trying to not make those the focus, and if they come up, only to be as a side note or purely coincidental.

Either way... hopefully this doesn't dissapoint. Third time writing sex. Yes, I am counting. No, I do not know who's next. I picked this one on a whim, as it seemed to suit the story. Tags... por que?

--- Chapter 5: Haunting

I woke up, surrounded in a red glow as sunlight filtered through the tent. I sat up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I yawned. My stomach rumbled, the need for food quickly coming to my mind. I ignored it for the moment as I looked around, seeing that Zin decided to use my lap again for a bed. Akalia's body lay next to me, her nose twitching absently. Not seeing the others, I grew a bit concerned. After last night, not knowing where they might be is going to give me nightmares.

Zin yawned, shaking her head as her tongue lolled out. She looked around for a moment, tail twitching absently, before her eyes met mine. She smiled as I reached towards her, petting her head. She leaned into my touch, closing her eyes, enjoying my attention to her. We stayed like that for the moment, trying to keep as quiet as possible so Akalia wouldn't wake up. I smiled down at the Houndoom on my lap, feeling at peace with everything.

Sure, last night definitely shook me, severely. My mind instantly teleported my thoughts to Xola. Just the mental picture alone of her harmed body brought tears to my eyes. I shook my head, trying to fling the thoughts from my mind, and I was successful for the most part. I could still feel the goose bumps running up and down my spine, just from the effects of the mental image. My thoughts returned to the present, when a tongue snuck its way into my mouth. I pulled back, surprised, to see Zin giving me a worried look.

"Are you alright, Master?" she asked softly

I heaved a sigh of relief. Nodding, I answered. "Yeah, sorry," I said, smiling. "I remembered last night, that's all."

Zin raised an eyebrow at my statement, but didn't press the issue. I smiled down at her, bringing my hand to scratch under her chin. She leaned into my touch again, a goofy smile forming on her muzzle as I scratched.

"You know," she said, "we really should renew our bonds."

"What do you mean?" I asked, slowing down my scratching. "Wait, you mean..."

"Yes, that's right," she said, giggling. "Don't stop scratching, Master. Or, do you want me to beg for it?"

I continued as asked, raking my fingers through her fur. I leaned forward, as Zin tilted her head upwards, her muzzle meeting my lips. Her tongue snaked inside my mouth, gently lapping at my cheeks as I returned her affection as best I could. I cupped her face gently in my hands, her paws beginning to rub along my pants, encouraging me wordlessly by gently pressing against my crotch. I moved my hands slowly down her body, pressing her body against mine when Akalia decided to make it known that she was awake.

"Luxray!" she said, a rumbling chuckle making its way into my ears.

I froze at the sound, my eyes widening as I tried to disengage from Zin's lips. The Houndoom completely disagreed with me, however, as she eagerly pressed her lips against mine tighter and shoving her tongue deeper into my mouth. As I leaned back to break our contact, she leaned forward, walking up my body and keeping our lips together. Akalia was sure not helping, her purrs getting louder as Zin kept up the kiss. If I didn't know better, I'd say that I was being set up for something. I fell backwards, my back resting again on the unfurled sleeping bag, Zin standing proudly on top of me.

"Master, if you and your mate wished for some time alone, then you should have warned us."

I felt my cheeks burn as I heard Mist's voice. I gently pushed Zin away from me, her tongue still licking my lips as we parted. Though she didn't say anything, I got the deep impression that she was disappointed in me. I didn't know why, but I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have minded if we got further in our intimacy, even with everyone looking on us.

"Thank you, Mist, for the reminder," I said, shaking my head. "Zin just wanted to wake me with a surprise."

"Well..." Zin said, a smile flashing across her muzzle. "I guess you could call it a surprise."

I felt my cheeks blush again, as the Houndoom laughed. Akalia rubbed against my side gently, as Mist shook her head.

"Regardless, both Spirit and Song are waiting for you outside," Mist said. "I will let them know that you will be along shortly."

With those words, Mist passed through the walls of the tent effortlessly. I sighed, shaking my head gently side to side. "What am I going to do with you, Zin?" I asked aloud.

"You could do exactly what you did when we first met," she said, her eyes alight with mischief. "You definitely helped with satisfying my heat, but it's unfortunate that you can't end it, so it's bothering me again. And, in all honesty, you were amazing. I'd love to feel your -,"

"I get it, Zin," I said exasperated. Though I did feel a bit of pride in knowing that I helped, I didn't feel comfortable speaking about in front of the others. "I'll help you, if you need it, but later. We do need to move on if we intend to do anything other than stay here."

Zin shrugged, her tail twitching in the air. "That doesn't sound like a terrible idea, you know," she said, grinning. "It's turned out to be a wonderful place, other than the whole loosing Xola earlier."

I nodded, smiling. "I get it," I said, petting her head gently. "After some traveling, we'll see into stopping back here, maybe?"

"You're going to owe me, and I intend to collect" she said smugly. Her eyes glinted, a plan forming in her mind. I could already tell, though just what was that something I had no clue.

I shrugged, looking towards Akalia. She nodded to me, a grin playing across her muzzle. I suddenly felt like someone painted a large bulls-eye above my head. I shivered as I turned away to leave the tent, before a heavy weight landed on my back. I struggled as best I could, though I stopped when a velvet wet tongue bathed the back of my neck. I was on my hands and knees, supporting my apparently dominating Houndoom on my back, but something didn't add up.

Zin wasn't this heavy.

I turned my head as best I could, to see out of the corner of my eye Akalia's black and blue fur resting on top of me. Her eyes were glowing brightly as she continued to lick my neck. I could feel her purrs from deep within her body, as she continued to bathe me with unnerving calmness. I turned back to the tent flap, to see Zin working the zipper with her jaws.

"Could you give me a hand?" she asked. "I'm pretty sure you'd like your privacy."

"Wait a second," I said, trying to sit up but stopped when Akalia's purrs deepened into a growl. I lowered myself into the sleeping bag underneath me, much to the approval of the Luxray.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "First you're all affectionate, and now you're leaving? What gives?"

"I realize that she needs help, too," she answered. She grabbed the zipper again with her teeth and managed to make a gap wide enough for her to leave. "Aha! Gotcha, you stupid zipper thing. Anyway, just take care of her for now, and I'll see you before the sun sets. Hopefully, anyway."

"Wait!" I cried out, but she slipped out through the crack before I could reach her with my hands. All that did is throw off my balance, causing me to crash forwards, Akalia's weight holding me effectively in place. Her paws came up to my arms, her claws scraping against my skin. Soft electrical shocks ran through my body, as her tail circled around my leg. I was suddenly very grateful that I had pants on, but regretted the choice of not wearing a shirt last night.

Not that it mattered right now. Between Akalia and Zin, I had plenty of body heat to keep me warm. Now, it became a disadvantage, as it allowed Akalia to play with my back with her sharp claws, giving her quite an advantage over me. I'm pretty sure that if I told her to stop, she would comply. So, why am I not doing it? I shivered again, as her sharp claws pressed against my skin gently.

"Akalia? Could I face you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady

Her weight left my back for a moment, as she complied with my request. As soon as I rolled over, she dropped herself on top of me again. I brought my hands to her sides, gently kneading her flexing muscles underneath my fingers. Her purrs increased, radiating from her body. She closed her eyes, bringing her head to my neck as I scratched her neck and behind her ears.

Now that she calmed down somewhat, I turned back to the question at hand. Why was I allowing this? With Zin it was a matter of survival. I'm pretty sure that if I had refused, I wouldn't be alive, or would be hunted down by her. With Akalia, however, that wasn't the case. A few questions formed in my mind, trying to get to the bottom of this.

"Are you in heat, Akalia?" I asked, lifting her muzzle from my neck.

"Lux," she said, shaking her head.

Damn. Well, there goes obvious answer number one. "Well, what is it, then? Did Zin convince you to do this?"

Again, she shook her head, her deep purrs rumbling through my body. She smiled, however, opening her eyes again as they glowed brightly again. A burst of inspiration hit me, though I was afraid of the answer.

"It was Song, wasn't it," I said, raising an eyebrow at the Luxray. A knot of dread tightened on my gut when she nodded.

I sighed, shaking my head. Before I could voice another question, an all too familiar voice rang through my mind.

"And you're going to argue about this more?" Song said, her voice whispering into my mind

"Song!" I exclaim out loud. "If you're try-," I said, struggling to stand but being successfully pinned down by Akalia. The Luxray's paws held me down as she shook her head, smiling down on me. Song's laughter ringing in my mind didn't help the situation. I started to feel annoyed, but the feeling was suppressed with Song's voice.

"Please take care of her needs, Master," Song said, her voice barely heard even inside my mind. "She needs you right now."

"Where are you?" I asked

"Right outside the tent, though that doesn't really help you now, does it?" she asked rhetorically. "Just perform for Akalia how you did for Zin, and things will work themselves out."

"Somehow, I don't think things work out the way you think," I said, exasperated.

"Quite the opposite, actually," Song said with a laugh. "Everything is exactly how I want things to happen. Just don't get too tired, yes? I think you still want to see the Celestic ruins, so I hope you have the stamina. I promise to keep everyone else out of trouble, and keep your privacy."

I could hear a rustling sound coming from near the tent, Zin's giggling voice easily noticed above everything else. Footsteps made their way to the tent again, followed by the Houndoom's voice.

"Don't disappoint me, Master," Zin said, before padding away with the rest of the group. I shivered as I felt an odd mixture of hesitation and eagerness. How would anyone else feel in my position? I thought for a moment, and shrugged. Probably would either run screaming or jump at the opportunity. I'm still under the impression that females, regardless of species, don't give out their bodies to just anyone. I know I sure wouldn't.

"Akalia," I said, scratching behind her ears. "Please don't bite me, or decide to electrocute me."

She laughed; the sound was like a mixture of Zin's bark and her own purrs. I shivered as she leaned down, her rough tongue licking at my lips eagerly. I wrapped my arms around her neck, opening my mouth to let her tongue access inside. Her soft purrs met my ears, as lightning began to arc along her fur and spark into the air. I closed my eyes, pressing my lips harder against her muzzle, trying to ignore the burning feeling that my skin was sending.

Akalia pulled back from our kiss, saliva connecting our lips together. Electricity danced through the joining liquid, giving my lips a sudden jolt. I gasped in surprise, to the amusement of the Luxray, her deep purrs rumbling through my body again. Her claws raked across my skin once again, as I gasped at the feeling. I squirmed under her touch, gripping her fur as my I closed my eyes, beginning to enjoy the treatment. Still holding on to her, I began to rub my hands around her back, reaching as far as I could to the base of her tail.

Her muscles flexed underneath my touch, a soft moan reaching my ears as she arched her back. I began to scratch, her claws leaving angry rows of red on my skin. I slowed down my attentions, only for her eyes to glow an angry yellow, a snarling growl coming rumbling from her throat.

"I don't want you to claw my chest open," I said, patting her paws gently. Her features softened immediately, as she bent downwards to lick at my chest. Her rough tongue bathed the irritated skin, though her teeth would prick at my skin every so often. I held as steady as I could, grabbing a hold of her fur so I wouldn't flinch and surprise her. I definitely didn't want to be bitten, especially by an overly excited Luxray.

Her licks continued down my chest, reaching my waist and my pants. I moved my hands to my only piece of clothing I have, stalling her for the moment. I smiled when she looked at me, as I quickly unbuttoned my pants to prevent her from deciding to shred them herself. I was soon naked underneath her, as her muzzle reached my male-hood. She took a few deep sniffs, before her tongue gave me an experimental lick. I sat up, smiling as Akalia took another lick, quickly arousing me to full attention.

She kept up her slow attention on me, eventually stopping to place a paw on my chest. Her licks continued upwards again, though she didn't stall at any specific place, reaching my mouth before pressing her lips eagerly against mine. I felt Akalia push me downwards, my back to the ground again but our lips not parting this time. Her body lay on top of me, sparks of lightning tickling me through our bodies being connected.

She pulled back from me, a soft mewl as she licked my nose and rubbed her lower body against mine. Her fur rubbed along my length gently, as I felt wet fur along my leg. I looked as she raised her body and tried to align herself with me. She faced away from me for a moment, looking behind her as she tried to impale herself onto my cock. I brought a hand to her face, directing her to face me again. When she took my suggesting and faced me, I licked her nose as I used my other hand to direct myself to her entrance. Her eyes widened for a moment, before a smile crossed her muzzle, before slowly drawing herself downwards, allowing me inside her.

I gasped as her tunnel welcomed me inside its warm embrace. As she slid herself down all the way to the hilt, her muscles contracted around my flesh. I gasped as her paws surrounded me, pulling my body as close to her as she could. I wrapped my arms around her as she nuzzled my neck. I rubbed my cheek against hers as we stayed still, neither of us moving from our intimate embrace. All too soon, she lifted herself from me, feeling her walls contract around my member, as if refusing to let me go. She quickly threw herself downwards again, taking me inside of her again. She lifted her face from my neck, her eyes glowing brightly against her fur. I pressed my hand against her cheek, as she leaned into my touch.

We moved slowly, our bodies moving when desired. We would begin to build momentum, only for us to slow down once again. It wasn't until she gripped me with her paws and her body shook that I realized that she reached a new height in her pleasure. Though it wasn't enough for her, however, as she forced herself to move faster, urging me to do the same. I began to thrust in time with hers, meeting her halfway in our carnal dance. Sweat beaded on my forehead and body, soaking Akalia's fur as we moved in unison. Her fangs began to glint as electricity poured through her. I wrapped my arms around her and held still, trying to prevent myself from being electrocuted.

I felt Akalia's teeth clamp down onto my shoulder, as my world tumbled violently. I found myself suddenly on top of the Luxray, her hind legs spread as wide as she could while having me inside of her. I gently nuzzled the top of her head, as I pulled out of her body only to sink in a moment later. Her body began to spasm around me, her legs twitching against my back and her tunnel grasping me intently. Her claws raked my back and legs, as Akalia let out a yowl of pleasure. Electricity danced over me as my Luxray reached her orgasm, her tunnel dampening my thighs and waist. I gritted my teeth, getting mixed signals of pleasure and pain. Never thought I'd enjoy having the feeling of getting your finger stuck into an electrical socket.

Her panting brought me out of my reverie. She looked at me, a smile spreading across her muzzle, but her whines concerned me. I leaned forward and she nuzzled my face, her body wiggling around me. I gasped, as my sensitive body was assaulted once again by her tightening tunnel.

"What is it?" I asked, brushing her fur from her eyes. She shook her head as she whined softly. She licked my hand, before her tunnel squeezed me again.

"You want me to reach my peak too?" I asked, gasping for breath. She nodded as a response, licking my nose again. I licked her nose, mimicking her actions, but then kissed her lips. Electricity sparked again as I brought my grip to her lower body. I didn't stall for long, holding myself as steady as I could while thrusting into her. Her tongue lolled out of her mouth, as her eyes began to glow once again. She pulled herself using my body, her muzzle on my neck as her teeth grabbed my skin. I leaned down, bringing our bodies back to the floor. With one hand on her hips and the other holding her head, I began to thrust in earnest.

It didn't take long for my body to complete its duty, as I felt my muscles tighten and my thrusts began to go faster. Akalia's claws extended, grabbing a hold of me as I released myself inside of her. Sparks flew across my field of vision, electricity jumping around my skin as her howled cry rasped through her throat. Her muscles were taught, constantly flexing underneath me, until she finally relaxed. I looked at her, our sweat matting her beautiful black and blue fur, her chest heaving in exhaustion. I was panting as well, but I smiled down at her while rubbing her cheek gently. A smile formed on her muzzle as well, as I brought my lips to hers. I caressed her body with my hands, as her paws gently stroked my back. Her eyes began to close, her heavy breathing slowly returning to normal. I chuckled, as I hugged her body. Maybe some extra sleep wouldn't be such a bad idea right now.

================ ================= ===================

I woke up by the shrill call of my Pokédex. I groaned, fumbling blindly for the device until I found it. I brought it up to my eyes, the blurred numbers reading fifteen hundred hours barely registering into my mind. How long was I out? I shrugged, trying to figure out the answer but failing miserably. Today was just not the day for traveling, it seemed.

Akalia was still sleeping, and didn't even stir when the Pokédex alarm activated. I smiled, brushing her cheek gently. She barely stirred, her breathing gently making her chest rise and fall in tandem. I slowly realized that I was still naked, lying on top of her. Thankfully, I had slid out of her during our sleep, though it didn't make the mess any less. A soft purr and a gentle lick brought my attention back to Akalia, as she smiled up at me.

"Luxray," she purred, as she nodded at me.

"We should probably get cleaned up," I said, shaking my head. "It wouldn't do your fur good to not wash up."

She nodded as I rolled off from on top of her, rummaging through my backpack to find a towel and some pants. Fishing out some bright yellow shorts and a white towel, I quickly wrapped myself up. Akalia's low purr gave me the impression that she was giggling at me.

"Hey, it's for my own modesty, at the very least," I said, turning to see her roll her eyes at me. I shrugged at her actions, kneeling in front of the door to unzip the tent. I was silently relieved that Song, Zin, or anyone was waiting for me right outside the door, but that did raise the question as to where they were. Before I left, I grabbed my Pokédex, just to make sure I at least knew what time it was.

Akalia followed me as we made our way from the campsite to the water's edge. The waterfall could be heard as we walked, and I shivered again, my thoughts instantly visualizing an injured Milotic, blood contrasting against her scales and my skin. I became dizzy, the world spinning around me. I would have fallen, if it wasn't for Akalia's reactions, leaning against me as I teetered in place. I dropped to my knees, my Luxray's cry ringing in my ears for a moment.

"It's alright, Akalia," I said, shaking my head. Doing so brought on a wave of nausea, but I controlled myself as best I could. Swallowing the bile rising in my throat, I smiled at her. "See? I'm fine now."

She gave a look that clearly said that she didn't quite believe me, but she allowed me to stand. I managed to get up with her help, though she didn't leave my side while we walked towards the water. We made it without any more incidents, and I quickly shed my towel and walked in after setting my pants and Pokédex safely on the shore. The water, while cold, felt amazing against my skin. I sighed as I sat down on the sand, enjoying the shallow water and the warm sunrays against my body.

Akalia joined me after a few moments, as she insisted that she groomed me. I laughed as she made me bow forward with a growl and a paw on my neck, so she could lick every piece of hair on my head into place. I returned the favor as best I could by rubbing all over her fur, using the water and a good massage to get her to relax and enjoy the water as best I could.

All too quickly, we went from cleaning, to a splashing contest. I was quickly proven that I couldn't beat the gigantic cat Pokémon with just my hands, and I pleaded surrender whenever I could. It didn't seem that I would get a break, because as soon as I dropped my hands from my face, I was greeted by a wave of water splashing right into it. I gasped for breath, feeling water run through my nose into the back of my throat, while laughter reached my ears. As soon as I could breathe normally, without water getting into my lungs, I saw Xola curled up in front of me, laughing merrily.

"Well, it's good to see you too, Xola," I said, wiping my face. "Just next time make sure I don't drown."

"Oh!" she said, surprised. "I'll remember that next time, so I catch you by surprise again."

I sighed, but chuckled, shrugging. "Do you know where everyone else is?" I asked

Xola nodded, as Akalia pressed her paw on my lap. The Milotic tilted her head sideways for a moment, before pointing behind me with her tail. "They're over there," she said. "Song wanted to talk to you, in case you forgot."

"Yeah, I remember vaguely," I said, rubbing the back of my head. I looked at Akalia, giving her a smile. "Do you feel presentable?" I asked

Akalia smiled at me, giving me a lick on my cheek before running towards Song and the others. I sighed as I stood up, before I realized I was still naked. I shrugged, though I did notice a soft blush come up on Xola's cheeks.

"I hope I don't offend you, Xola," I said sheepishly

"No, it's not that," she said, as she turned away from me. "It's just that I didn't expect to see you without clothes, that's all."

I grinned at her, shaking my head. "Well, we better hurry then," I said, shrugging, "before Zin gets any more brilliant ideas about me."

Her scales turned a brighter red, but she followed at my side while we walked towards everyone. I ignored Zin's eager calls and slipped on the pair of shorts, while grabbing the towel and drying myself as best I could. I was curious as to why everyone except Mist was present. Song, Spirit, and Zin where sitting next to my things, Song holding the Pokédex on her lap, looking at it curiously. I lay the towel on the sand, sitting on it while the rest of the group sat around me in some fashion. Akalia deliberately laid her head on top of my lap, sharing it with Zin. Xola was curled behind me, her head lying gently on my shoulder. Song and Spirit stayed in their spots, not moving. Spirit smiled at me, and I smiled back at her.

"Where's Mist?" I asked

"She went ahead to make sure the campsite is safe, before joining us, Master," Song said.

Her voice didn't have that usual upbeat tone in it, and I was mildly concerned. "Song, are you alright?" I asked

She shook her head, and smiled at me. "Yes, I'm fine," she said. "I'm just happy to see that my plans are working."

"Plans?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

She shook her head again. "Don't worry about it too much," she said. "Just know that it's all for the best, alright?"

"When you say things like that, it makes me want to worry, Song," I said, frowning at the Gardevoir. I felt both Akalia and Zin tense up while I tried to interrogate Song. Zin looked up, shaking her head at me.

"What she's trying to say is that things don't stay the same," Zin said, frowning. "She's making sure that you're safe."

"Stay safe from what?" I asked. "Who would do us harm? No one knows us except people that have lived in Solaceon all of their lives. We've never harmed anyone. By Arceus, I haven't even caught a Pokémon, nor fought anyone in any battles!"

"From yourself," Song stated.

I blinked, my thoughts derailed by her statement. I tried to even point to an event in my life that would cause me harm, but nothing even came close. Cavern exploring? That would be the only thing I've done that I've done that's relatively dangerous. If you don't count the bridge incident, that is.

I was relieved to see Mist appear, materializing from thin air. The Mismagius looked about, and shook her head at the scene in front of her. She closed her eyes, and seemed to debate with something internally before opening them and addressing me.

"Master, may I speak with you? Privately?" she asked.

I looked around me, seeing that both Akalia and Zin left my lap, while Xola wrapped upon herself, leaving my shoulder. I looked at both Spirit and Song, who both nodded at me.

"Sure," I said, standing up. I grabbed the towel and headed over to the Ghost Pokémon. When I approached her, she hovered next to me, placing an ethereal hand on my shoulder, before floating in front of me. I followed my new guide, to wherever she wanted to go so we may be in private.

"I hope we aren't going too far," I said, shaking my head.

"No, we are not," she said. "We are headed for the campsite. I will let the others know when we are done. This way you can begin to cook dinner, as well."

I grimaced. "I was thinking that we should finish those berries that you all brought," I said, giving out a chuckle. Mist looked back at me, rolling her eyes.

"Very well, I will let the others know to go pick a few more berries on their way back here," she said, sighing. "It should give me a bit more time to explain things as best that I can."

I busied myself with making the fire quickly. Thankfully, all the materials were already set and ready, so it didn't take long for me to get it started.

"You can thank Zin when she comes back," Mist said, nodding. "She was the one that left those things out for you."

I nodded, feeling my cheeks flush a bit at thinking about Zin again. I shook myself, closing my eyes to maintain self-control of my body. How in the world was just thinking about that would get me so aroused? I knew I shouldn't have gone with Song's crazy plan!

"There is nothing wrong with you, Master," Mist said calmly. "You're having quite a normal reaction. Frankly, I would be surprised if you did not react like you are right now. It would make things unnecessarily complicated."

I stared at the ghost, once again my thoughts being derailed by someone's words. She smiled, chuckling softly.

"I cannot tell you much, for the information is strictly forbidden for others to know," she said, her voice dropping in volume. "But Song insisted that you should know, so she is risking much for you right now."

"Then we shouldn't be talking about this, even if she insists," I said, frowning. "I can't have any of you risking your well-being. Not after what happened to Xola."

Mist closed her eyes, the gems on her body glowing softly. She began to chant softly under her breath, her lips moving but I wasn't able to hear anything she said. I began to slowly feel lightheaded, as if I was holding my breath for too long. I began to take slow deep breaths, but the sensation continued. Lightheadedness turned quickly into a headache, which turned rapidly turning into a searing pain.

"Mist, stop it!" I yelled out, clutching my forehead.

As soon as I said those words, the pain immediately stopped. I shivered, my breath coming in quick pants. I tried to get my bearings, but it seemed that all that happened was that I fell on my knees. I shook my head gently from side to side, making sure it didn't aggravate any pain. Thankfully there wasn't any, and Mist let out a sigh of relief.

"I apologize, Master," she said. "Perhaps I should have thought of that."

"Did you know that your Lucky Chant ability wouldn't work on me?" I asked.

She shook her head. "There's your answer," I said, smiling.

"Thank you," Mist whispered, smiling at me.

"Though, I'm curious as to why you would want to talk to me away from everyone else. It's not that they don't know what happened."

The Mismagius's gems glowed brightly for a moment, her eyes avoiding me for the moment. "It is not that fact that makes me wish to address you, Master," she said softly. "I only wish to inform you that things happen for a reason."

"I know that already," I said, doing my best to avoid rolling my eyes. "Mom hammered that into my head a long time ago."

"No, it is not just that. Everything that has happened before you became a trainer, that is all child's play compared to what you will face soon."

I blinked at the ghost as I tried to digest this new information. "So you're telling me that what happened to Xola is nothing?" I asked, anger beginning to tint my voice.

Mist shook her head. "No, that is not what I said, or meant at all. What happened to Xola was tragic, but unavoidable. Fate intends to pull you in its whims, and there will not be anything you, or us, that will be able to do to prevent it. I am warning you to be ready to accept what will happen soon. For all of us."

"So, then why are you telling me this?" I asked, frowning. I curled my hands into fists, trying to find a safe outlet for this anger. "Is this part of Song's plan, too?"

Mist shook her head again. "No, it is not."

"Then who's?"

The ghost was about to speak, when her entire body shook violently. I instantly closed what gap we had, to catch her from falling to the ground. I managed to make it before that, cradling her gently in my arms. Her eyes were closed, her mouth pursed in a grimace, while the gems glowed softly in the shade.

"Mist!" I exclaimed, reaching to press my hand against her cheek. Her eyes opened softly, the soft haunting cry of her kind escaping her lips as she smiled at me.

"Are you alright?" I asked. She nodded as she tried to disengage herself from me, but I shook my head.

"Oh no, you don't," I said, frowning. "You're going to rest. No more floating for you, and that's final."

Mist giggled, a wispy appendage touching my cheeks. "At least allow me to start the camp fire," she said.

"Then by all means," I said, nodding. "Good subtle practice using your Psychic moves."

"Who said about using Psychic?" she asked. The outline of her body glowed, matching the gems on her body. Purple blue fire sparked around the set wood in the small pit, and it instantly lit, beginning to burn brightly.

"Mental note, never get you angry," I said, chuckling.

"I am quite positive that you will not, Master," she said, giggling.

"Will you let the others know that they're more than welcome to join us? Unless you have anything else to say."

"No, I believe that I am done. I will let the others know it is fine to come back."

I nodded as I sat down in front of the fire, cradling Mist. There were no more words spoken, and the only sounds I heard were the soft rustling as footsteps joined us, the gentle breeze whistling past, and my own breathing. I looked to my sides, as Akalia pressed herself against my left while Zin leaned to my right. I felt Xola's soft scales against my back as she leaned against me, while I felt Spirit's claw on my shoulder. Song sat next to me, placing her hands on my own, and her eyes radiated while looking straight at me.

"Song," I said, frowning, "what's going on? I'm afraid."

"So am I, Master," she said, her voice heavy with emotion. "So am I."