[Spooky Campfire Tales] Time's Lost

Preface: This started out as an attempt at a horror story. In the end, it came out a lot more depressing than I intended, but I'm submitting it anyway. It's fairly short, but I'm happy with how it turned out.

This takes place in the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky universe, particularly in canon with my other story. You do not need to be familiar with either, but knowing them may improve it.

As always, comments and criticisms are welcome. I hope you enjoy it.
For scoring, I don't mind if the result is sent publicly.

Time's Lost

　　　　The little zorua darted in and out between the trees, scrambling to escape his pursuer. Seeing a motion in the bushes to his left, he lurched to the right, bursting out into a small clearing. Right into the trap.

　　　　A figure leaped from hiding, charging towards him with all the speed it could muster. Panicking, he bolted for the treeline, running as fast as his legs would carry him. With the momentary advantage brought by the ambush lost, his pursuer couldn't hope to catch him.

　　　　It was why tag was his favorite game - his older brother might be stronger, but Zeph always ran just a little faster.

　　　　"Haha!" he shouted, never slowing his pace, "Too slow, Zak! Better luck next-"

　　　　His taunt was cut short as a thin, red-clawed hand swept underneath him, scooping him into into a firm embrace before he could react. A moment later, his brother met a similar fate.

　　　　Their captor, a worn, bony zoroark, smiled down on the struggling duo. "Having fun, you two?"

　　　　"Well we were," Zeph pouted, "'till you had to go and ruin the fun, Mom."

　　　　"Well, I thought that was my job," she replied, her smile never fading. "Aren't parents supposed to ruin all the fun?" She carried the two through the trees and back onto the narrow footpath they'd been following before the brothers' detour. "Now come on. It's getting late, and I want to be home before that storm rolls in."

　　　　"Can we stop by the hill first?" Zak asked hopefully.

　　　　"Yeah!" Zeph chimed in. He always loved the hill - you could see all the way across the forest from there. It was his favorite place in the whole world. "Pleeeeease?"

　　　　"I don't know..." Their mother glanced worriedly at the sky, where clouds were gathering threateningly in the distance. After a moment of continued pleading, she relented. "Alright, I guess we can stop by. But only for a little while."

　　　　The two brothers cheered, leaped from her arms, and charged ahead, Zeph in the lead. Even though it'd been a long time since they got to go to the hill, he knew the way by heart. They'd gone there almost every day before Dad left.

　　　　Zeph never really understood that one. One night, Mom and Dad had been shouting at each other, though he didn't know why. The next day, Dad had been gone. Mom just said that he had to go away, and that they wouldn't see him ever again, but Zeph was clever. He hid with an illusion when Mom thought he was asleep and listened to her talk with one of the people from town a few nights later. He didn't hear most of what they were saying, just that Dad was something called an 'outlaw,' and that he'd tried to keep it a secret. Then some Pokémon belonging to an 'exploration team' found out, and he had to leave. It didn't make much sense to Zaph - he didn't know what an 'outlaw' was, but it sounded pretty cool. He'd come up with a game and everything: 'Outlaws and Explorers.' He pretended to be an outlaw, and his brother, the explorer, had to catch him. But then Mom found out and got really upset.

　　　　So they didn't play that game anymore.

　　　　They travelled on for several more minutes, Zeph and his brother constantly chasing one another as their mother lagged wearily behind. When they arrived at the hill, the two immediately raced for the top. Zeph won, of course - he always ran just a little bit faster.

　　　　The hill was the highest point in Treeshroud Forest. It rose well above the surrounding trees, and from the top you could see everything from the big river on one side to the weird place on the other.

　　　　As much as he liked the hill, Zeph never liked to look at the weird place. The village kids used to go down to play there all the time - it was full of little nooks and hiding places that made it perfect for all kinds of games. Zeph and his brother even played with the wild Pokémon occasionally. It was great.

　　　　Then it changed. One day, it looked different from the hill. The treetops were all knotted and twisted, and the air felt creepy when they got close. Mom had said it was because a 'mystery dungeon' had formed there, and that they had to stay away. Zak had tried to sneak off to play with the wild Pokémon a few days later, but they attacked him and Mom had to scare them off.

　　　　So they didn't go there anymore.

　　　　Their mother finally caught up with them at the hilltop. She was tired and panting from the climb, but still smiled at the brothers' antics. They rushed over to her side and she produced two pecha berries, much to the brothers' delight - pecha berries were their favorite. The three sat on the hill, munching on their treats and gazing at the sun as it sank below the treeline.

　　　　Zeph loved the night. When it was dark, he could make illusions do all kinds of cool things that just didn't work in the daylight. He could hide in the shadows so well that nobody but his Mom could find him, or make a little ball of light that his brother could catch. Their mother used to stay up and play with them hours after the sun went down, and they had all kinds of fun running through the dark woods, playing tricks and games in the cool night air.

　　　　Then Dad left, and Mom had to start working at the farm. It was her job to scare away the wild Pokémon who tried to eat the crops, and Zeph thought it was pretty cool. He once saw her frighten a whole group of pidgeotto with a big illusion of a hydreigon - it was great! He'd tried to replicate the stunt, but only ended up giving himself a headache. Mom had laughed and promised to teach him how to do it when she had the time. But she always worked really hard and was really tired every night, so she never taught him how. Zeph knew she was really busy, so he didn't blame her. He tried to go play at night with his brother, but Mom said the forest was dangerous and they couldn't go out without her, and she was always too tired to play.

　　　　So they didn't go out at night anymore.

　　　　A swift wind blew through the trees. The storm clouds, distant only a few minutes earlier, had come rushing forward. A thick wall of rain could be seen sweeping across the forest, and a bright flash of lightning tore through the night. The zoroark scooped up her children and rose to her feet. "Alright, let's get going," she began, "that storm's looking pretty bad-"

　　　　"Mom!" Zeph shouted, pointing into the distance. "What's that?"

　　　　A brilliant pulse of light, something their mother had first mistaken for another bolt from the storm, had appeared within the distorted trees of the mystery dungeon. Instead of fading a moment later, like it should have, it instead began spreading, taking on an unnatural green hue as it swept across the forest in all directions. What followed would have been lost on any casual observer, but was clear to the keen eyes of the zoroark and her children: as the wave advanced, everything it touched seemed to freeze. The trees, previously rolling in the storm winds, fell still, and the rain was suspended in mid-air.

　　　　The zoroark sprinted down the hill, hurtling forward with all the speed she could muster. She nearly stumbled several times, the thick rain and tangled foliage slowing her escape. Zeph looked backward, his heart pounding with a mix of fascination and terror as the wave drew closer. He'd lost sight of it at first, the trees hiding its approach as they descended the hill, but now it was close enough to see once more. It seemed to jump from tree to tree, locking them in a terrible grey prison as it advanced.

　　　　Their mother was getting tired. After a day of hard work in the fields, tending crops and summoning illusions, she was simply too drained. The wave was on her heels, and despite the forest growing steadily clearer as they neared the edge, she knew she couldn't reach it.

　　　　Tears filled her eyes as she made her decision. With the last of her strength, she hurled her children forward. "Go!" she screamed over the howling wind, "Run! Don't stop until you're far away from here!" And then the wave was upon her.

　　　　Zeph landed on his feet and ran. He glanced back only once, to see his brother close behind and the wave in close pursuit. He thought he saw his mother in a gap between the trees - her eyes locked on his, body still stretched in a last, desperate lunge. That image would revisit him every night for years to come.

　　　　Still, he ran. His legs burned, his chest ached, and he ran with all his might. At times he could hear the wave's sharp, electric crackle as it swept up everything in its path. Other times, the only sounds he knew were the heavy roar of rain, the boom of thunder, and the ragged gasps of his breathing. He ran and ran until his legs gave way, sending him sprawling in the mud and grass of a dark plain on the forest's edge. He lay there for several minutes, crying and gasping for breath, before he finally looked back.

　　　　The forest that was his home was no more. In its place was a twisted mockery, a tangled web of familiar images frozen in time. He stared at it for several long minutes, his panic-stricken mind struggling to understand what he saw. After some time, he realized what was bothering him: Zak was nowhere to be seen. Zeph had run, the wave drawing ever closer, his brother following along as fast as he could...

　　　　But Zeph had always run just a little faster.

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　　　　He would return to the forest, years later. It never really was the same, but then again, neither was he - evolution was probably the least of the changes he'd undergone. He walked through the trees, following a familiar path. The familiarity made the differences all the worse.

　　　　They said the Pokémon caught in the freezes didn't come back right. Being torn out of time, frozen in eternity - the mind wasn't equipped to handle it. The lucky ones snapped and went feral. Sometimes they could be helped, maybe return to some semblance of normality, sometimes not. Either way, they were still there. Most Pokémon, particularly the older ones, just didn't come back at all. These thoughts were heavy on Zeph's mind as he climbed the hill that had once been a childhood haven.

　　　　At the top, he found his brother. The zorua sat as if curled against someone invisible, staring into the distance as a weary old blissey kept watch. Zeph spoke briefly with the blissey, who recognized him - this was hardly the first of his visits. As he approached, Zak turned and backed away, growling all the while. The little zorua's eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and confusion.

　　　　The two stood atop the hill, younger brother towering over older, the cool afternoon silent save for Zak's faint growls. After a few minutes, Zeph could bear it no longer. He flicked the small package towards his sibling, who jumped back in feral bewilderment. Inside was a single pecha berry, stolen from the local market - old habits die hard, it seemed. With that, he turned to leave.

　　　　They said his condition showed signs of improvement, that the damage done that night might not be permanent. Every time Zeph visited his brother, the two shared the same exchange. He no longer tried to speak to Zak, to ask if he knew who he was, realized their mother was long gone. The forest was full of old memories, echos of a happy childhood torn apart in a single night. It was too painful, and Zeph wasn't sure he could force himself to return.

　　　　So he didn't go there anymore.