#kerialhoundoom

Kerial’s feet finally found deep snow on her mission to find fire wood that wasn’t burnt or damp. A cold breath left her maw as something came over her, a shadow who’s question burned her ears with its booming voice. It loomed high, intimidating but not threatening only questioning her presence.

“I was offered life from the god of life. But… I neither said yes or no. The god thrust this… thing, this power onto me. It’s worrying, it feels like a leech inside of me that’s not killing me but yet… I still don’t want it there.”

The Houndoom shivered in the snow as she thought, her face growing upset and stressed. She let out a calm breath, then sighed as if disappointed. Tracing many lines in the snow she counted her toll aloud to the shadow.

“I don’t deserve a second chance, I was going to say no. I’ve taken a dozen lives and… I don’t think I should live with their lives on my shoulders. That was my redemption, or so I thought.”

Closing her eyes she let the shadow loom, her guard lowered not caring if it was actually hostile or not. A low growl escaping her maw as her face shifted, baring her teeth in anger at nothing but the snow and her guest.

“That damned god, when my fire comes back I’m going to melt that damn tree they call home.”

“H-Hey Houndoom lady!”

A small voice called from the path she had just taken, a little bunnelby ran up to her and looked around the area. Tilting his head at her when he saw no one was around,

“Who were you talking to? That was your voice I heard right?”

Kerial shook the anger off her face noticing the same, that there was really no one around.

“Y-yeah kid that was me, I was just uh singing…”

Slyn’s eyes shined up at her, “You sing? That’s so cool! I always wanted to sing but never really tried maybe you can teach me sometime, oh! Maybe we can get the whol- hm??”

The houndoom flicked some snow at him as she moved her paw to his face, stopping his rambling.

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“Kerial?” The houndoom took a deep breath in like it was her first in hours. Her body laid on a thin layer of snow and before her was a worried little bunnelby. “Kerial is that... really you?” The hound stood slowly, expecting screaming pain from her leg but she stood with ease. Her view glanced over her shoulder only to spot no scar or injury. “H-how...” She mumbled under her breath. She turned back to the small bunny only to feel her hug at her chest. “Kerial, y-you’re alive.” The little bunnelby said digging her nose into the hound’s black fur, she dropped herself back down to the snow and pulled Red closer with a paw. “I thought you were really gone for a while there. I-I’m glad you’re okay too kid, but it doesn’t look like you got out of this easy.” She refereed to the burns and scratched that stood out from her shining body.

The others came in closer, but only the two dragons stood out to Kerial. The houndoom’s smile grew seeing the littlest. “Even Alesia is okay and with her mother once again.” The little Dragonair nodded happily to her name being called. Red took a few steps away wiping her eyes. Kerial stood again, “So do you all have a plan?”

“Plan?” Red was the first to admit to it but they really didn’t. Aera and Alesia were both freezing, Red looked visibly exhausted, and Morgan seems weary as well.

Kerial sighed, her hot breath filling the air with steam, “We need somewhere to rest. Red do you know of anywhere nearby?”

Red thought really hard but she was so tired. Nothing came to mind. “No, not that wouldn’t hold but one of us anyway.” The group hummed in thought.

“Actually um, I know a place we can go...” Morgan’s voice came from the back, “There might be a place a little walk from here that’ll hold two or three of us.”

Kerial hummed, nodding her head knowing it was the only option. Red tilted her head in question of this place. “Like a den? I don’t remember ever seeing one over that way.”

“Well um... I think uh-”

“Lets get moving, if you see any firewood that’s not already burned grab it, we might need it.” Kerial commanded moving ahead, “It’s already past midnight...” She sighed as the rest followed in behind her.

“W-wait! What about-” Red looked off and saw that the large Absol and his pack of smaller pokemon were gone. She frowned, shook her head and continued on.

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...

Echoes sounded, voices of people she knew. People she lost. Then there was another. Soft and motherly.

Kerial.

With each step ash dusted a path behind the speeding X-eyed Houndoom. Fire had visibly gutted this human facility, the heat here at the center of it all was so great that it melted the metal fence surrounding the buildings. It was all but abandoned other that the two dark types who were here. “Sister...” The Xerneas gasped at the Yveltal who laid collecting the snow and ash that fell together.

“Come to save me again Mother?” The dark voice called and that all too familiar grin crossed the beast’s face. He held his long talons at his side, white and clean of his mess, as he shrugged at her. “Sorry, you aren’t necessary this time around.” But he reeked of blood and gore, a sickening smell even to her body’s seasoned nostrils. Though proof wasn’t needed in Kerial’s eyes, Mother Xerneas wanted it anyway. 

Action against her title was not in her duties, killing was not in her duties. If she were to take the next step she wanted some reason to deny her own guilt; a reason she would step into her sister’s reason for existing. She could already hear Time’s bells ringing in her ears. Judgement for her own judgement, or maybe it was revenge at this point. That feeling that tugged on her heart as she watched him, the Head Hunter, stand over her Sister’s body. “Richter...”

As she said the name the Zoroark morph hissed. “Mother... you know I have not used that name in, oh... forty years? Why bring up something so old and forgotten?”

“And you know I do not like you calling me Mother, you mistake.”

just for you subtle anon