From: Perfect Chaos <MiraiNoHikage@hotmail.com> Subject: [PW!] Take My Breath Away Date: Friday, November 19, 1999 6:12 PM "So.....this is where it was?" "Scy." "Stubborn jerk....trailing me the whole time." "Scyyyyyy!" "Yeah, yeah. So why didn't ya help me, Scyther?" The two walked down the bike trail. Spec had his hands in his pockets, staring off at the city in the distance. Scyther had brought all his things back after the previous incident. Truth be told, Spec was glad to have him back. "Something doesn't feel right, and I dunno what." "Scy?" "Hmph." A gang of bikers rolled up, chuckling quietly. A swarm of Koffing circled their heads. Spec sighed, "Oh great. Scyther, would you?" "Scyyyyy...." Scyther clashed his blades together, anxious to get some action. It phased out. Spec smirked. While the bikers were busy looking around, Scyther was preparing his attack. He lept from the first bike's handlebars, rebounded from the first Koffing, and sliced that one in half. He landed beside the second bike and did a quick jumping spin, and slashed the second Koffing in half. He bounced off that biker's head and quickly repeated the process for the rest, not landing on the ground once until he had bested all 6 Koffings. He reappeared next to Spectre, right as Koffing #1's body finally showed effects from the quick strike. It's body split in two horizontally, and exploded into a cloud of poisonous gas. In a chain reaction effect, the rest followed, one setting off the next almost. The bikers coughed a bit and tried shooing the gas away, swearing obscenities at Spectre the entire time. "I don't feel like dealing with the likes of you, I have more important things to deal with." Trainer and Pokemon resumed walking. "We've gotta find a shorter way here," Spec said, crossing his arms. The two continued walking as the sun started to set. The wind howled, increasing in speed and intensity. "Storm coming? I don't remember seeing anything like this in the weather report." "Scyyyyy.....!" "Hm?" Spec turned his head. Scyther was staring off in the direction of the ocean. "What's wrong?" "Scyyytheeeeer!" Spec pikued. "Yeah....you feel it too, huh?" Scyther nodded. "Hmm. I wonder what it means...I really do. I mean....I had these weird visions everytime I slept. I kept seeing Pokemon....at least I think they were Pokemon.....that I've never seen before..." "Scy?" "Not sure, buddy. I'm not sure." Night fell as they walked...and no more interruptions came from passers by. The two walked in silence up to the watch tower near Fuschia. They took a detour around it, and through a large patch of grass. "Ne, Scyther....kick us up some dinner?" "Scyyyy..." And with that, Scyther dove into the weeds and slashed around. A few screeches filled the air, and when Spec's pokemon surfaced again, he had two Spearow impaled on his talons. "Scy scyther!" Spec grinned a bit, and pulled up some grass, starting a fire away from the weeds, pulling out a knife. "Wish there were more fast food places." <"Kore wa..." scene switch> Thunder. Lots of thunder. Spec covered his ears and sat up, staring upwards towards the heavens. "Damn..." Spec looked down at his outfit...and noticed he was wearing a tuxedo.... Hat, tie, polished shoes, the whole 9 yards. He also noticed his long hair was now shoulder-length. He looked around, and Scyther was nowhere to be seen. He mentally swore and ran for the nearest shelter...which came in the form of a somewhat rundown house. Safe now on the porch, he knocked on the door, hoping someone would answer him. He turned around to look out at the downpour as he waited. The moonlight reflected pools of water in the roads, and in general made everything glisten. He smiled a bit. "Eddie Rabbit would have a field day." [1] He felt a hand on his shoulder, and spun around to see a somewhat surprised young lady standing there. Spec quickly looked around. What was broken and rotting a moment ago had somehow turned into a beautiful wooden structure. The girl was probably his age, if not a bit younger. Medium-length blue hair and a slender body. Wearing a rather beautiful kimono. She looked at him strangely. Spec shut his eyes briefly, and when he looked around...things were still the same. "Great....I must be hallucinating or something." The girl blinked a few times. "Ex...cuse me?" Spec tipped his hat slightly. "Sorry. I was caught in the rain and wondering if I could get in out of the cold." The girl smiled and nodded, gesturing to enter. Spec thanked her and walked inside, taking his hat off. "I appreciate you letting a stranger into your home, Miss...?" "Sayuki. Aura Sayuki." Spec nodded. "Then I thank you, Miss Sayuki." He made sure his outfit wasn't wet or dirty, and sat down on his knees by the small table in the center of the room. Aura smiled down at him. "Would you like some tea?" Spec thought it over for a minute, then nodded. "If it wouldn't be any trouble." A thought crossed his mind, and he brought it up quickly, before Sayuki left the room. "Oh...and for the record, you can call me....." And he wasn't sure what made him say it...a part of him knew it wasn't the truth, but a part of him insisted it was. "...Yuusuke Sabishii." Aura smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Sabishii-san" Spec smiled and nodded, and Aura turned to exit to get the tea. The whole thing gave him a great deal to think about. Why did he say that was his name? ...Because his brain indicated him too. But why? He knew it wasn't true...yet still felt it was in a way. How did he wind up in this place, and more importantly...how did the house resconstruct itself in the short amount of time it took him to watch the rain hit the streets. He rubbed at his temples lightly. Aura returned in a few minutes, and served the hot tea. She sat down, and the two had a lengthy discussion. Mostly about how Spec had gotten there, and why he didn't remember anything. As he sipped his tea, a thoughtful expression overtook his face. "I'm...not exactly sure. When I was approaching, I could've sworn this place was just a broken down shack...but that obviously isn't the case.." Aura smiled warmly, sipping her tea as well. "Really? Maybe the full moon was playing tricks on you?" "It's possible. I feel like I haven't slept in days." Aura tilted her head. "The nearest hotel is miles away....you can stay here tonight if you like. I have an extra room..." Spec looked up. "Oh, no...I don't want to be any more of a bother than I already have..." "No bother at all. To be perfectly hoenst with you, I don't like the rain. The thunder scares me, I guess..." Spec nodded a bit, taking another quick sip. "You...look a bit young to be living alone." Aura bit her bottom lip. "Well, I used to live here with my brother....but he was killed.. ...He was coming back from town with groceries...no one's still sure what happened, really. We found his carriage not far from here...the Rapidash that were pulling it were dead. His body wasn't anywhere around...about a month later, a group of people going to tear down the old mill found what was...left of him. In a nest that had a few big white and yellow eggs...." Spec had long since put his cup down, intent on Aura's tale. "Apparently, a Zapdos had decided to go searching for a midnight snack....and a carriage being pulled along by two strong Rapidash must've been a good appetizer...." She let out a quiet sob, wiping the corners of her eyes. She shook her head a bit. "Ever since, whenever it rained, I always curled up either in bed, or the small alcove for a closet in my room....I don't like it at all, but...." She took a breath and let out a long sigh. Spec reached over and put a hand on hers. "Aura-chan...." She shook her head again and smiled up at him sadly. "No, it's okay....really..." "No...it must be hard for you. As long as you need someone around to help, or at least keep you company, you can count on me, okay?" "You don't have to, Yuusuke-san...." "Look, it'll be a way of thanking you for letting me stay the night, okay?" He smiled at her. Something still felt odd, though. The two talked a little while longer, Spec getting the subject changed easily enough. The rain seemed to get harder...which was starting to make the power flicker on and off. The two decided now was a good a time as any to get to bed. Aura led Spec down a hallway and to the right, showing him a doorway. The two said their goodnights, and Aura slid the door closed, walking off down the hall. Spec pulled his shoes off, setting them by the door, along with his hat. He sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall. "All alone. I know how that can be..." he said quietly. He looked up a bit and smiled faintly. "I'll keep you company if you do the same for me." Spec laid down and stretched out on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. The lightning flashed outside, filling the sky. Thunder cracked off in the distance, then again, closer. A soft yip could be heard from the other room. Spec sighed quietly. "Poor girl...." He looked out the window. "But the darkness has always coforted me..." The thunder was getting more intense. He didn't know what had been forcasted, but it was awfully strong. He couldn't remember being in a storm of this calibur. There wasn't going to be any way he could fall asleep with all the noise, so he decided to go check on Sayuki. Sliding his door open, he walked down the hallway. He tapped on Aura's door. "You asleep...?" He spoke somewhat softly, just in case she had, by some means, managed to drift off. "Uh-uh...come on in..." Spec slid he door open and walked in, leaving it still partly open. Aura was sitting up in bed, wearing a purple nightgown, and reading a book by candlelight. The candles were set up on either side of the bed on small tables, luminating the area rather well. Flickering a bit much, he thought, but to each his own. "I was just checking in...I heard a noise and was wondering if you were okay." Spec walked over and sat on the foot of the bed. Aura put her book face down and open on her covered lap. "Yeah...I'm fine. The first big bangs of thunder kinda scared me, though....so I decided to sit up and read rather than to try and sleep....I'd only have nightmares anyway. I always do whenever it's storming out." She blinked, then smiled. "Thanks for worrying about me." Spec blinked, then returned the smile. "It's okay. I couldn't sleep either. Too noisy for me." He glanced around the rather bare room quickly. A dresser, a few paintings on the walls, two windows, the bed and tables, and that was about it. It was a good-sized room, too. It just felt empty. He mentally chuckled. Empty indeed. "So..." Spec said, bringing his attention back to the young lady. "What're you reading?" Aura held up the book, holding a finger in the page she was on so she wouldn't lose her place. "Legend of Sleepy Hollow." he grinned sheepishly. "Not the greatest bedtime material, I know...especially on nights like these, but it was the only thing handy." Spec only rolled his eyes, laughing a little. The blue-haired girl put the book back down and leaned against the detailed headboard. "So what of you, Yuusuke-san? What's your story?" "Well...as I said earlier," he started, "I'm not quite sure how I got here. I'm drawing a big blank. Maybe I got knocked unconcious and lost my memory or something, I dunno." He looked down at the tux. "I must've either been going to or coming back from something important, though, ne?" Aura nodded. Spec sighed a bit and yawned. "Thanks again for lettin' me stay." Aura stuck her tongue out at him. "Would you stop thanking me, already? You're welcome, Yuusuke-kun. Really." She smiled at him...something strange about it, that one. He wasn't quite sure what it was about that particular smile, but it nearly made him melt. He managed to stutter a 'hai' though, and get that blush on his face to go down. Another yawn. Spec stood. "If you think you'll be okay, I think...I'm gonna go try and get back to sleep." Aura nodded again. "Sure. Goodnight, Yuusuke-chan." Spec returned the goodnight again and headed back down the hall, shutting Aura's door behind him. It wasn't until he was in bed and under the covers that it hit him. "....Yuusuke-chan?!" He blinked a few times, then shut his eyes again. "Still....she is pretty...." He got into a comfortable position and let sleep overtake him. The next morning started out in a way that was extremely different than what Spec was used to. He was laying on his back, near the wall. He opened his eyes and groggily rubbed them...with his free hand. The other was around....another person? Spec's eyes opened a bit more and he turned to see Aura in bed next to him. She was laying on her side, with her head on his shoulder, and her left arm draped across his chest. The arm that wasn't free was around her, and resting on the back of her left shoulder. Both of them were covered up, and thankfully, he was still dressed. As was she, apparently. Spec could see the top of the nightgown somewhat. He shook her by the shoulder softly. "Hey....wake up, Aura-chan." He blinked at her, and she rustled around a bit, mumbling something quietly. He tried again. "Auraaaa....?" This time, however, she opened her eyes halfway, and looked up at him, a blush on her face. "I'm...sorry, Yuusuke-chan...." Spec blinked. "Sorry? Sorry about what?" She frowned. "For coming in here and climbing in with you...the thunder started really booming about an hour after you left....and I was getting scared again." She was about to say something else, when Spec cut her off. "Don't worry about it. Nothing happened, ne? You were just coming in here to feel safe, so what's to be sorry for?" "...I just didn't know if you'd be mad or not." ...And that statement caught Spec as funny. He grinned. "Now...I'm in bed...with a beautiful girl next to me....I got a decent night's sleep, and some nice tea....why would I be mad?" Aura's blush deepened somewhat at the compliments. "....Yuusuke-chan?" "Hai?" "....Can we stay like this....just a little longer? ...Please." "....Sure." She laid her head back on his shoulder and shut her eyes. "....Yuusuke-chan?" "...Hai?" "....I guess this is just my heart talking....and I'm not sure why I'm blurting this out...but...." She propped herself up on her right arm and gazed into Spec's eyes. "I..." Her blush returned. "...I think I lo --" Thunder. A loud shriek, and Spec's eyes spanned open. The rain was pouring down on him, and the giant outline of a huge creature was flying into the clouds. As it did, thunder crashed again, and lightning illuminated the sky once more. Spec just stared up, not blinking, as the rain fell onto his body. Scyther was next to him again, and they were near the patch of grass. "....It felt so real." He frowned a bit and shut his eyes. "...She was so pretty. ...and that was completely different from any of my other dreams.....I wonder if it meant anything." Scyther twitched a bit, then sat up. "....Scyyy..." It looked up...and got hit in the eye with a raindop. He slashed at the ground, muttering obscenities in pokemon language. After he had it blinked away, Scyther looked at his trainer. "Scyther! Scyyy!" Spec's eyes opened again, the rain mixing with his own tears. He stood up, not saying a word, and began walking into town. Scyther looked puzzled, but followed anyway. Spec's mind was clouded, and he was wishing he was still asleep. ...Asleep, and with Aura. He always did have a thing for short blue hair. Scyther eventually caught up to his trainer, who was humming a few bars of some song. He changed over to whistling quietly after a few steps, and then finally sang the first line of the song as they approached the lights of Fuschia City. "Gee, I'm glad it's raining...." ....TBC. -- Reg -- Reg [1] - Anyone get the reference?