For Want Of A Hero

~ This Was What That Happened ~ This is the sequel to the story of Cursed. The link to the original could be found here.

For Want Of A Hero
You may have heard of me.

My name is Hero, the Scyther. I see how you cringe; I'm dead, you say. That I am, but I assure you, I will not harm you. Why hurt the innocent?

That's a question I wish I could ask Moonshine.

I understand that she went insane, but I may be a bit biased, because I love her. Yes, I still love her, even after she cursed my best friend and murdered me. I only wish she could have gone back into a state of stability.

Moonshine isn't dead. She never was. Her grave holds nothing but hard-packed earth, and she roams Kanto, leaving chaos in her wake. I hate her for it. It's a horrible feeling to hate the one you love the most.

Sometimes, I wonder if she still loves me, but I don't know. I wonder if she thinks she's doing good to the world, or if she's lost it completely, her only thoughts bent on revenge. If I could have only stopped the chain reaction while it was still young, when I first met her...

But enough of that. I know why you're here. You want to know what happened. You want to know what happened in the thoughts of someone who understood her when she said 'Ninetales,' you want to hear the tale from someone who knew what was going on. You want to hear the inside story.

So I'll tell it to you, under one condition. Be what I have not been, and warn the others. Tell them to watch out for Moonshine, and let them know our story. If you can agree to this, I will continue.

Very well then.

You should know the story by now, up to the point of Moonshine's curse. Otherwise, why would you have come here? Why would you not run when you saw me? So, I will continue the story from that night, when Eve and I were staying in one of the rooms in the Pokémon Center. Moonshine had run off shortly after she had cursed Eve, bounding up to the top of the tower.

Eve was in tears, knowing that her beloved friend was gone, driven insane by the cruelty of the world. Usually, only Moonshine was out of her Poké Ball, but this time, all of us were out(save Rage, a Gyarados now), trying to comfort her in any way we could. I sat next to her on the bed. I would have hugged her if I could, but being a Scyther, I knew I could have hurt her doing so. Sparky was on the floor in front of her, and Flight perched on the footboard. Venom was curled up in the corner, trying to hide his own tears of frustration at the curse of his trainer. He wasn't one to easily admit weakness.

Though I knew Eve couldn't understand me, I whispered things to her as she cried. At least she knew I wanted to help. "Eve, we'll find a way out of this, I swear," he whispered. "Even if it's the last thing I do, I will break this curse. Even if it means..." I gulped, "...even if it means killing Moonshine."

We all sat in silence for a moment, soaking in the words I had said. Eve continued crying, and looked up as Sparky began speaking.

"I know that will be hard for you," he said, his voice shaky. "I wish I could have enough bravery to do that. But, while I will not feel the sacrifice you will, I will help you."

"Venom, Rage, and I should stay here, then," cooed Flight. "We'll protect Eve in case Moonshine comes back." She cast a glance back at Venom, still trying to hide himself. "I, for one, will protect her with my life."

Eve managed to crack a smile. "I don't know what you guys are saying, but I appreciate your concern. I know it must be hard for you seeing me upset like this."

After another moment of silence, I stood up. "Well, if we're going to go find a way to break this curse, there's no point in waiting. The longer we waIt, the longer her curse is."

Sparky stared at me, bewildered. "You mean we should leave now?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied. Then I turned to Eve, a look of sympathy and determination on my face. I hoped she would understand that we were leaving; but we would be back.

Without another word, Sparky and I left the room, casting one final glance back at our friends, our team for the past few months. With a final "good luck" from Flight, we left.

But Eve came running out after us.

"Here," she said, "I know what you're doing. You're going to find Moonshine, aren't you? Well, take these with you." She dug into her bag and pulled out two things; a yellow orb and a black, glass flute on a string. Handing the orb to Sparky and hanging the flute around my neck, she hugged us. "Sparky, that's a Light Ball. It'll help make you stronger. And Hero, your Black Flute will keep away wild Pokémon. I hope they'll help you."

Suddenly, she stopped hugging us and ran back into the room, too choked up to say a final goodbye.

After standing for a moment, staring at the closed door, Sparky and I turned in unison and started off.

The Black Flute around my neck successfully kept most of the Pokémon away as we scoured Lavender Town and the surrounding areas, though it produced such an ear-wrenching noise that I used it sparingly. No wonder the wild Pokémon stayed away.

As the night fell, we continued our search, to no avail. I refused to give up hope, though; Moonshine would likely try to hide from us, and if she truly meant to murder those we met in the tower, she would stay in town for at least another month.

We only stopped searching when the sun peeked over the horizon, directing its smiling rays across the rooftops of Lavender Town. While I didn't hear it, Sparky managed to pick up a chorus of screams from one of the houses. That was no doubt the house Moonshine had made her first kill; the victim's family must have been waking up to find a loved one dead. I felt a pang of pity for them, and wished that we could only find Moonshine before she wreaked more havoc.

Sparky and I headed back to the Pokémon Center, where Eve was leaving to erect Moonshine's grave. She moved almost mechanically, as if being controlled, but her expression was twisted into one of agony. I could tell she was going to find a way to get back at Moonshine, however subtle.

While Sparky and I fell asleep in our room, Eve left. We woke up as the sun ducked beneath the horizon, and were on our way. Eve was still gone by then; I hoped to Arceus that she would return before the ghosts came out, although she had Flight with her. It's hard not to fear for your friend, though, when there's a killer on the loose.

That night went the same as the last, and the following day, Eve was still gone. I decided, instead of sleeping, I would go see if she was at the Pokémon Tower.

Sure enough, I found her planted in front of the new gravestone, placed where Moonshine finally broke. Looking closer at the stone, I saw that there was a Ninetales on top, sporting the azure eyes I had fallen in love with and the thin, sharp claws that had killed the past two nights. Each tail was inlaid with copper, and I could see every strand of fur; some of which were clumped together or chipped off. The tails were wet, and I knew why; Eve wanted them to rust.

Eve grinned as I came up to her, although her eyes glistened with tears and her body was quivering. Her voice came out shaky, as of she could hardly stop herself from crying. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought she was insane.

"If she's going to make me suffer, I'm going to get back at her in any way I can," she hissed through clenched teeth, following it with a weak laugh. I chimed in with her, shooting a menacing smile at the statue and chuckling. That Ninetales was going to get it soon enough.

Before I knew it, and much to my surprise, I might add, Eve had tackled me in a hug, almost knocking me over. "Oh, Hero!" she sobbed, this time sincerely. "Why? Why did she have to turn on us like this?"

We sat there in silent embrace, as she shook harder than she had been before, succumbing to the curse; willingly. "I miss her, Hero," she sobbed. "I hope she comes back. I want the old Moonshine. The one I got for my birthday, the one you fell in love with. I want her BACK!"

The day drained away as I cradled her in front of the tombstone, humming a lullaby to her. I had always depended on her for everything, and now it was time for me to give back. Watching my trainer - the once all-powerful being who governed my very existence - break down like this was the worst thing I had ever experienced. The world came crashing down on my shoulders, and I was afraid I couldn't hold it up.

As the night fell, I carried her back to the Pokémon Center, and it finally occurred to me that she was nothing but a child. I felt even more obliged to protect her; she had her whole life ahead of her, and now it was ruined unless I could break this curse.

Still humming the lullaby, I set her down on the bed, and Sparky and I headed off. I took one last glance back to her quivering form, reluctant to leave her. Something told me I wouldn't be coming back to see her again, but I pushed it from my mind.

The moon was a thin claw mark in the sky, providing little light. Sparky's light ball glowed with electricity in the darkness, giving us a faint idea of our surroundings. But I still felt vulnerable, like something could easily sneak up on us.

The shadows played tricks on me in the light as I started to get paranoid. Something was here in the dark with us, I was sure of it. A rush of adrenaline swamped me as something whooshed past me, the disturbed air hitting my wings. "Something's here with us," I hissed, whirling around.

"Do you think it's her?"

"Yes. Yes, I do. Who else could it be?"

Sure enough, seemingly materializing from the shadows themselves, Moonshine came to stand before us, her fur glistening in the moonlight. Her blue eyes glinted with madness, and each of her tails flicked back and forth like a whip, a writhing pile of snakes. An evil grin was spread across her face.

"So you came," I said, calmer than I expected.

"Why yes, as a matter of fact I did." Moonshine drew out the 's' sounds, making an effect similar to a serpent's speech. "I've been following you since you started searching, but tonight I decided it was time to put an end to your meddling.

"Was the curse not enough for you? The injuries I gave you when you tried to protect Eve? Have I not demonstrated my power? You wish to fight me, after I have already killed many, and cursed your precious little trainer. I should have killed you then and there, at the tower.

"That's no matter now. You wish to fight me, and I will accept your challenge." Moonshine held up a paw and unsheathed her claws. "Any last words?"

While I stumbled for words, Sparky came to my rescue. "Moonshine, before we fight... Will you please just listen to us? Sincerely consider our words, let us open your eyes again?"

"I will, but it won't work. You're the ones who need an eye-opener. I have made my decision, and I am not changIng my mind."

"How has Eve ever wronged you?"

"She is a human! All humans are horrible creatures! They killed the Vulpix! SHE HELPED THEM! SHE HELPED THEM KILL THE VULPIX!"

"Moonshine, calm down! Eve would never hurt a fly, and you know that. I know that humans killed the Vulpix, but not all humans are horrible! Not all humans are cold-blooded killers!"

"YES THEY ARE! And you... YOU'RE ON THEIR SIDE! CAN'T YOU SEE THEIR TRUE NATURES? CAN'T YOU SEE?"

"Moonshine!" I shouted. "You're getting out of -"

The wind was knocked out of me as she full-on tackled me, and I was knocked backwards onto the ground, helpless. As she prepared for another attack, Sparky used iron tail, causing her to screech in anger. By then I had regained my breath, and slashed at her with my blades, drawing back before she could retaliate. I winced as Sparky came in for Volt Tackle, but was hit with a blast of flames. Taking my chance, I leaped into the air and stabbed downwards, causing her form to crumple to the ground

The victory was short-lived, though, and she picked herself up, sending a series of small flames at me. One of them hit my shoulder, and I felt a searing pain. A raw patch of my exoskeleton was left in a burn.

Sparky hit her with Thunder, and I darted in and slammed into her, knocking her into a nearby building. I continued to hack at her, leaving deep gashes, until I realized what I was doing.

I was killing her.

While I knew that I had to do this, I couldn't bring myself to kill her. If I had kept going, if I hadn't hesitated, maybe I would be alive today, and maybe Eve's curse would be broken. But hesitating gave her a chance to attack, and she threw me backwards with such force that I felt something crack when I hit the pavement. Before I could get back to my feet, I was engulfed in flames, and I felt my life draining away.

I had no awareness of what happened for a period of time after that, as I lay there, dying. I assume Moonshine knew that I was done for, and wanted me to suffer. All I know is, when I finally came back to consciousness, I was staring up at Eve and Sparky.

"Is she dead?" I managed to choke out.

Sparky replied with a shake of his head. "She fled. I'm sorry. I swear on my life I will find her again, and this time, she won't escape. Either I will die, or she will."

"Sparky..."

"Shh, don't speak," he replied.

In the silence, I heard a faintly familiar tune; soon, it came to me that it was the lullaby I had sung to Eve at the Pokémon Tower. The song started echoing in my head, and eventually it became all that I heard. It became my world, and all I was aware of was the lullaby as even it faded into the blackness.