//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: Absolution // by ed2481 //------------------------------// I prepared to strike, my hackles rising and my white ruff beginning to stand on end as I bristled at Applejack. As I did so, my eyes were already predicting her attack path, I was still not quite at 100% so I would have to be weary to keep out of her reach. Thus, I would have to rely upon my flames and my shadow balls to do the job. Meanwhile Applejack was constantly keeping her eyes on me, ready to break into a charge at any second. She took the option to remove her hat and tossed it to the ground, while her tail swished violently from side to side. Our conflict however would never come to pass. “By Celestia, Applejack, he’s the first alien ever to come to Equestria and you want to get into a fight with him?” Twilight said with a small sigh as she stepped in front of Applejack and turned to me. “I apologize for her rudeness, Cres, please forgive her.” However Applejack gritted her teeth. “Twilight, this is no time for your shenanigans,” she stated while slamming a hoof down into the ground. “He ain't some ‘ambassador’, he’s just some beast who’s trying to fool you with his story.” “Why would I bother lying?” I asked her with an annoyed sniff. “It gains me nothing, though you are correct in me not being an ambassador,” I acknowledged. “I am simply an Absol looking for absolution, and apparently failing at it... as I have for years.” I could not keep more than a touch of bitterness from that sentence. “Cres... we just want you not to eat the forest critters when they’re near my cottage or the town... can you do that?” Fluttershy asked, trying to be the voice of reason. I frowned at her. “I still do not see why you can claim such a large area for yourself. It seems rather selfish,” I said. “You are not going to eat them yourself are you?” “What... no, obviously not,” Fluttershy said with a disturbed look. “Then as I said, there is no reason for it,” I replied before shaking my head. “But I suppose if it will keep the arrogant orange one from attempting to ‘fight’ me then I will eat only those that live away from the edge of the forest.” Applejack’s eyes narrowed at me, but her stance did relax a bit, but doubt and distrust still covered her face. “You better...” “Once again, I have no reason to lie,” I told her irritably. “Why bother?” “To outsmart us,” Dash said. “That would be Belle’s job, and she is not here,” I told her blandly. “I simply wish to find my absolution. I am stuck here until I achieve that goal and may return to my Belle.” “Just what do you mean by absolution?” Twilight asked him with curious eyes. “I committed a crime several years ago and I am seeking a way to lift it from my conscience and find forgiveness in the eyes of Father Arceus,” I said simply. “No more, no less.” “So you’re a criminal,” Applejack said, clearly not pleased by that fact. “Indeed,” I said with a small nod. “Though it pains me greatly to be even after many years.” “What... did you do?” Fluttershy asked timidly. “I...” I trailed off and shook my head. “I’d rather not say.” “Or you haven’t thought it up yet...” Applejack murmured. I couldn’t help myself. I let out a low and dangerous snarl. “Why would I make it up?” I demanded through clenched teeth. “It is something that has haunted me for years and I have been attempting to find absolution for every one of them.” “Well sorry if I’m having a hard time believing ya,” the orange mare replied indifferently. “Okay... well we should probably all go back to my library,” Twilight said, stepping forwards. “As long as you don’t mind Cres.” “So long as I am not put in another pit, I would not mind that greatly,” I replied while directing a glare at Applejack. “Oh, don’t worry, we wouldn’t do that too you,” Fluttershy said kindly. “Especially now that you know not to eat the woodland critters around my cottage and the town.” “I already said I wouldn’t,” I replied with a small nod. “I am a Pokemon of my word after all.” “We’ll see about that,” Applejack commented. I turned to Zecora who had stepped back to allow us room to talk. “Thank you again my friend,” I told her simply before giving her a bow. She just smiled at me and the others. “Goodbye to you all and do tell Rarity that I have said ‘hi’,” the zebra replied, though she was mostly addressing the others. My paws carried me forward until I was standing directly in front of the ponies, or more specifically Applejack who had stepped forwards to form a ‘shield’ of sorts between herself and the other members. “Ah, orange one, I take it that you have declared yourself my ‘attendant’?” I asked her while my red eyes stared into hers. “You got that right, varmint,” she replied, staring right back into my eyes. “My name is Cres,” I told her pointedly. “Failing that, you may call me an Absol, or just Absol.” “And my name is Applejack, but it seems like you don’t care in remembering that, so why should I with yours,” she replied. “Because, you owe me your life,” I answered simply. She scoffed. “As if.” “Oh, and I suppose those bandages are from a farm accident; ranch hand,” I replied. “If I had wanted you too then you would be rotting already.” Her eyes narrowed at me. “If I wanted too, you’d be puking your guts out,” she stated. “If you think one little ‘cut’ is going to make me respect you, you’re wrong.” “By Arceus, you’d give a Snorlax a run for his money in terms of stubbornness; though to be frank I believe it would beat you in beauty,” I told her before quickly stepping past her and appearing next to Fluttershy. “So, Fluttershy, would you please describe to me the amount of room I have to hunt?” As I fell into conversation with Fluttershy and the group began to move back out of the forest I heard Applejack quietly whispering to Rainbow Dash. “Keep a close eye on him up in the clouds.” “Yeah, of course,” Rainbow replied before she jetted into the air in a flurry of flapping wings. I turned to Fluttershy and quite clearly said. “I don’t believe she likes me.” “Oh... I suppose not,” Fluttershy said softly. “Although I’m sure given time you two will become the best of friends.” I turned to give Applejack a skeptical look. “I rather doubt that,” I stated. As we walked down the forest path, I could not help but feel the oddest sensation... it was as if I was being watched, aside from the constant glare from Applejack. I subtly glanced around, but found no one. Night was beginning to fall as we left the eaves of Everfree and I let out a yawn, I’d had a busy day... and although I’d spent most of it asleep, I was unreasonably tired. “It looks like we will have to conduct whatever business you had planned tomorrow,” I said suddenly. “I am far too tired to continue today so I will make my way back to my camp and-” “Nuh-uh, you’re not escaping us that quickly,” Applejack stated. “You’re not leaving our sight.” “I was unaware I was a prisoner,” I said with a small frown. “Though, I suppose I may as well be.” “Well, to be fair, you did say that you were a criminal,” Twilight put in. “So, even if you aren’t it makes sense to keep an eye on you.” “True enough,” I agreed. “So; who shall I be staying with? Fluttershy?” “Oh... I don’t know...” Fluttershy said with a small frown. “I know you said that you wouldn’t hunt on my property but I don’t really... trust you yet,” she added in a rush. “Ah,” I stated before wrinkling my nose. “I apologize Twilight, but I will not be staying with you.” “Why?” Twilight asked curiously. “Because your entire house stinks of ink,” I replied with an indifferent tone. “No offense.” “I... none taken?” she replied, not quite sure what to say. “Then I guess you’ll be staying with me,” Applejack said. “Can I not stay with Rainbow Dash?” I asked with a distasteful look at the mare. “Not unless you want to fling yourself down to the earth a hundred yards above it,” she replied. “Though if you do, then by all means go ahead.” “That sounds unpleasant,” I told her. “I suppose I will be staying with you then. Fear not, I won’t eat any of your livestock.” “Oh I’m sure you won’t,” she said with a mild disbelieving tone. “You know, I am being rather polite for your benefit, the least you could do is humor me,” I said flatly. “It is as if you don’t know the first thing about courtesy; and that is coming from someone who spent the last year praying on a mountaintop every single day.” “Oh I know it, it’s just I don’t see much reason to give any to you,” she replied. “Though you should count yourself lucky I’m even letting you come near my home and family.” “They will be fine,” I replied with a short shrug. “Though I hope you do not mind rising early. I hunt at dawn.” The mare just gave me a flat look. “That won’t be a problem for me... I’ve risen way earlier than that before.” "Congratulations then,” I told her. “I was not aware it was a contest.” “Okay; well, so long as you two are comfortable with that I’m going to turn in,” Twilight said. “I have a lot of letters to write to the Princesses.” I wrinkled my nose at that but managed to force a smile on my face. “Goodbye than Twilight,” I told her before looking at Fluttershy. “And goodbye to you as well Fluttershy.” “Goodbye Cress,” the mare said with a smile. “I hope you remember those boundaries we went over.” “I do,” I replied, nodding my head before turning to Applejack. “Lead the way, Applejack.” The mare nodded her head slowly before turning around and started walking, though now and then she kept slightly glancing back at me. “So, are you going to give me the silent treatment for our entire time together or are you going to ask me any one of the dozens of questions which I’m sure are running through your mind?” I inquired. “And let you try charm me with your honeyed words? I think not,” she replied. “I think you overestimate me,” I replied. “Now Belle; if she ever wanted to she could lie her way across the entire world,” I continued with a proud tone in my voice. “And I’m supposed to be comforted by that how?” she asked while glancing back at me with a flat look. “You’re not...” I told her with a subdued sigh. “I... only saw her for the first time in two years three days ago... forgive my mind for wandering to her.” The mare shook her head and turned her head back forwards, and the two of us fell into silence once more. “So why don’t you like ink?” she asked, not bothering to turn her head around, though her ears did perk towards my direction. “Ah, that,” I said with a small sigh. “When I was but a kit, not quite an adult but not a kitten, I pulled a carton of ink off of my... Master’s desk. It fell on me and I was the world’s first completely pink Absol.” “So that’s why?” Applejack asked, sounding a bit incredulous. “That sounds like a very poor reason to hate ink.” “I was pink for two months.” I told her flatly with a shake of my head. “Do you have any idea how excruciatingly painful that is if you are a kit? The only upside was that I believe that’s when Belle began to think of me as more than just her friend.” “No... but I still see it as a poor reason to hate ink,” the mare replied. “Much as you thinking the weather is too ‘perfect’ to growl at it.” “Ah, that reminds me,” I looked up at the pristine blue sky and growled at it. “As an Absol I can sense weather conditions with my blade,” I explained. “It is part of my innate nature to predict disasters... generally when you have unnatural weather conditions likw that, it means that there is some form of Pokemon mucking about preparing to unleash a severally powerful wind storm or a freak tornado.” Applejack glance back at me with a raised eyebrow. “Well... it’s common weather here, since the pegasus ponies are the ones who control it.” “Oh...” I frowned for a moment. “That must be convenient, though I don’t quite understand how when the clouds are miles in the air.” "Actually they’re only a few hundreds yard away and-” she stopped herself and shook her head. “It just is, okay,” she stated turning her head back forward. “Belle would have a scientist’s heart attack,” I mused to myself as I eyed the clouds. She was right... they were closer than I was used too. “Or... she’d be so excited by all the new possibilities that she would lecture me about it for hours,” I added with a fond smile. How had I survived two years without her beautiful brain? We remained silent for a little while longer before I asked. “So, you’re family, what is it like?” I inquired politely. “What about my family,” she asked suspiciously. “I’m going to be staying with them, in some form or another,” I explained irritated, irked by her suspicion. “So, I would like to know a little bit more about them.” “Who says you’ll be getting to know them,” she stated. “I suppose I just assumed,” I said with a small shrug as we walked along the gravel road. “I guess I was wrong about that. I would not harm them you know.” “Don’t be surprised I don’t fully believe it,” she said. “Why would I bother?” I asked her incredulously. “There’d be no point in eating them, they aren’t prey. Not to mention that they would most likely put up a fight of some form and as I’m still recovering from my last I wouldn’t take the chance of becoming wounded again,” I listed off. “And besides that, it’s wrong to kill without just reason.” “I’m sure,” the mare muttered out in a cynical tone. “It’s true,” I said in a low voice. “I pray for every life I take... speaking of which.” I bowed my head and closed my eyes though I managed to keep up with her regardless. “Father Arceus, I have taken another’s life in self-defense as well as defense of an innocent. I pray that the soul of the Manticore I have slain reached you and that you welcomed it with open arms,” I intoned clearly and with my usual conviction. Then I opened my eyes to see Applejack looking at with a bewilderedly raised eyebrow. “What?” I asked her, confused. “Do you not want the Father to accept him?” “I have no idea who this ‘father’ you’re talking about,” she replied flatly. “Father Arceus, the creator of all Pokemon,” I said reverently. Despite his refusal to answer my call personally... upon further thinking, I’d realized that Giratina hearing my pleas was most likely his doing. “Never heard of him,” she told me. “Then again, I don’t think us ponies, or anything in Equestria, are called ‘Pokémon’.” “That’s true enough,” I said with a small shrug. “Still, I’m sure whatever deity watches over the souls of this world appreciates my prayer.” “Hrmph,” was her only reply. I gave her a sidelong glance, I was not overly troubled by her lack of faith... Arceus knows I was not exactly a moderate and I didn’t expect others to follow suit. She however ignored me as we approached a large farm. The smell of apples filled the air and I felt the small part of my brain that remembered my last Puff let out a long mournful sigh. “Apples...” I said in a soft tone. “Yes, I hope you don’t ‘hate’ that smell too,” Applejack said, glancing her head towards me. “Quite the opposite in fact... one of my last good memories with my Master was him giving me an Apple Puff...” I said before looking down. “My last good memory in fact.” “Master?” Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow. “Yes, my human Master,” I answered. She still gave me a questioning eyebrow, still not understanding what I meant. I let out a slight sigh. “In my world there are two main groups. Pokemon and Humans. We live together in harmony for the most part but times were not always good so the Humans created ways to capture and store us safely,” I began to explain, most of this is recycled from Belle’s lectures, so I could have been mistaken about any number of things . “Over time the ‘Poke Balls’ stopped being used that way and instead we became living weapons in their wars which makes sense. Why send a dozen humans when all you need to tear through a wall is a single Aggron who has skin made of solid steel?” I asked rhetorically. “Anyways; as times went on humans became less inherently violent, or maybe more so but in a better less destructive manner, and Pokemon became their pets. Thus, they became our Masters,” I finished. The mare continued to give me a perplexed look before shaking her head. “That... doesn’t make a lick of sense to me... but then again pretty much everything you say doesn’t.” “I thought I explained it rather well personally,” I replied as we neared a large farm house. She stopped a few yards away from it, and I did so as well. It was a large red building with the typical farm house decorations. I sniffed and found that the air was even more full of apples. “Big Mac, I need to talk to ya,” she called out into the farm house. Nothing happened for a moment or two, but then the front door to the house open and a large red ‘pony’ emerged. He caught my eye immediately because to be honest, he was the first pony I’d met to physically impress me in any way other than oddity. He was big as a house and I had the oddest feeling that he might even be able to give a certain Rapidash friend of mine a run for her money in terms of strength. Big Mac glanced at me, and gave a questioningly raised eyebrow at Applejack. “I’ll explain later, right now I want you to make sure Apple Bloom or Granny Smith don’t enter the barn any time soon during the night or in the morning,” she told the red stallion. She then frowned slightly and rubbed a hoof under her chin. “In fact... have Apple Bloom pack some of her stuff and head over to Sweetie Belle to spend some of the nights... I’m sure her parents won’t mind.” Big Mac nodded his head wordlessly and head back inside. Applejack then turned her head towards me. “Come on, I’ll take you to your ‘room’,” she informed me while gesturing her head to a building next to the farm house. I followed and was shortly lead into a large building filled with industrial farm equipment, and hay... lots and lots of hay. It smelled like... hay (duh), rust and oil. My nose wrinkled in disgust but I sighed, I’d slept in worse places, at least there would be a roof over my head if it rained; thank Arceus. I’d once had to spend the night in the middle of a field in a torrential downpour... it was not one of my fonder memories, nor was the next day. So I turned to Applejack and smiled. “Thank you for the room,” I told her. “Do you happen to have a blanket of some sort?” “The hay can keep you warm if you dig yourself into it,” she replied. I stared at her for a moment. “I know that you may not like me, but as my host the least you could provide is a blanket,” I told her with a frown. “And like I said, you’re lucky I’m even letting you come here,” she restated firmly. “Well I wanted to sleep in my camp but you made me come here instead,” I said angrily, my nerves starting to fray. “So either you find me a blanket of some sort or I cut a hole through the side of this building and return there.” Applejack’s eyes narrowed at me, but she reluctantly said. “Fine... you’d better be here when I come back,” she stated as she turn and exited the barn. “Thank you,” I told her with a smile. “And don’t worry, I will be.” She came back a few minutes later with a folded blue blanket clenched between her teeth. She tossed it over to me with a simple flick to her head. “There you go, happy?” “Very,” I said after I caught the blanket and began arranging it on the floor. “See you at dawn.” “You better,” she replied as she exited the barn once more. I spent several more minutes arranging the blanket properly before I settled down atop it. A small sigh of contentment escaped my lips before it was followed quickly by a yawn. It had been a long day for me... though not an overly unpleasant one. Perhaps I was one step closer to finding my absolution.