throughthefireandflames | 10th Flame [Narration

10th Flame [Narration | Action ] - The Decent

Two months ago she had felt like she wasn't enough of a Charizard. Now she felt like the caged beast within her had been constantly growing within her, pacing back and forth. She couldn't remember anything from the last week, waking up in her room covered in blood. That had been dramatic enough and she had screamed, before realizing it didn't smell like her own. Had she killed something? She couldn't tell. Maybe a small animal looking at the amount on her hands.

It had been the strangest shower to take. For some reason the stains were difficult to remove and not just because she had to dodge that water around her tail. Her room had been quiet. Dark. Spinny was nowhere to be seen and she couldn't remember either. Siiigh.

Her mood had worsened for the past month. While not a shut-in, she found herself getting more and more disinterested with the school life. Something was wrong with her, and she knew it. When Ephie left, Sasha nearly did with her. She hoped the tavern would give her something to change her mind and it worked for a day or two, but then the thoughts returned, stronger than ever.

She'd tried to kill a rabbit last week. Maybe give that beast something to be satisfied with. Sasha had been used to other prey in the snow-covered mountains, not something this fast. In desperation, she had thrown fire at it. The ploy had worked. Only now she realized how terrible the move had been. The creature now had burning skin marks and began to weakly limp away from her, its eyes huge and fearful. Something inside her stirred. Tried to remember. But she couldn't. In the end, she did what she could, and the jaw closed on the beast's head, sending out a deafening crack that made her shiver in her bones. What was worst was the beast still breathed and for a few seconds of horror more, heard that sound of the animal chocking on it's own blood before it finally went limp.

She didn't try to hunt again after that for a week. And the beast just howled stronger.

It was when she looked at one of the younger students and wondered how their bones would crack in her jaw and then looked at another, wanting nothing more to just push them over and challenge them to a fight that she realized she had a serious problem.

In desperation, she'd gone to hunt again. This time she fared somewhat better at her kill, but the rabbit still suffered for a few minutes as she was about to end his life, shaking him in the air, only to drop him and utter a scream. Something like this had happened before...

This time she just watched the creature waddle for a few minutes before it laid still. She couldn't bring herself to eat it.

Sasha felt trapped. This was extremely heavy material to confide in, and she couldn't just tell anyone without seeming like a monster. Asking Arceus felt like she'd bother the god with something worthless in the grand scale of things. Heck, she'd probably not even give her time for it. None of the people in her team were Fire Types. They couldn't understand the nature of a flickering flame that burned with uncertainty. And the only Fire Gym Leader that she knew, Blaine, wasn't here. That just made her mood worse. If only a fire user or two could show up. The school was oddly devoid of them, and probably with good reason. Her type was never well liked. Flickering, unpredictable. Fire was so destructive...

Well there was one fire type. Char. Yet there wasn't just the fact that they didn't get along as usual that kept her...Sasha felt something of dread at the thought of him. And shame. Did it have something with the blood of last week? She couldn't understand why, and that drove her farther into insanity.

Unlike the trip to the mountains, this time Red didn't even get the courtesy of a note or letter. Just two words sent to his mailbox.

"I'm sorry."

By the time he would read them the next morning, Sasha would be gone.

But for now, she stood on top of the school's rooftop, giving one final sigh as she opened her wings to test for wind speed. With the currents tonight, she could perhaps get to the far ends of the city to her destination. ~~Her final destination~~. A quick look in the city's database revealed there were training gyms of all types scattered around the city (not to mention easy to find, just type in Pokemon. They even appeared to have a store with toys). To her amazement, one of them specialized in Fire Types. Moreover, if they made their training facility here, it could possibility mean that they would not be surprised at a humanized Pokemon appearing and spreading rumors of were-Charizards or something. It was a risk she was willing to take.

All Sasha knew is she needed help, and fast. Or something would get hurt again and then she'd really loose full control. She just wanted to be happy again...

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Knuckles used to spend a lot of time on the schools' rooftops when he first came here and for maybe a year afterward. It was an easy solution for someone like him that cherished solitude - you could see people moving around below and watch what they were doing without feeling the need to be one of them. If you had something to think about that required undivided attention, likewise, they were easily enough ignored all the way down there.

He hadn't spent much time there in recent months. He had too much to do between classes, training, homework, friends and his Girlfriend. But now that a couple of his best freinds had left and he'd just gotten back from a year of craziness? It seemed like a nice place to spend the evening.

He climbed up the wall and was about to whistle for Harley when he noticed another figure, not too far off. In the dim light, her tail flame made it easy to see who it was. He was immediately struck with the question of why she'd be up here. He ran through a mental list of people who also used the roof as somewhere to escape to and their reasons for doing so and she didn't quite seem to match up with them. Way too happy and self-assured a person to be emoing out up here and to his knowledge, she also was not a Ninja.

"Hey!" He said, walking across slanted roofing tiles like a pro. "It's been a while, how's everything, buddy?"

Far be of her to just expect to leave without running into someone. She should have known, but her dealings with the school's rooftops were very rare. Her moment of surprise quickly covered over, Sasha sat down on the tiles, knowing it would be best not to give the echidna reason to suspect anything. He could easily go find someone or worse, stop her himself.

"I'm fine," she lied. "I just need a bit of fresh air, and this is the highest section of the school."

"Yeah, I hear ya." Knuckles replied, taking a seat next to her. "I used to spend a lot of time up here when I first arrived. It's peaceful, usually. Unless there's some really loud craziness goin' on down there or whatever."

He wasn't the sharpest crayon in the box when it came to judging how people were feeling, but the tone of her voice didn't sound overly happy. Maybe she was a little dissapointed to be disturbed up here?

"You know... there's one spot that's higher than this." he said, pointing to the Clock Tower. "And it's even more peaceful because only folks who can get to the roof? Fliers and climbers."

She couldn't just just say no. Forcing a smile on herself, she nodded. "Maybe we should go see it then. I've never climbed it." Already standing up after sitting down not even a few minutes ago, she dusted herself off. "Do you suggest flying or climbing?"

"Whichever suits you best!" Knuckles replied with a grin. "I can glide and climb, but climbing is my usual preference for actually getting up there. It's a little too high for me to make it just through the air - your wings should get you up there pretty quick."

Oh. There's an idea.

"You wanna race?"

While her mind wasn't really on such things, she could entertain him enough that he'd leave her alone proper.

Curiosity for the better of her, however.

"You can glide?"

"Yep. Here, let me show you." he said, taking a step back. He ducked into a ball, gave a quick couple of revs, and shot himself up the incline of the roof, using it as a ramp to get a higher jump.

Once sufficiently airborne, he came out of the roll, spreading his arms and his dreadlocks to maintain his flight path. Which was a lazy circle from his jumping point, back to where Sasha stood.

"If I'm in an area with a lot of thermals? I can stay airborne for a really, really long time." he said, floating over her head. "Nothing like what you can achieve, I'm sure! But considering I don't have any wings, I'm happy with it."

It was most certainly impressive. She knew of creatures that cloud glide, but at first glance Knuckles should not be able to do anything of that. Her mouth stood half open as she watched him pull of the students until he landed.

"That's amazing," she said before she could stop herself, too awe by the display of acrobatics. Perhaps a race would be a good way to leave the school with a more positive note. She just hoped Red wouldn't wake up too early. "Alright. You're on."

"Oh-Kay!" Knuckles said, walking back over toward her and facing the clock tower. He'd done a lot of racing over the past year, so, this was becoming second nature to him almost.

"On your marks.... get set.... GO!"

The very second she had heard the words go, Sasha took off as best as her humanoid body would let her. Using both the wings to propel into higher ground, she dug her claws into the brick of the tower like a wild animal, pushing herself upwards as fast she could.

"Yee-ha!" Knuckles laughed, racing alongside her, his weighted shoes and sure feet making short work of the incline. At the top of the roof he rolled into a ball and rolled down the other side, gaining enough speed to hit the jump really hard and fast and propel himself through the air toward the next roof.

He was fast. Really fast. Midway in her flight, she was forced to turn into her Charizard form to gain a faster momentum and keep up with him.

Knuckles springboarded onto the next roof before making the last leap toward the wall of the clocktower, dreadlocks spread in a glide.

"Yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about!" he called as he saw her change form. He was sure that a Pokemon could out-fly a Human with wings and he really wanted the challenge.

He hit the wall of the tower with a crunch and started to climb frantically, knuckles digging into brickwork and feet propelling him upward as fast as they could go.

Ever see a Charizard tear up at a wall? She was running almost on all fours doing it, pushing with her wings and zooming past.

Whoever would win, this race was getting dangerously close. And Sasha loved every second of it.

The lip of the clocktower roof was approaching fast and Knuckles launched himself over it as quickly as he could, feeling shoes hit tile at speed.

He wasn't one hundred percent sure if he'd won, lost or tied but the fun of racing was all in the race anyway.

"Haha! What a race! That was a rush!"

[Koji had sensed, the few times he was around Sasha since that forgotten week, that there was something unsettling in the air. Obviously not remembering what you did for a week was unnerving but this was something more...

During one of his walks, he noticed Sasha's familiar aura on the roof and looked up to her]

... Sasha.

[He was definately not someone Sasha had been expecting. She took a step back and fell on top of the school's roof tiles. Ooof!]

Kojiro...

[She called him by his full name.]

[That definitely meant somerthing was up]

What's wrong?

[She flew down closer to him]

I'm sick.

Sick could mean a number of things. Please be more specific.

[Leave it to Koji to be blunt]

[She expected as much. Hiding anything from Koji would be futile.]

I woke up last week covered in blood. I don't remember why. I-i'm not sure what happened, but I can only remember a few things from last week. Like a lot of rage and... Then I..started to hunt things. But not because I needed food. I just tried to kill a rabbit.

And then another.

Some of it is the same feeling or rage I had when I attacked Volgin and Raikov.

I'm afraid for you. I'm afraid for my family....

I don't want to become a monster.

[Kojiro closed his eyes as he listened, taking in every word. So that was what had been bothering her...]

Last week was a confusing time for all of us. Even I do not remember what had happened during then.

[He took a moment to go over what she had said again]

We are in a different atmosphere. There are different customs, different views... and the people here seem far more dangerous that they were back home. Even I find myself feeling unsettled by all these changes. Perhaps... because of that, mixed with the aspect that we remain human most of the time while here... perhaps that is why you are experiencing these new feelings.

If you act a part too long, you may begin to lose yourself to your role.

[She sighs. But she understands. Mostly.]

I think that's what I reached as a conclusion too. I don't know if I want to remember more...or less of last week.

I need to get away for now. By myself and figure out what happened and what I should do. There's a training center [she's not going to tell you which] that can help me. [Pause.] I-i don't want the others to find out. I want to do this by myself [figuratively she means, she'll still get help from the dojo, but she doesn't want her team finding her] and I know if they find out, they'll just come after me.

It's probably very selfish if me, I know.

Not at all. I respect your wishes and this conversation will remain between only us.

I believe this journey will help you. I always tell the others that you need to learn for yourself, rather than us always coddling you...

[She nods, a few tears in her eyes. In the end, she lets her head rest against his shoulders. Mostly because he's so tall she can't reach his head properly.]

Kojiro I...thank you so much.

[Koji gently strokes the back of her head]

There is no need to thank me. This is what friends and family do for each other, yes?

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10th Flame [Narration | Action ] - The Decent

[Hopefully this is cool?]

[Of course!]

[Awesome 8)b ]

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have your zen master

Zentastic

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