Chapter 21

Bandit sat, flanked by two vaporeon guards, in front of an arc of vaporeon, made up of Steam and four other respected vaporeon. The luminescent mushrooms that grew in some of the caves had been gathered into little piles, their glowing light reflected by water and crystals to cast mysterious patterns over the cave and assembled pokémon. The mood was sombre and subdued; it had been a very long time since crimes such as Bandits had been committed and everyone was waiting to hear the verdict.

“Bandit,” said Steam softly, his voice was tinged with concern and sadness but showed no sign of wavering from the decided course of action.

Bandit looked up. He was afraid. He knew he would be punished as severely as possible and there was nothing he could do any more. Everyone was finally paying attention to him, but no one would give him any respect. No one was likely to forgive him. He was alone. Betrayed by Ninetales just as he had betrayed his pack, his family and himself. Those thoughts scared him.

“I have discussed your case in detail with the other high ranking members of the pack and we have reached our decision.”

Bandit licked his lips nervously. The eyes of Steam and the four were hard and tormented.

“I gain no pleasure in this sentencing,” continued Steam, “But what you have done we cannot forgive and we must react. I want to first apologise to you; apologise that we weren’t able to help you before it became too late.”

The tension grew as the time of sentencing grew near.

“Bandit,” Steam’s voice became harder, “You were originally a bully and troublemaker. That could almost be tolerated but you became worse. You murdered wild pokémon in the forest with no cause, killed an ally of ours, attempted to kill a member of your own pack, deserted the pack and betrayed its location to others who then kidnapped and tried to ransom our cubs. For this we have a decision. In order to discourage this from happening any time in the future and to make you feel the pain your victims felt and the pain those who were hurt by your malicious actions feel in their hearts…”

The other vaporeon averted their eyes from the small eevee that was the focus of all the attention.

“…The decision has been made that you must die. You will be executed by torture.”

*****

Dark Growlithe had regained control of his emotions and went back to where he’d left Cream. At first he was confused when he saw she was missing but then he smelt the vulpix. Instantly, he knew what had happened; Ninetales had finally caught up with him and she’d taken Cream! Dark Growlithe couldn’t leave Cream to Ninetales he could never subject someone to what he now knew she was. He made sure he knew in which direction the trail went, locking on to Cream and the Vulpix’s scents and rushing blindly after them. Dark Growlithe knew he could no longer let Ninetales haunt his mind or plague his reality any longer. It had to end. Now! This time, their last encounter. Only one could leave alive. Only one could triumph.

*****

Bandit was led outside, stumbling blindly as he let himself be guided away.

‘At least all the pain will go away,’ thought Bandit, ‘No more hurt. No more anything.’

He was left alone and the crowd moved back, watching, unsure of whether they should or whether they should leave, unsure of whether they could stand it. Steam stepped up till he was but a few paces from Bandit.

“Fight me,” commanded Steam, “You’ve got nothing to lose and you’ve always wanted this.”

Bandit knew Steam spoke the truth. He’d always wanted to be the alpha, to take the position through combat. To stand victorious over Steam’s corpse. But he wouldn’t win. He knew that now, he’d never seen Steam’s true power before; but when Steam had stood up to Ninetales he’d revealed his strength and Bandit knew that he was outmatched. Maybe it was only his insolence and pride that had blinded him before but this was still as far as he’d ever come to achieving his dream. He should be thankful. Some people never even touch on the smallest fleeting hairs of their dream and here his was, laid out before him. Bandit had nothing to say, he only rose silently and moved into his attack position. As Bandit rose so did a cloud over Steam’s heart. As alpha he was bound to carry out the pack’s laws but he wasn’t sure whether he would have been able to torture Bandit to death. If Bandit fought at least he could try to make himself believe it was just another battle.

Steam charged forward with surprising speed for a water pokémon battling on land. He head butted Bandit sending the eevee flying back. Bandit had practically lost his will to live when Ninetales had just tossed him away but now the pain re-awoke his will to survive. Or at least the desire to kill and taste fresh blood. Bandit focused all his energy, holding nothing back. Hopelessness formed anger, anger formed hate and his pain only enhanced his power, bringing his rage attack to levels he’d never achieved before.

Bandit dug his claws into the ground as he skidded along, tearing grooves as he went. He righted himself and used quick attack. Steam was ready for it, countering with his own. The two slammed together with a crunch and bounced apart. Steam somersaulted to land on his paws and fired a water gun straight up. As the liquid descended he fired an ice beam, freezing it into a solid clump then smashing it with his powerful tail. Hundreds of frozen missiles struck Bandit. He didn’t even feel the pain through his cloud of rage. Growling he forced his bleeding body to attack again. Steam sidestepped, Bandit tried to follow but the ice needles in his body cut his muscles as the attempted the movement. Bandit just crumpled to the ground before struggling up again. The effects of his rage attack were wearing off and he began to feel the pain in his body; a sharp stinging feeling that coursed through every limb.

He ran at Steam again only this time far slower than before. Steam span around, striking out with his tail. Bandit’s first foreleg was shattered on impact. Steam didn’t stop when Bandit yelped from the pain that suddenly burst forth. A second blow crushed his other foreleg. Bandit could no longer support himself and fell on his face. Tears ran down his cheeks as every wince from the intense pain brought another wave of agony as his legs’ muscles rubbed against the fragments of bone. Steam struck once more. His tail landed heavily on Bandit lower body, breaking it utterly.

“Wwwhhhaaarrrggghhh!!!”

Bandit’s cry of pain echoed for miles as both his back legs were broken together at the same time that some non-vital organs ruptured inside of him. Steam fought to maintain control of himself. Bandit was lying in front of him, unable to move, completely helpless. The snapped bone in his left hind leg had cut through the skin and now stood out in the open. Blood oozing out of the wound and running over Bandit’s scarred body. His other limbs were in grotesque positions and blood dripped out of the numerous punctures in his skin, pooling on the soft grass beneath him.

“Take him away,” ordered Steam, his voice shaking.

None of the vaporeon were watching what was happening any more. Even the vaporeon used to hunting and fighting weren’t used to this. The two vaporeon that had been guarding Bandit slipped a rope around his neck and dragged the whimpering eevee away to die.

*****

The two vulpix kept Cream under the mesmerising effects of the confuse ray while they travelled as fast as possible. Aware that Dark Growlithe would be very close behind them. Their head start wasn’t much and there was no way to gain a proper lead so they just had to run as far and as fast as they could and hope that Dark Growlithe wasn’t able to keep up.

*****

Dogs have a good level of endurance and Dark Growlithe would normally be able to keep up the chase without a problem but the constant running was causing his recently recovered leg to hurt again and he was forced to slow down. He wouldn’t lose them and he knew their ultimate destination. The place where’d grown up, the place he’d once called home but now called hell.

*****

Bandit was still alive and conscious when his trip ended and the vaporeon no longer continued to drag him along the dirt. Instead they pushed him into a pit. He fell for a short distance before he hit three stakes, three of many that poked up from the floor of the pit, similar to the one he’d hoped Dark Growlithe would meet his end in. One sheared its way through his shoulder, close to his neck, a second through his stomach and the last trough his back and out the right side of his chest. Bandit was now pinned in place, staring up at the sky from his painful imprisonment. Before the vaporeon left, one spat at him muttering “Abomination” before leaving him all alone.

Bandit hung there, struggling for breath because his one lung had been destroyed and feeling weaker than ever before as his blood slowly ran down the wooden spears that were thrust through him. Every breath, every motion brought more pain even the movement of his fur in the light breeze hurt. The taste of blood was once again registered and he coughed. The action racked his broken body with more pain as the contraction of muscles moved the stakes. Blood and phlegm spurted out of his mouth to land on his chest, matting down his fur. He fell limp, barely able to breathe, and winced as he slid further down the stakes, splinters detaching from the rough wood, scratching and tearing at his insides.

*****

Dark Growlithe had been travelling hard for over a day before he reached Ninetales’ territory. It was late and getting darker by the minute as clouds drifted across the face of the moon but Dark Growlithe could still see. He reached the area around Ninetales den without incident and saw the pack assembled. He was shocked to see how small it now was but what he didn’t know was that a large number of pokémon were still out searching for him. Ninetales was sitting outside of her den smiling down at him. Shivering and enwrapped in her flowing white tails sat Cream. Dark Growlithe disregarded everyone else except for those two.

“Welcome home, Dark Growlithe,” sneered Ninetales. “I knew you’d come back to be my mate.”

“Give me back Cream!” demanded Dark Growlithe, his lips were curled back, exposing his teeth and his fur stood up straight.

“Why would I possibly want to that?” asked Ninetales. “If I release her you’ll just leave and waste your time screwing her! That’s not how it works! I will have your children and your power!”

“You’re screwed in the head! If I have to come up there I’ll tear you to pieces so slowly you’ll be begging me to kill you!”

“That’s not a nice thing to say. You used to be so polite-“

“So blind!” snapped Dark Growlithe.

Cream was sobbing with fear and the sound tore at Dark Growlithe’s heart. It was unbearable standing there, the one he loved held captive before his eyes by the pokémon he hated most in the world.

“Let her go,” said Dark Growlithe more calmly.

“No,” replied Ninetales. “I will never release her! I will have you. You used to love me, worship me! The only thing that’s stopping you now is this creature!”

Cream flinched as Ninetales glared at her. Her features were twisted by her evil nature and had transformed her face into a hideous mask.

“If I kill this … thing. Then you’ll come back to love me.”

Ninetales ran her tongue along Cream’s neck and muzzle. Cream strained to move away but was held fast in her furred prison. Dark Growlithe snarled furiously drawing Ninetales attention back to him.

“Don’t touch her like that!”

“Puh!” snorted Ninetales, “What are you going to do about it?”

“I’ll kill you!”

“Then who will you love?” demanded Ninetales. “If I’m gone and if she’s gone? Then who’s left?”

Dark Growlithe’s eyes widened as he listened and watched as Ninetales teeth moved closer and closer to his love.

“No...” he whispered, “Please! No!”

Ninetales shut her maw over Cream’s throat and tore at the flesh. At that moment the moon was no longer hidden by the clouds and in it’s pale light Ninetales’ fur seemed to glow, making the stain of Cream’s blood all the more evident on her muzzle. Something deep inside of Dark Growlithe snapped at the sight. The intense shock broke all the barriers in his body and his complete power was unleashed. With a roar of exploding emotion he fainted out of sight to appear before Ninetales and tackle her.

Dark Growlithe and Ninetales flew at each other with everything that they could muster. The pack thought Ninetales would have had the advantage with her centuries of experience but Dark Growlithe was fighting for a loved one and to kill, while Ninetales wanted Dark Growlithe to survive and submit. Disregarding all of the Ninetales’ sacred laws, she used her ancient magic in battle. Around Dark Growlithe, claws from the underworld rose up to hold him. The newly acquired dark powers he’d gained kicked into affect again and he fainted above Ninetales and launched a flamethrower attack. Ninetales only just managed to dart away as the column of intense fire blazed down at the point where she’d been less than a second before. The heat was incredible, disintegrating the small stones that were caught in the stream.

The battle raged on, lighting up the night with incredible displays of blazing fire attacks, then leaving it dark once more as the battle became physical. Neither pokémon had been able to land a good hit nor had a single drop of their blood had been spilt, yet. The battle moved closer to Ninetales’ pack and the terrified pokémon quickly fled to a safer distance.

“Just give up!” growled Ninetales. “You don’t have anything left.”

“I’ll have revenge,” stated Dark Growlithe.

They struck again and began to wrestle.

“Why do hate me so much?” asked Ninetales. “I saved your life.”

“And killed the one I loved as well as others! You made me kill them!”

“Move on! It’s in the past!”

“It’s in my mind!”

Dark Growlithe gained the top position and fired a shadow ball into Ninetales. She was stunned by the attack but still managed to force Dark Growlithe off her. He righted himself and lunged for her throat. Ninetales prepared for it but wasn’t able to block so she did all she could. As Dark Growlithe’s jaws gripped her neck she twisted and closed hers around his neck. The battle paused and the night fell silent, no longer punctuated by the snarls and growls.

“Now what?” mumbled Ninetales, “It’s a stand-off. Will you finally give up and come home?”

“No matter what else happens now,” answered Dark Growlithe, “as long as you die. I’ve won.”

Ninetales pupils dilated in shock as she felt Dark Growlithe’s teeth pierce her throat. She pulled away in shock as she felt her blood pour out. There was a wet tearing sound and Dark Growlithe saw Ninetales stumbling before him though he felt her warm throat still held in his jaws. He spat it out in disgust, took a breath and unleashed a black flame that began to devour Ninetales’ writhing body. He felt nothing as the one who’d raised him burnt to death and became nothing more than a charred corpse, moving instead to where Cream had fallen.

Slowly, knowing what he’d find and dreading it Dark Growlithe stepped up to Cream’s soft body. She was surrounded by a pool of blood and already her body had cooled. Her eyes were closed and she was silent, unmoving. Dark Growlithe couldn’t even bring himself to howl his despair; he couldn’t do anything but collapse next to her and black out.