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Out of the Jungle

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Mission 4 start ~ Previous ~ Next
---

Above, three soared as one. Below, two pounded through the undergrowth, ducking around scuffles and potential assailants. All five headed southward, to safety.

Syrren was exhausted. She was concentrating all her energy into focusing on the goal: get back to Tao. Barely registering the little Deino she’d been paired with in the escape, she ran, blocking out the muddled memories that overwhelmed her whenever she lapsed her concentration.

Cyl was intrigued by the events of the last few minutes. He ran expertly through the mayhem and mess that Prismatic Jungle had become in the last hour, nimble-footed and agile. His attention remained focused on the Absol through it all; Yasi had never talked about his own past so the familiarity between these two was a mystery. Add to that the state in which her friends had been in when they were discovered, and that they were outsiders, and Cyl’s curiosity had been thoroughly piqued.

Tivoli was standing over her, brandishing two lifeless bodies triumphantly and growling as he bared his teeth at her. She turned to run, but he moved soundlessly and was instantly looming over her, even closer this time, his twisted grin twitching with anticipation. His red eyes bored into her. His white head lowered and he brandished his black slasher, already dripping with blood-

“No!” she gasped. She could not let herself get sidetracked by these horrific visions. The guilt overwhelming her now would never subside unless she got back to Tao and made sure he was okay. And she wasn’t going to let Cyclone down again. She’d promised.

“Why do you keep muttering things?”

The little Deino had been silent as they’d fled. Now that the jungle was thinning and the immediate danger subsiding, he had let his curiosity win out.

“I- uh-” Syrren didn’t know how to respond. She’d barely even considered the Deino until now. She’d simply run, fled, escaped... trying to break free of both the terrible jungle and the memories it held.

“It was you, wasn’t it? That injured the Vulpix?” This was the fact he could least understand. “Why do you care if he dies or not?”

She tripped over a log, nearly stumbling face first into the thinning leaf litter.

“I- he- we-” What sort of question was that?

“What I mean is, why did you attack him anyway if he’s a friend?” Cyl had wondered if perhaps some external force, like the cello had been, might have possessed her. But it didn’t make sense.

Syrren sighed heavily between panting.

“It’s hard... to... I don’t even know why myself... I wanted... I was focused on... revenge.”

“Revenge on the Vulpix?” That didn’t add up.

“No... this jungle... it holds some terrible memories for me.” She shook her head, trying to avoid another gruesome mental replay. “Tivoli... he killed someone...”

That scream, echoed across years. She had to stop running for a moment to compose herself before stumbling back into an exhausted gallop.

“So?”

She couldn’t quite take in what he’d just said.

“He- I- what?”

“Tivoli’s killed tons of pokemon.” Cyl kept running, with a more thoughtful look on what was visible of his face. “My family included. That’s just how it is here.”

Syrren had to restrain herself from hugging the little Deino; Cyclone had told her that he’d seen death before, but this...

“Cyl-”

“Encyladus. Yasi never lets me introduce myself properly. My name is Encyladus.”

She looked down at the small creature. His face was blank, his tone neutral, but she knew that he felt more than what he was letting on.

“Encyladus, you haven’t ever left this jungle, have you?”

“No, of course not. Why would I?”

“Well, why are you leaving now?”

“Yasi said we had to go, and... well, I’m not staying here alone!” He pouted a little.

“This jungle is not normal, you know. Not everywhere has tyrants like Tivoli- that beast-” She caught a sob before it escaped her, coughing awkwardly. “Cyclone is a good guy, you’re right to stick with him, okay?”

The little Deino was even more intrigued, but he kept his mouth shut for now. He was starting to detect unfamiliar scents and was a little unnerved by it.

“Where are we now?” He sniffed the air tentatively, breathing in the lighter, fresher air. It was cooler out here somehow.

“We’re just out of the jungle. There’s still a long way to go til we reach Tao, though, are you up for that?” She wasn’t even sure she could stay the distance, but she would have to. She had to be sure.

“Sure, sister. It’s weird out here though. I like the cold.” He lowered his face to the ground and sniffed the earth, muttering to himself as he explored his new surroundings, continuing south with the Absol who intrigued him so.

---

Flying was sped up so significantly by the little Whimsicott’s tailwinds, Yasi considered hiring the lightweight cotton sheep as a permanent flying aid.

He kept silent, though. Glancing back at the poor little thing clinging to his back while holding the unconscious Vulpix steady, he had the distinct feeling that conversation would only serve to depress him further. There was plenty Yasi wanted to know, but he was patient, and he could wait. Magpie would no doubt fill him in once they got to Tao in any case. He was glad to be out of that jungle, no matter the odd circumstances.

Zooka kept his focus on maintaining the tailwind, half-hugging Nye to be sure he wouldn’t slide off the Tropius’s curved back and clutching the scarf tied around its neck. Questions sloshed around in his mind. Would they make it back in time? Would the doctors even help Nye after what Zooka had done last time? Who was this “Cyclone” and could he even be trusted? Why did Syrren do that?

“Why... did she do that...” That was the big one.

“Hm?” Yasi had heard him mumbling.

“Nothing...” The Tropius wouldn’t know anything about it anyway.

“I think Magpie wanted revenge on Tivoli.” Yasi had figured out that whatever had happened before he’d arrived on the scene, the only reason Magpie would have been back in the jungle anyway would have been for revenge.

“Wh... how would you...”

“She was hurt very badly. Tivoli hurt her.” He didn’t know how much Magpie would want him to say, so he kept the details vague. “I helped her escape him back then, too...”

“Oh.” It still didn’t quite add up. “But... she... she did this to Nye, when all he wanted was for her to come home... I heard them talk... “

“Revenge is not a healthy motivation.” Yasi sighed. “Really, she shouldn’t have been allowed to come back at all. Much less bring you, and put you in danger too.”

“I... wanted to come... I wanted to prove to her I could be useful...” Something clicked in his memory. “Nye was always against it... I didn’t listen...”

“Sounds to me like he’s smarter than you give him credit for.” Yasi sighed. “She must trust him a lot, if she’d told him what happened...”

“I... I don’t usually trust Nye...” Zooka wasn’t sure why he was telling this Tropius any of this, but he wanted to talk to someone, and the Tropius was a good listener. “He... he tried to eat my egg, just before I hatched, that’s how I met him and Syrren to start with... Syrren looked after me, and Nye... we always fought...”

“He’s your big brother. Of course you fight.”

“What?!” Zooka nearly leapt up off the Tropius’s back in disgust, but he contained it to a twitch. He kept his stubby hand firmly on Nye’s back. “No, we’re not-”

“Of course you are. You’ve grown up with them, been with them your whole life. They’re your family, aren’t they? And brothers always fight, it’s in their nature.” Yasi smiled a little.”Would you protect anyone else like you’re protecting him, right now?”

“Well...” Thinking of Syrren just confused him, and there was no one else he could think of. “No, I suppose not...”

“And I’m guessing he’s done things for you, even though you fight?”

“No... well...” That was a lie, actually. “He did keep me warm when I got a really bad cold. And today... when Syrren left me, he carried me instead...”

“And are you just helping him now to repay him?”

“I guess...”

“Really? When you found him like this, your first thought was, `I must repay him for earlier!` then?”

“...no.” Talking about things so openly like this was odd; Syrren never really talked that much and he only ever argued with Nye. “I... didn’t want him to die.”

“Think about it, okay?” Yasi had noticed a definite drop in the temperature. “It’s a bit dark, but I think I can see snow, is it your village up there?”

Zooka leant awkwardly around the Tropius’s neck while still clinging to the scarf and Nye. “Yeah, I can see the weird tower in the distance too. Can you make for the frozen fountain in the square?”

“Yes, I see the square.” The chill was already getting to Yasi, but he didn’t say anything. As long as there was a warm place within the village later, he thought.

“The doctor’s tent is there.” Zooka hoped against hope that the Audino didn’t remember him.

There was no other option this time.

---
two more serious. gosh why did I make this so long?!
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