DreamSayer
Name's Adam.
[spoil]Hello, this is the first chapter of the re-written iteration of my story. I'm posting the first two chapters as a sort of trial run to gains some early reception. More chapters are sure to come in the future, For now, you have these to enjoy![/spoil]
Here's the link to the old version: http://www.serebiiforums.com/showthread.php?658541-PMD-Odyssey-to-Dawn
Chapter Index
[spoil]Chapter 1: Prepare for Dawn
Chapter 2: Blue
Chapter 3: Red Flower
Chapter 4: Wooden Masks
Chapter 5: Withered Bloom
[/spoil]
Chapter 1: Prepare for Dawn
A gentle breeze blew through wild flower vines in a sloped ditch, the leaves swaying by mossy rocks and ferns. Pollen grains and dandelion seeds were sent drifting away by the wind while a young Minccino laid there, curled up, and asleep beneath the shade of rocks. A Ribombee was gathering pollen in a small hand woven sash nearby, doing so by putting her head into flower cups and withdrawing it with pollen grains all over her short delicate hair. After that, she’d then collect the pollen with her thin arms and roll them up then into balls before storing them in the sash. The Ribombee felt that she was done, so she decided to wake her nearby companion.
"Wake up, Harvey!" she yelled into the Minccino's ear at the top of her lungs.
Harvey’s deep ocean blue eyes pried open slowly as he woke up. He grumbled a few times before his eyelids started closing up again.
Frowning, the Ribombee yelled at him again. "Harvey!"
"I'm up!" Harvey groaned, rubbing his eyes slowly as he unwrapped his long bushy tail—which he was using as a pillow—and then stretched his paws, his long white tipped ears fluttering as he did. "I'm awake… You can stop yelling now." Harvey ended his sentence with a sigh, glancing at the pink Ribombee.
Rubee buzzed her wings as she zipped around over his head. "I’m done collecting all the pollen and nectar! Now get up, it's time head back home!"
Harvey clicked his tongue, looking away with a lazy expression. “Give me five,” he said, lying back down.
When he didn't oblige, she pulled on his ears. "Come on! Get up! You lazy bum!"
"Ow, ow, ow! Quit doing that!" Harvey leapt up, holding the tips of his ears. "Geez! You didn't have to do that!"
"It’s your fault for not listening, now let’s get going. You don't want to keep Moga waiting too long now, do you?"
"Hey don't forget, you're the one who dragged us all the way out here in the first place," Harvey said as he climbed down off his rock, shuddering as his feet touched the cold moist ground. "Could carry me out of here? I really don't want to have to touch any more of these things. They give me goosebumps." Harvey flailed his paw to shake off some moss, a sick feeling welling up in his gut.
"Sure, Mr. Cleanfreak!" Rubee chuckled, sliding her sash over her head. "Hold this first."
Harvey collected the sash and wore it around his shoulder. He then raised his paws up, smiling. "Up and away, Rubee!"
Rubee rolled her eyes. She wrapped her hands around his chest and flapped her wings continuously until a they made a faint buzz. Soon, Harvey felt his feet leaving the ground as she flew him up towards the mouth of the ditch. "You know, Rubee, it’s really amazing how you're able to carry me even though you're like, twice smaller than I am."
"What can I say? You're pretty light; just a ball of fluff and fuzz. I could probably carry you for a couple of hours without breaking a sweat."
Harvey raised a brow, wearing a smirk. "You can?! Why don't we do that now?"
"Nice try." She shook her head, putting him back on the ground once they were out of the ditch. "Can't be bothered. You have like two… four strong legs that can carry you around."
Harvey let out a defeated sigh, scratching his head with his paw as he smiled. "Well, it was worth a shot."
Rubee chuckled as she pulled the sash off him, exposing the strange blue mark he always had on his back for as long as she could remember. It resembled an inverted anchor with a wide flattened crown, slightly curved arms and a slightly blunted base. A round black oval sat in the middle of the crown, building contrast against the blue mark. When she asked him about it the first time, he didn’t even know it was there, and it had been a mystery ever since.
"I guess you'll just have to learn how to fly on your own. Who knows? Maybe you'll grow wings when you evolve someday!"
Harvey placed his paw on his chin as he pondered her words. I don't think I'll have wings even when I evolve. Can a human-turned Pokémon evolve anyway?
"Hey, I was only joking!” Rubee pleaded, thinking he was saddened from his expression. “I could fly you home now if you want."
Harvey waved his paw dismissively, though appreciating the gesture. "No thanks. I think I'll just walk."
"Okay… Suit yourself!"
They walked past a wide tree on their way back. A tree so tall, they couldn't see the topmost branches from where they stood. The forest was filled with similarly sized trees, blocking off a lot of sunlight with their large canopies. The tree roots had emerged above the ground, molding the terrain around them to form ridges and slopes. The trees were called Sky Arrows by the locals, and despite their wondrous nature, the rest of the world was mostly unaware of their existence.
As Rubee buzzed in the air, Harvey was half listening to her as she rambled on and on about all the kinds of pollen puffs she was going to make that day. He remained mostly distant for most of the walk until Rubee paused, annoyed when she noticed that he wasn't listening.
She hovered in front of his face with puffed up cheeks. "Hey! Are you even listening to me at all?!"
"What? Oh, of course I was listening, one hundred percent!" Harvey said in an obviously nervous posture.
"Yeah? What was the last word I said?"
Harvey raised his hand to speak, but he slowly lowered it back down. "Okay, you got me."
"Seriously Harvey," she said, sighing. "Your head is always in the clouds these days."
"I'm sorry. It's just that… I've been having these strange thoughts lately…"
"What kind of thoughts? Oh, you must be thinking of how great a sister I am!" she joked, nudging him on the arm.
"What? Not that!" he said, pushing her face away. "You know I've been having dreams about home lately; about my human life… Also, It's been six years, Rubee," Harvey sat on a large root. "To this day, I have no idea why I’m here or how to get back."
Rubee folded her arms, sitting next to him with an attentive look. "Didn't Moga tell you to cut it out? You've been having these dreams for months now. None of those things are real. What's real is what you see now, Harvey… This is where we belong."
“Is it truly?” Harvey frowned and placed his paw on his chin.
Rubee heaved a sigh, tilting her head to the side. “You know, it’s not like I don’t believe you or anything, but it worries me whenever you bring this up over and over again. It’s only a matter of time before you decide to do something crazy, like the time you tried to eat a hundred berries just because someone dared you to.”
Harvey threw his hands up, chest stiffened and his smile glowing with determination. "I know what I have to do. I’m to go back to where I came from, and I’ll do that by going beyond the forest and over the cliffs! I won't learn anything if I keep staying in one place for the rest of my life… I need to go find answers."
Rubee face palmed with a pout. "Good luck convincing Moga about that." She knew there was no point in trying to make him change his mind at that point. Once Harvey decided on something, he always saw it through to the end. It was something she both liked and despised about her brother.
"It’s okay If he's not fine with it. Besides, it's about time we went out to see the world for ourselves, don't you think?"
"I can’t speak for you, but I'm pretty comfortable with my life the way it is. I don't want to go into a dangerous place just to see what's on the other side. Sometimes, it's best to just appreciate what you have without asking for more."
"Come on, Rubee. Don't you want to know where you came from too?"
Rubee stared blankly at the ground as she hovered forward, thinking about the faint memories she had of her earliest childhood. She recalled the first time they’d even met; he’d found her injured, wingless and lost near a creek. Yet, he helped her to recover up until her wings grew back. There’s not much Rubee could remember before that, and she too often wished she could remember her past.
"Well… I do, but—"
"We can go find out together, if you come with me that is." Harvey stopped, holding out his paw to her. "Well? What do you say?"
Rubee puckered her lips, groaning in indecision. "Fine! If by some miracle Moga allows us to leave the village, then I'll come with you. But if he refuses, then I guess that’s that."
"Haha! I knew I could count on you," Harvey said, giving her a wide smile.
By the time they returned to their village, the sun was about to set. The village wasn't very large, nor was it very populated. The houses of the residents were made of wood harvested from the surrounding forests; most of them were carved out hollows of already standing trees however. Some of the settlers even went ahead and carved in multiple floors in their tree houses. And with the multiple windows and whatnot, it was a miracle that the trees managed to thrive and not fall.
Aside from Harvey and Rubee, all the other villagers were at least part grass type. They were made of three species mainly; shiftrys, simisages and brelooms. However, wild sawsbucks and deerlings still roamed the forests.
Harvey and Rubee headed to the largest tree growing at the heart of the village. There lived the village chief, Moga. The tree house was wide; it had branches stretching out in all directions, all growing thick, rough barks that were as old as they were sturdy, while vines hung down all over the tree. There was also a wooden door at the front, a stone slab at the base, forming a floor mat of sorts, and two windows sat on two sides of the tree.
They say that it was the first tree in the forest to be carved when the villagers first settled there a little over two centuries ago. The village chief at the time, with the help of other villagers, carved the rest of the settlements. It's a bit murky how the other trees came around, but it's general belief among the villagers that the guardian of forests and flowers, Shaymin, created them.
Harvey knocked on the door three times and then turned the knob. "Moga, we're back!" they announced.
Rubee pushed away a hanging vine that was getting in the way. “Harvey, don’t you think it’s about time you cut these vines already?”
Harvey threw her a look. “Isn’t it your turn to do it?”
“Is it?”
“Yes. Yes it is.”
“Ugh, but I don’t wanna!”
Harvey clicked his tongue, and not wanting to keep going at it, he opened the door so they could go in. Almost everything inside the house was wooden. The chairs, tables, utensils, cleaning equipment, the list goes on.
The living room inside was somewhat large, where some couches were placed in an orderly fashion for visitors. The couches were arranged around a wide straw mat spread in the middle and a large chair stood at the end of the room where the chief sat during meetings. Harvey glanced at the numerous paintings hung on the walls ranging from landscapes to portrait images depicting nature mostly. They were gifts from the other settlers.
"Ah! You have returned, Harvey and Rubee." Moga gestured them to come over with his hand. He dropped the small figure he was carving on his table as he leaned to them. "How was your day?"
"It was great! I found some new flowers not far away!" Rubee said, quickly downplaying the distance they actually went to get the flowers. "I can't wait to see the kind of pollen puffs I can make with them!"
"I just hope they won't be poisonous this time," Harvey grumbled, looking like he was about to throw up because Rubee always had him try out the pollen puffs first whenever she made them using new flowers.
Rubee pouted, turning her face away. "I apologized about last time, okay?! Stop bringing it back up every chance you get."
Moga watched as the two half siblings quarreled, prompting him to smile almost proudly. He was seated on a chair, holding a walking stick in front of him. The shiftry was the oldest settler in the village. The leaves on his hands had grown crimson, and his hair was rough to the touch as a result of his old age.
"Now stop that you two, you can settle your differences later," he said. "Rubee dear, could you get me some water?"
Rubee silently obliged, buzzing her way to the kitchen to get the water. She left her sash behind on the floor and as she left, Harvey picked it up and hung it on a rack next to a window. He then closed the door they left open and used his tail to sweep the dirt they'd carried in with them.
Harvey then grew quiet. He was feeling nervous about how he would approach telling Moga about what was on his mind. He stared at the ground as he scratched the back of his head.
"Is everything alright?" Moga said, snapping him from his idleness.
"Oh, I was just thinking… well… there's something I need to let you know."
At that time, Rubee was about to fly into the room while holding the bowl of water over her head. When she heard them talking, she stayed behind the door and decided to listen to see how things would go.
"What is it? Please don't tell me it's about those dreams of yours about another life again."
Harvey swallowed, his heart beating faster, but he continued. "Actually, it's more than just that. I've done a lot of thinking lately, and I decided, I'm going."
Moga sat up, his grip on his stick strengthening. "Going? Where to?"
"I’m going to leave the village and find a way to get back home. I know I'll never learn anything if I stay here." He turned around with his paw poking the mark on his back. "I also need to know what this thing means."
Moga let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Listen Harvey, what you're trying to do is too reckless for me to approve."
"It'll be alright, I promise! I can take care of myself out there in the world. And I know there's a whole world out there beyond this village which is why—"
"Harvey… I understand that you feel lost and confused at times. We all do. But I cannot let you go on with this… You cannot leave this village under any circumstance. You know fully well that the only way out of this village is through Kalledes Dead End. You know It's a very dangerous place and none of the people that went in there ever came back alive. This village has been our prison longer than you were born. What makes you think you can do what others couldn't?"
"You always say that Kalledes is dangerous and we should stay away from it! But who's to say that all those other people just wanted to go out and see what's out there and didn’t come back? There are many things that may have caused them to disappear, and i wouldn't know whether if it's really dangerous as you make it sound unless go there and see it for myself."
"You're willing to throw your life away? At what cost? What even makes you think you'll find the answers you're looking for? You'll just end up on a wild goose chase, and that's even if you can survive the place you’re so eager to plunge right into!" Moga stopped to catch his breath. He then got up and walked a few steps towards Harvey. "Just forfeit this Harvey. You have everything you need here. There are nice people, abundant food, clean water, what more could you ask for?"
Harvey clenched his fists, then raised his head again. “You’re right. I’ll be honest, it was a stupid idea.”
Moga smiled, glad he could get through. “I’m glad you could understand.”
“I’m going upstairs now,” Harvey said, leaving the living room. On his way, he walked past Rubee.
Rubee's eyebrows lowered in suspicion at Harvey—He of all people gave up on something?!—before she entered the room to fulfill Moga's request. "Here's the water you asked for…"
"Oh, thank you Rubee." Moga stood in front of his chair and exhaled. "I fear for that boy these days." He muttered to himself. "There's still so much that he doesn't know."
Rubee gently kept the bowl on the table near the chair and lowered her head. She took her hung sash and glanced at Moga momentarily. "I'll go and make some pollen puffs now. Would you like some?"
"Yes please, dear." He smiled. "I could use some."
Harvey lay on his small bed, which was the size of a bucket with a cushion in it. He idly stared at the ceiling, his breathing and expression calm and content. He wasn’t simply lying around doing nothing. He was still deep in thought. Dammit, Moga, why does he have to be so over dramatic? *tch* Looks like this is it, I’m never going back home now. Yeah right. Unless they plan on putting me in chains—
A few knocks came from the door, followed by a familiar buzz. "Harvey? Would you like a pollen puff? It's buttercup flavored."
"No, thank you." He spoke audibly enough to be heard.
"Oh, okay then. Can I come in anyway?"
"No, I want to be alone right now."
"I see…"
She left.
Some hours passed. Harvey watched through his window as the last lights got put out. He gulped and turned to look at his door for a few seconds.
“Okay, the coast is clear now. Time to get moving,” Harvey whispered to himself.
He got down from the window and grabbed a small bag to carry all the things he would need on his journey, starting with his blanket. Too bad his bag wasn't big enough for him to carry his bed along with, as much as he'd wanted to. The next thing he took was his hand-crafted bow along with some makeshift arrows to go along with it. He used his bow and arrow to hunt sawsbucks and deerlings from time to time, and he was very good at it.
He gently unlocked the door, scanning the corridors to see if anyone was there as he poked his head through. It was all clear. He went down on his front paws and tip toed his way through the corridor. As he passed by Rubee's room, he noticed that her door was hanging open. Harvey’s ears stood on alert, but when he picked up faint snores from the other side of the door, he proceeded ahead.
That was close. Thought she’d be awake there for a second.
Harvey climbed downstairs, creating as little noise as possible in his tracks. He went to the storage room and took some berries. That was all he thought he'd need initially. Taking money was completely out of the question and he only took the berries because Moga gave them the privilege to take them any time they wanted, but he'd have to steal to get his hands on cash. He could live with being a disobedient runaway Pokémon, but not as a thief.
Harvey glanced at the front door. It was probably locked, and Moga would be with the keys, which meant there was only one other way out.
He tip toed back to his room and climbed out through the window. Rubee not cutting off those hanging vines on time had paid off. Climbing down them was easy for him and he was finally out of the house. He stared back up the window and took a deep breath; the same window that he fell out of when he and Rubee were fighting over the last oran berry the other day. The same tall tree that he had learned to climb when he was only as tall as Moga's knees. The very same tree they used to sneak into for berries before Moga took them in. All those memories, and he was leaving them behind. Harvey felt bad, but his determination superseded the guilt about his decision.
"Goodbye everyone. Thank you for taking care of me through all these years." Harvey turned around and ran on all fours. The sooner he got to the crevice and went into it, the better it'd be, and the lower his chances of being thwarted would become.
Harvey stopped to catch his breath as he encountered a cliff. Ahead of him was an old bridge, and beyond that was the entrance to Kalledes Dead End, which he could faintly see underneath the moonlight. Harvey always had a feeling that the village was probably inside an impact crater of some kind, but he could never truly be sure of that assessment. At least that’s one thing he could do by leaving the village.
Harvey slapped his cheeks and shook his face. "I have to do this. It's like Dad always used to tell me, 'move forward no matter what'"
"So, you ARE leaving."
His heart sink to his stomach when he heard that voice. Harvey slowly turned his head over his shoulder to look at the person. "Rubee? I thought you were asleep."
"I guess you must've woken me up." She gave him a judging expression. "Actually, I couldn't sleep at all."
Harvey clenched his paw and turned around to look at her properly. "If you're here to stop me, then give it up. I've already made up my mind, Rubee."
She put her hand on her red scarf-like filament. "Relax, that's not what I'm here to do."
"Then what are you doing here?” he asked.
"I'm coming with you." Her mouth curved into a smile. "You did ask me to come with you before, didn't you?"
"Didn't you say that you wouldn't come with me if Moga didn't allow it?" Harvey folded his arms, his ears tilting. "Why change your mind now? You don't have to do this if you don't really want to. I don't want to make you feel like you're being forced to do anything. I'm not."
"We made a promise a long time ago, remember? That we'd always be together, through thick and thin, no matter what. Besides, you once told me that you're nothing without me, and I'm nothing without you either." She flew in front of him and threw him a smile. "So, come on, let's go show whatever's in that spooky place who's boss."
Harvey nodded, exhaling a sigh. "Alright then, suit yourself."
They stopped in front of the dungeon entrance. The thick vines and leaves covering the entrance climbed down all the way to the ground, only stopping by Harvey’s toes. Harvey eyed a large pink bulb that grew over the crevice, and it seemed to be where all the vines were growing out from.
When Harvey spoke, he could hear his voice echoing in the hole in front of them. He and Rubee exchanged looks and then nodded at each other. They had reached the point of no return. There was no going back. They'd made their choice and their paths were set. They entered the dungeon, and disappeared into its darkness.
Here's the link to the old version: http://www.serebiiforums.com/showthread.php?658541-PMD-Odyssey-to-Dawn
Chapter Index
[spoil]Chapter 1: Prepare for Dawn
Chapter 2: Blue
Chapter 3: Red Flower
Chapter 4: Wooden Masks
Chapter 5: Withered Bloom
[/spoil]
Chapter 1: Prepare for Dawn
A gentle breeze blew through wild flower vines in a sloped ditch, the leaves swaying by mossy rocks and ferns. Pollen grains and dandelion seeds were sent drifting away by the wind while a young Minccino laid there, curled up, and asleep beneath the shade of rocks. A Ribombee was gathering pollen in a small hand woven sash nearby, doing so by putting her head into flower cups and withdrawing it with pollen grains all over her short delicate hair. After that, she’d then collect the pollen with her thin arms and roll them up then into balls before storing them in the sash. The Ribombee felt that she was done, so she decided to wake her nearby companion.
"Wake up, Harvey!" she yelled into the Minccino's ear at the top of her lungs.
Harvey’s deep ocean blue eyes pried open slowly as he woke up. He grumbled a few times before his eyelids started closing up again.
Frowning, the Ribombee yelled at him again. "Harvey!"
"I'm up!" Harvey groaned, rubbing his eyes slowly as he unwrapped his long bushy tail—which he was using as a pillow—and then stretched his paws, his long white tipped ears fluttering as he did. "I'm awake… You can stop yelling now." Harvey ended his sentence with a sigh, glancing at the pink Ribombee.
Rubee buzzed her wings as she zipped around over his head. "I’m done collecting all the pollen and nectar! Now get up, it's time head back home!"
Harvey clicked his tongue, looking away with a lazy expression. “Give me five,” he said, lying back down.
When he didn't oblige, she pulled on his ears. "Come on! Get up! You lazy bum!"
"Ow, ow, ow! Quit doing that!" Harvey leapt up, holding the tips of his ears. "Geez! You didn't have to do that!"
"It’s your fault for not listening, now let’s get going. You don't want to keep Moga waiting too long now, do you?"
"Hey don't forget, you're the one who dragged us all the way out here in the first place," Harvey said as he climbed down off his rock, shuddering as his feet touched the cold moist ground. "Could carry me out of here? I really don't want to have to touch any more of these things. They give me goosebumps." Harvey flailed his paw to shake off some moss, a sick feeling welling up in his gut.
"Sure, Mr. Cleanfreak!" Rubee chuckled, sliding her sash over her head. "Hold this first."
Harvey collected the sash and wore it around his shoulder. He then raised his paws up, smiling. "Up and away, Rubee!"
Rubee rolled her eyes. She wrapped her hands around his chest and flapped her wings continuously until a they made a faint buzz. Soon, Harvey felt his feet leaving the ground as she flew him up towards the mouth of the ditch. "You know, Rubee, it’s really amazing how you're able to carry me even though you're like, twice smaller than I am."
"What can I say? You're pretty light; just a ball of fluff and fuzz. I could probably carry you for a couple of hours without breaking a sweat."
Harvey raised a brow, wearing a smirk. "You can?! Why don't we do that now?"
"Nice try." She shook her head, putting him back on the ground once they were out of the ditch. "Can't be bothered. You have like two… four strong legs that can carry you around."
Harvey let out a defeated sigh, scratching his head with his paw as he smiled. "Well, it was worth a shot."
Rubee chuckled as she pulled the sash off him, exposing the strange blue mark he always had on his back for as long as she could remember. It resembled an inverted anchor with a wide flattened crown, slightly curved arms and a slightly blunted base. A round black oval sat in the middle of the crown, building contrast against the blue mark. When she asked him about it the first time, he didn’t even know it was there, and it had been a mystery ever since.
"I guess you'll just have to learn how to fly on your own. Who knows? Maybe you'll grow wings when you evolve someday!"
Harvey placed his paw on his chin as he pondered her words. I don't think I'll have wings even when I evolve. Can a human-turned Pokémon evolve anyway?
"Hey, I was only joking!” Rubee pleaded, thinking he was saddened from his expression. “I could fly you home now if you want."
Harvey waved his paw dismissively, though appreciating the gesture. "No thanks. I think I'll just walk."
"Okay… Suit yourself!"
***C***
They walked past a wide tree on their way back. A tree so tall, they couldn't see the topmost branches from where they stood. The forest was filled with similarly sized trees, blocking off a lot of sunlight with their large canopies. The tree roots had emerged above the ground, molding the terrain around them to form ridges and slopes. The trees were called Sky Arrows by the locals, and despite their wondrous nature, the rest of the world was mostly unaware of their existence.
As Rubee buzzed in the air, Harvey was half listening to her as she rambled on and on about all the kinds of pollen puffs she was going to make that day. He remained mostly distant for most of the walk until Rubee paused, annoyed when she noticed that he wasn't listening.
She hovered in front of his face with puffed up cheeks. "Hey! Are you even listening to me at all?!"
"What? Oh, of course I was listening, one hundred percent!" Harvey said in an obviously nervous posture.
"Yeah? What was the last word I said?"
Harvey raised his hand to speak, but he slowly lowered it back down. "Okay, you got me."
"Seriously Harvey," she said, sighing. "Your head is always in the clouds these days."
"I'm sorry. It's just that… I've been having these strange thoughts lately…"
"What kind of thoughts? Oh, you must be thinking of how great a sister I am!" she joked, nudging him on the arm.
"What? Not that!" he said, pushing her face away. "You know I've been having dreams about home lately; about my human life… Also, It's been six years, Rubee," Harvey sat on a large root. "To this day, I have no idea why I’m here or how to get back."
Rubee folded her arms, sitting next to him with an attentive look. "Didn't Moga tell you to cut it out? You've been having these dreams for months now. None of those things are real. What's real is what you see now, Harvey… This is where we belong."
“Is it truly?” Harvey frowned and placed his paw on his chin.
Rubee heaved a sigh, tilting her head to the side. “You know, it’s not like I don’t believe you or anything, but it worries me whenever you bring this up over and over again. It’s only a matter of time before you decide to do something crazy, like the time you tried to eat a hundred berries just because someone dared you to.”
Harvey threw his hands up, chest stiffened and his smile glowing with determination. "I know what I have to do. I’m to go back to where I came from, and I’ll do that by going beyond the forest and over the cliffs! I won't learn anything if I keep staying in one place for the rest of my life… I need to go find answers."
Rubee face palmed with a pout. "Good luck convincing Moga about that." She knew there was no point in trying to make him change his mind at that point. Once Harvey decided on something, he always saw it through to the end. It was something she both liked and despised about her brother.
"It’s okay If he's not fine with it. Besides, it's about time we went out to see the world for ourselves, don't you think?"
"I can’t speak for you, but I'm pretty comfortable with my life the way it is. I don't want to go into a dangerous place just to see what's on the other side. Sometimes, it's best to just appreciate what you have without asking for more."
"Come on, Rubee. Don't you want to know where you came from too?"
Rubee stared blankly at the ground as she hovered forward, thinking about the faint memories she had of her earliest childhood. She recalled the first time they’d even met; he’d found her injured, wingless and lost near a creek. Yet, he helped her to recover up until her wings grew back. There’s not much Rubee could remember before that, and she too often wished she could remember her past.
"Well… I do, but—"
"We can go find out together, if you come with me that is." Harvey stopped, holding out his paw to her. "Well? What do you say?"
Rubee puckered her lips, groaning in indecision. "Fine! If by some miracle Moga allows us to leave the village, then I'll come with you. But if he refuses, then I guess that’s that."
"Haha! I knew I could count on you," Harvey said, giving her a wide smile.
***C***
By the time they returned to their village, the sun was about to set. The village wasn't very large, nor was it very populated. The houses of the residents were made of wood harvested from the surrounding forests; most of them were carved out hollows of already standing trees however. Some of the settlers even went ahead and carved in multiple floors in their tree houses. And with the multiple windows and whatnot, it was a miracle that the trees managed to thrive and not fall.
Aside from Harvey and Rubee, all the other villagers were at least part grass type. They were made of three species mainly; shiftrys, simisages and brelooms. However, wild sawsbucks and deerlings still roamed the forests.
Harvey and Rubee headed to the largest tree growing at the heart of the village. There lived the village chief, Moga. The tree house was wide; it had branches stretching out in all directions, all growing thick, rough barks that were as old as they were sturdy, while vines hung down all over the tree. There was also a wooden door at the front, a stone slab at the base, forming a floor mat of sorts, and two windows sat on two sides of the tree.
They say that it was the first tree in the forest to be carved when the villagers first settled there a little over two centuries ago. The village chief at the time, with the help of other villagers, carved the rest of the settlements. It's a bit murky how the other trees came around, but it's general belief among the villagers that the guardian of forests and flowers, Shaymin, created them.
Harvey knocked on the door three times and then turned the knob. "Moga, we're back!" they announced.
Rubee pushed away a hanging vine that was getting in the way. “Harvey, don’t you think it’s about time you cut these vines already?”
Harvey threw her a look. “Isn’t it your turn to do it?”
“Is it?”
“Yes. Yes it is.”
“Ugh, but I don’t wanna!”
Harvey clicked his tongue, and not wanting to keep going at it, he opened the door so they could go in. Almost everything inside the house was wooden. The chairs, tables, utensils, cleaning equipment, the list goes on.
The living room inside was somewhat large, where some couches were placed in an orderly fashion for visitors. The couches were arranged around a wide straw mat spread in the middle and a large chair stood at the end of the room where the chief sat during meetings. Harvey glanced at the numerous paintings hung on the walls ranging from landscapes to portrait images depicting nature mostly. They were gifts from the other settlers.
"Ah! You have returned, Harvey and Rubee." Moga gestured them to come over with his hand. He dropped the small figure he was carving on his table as he leaned to them. "How was your day?"
"It was great! I found some new flowers not far away!" Rubee said, quickly downplaying the distance they actually went to get the flowers. "I can't wait to see the kind of pollen puffs I can make with them!"
"I just hope they won't be poisonous this time," Harvey grumbled, looking like he was about to throw up because Rubee always had him try out the pollen puffs first whenever she made them using new flowers.
Rubee pouted, turning her face away. "I apologized about last time, okay?! Stop bringing it back up every chance you get."
Moga watched as the two half siblings quarreled, prompting him to smile almost proudly. He was seated on a chair, holding a walking stick in front of him. The shiftry was the oldest settler in the village. The leaves on his hands had grown crimson, and his hair was rough to the touch as a result of his old age.
"Now stop that you two, you can settle your differences later," he said. "Rubee dear, could you get me some water?"
Rubee silently obliged, buzzing her way to the kitchen to get the water. She left her sash behind on the floor and as she left, Harvey picked it up and hung it on a rack next to a window. He then closed the door they left open and used his tail to sweep the dirt they'd carried in with them.
Harvey then grew quiet. He was feeling nervous about how he would approach telling Moga about what was on his mind. He stared at the ground as he scratched the back of his head.
"Is everything alright?" Moga said, snapping him from his idleness.
"Oh, I was just thinking… well… there's something I need to let you know."
At that time, Rubee was about to fly into the room while holding the bowl of water over her head. When she heard them talking, she stayed behind the door and decided to listen to see how things would go.
"What is it? Please don't tell me it's about those dreams of yours about another life again."
Harvey swallowed, his heart beating faster, but he continued. "Actually, it's more than just that. I've done a lot of thinking lately, and I decided, I'm going."
Moga sat up, his grip on his stick strengthening. "Going? Where to?"
"I’m going to leave the village and find a way to get back home. I know I'll never learn anything if I stay here." He turned around with his paw poking the mark on his back. "I also need to know what this thing means."
Moga let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Listen Harvey, what you're trying to do is too reckless for me to approve."
"It'll be alright, I promise! I can take care of myself out there in the world. And I know there's a whole world out there beyond this village which is why—"
"Harvey… I understand that you feel lost and confused at times. We all do. But I cannot let you go on with this… You cannot leave this village under any circumstance. You know fully well that the only way out of this village is through Kalledes Dead End. You know It's a very dangerous place and none of the people that went in there ever came back alive. This village has been our prison longer than you were born. What makes you think you can do what others couldn't?"
"You always say that Kalledes is dangerous and we should stay away from it! But who's to say that all those other people just wanted to go out and see what's out there and didn’t come back? There are many things that may have caused them to disappear, and i wouldn't know whether if it's really dangerous as you make it sound unless go there and see it for myself."
"You're willing to throw your life away? At what cost? What even makes you think you'll find the answers you're looking for? You'll just end up on a wild goose chase, and that's even if you can survive the place you’re so eager to plunge right into!" Moga stopped to catch his breath. He then got up and walked a few steps towards Harvey. "Just forfeit this Harvey. You have everything you need here. There are nice people, abundant food, clean water, what more could you ask for?"
Harvey clenched his fists, then raised his head again. “You’re right. I’ll be honest, it was a stupid idea.”
Moga smiled, glad he could get through. “I’m glad you could understand.”
“I’m going upstairs now,” Harvey said, leaving the living room. On his way, he walked past Rubee.
Rubee's eyebrows lowered in suspicion at Harvey—He of all people gave up on something?!—before she entered the room to fulfill Moga's request. "Here's the water you asked for…"
"Oh, thank you Rubee." Moga stood in front of his chair and exhaled. "I fear for that boy these days." He muttered to himself. "There's still so much that he doesn't know."
Rubee gently kept the bowl on the table near the chair and lowered her head. She took her hung sash and glanced at Moga momentarily. "I'll go and make some pollen puffs now. Would you like some?"
"Yes please, dear." He smiled. "I could use some."
***C***
Harvey lay on his small bed, which was the size of a bucket with a cushion in it. He idly stared at the ceiling, his breathing and expression calm and content. He wasn’t simply lying around doing nothing. He was still deep in thought. Dammit, Moga, why does he have to be so over dramatic? *tch* Looks like this is it, I’m never going back home now. Yeah right. Unless they plan on putting me in chains—
A few knocks came from the door, followed by a familiar buzz. "Harvey? Would you like a pollen puff? It's buttercup flavored."
"No, thank you." He spoke audibly enough to be heard.
"Oh, okay then. Can I come in anyway?"
"No, I want to be alone right now."
"I see…"
She left.
***C***
Some hours passed. Harvey watched through his window as the last lights got put out. He gulped and turned to look at his door for a few seconds.
“Okay, the coast is clear now. Time to get moving,” Harvey whispered to himself.
He got down from the window and grabbed a small bag to carry all the things he would need on his journey, starting with his blanket. Too bad his bag wasn't big enough for him to carry his bed along with, as much as he'd wanted to. The next thing he took was his hand-crafted bow along with some makeshift arrows to go along with it. He used his bow and arrow to hunt sawsbucks and deerlings from time to time, and he was very good at it.
He gently unlocked the door, scanning the corridors to see if anyone was there as he poked his head through. It was all clear. He went down on his front paws and tip toed his way through the corridor. As he passed by Rubee's room, he noticed that her door was hanging open. Harvey’s ears stood on alert, but when he picked up faint snores from the other side of the door, he proceeded ahead.
That was close. Thought she’d be awake there for a second.
Harvey climbed downstairs, creating as little noise as possible in his tracks. He went to the storage room and took some berries. That was all he thought he'd need initially. Taking money was completely out of the question and he only took the berries because Moga gave them the privilege to take them any time they wanted, but he'd have to steal to get his hands on cash. He could live with being a disobedient runaway Pokémon, but not as a thief.
Harvey glanced at the front door. It was probably locked, and Moga would be with the keys, which meant there was only one other way out.
He tip toed back to his room and climbed out through the window. Rubee not cutting off those hanging vines on time had paid off. Climbing down them was easy for him and he was finally out of the house. He stared back up the window and took a deep breath; the same window that he fell out of when he and Rubee were fighting over the last oran berry the other day. The same tall tree that he had learned to climb when he was only as tall as Moga's knees. The very same tree they used to sneak into for berries before Moga took them in. All those memories, and he was leaving them behind. Harvey felt bad, but his determination superseded the guilt about his decision.
"Goodbye everyone. Thank you for taking care of me through all these years." Harvey turned around and ran on all fours. The sooner he got to the crevice and went into it, the better it'd be, and the lower his chances of being thwarted would become.
***C***
Harvey stopped to catch his breath as he encountered a cliff. Ahead of him was an old bridge, and beyond that was the entrance to Kalledes Dead End, which he could faintly see underneath the moonlight. Harvey always had a feeling that the village was probably inside an impact crater of some kind, but he could never truly be sure of that assessment. At least that’s one thing he could do by leaving the village.
Harvey slapped his cheeks and shook his face. "I have to do this. It's like Dad always used to tell me, 'move forward no matter what'"
"So, you ARE leaving."
His heart sink to his stomach when he heard that voice. Harvey slowly turned his head over his shoulder to look at the person. "Rubee? I thought you were asleep."
"I guess you must've woken me up." She gave him a judging expression. "Actually, I couldn't sleep at all."
Harvey clenched his paw and turned around to look at her properly. "If you're here to stop me, then give it up. I've already made up my mind, Rubee."
She put her hand on her red scarf-like filament. "Relax, that's not what I'm here to do."
"Then what are you doing here?” he asked.
"I'm coming with you." Her mouth curved into a smile. "You did ask me to come with you before, didn't you?"
"Didn't you say that you wouldn't come with me if Moga didn't allow it?" Harvey folded his arms, his ears tilting. "Why change your mind now? You don't have to do this if you don't really want to. I don't want to make you feel like you're being forced to do anything. I'm not."
"We made a promise a long time ago, remember? That we'd always be together, through thick and thin, no matter what. Besides, you once told me that you're nothing without me, and I'm nothing without you either." She flew in front of him and threw him a smile. "So, come on, let's go show whatever's in that spooky place who's boss."
Harvey nodded, exhaling a sigh. "Alright then, suit yourself."
They stopped in front of the dungeon entrance. The thick vines and leaves covering the entrance climbed down all the way to the ground, only stopping by Harvey’s toes. Harvey eyed a large pink bulb that grew over the crevice, and it seemed to be where all the vines were growing out from.
When Harvey spoke, he could hear his voice echoing in the hole in front of them. He and Rubee exchanged looks and then nodded at each other. They had reached the point of no return. There was no going back. They'd made their choice and their paths were set. They entered the dungeon, and disappeared into its darkness.
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