A Dark Christmas A quick note here. I decided to upload this one due to uploading the wrong story. I don't know how to delete stories just yet so this will have to do for now. It is an M rated story. I hope that isn't too problematic. In any case, if you're reaading this, go check out CD's story chat and leave any and all comments, reviews, etc. about the story and more! *** Winter. How wonderful a time of year it was for Pokémon that could withstand the cold, a season none other than winter. All others would be hibernating, staying warm until spring rolled around; keeping food in store that has been stocked over the last three seasons. They were unbothered by the drop in temperature and unbothered by bypassing Pokémon that wandered through their territory. However, unlike all other nights, this night was quite a special night for many Pokémon. Could it possibly have been the snow that covered the forest ground in nothing but a thick, white blanket, frost and icicles hanging from the trees? Or perhaps it could have been the crispy, chill air the snow was falling down in. No. None of these things was the reason why this night was so special. In addition to storing up food for the winter, Pokémon have also been skittering around, trying to come across anything interesting for their fellow friends and neighbors, all due to it being- "Christmas," a dull, emotionless voice muttered in the stillness of the night. "Pah! Such a meaningless holiday. I don't see the point in all this item swap. They're just useless items." Red eyes, no emotion held in them, kept focus as a set of four paws trudged their way slowly through the snow, a band of yellow rings faintly glowing in the dark. It was quite odd to see a Pokémon such like an Umbreon to be passing through a forest on a night like tonight, especially given the fact that the temperature was at its lowest temperature it could go, yet the cold didn't seem to bother the Umbreon as he continued trudging through the snow. As a matter of fact, if one had asked the Umbreon if he was crazy walking through the forest at this time of night, there wouldn't be a doubt that they would stand there dumbfounded by the Umbreon's answer, for despite how freezing cold it was, the Umbreon did in fact enjoy this feeling. Perhaps he was born in the cold and adapted to it or maybe perhaps he just didn't care and wanted to freeze to death. Whatever the reason was, only the Umbreon knew. And he did. The Umbreon stopped and looked up into the sky at some point marveling in how pitch black it was. There wasn't even a star in the sky, even if one managed to spot the sky through the bare branches. He smiled. The darkness that surrounded him matched well with his mood. He felt nothing. The snow and cold made his body tingle, a purr from escaping the Umbreon's throat. "Such a wonderful night!" he said with a hint of happiness. "No moon, no stars, nothing but the cold air and the feeling of snow underneath my paws!" He purred a little louder, flexing his claws in the snow. It felt great having the cold seep into his body. It made the moment all the more enjoyable. The Umbreon stood there for several minutes, taking in the feeling of the cold before letting out a sigh of happy relief. As he began to continue to trudge through the snow, he stopped suddenly, his long, sensitive ears catching the sound of what sounded like a twig snapping. The Umbreon darted his eyes around, his moment of contentedness lost, as he searched for whoever else might be in the area with him. The Umbreon hunkered down a little, keeping very still, yet moving his head rather slowly to see whom it was that was there. Though it may have been nothing more than another Pokémon passing through the area, the Umbreon remained in the position he was in, waiting for the Pokémon to pass by so that he himself could continue on through the area quickly. He never liked being talked to. In fact, he didn't even like being social, especially around this time of year. He had always walked right past a Pokémon, pretending that they were never there when they attempted to start up a conversation, or to even acknowledge themselves to him. All he wanted was to be left alone. A small gleam of such joyous, wonderful thoughts flooded his memories of the times humans had tried challenging him to catch him. He wouldn't let up one second on the Pokémon attacking him, and they were all incredibly weak. He even remembered what it was like when he went after the humans themselves who tried capturing him, savoring the taste of their flesh and blood. He could have killed them if he had wanted to, but seeing them suffer pure agony and leaving them where they were for dead was punishment enough for them for making a foolish choice. The Umbreon continued scanning the area, searching for whatever Pokémon was nearby, but saw nothing come into view. Nor did he hear the snow crunch any longer. The Pokémon must have passed through, which was good for him. The Umbreon rose back up onto all fours again, taking one quick glance around to walk on, when he flinched back in surprise. It took about a minute for his heart to calm its beating before he glared at the Pokémon standing before him. A pink furred, feline like Pokémon with a gem or jewel embedded into her head stood there, smiling right at him. The Umbreon continued his glare as the Espeon said, "Hello," in a rather disgustingly, high-pitched tone that made his ears hurt. Rather than return the Espeon's gesture, the Umbreon diverted his eyes to the side of her and began walking, pretending that she was never there to begin with. And so the Umbreon continued his trek through the snowy forest, deciding that he would want to find a place to stop for the night and sleep all throughout the day. It wouldn't be too hard though. If he wanted a place to sleep in, he'd have no problem dealing with whatever Pokémon occupied it. As he continued to search for a place to takeover to rest in, his ears suddenly picked up a small sound coming from somewhere nearby. The Umbreon stopped his walking to get a better hearing of what it was he heard. He pricked up his ears, concentrating on the sound he heard momentarily, but heard nothing for a few minutes. "Must have been hearing things," he thought as he began walking again. Almost immediately as he began walking again, his ears caught sound of something yet again. He stopped after a few minutes to try and listen for what the noise was and where it was coming from. But again, he heard nothing. He narrowed his eyes a little suspiciously. He wasn't quite sure if he was being followed or not, but he knew for a fact that his hearing had never failed him. If he was hearing something other than his own paws in the snow, there was definitely someone close by. And there was only one way to find out. The Umbreon dashed forward, using his own element to blend in as he steered an immediate right and made his way toward a rather large tree that would easily hide him from whoever was following him. And there he stayed, panting for breath. He didn't like to have to be rushed into hiding, especially when it came to an unknown enemy he wasn't quite sure that was there. So he waited, easily catching his breath before cautiously peering around the tree to see if there was anyone following him. He waited for quite a while. Minutes seemed to drag on by, impatiently waiting for whomever it was to show up. He had better things to do than to start losing his own mind over something that might not have been there at all. He became incredibly angry with himself for doubting his own suspicions. "Since when do I doubt myself?" he asked himself. "There's nothing out there. Just some bypassing Pokémon who are making me very irritated." The Umbreon went about to move himself out a little more to confirm his own theory when an outline of a Pokémon came into view. The Umbreon quickly went back to his recent position and scowled, watching as the Pokémon continued to walk in the same path he had just come from. As the Pokémon came into view, the Umbreon's entire expression changed to one of shock. Was it just coincidence that this Pokémon was walking in the same direction as he was? Or was this Pokémon the one that had been following him? Whatever the reason was, the Umbreon would have to see which way the Espeon would walk. He continued to keep watch on the Espeon as she walked right up to where he had turned to come hide and stood there; looking down at the spot he turned. The Espeon stared at that spot for several seconds before sitting down and following my tracks. What was the deal with this Espeon? Why was she following me? What had I done to deserve such torment from her? The Espeon continued staring straight into the dark forest, obviously seeing how far up my tracks went. With any luck, she would have figured that I was long gone and just go off in her own direction. She turned her gaze away and looked in the opposite direction from where I was, also staring in that direction before returning her attention in my direction. She continued to stare for about another second or so before smiling and giggling to herself. This Espeon was extremely weird, and I hated her all the more. She began moving in the direction I ran, following my tracks. It dawned on me that in my attempt to outrun her, I had failed to clear my tracks. Luckily for me, I always had a plan. Concentrating my power, I created a carbon copy of myself. "Lead her away," I ordered him. My clone nodded and rushed out from behind the tree. I peered back around and watched as the Espeon spotted my clone rushing off in the direction I was headed before. The Espeon bounded after my clone, leaving me the chance to escape. "Excellent," I said as I turned about to go the opposite direction, only to jump back in fright at the feline Espeon standing right behind me. "Hello again!" she said happily. What the hell!? How did she manage to do that? Did she have the same technique as me? If she did, it just enraged me all the more. Shaking myself out of surprise, I growled threateningly at the Espeon. It didn't seem to faze her though, being that she smiled even more. It was more than I could take. Was this Espeon mocking me? I snarled as I pounced upon her, my claws digging into her shoulder blades. But she didn't seem to be bothered by it. "What are you so happy about?" I asked coldly. "Do you really enjoy the kind of pain I'm giving you? Huh?" The Espeon just continued to smile without a word, looking up at me with eyes that made me sick right down to my stomach. I wanted to do nothing more at that point than to scratch her eyes out and leave her for blind. "Why are you following me? What have I done to deserve this?" The Espeon continued to remain silent, which only increased my anger. "Answer me!" I shouted, digging my claws deeper into her shoulders. Her silence was just about to send me over the edge when she answered my question. "You looked lonely," she said without showing any signs of pain. "I thought I could keep you company." "Me, lonely?" I questioned, letting out a chuckle. "I don't need your company. I enjoy being lonely. It makes me happy." "I'm glad then," the Espeon said, still smiling. "I just didn't want you to be alone on Christmas." Did this Espeon not hear what I just told her? I wanted to be alone and she had the right to follow me just so I wouldn't be alone? My front legs were now shaking with rage, an angry growl aimed directly at her. Removing my right paw from out of her shoulder, I raised it up and scratched across her face. "Don't toy with me!" I yelled. "If it's one thing I hate more than anything in this world, it's Christmas!" I slammed my paw right down under her throat, causing the Espeon to cough. "What gives you the right to follow me? I didn't ask for anyone's company." I swat her across the face hard. This Espeon was going to learn a lesson she would never forget. "I don't need you! I don't need anyone!" I slammed my paw down on her nose, then again on her jeweled forehead, and even used my hind legs to step on her tail. I wanted to see this Espeon cry out in pain, to see the fear and agony she was in I was giving her. I continued to give her the thrashing of her life, not letting up for an instant until she was practically covered in nothing but cuts that bled continuously. I stood over her, panting heavily. Surely by now she would realize that following me was a big mistake. I could almost see the tears of fear in her eyes, her begging me to stop. It would only make it all the more pleasurable to watch her suffer as I broke her before leaving her where she was, never to move again, imagining the horrific shrieks of agony and fear as her own life would be extinguished. It made me giddy with excitement as I thought about these things, but suddenly lost all that feeling when the Espeon opened up her eyes slightly and smiled once again at me. What was with this freak Espeon? Had she lost her mind to the point that me hurting her was what she wanted me to do? "Quit smiling," I said in a low, demeaning tone. "I want to see the fear in your eyes. I want to see you know what it means to be afraid when I kill you." "If... that's all it takes... for you... to be... happy," she wheezed, tilting her head back to expose her throat. "I'll gladly... be willing... to let you." This Espeon had clearly lost her mind completely. What game was she playing at? Killing Pokémon didn't just make me happy. I enjoyed watching them die in so much pain before they drew their final breath. And it was this kind of passion I desired to see in the Espeon, yet her smile had not faltered, not once, and it did nothing but fuel my anger to no ends. Was she not afraid of being left to be torn limb from limb by some other wild Pokémon that came along to find her? My entire body was now shaking with uncontrollable rage at this point. "Stop messing around!" I seethed. "Why are you following me? I don't want anybody near me. I hate Christmas. So why? Why do you persist in doing what I don't want?" "Because," said the Espeon after a minute of silence. "You've long desired... something... no one has ever... given you. And because you never... received that, you gave up... on wanting it." "And what makes you think you know what I want?" I screamed at her. "You don't know anything about me!" "I don't," the Espeon said. "But I could see it just by reading the story your eyes hold." "Shut up!" I yelled, lifting up a paw, a purple energy claw forming over. "I've never wanted any of that mushy crap to begin with! I've always been a survivor and always will be!" The Espeon never ceased smiling throughout this entire time, not even when she closed her eyes as I began to descend my claw down upon her. I couldn't stand this moronic Espeon, yet my claw seemed to have stopped about an inch from her throat, hovering there, shaking. I had so desired to kill this Espeon myself. I wanted to hurt her so badly, yet she kept taking hit after hit with a smile plastered upon her face and not once screamed in agony or fear like I had expected. Standing there, staring at the smiling Espeon who was embracing death, my claw unable to make a blow, my teeth gritted, I screamed, pushing myself off the Espeon as I turned and rammed my Shadow Claw into a tree. I continued to seethe in anger, huffing and panting heavily. Why was I unable to kill this Espeon? Why didn't she care whether she lived or died? I continued to ask so many questions over and over in my mind; all the while my rage began to die down until I was only left with desperation to know why she was still here. "Why won't you leave me alone?" I asked almost with no emotion. "Why can't you understand that I want to be alone? What could you possibly know what I went through?" Silence occurred for a long while after that. Nothing was said from the Espeon. I had almost wished she was gone, but I knew she wasn't. "I don't know how you feel," the Espeon said at last. "But I know the reason why you feel why you do. You've never been cared for all your life. Every time you tried having someone help you, they would just pass you by. You eventually came to a point in your life where you stopped trying to have others care for you and so you've become bitter and cold to the world. You don't want in with anyone because you don't want to care any longer. I can't begin to imagine how you feel. I only have an inkling of an idea." I stood there, hearing every word she had said, and it made me want to just pierce her heart with a stick or club her with a branch until she ceased moving, yet I did nothing. Nothing at all! All I could do was stand there and reflect on the memories of my past and feel hatred at myself for even thinking these things. And it as all that Espeon's doing. Yet, even though my hatred toward her was strong and the want of killing her was even stronger, I could not, for some unknown reason, bring myself to kill her. As I stood there, a mixed amount of emotions flooding through me, the Espeon said to me, "I have a good sized underground home nearby. Great place for a good night's sleep! You're more than welcome to come!" Her annoying, cheery voice was highly irritating to my ears as she spoke. However, I was beginning to feel a little on the sluggish side as my eyes began to droop low quite a little, but I wasn't going to give in to the Espeon's demands. Perhaps just let her have her way for the moment and when I had enough rest, I'd just walk out without her knowing, or at least without saying a word. "Hmph!" was all I could muster out. "Great!" the Espeon said excitedly. "Just a little ways through here and we should be there. My name's Summer by the way." With that said, the Espeon began tromping her way through the snow, heading back to her shelter or wherever she was heading towards. The thought of just walking off in the other direction crossed my mind immediately. I didn't need to go anywhere with that Espeon. I could freely make my own choices. She would sit in her shelter waiting for me to come, but I never would and by the time she'd come out to look for me, I could be long gone, but the drowsiness was beginning to draw heavy on me. I sighed heavily. I could just sleep in the snow, but then that Espeon could come waking him up and offering him again and again to her home, which would result in no sleep and hysteria to kick in. And that was the last thing I would want to happen. Removing my claw from the tree, I turned and followed the Espeon wherever it was she was leading me to.
