From: "Adrian Tymes" <wingcat@pacbell.net> Subject: [PW!] No Dying Now Date: Sunday, January 04, 2004 1:52 PM William Rendfeld wrote: > (Carol's fleeing has been established in another post, so I'll continue from > here.) [NS: Let's also put Nori's immediate after-battle reaction between your post and SHAKK's.] > "Anyway," Cass noted, returning her attention to Dee, "I'd best get back to > the Pokémon Center. Enigma actually got cut down by that sword-wielding > Blaziken, and knowing Alex, there's probably a lecture coming. Anything you > want me to tell her?" Dee smiled. "I think it safest if I leave family matters in the family. But if you meant about Aerie, that's where she's...recovering, I hope. So that's where I'm headed too. Want a lift?" --- #WILL YOU SNAP OUT OF IT AND LISTEN TO ME ALREADY?!?!? YOU DIDN'T KILL SMASHER!# Aerie blinked slowly, the first vountary motion she had performed in hours. Alex's very annoyed expression filled her vision. "Finally!" Alex exclaimed, backing off a bit. Although she still could not read what was going on in Aerie's mind, she had remembered a comment of Dee's about how telepathic messages could sometimes be less ignorable than normal speech, and decided to give hammering the message through Aerie's shroud of denial a try. It seemed to have worked. "Welcome back. You had us all worried." "Smasher's...not...dead?" Aerie's current form was dehydrated, and it showed in her voice. "Yep." Alex waved to the room's computer terminal. "We replayed your battle and did a little calculation. Turns out your blast was more powerful than anyone thought, and on top of that, the deflection magnified it. The reason no one can find him is he isn't here. He got blasted clear of Silver Town entirely, but he was in one piece when he left the stadium." "Where...?" "We're still working on that." Alex carefully did not mention that the likely destinations so far included 'burned up on reentry' and 'escape velocity', and in general there was a good chance Smasher had not in fact survived. But even then, technically, Aerie's attack would not have been the direct cause of Smasher's demise; he had been alive at the moment he left the stadium. "But Kitsu insisted I snap you out of it as soon as possible." Aerie slowly looked around. Kitsu was sitting by her bedside, trying to look brave, but the tear streaks on her fur and the way she had to lean on Keaton for support belied her emotions. "I...was just worried you might, you know, at any moment...and it hurt to see a friend like that." Aerie weakly smiled. "Thanks." Alex mirrored the smile, but stronger. "So. Promise us, on your feelings for Kitsu..." Kitsu frowned for a moment. "...you're not going to try to die again?" Aerie blinked, then chuckled. "Okay, alright, I promise. I think I've got that out of my system now." "'On your feelings for Kitsu'?" Kitsu growled. Alex and Aerie stuck their tongues at Kitsu in unison, then giggled when they realized the other had done the same. "Anyway," Aerie queried once she recovered, "what happened to Amber?" Alex stopped straddling Aerie and shifted to a more comfortable sitting position. "The police have her. She *did* try to kill you, even if you tried to help her do it. I think they'll let her go if you tell them you won't press charges." Aerie curled up, then leapt off the bed, stumbling a bit as unused muscles protested until she dissolved and reformed them. "I think I'll do that right now. Thanks." Before she could leave, though, Cass and Dee teleported in. "See?" Dee quipped. "I told you it was...Aerie?!?" Aerie smiled, hopped over to Dee, and hugged him. "Hi, Dad! I'm feeling all better now, thanks to Alex. I'd stay to chat, but I've got to get Amber out of jail and tell her Smasher's okay. See you in a bit!" She teleported away. Dee blinked, jaw open, then knelt towards Alex and bent his head. "It is a teacher's proudest day when the student surpasses the master. I want to hear exactly how you did it, but first, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for saving my daughter." Alex winked. "Hey, what are friends for?" TBC?