//------------------------------// // Chapter 19 // Story: Absolution // by ed2481 //------------------------------// I sat in the bed, my head bowed, my female hips sitting oddly on the soft bed. My brain was working overdrive. What was it that I was missing? It must have been something incredibly simple. And yet, I couldn’t do it! “Damn!” I cursed quietly to myself. My head hurt. My heart ached. It felt like there was a hole in it. And yet... I didn’t know what would fill it. I slumped down in the bed, Belle’s fur, softer than mine, matting against the bed’s surface and caused me to let out a small sigh of familiarity. Odd as it was... it felt good to see her again... to feel her touch. I wonder how much she felt the same. The sound of rapping hooves on the door startled me and I glanced up at the door with a frown. Who could that be? “Mr. Cres... can I come in?” Fluttershy’s voice asked from the other side. A sigh of relief left my throat and I smiled. “Of course Fluttershy, it’s your house, you don’t need to ask me first,” I replied, a slight tinge of amusement in my tone. “Oh... I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t entering at a bad time,” she replied, the door slowly swinging open as the yellow pegasus walked in, a plate balanced on her back with three ‘fish’ on it. “Anyways I brought you something... I thought you could be hungry since you hadn’t had breakfast yet.” My eyes widened and a smile crossed my face as I got out of the bed and crossed over to her. Without thinking about it, I gave her an affectionate nuzzle. “Thank you, I was indeed beginning to slowly descend into starvation derived madness.” “Oh... good thing I came when I did,” Fluttershy said with a small smile as she craned her head around to grab the edge of the plate with her teeth. She lifted it up and set it down in front of me, letting go of the plate and whipping a hoof over her mouth with some small distaste in her face. “Indeed it was,” I agreed before I bent down and sniffed the first of the ‘fish’. It didn’t smell like the ones that Zecora had given me, but I could truly not complain because it did not smell ‘bad’. It was the opposite in fact. With a grin I tore into the first of them, careful not to make too much of a mess for her as I ate the delectable flesh. Water Pokémon had never been my favorite of foods, but it had sustained Belle and I for a long time when we had been following the sea shore so I had a ‘soft spot’ for it. Fluttershy continued to smile lightly as she sat down in front of me. “So... how are you feeling? You’d been very quiet after Discord talked to you.” I licked my lips free of a bit of blood and fish eggs, she had managed to accidentally serve me a fish that was in spawning season. Lucky me, they tasted great! “Honestly? I’m feeling depressed. I feel like... there’s this hole in my chest and whenever I try to think of what goes in the hole, I get a mental image of myself...” I trailed off, shaking my head. “I really don’t understand it.” “I see....” the mare said slowly as she glanced down with a thoughtful frown. “Well... might I ask why you think you have a ‘hole’ in your chest?” “I don’t know... I just feel like there’s something missing,” I answered with a sigh before I went back to eating, quickly finishing the first fish and starting on the second. “I just... I’m so very tired of being alone.” “Well... didn’t you say you had someone waiting for you back home?” Fluttershy inquired. “Yes, my Belle,” I answered with a nod. “And might I ask... is that whom you were changed to?” she further questioned. “Yes, as I said before,” I agreed with a nod of my head. “Well... maybe your heart is telling you that it misses Belle very much and... would like to go back to be with her,” Fluttershy told me. I blinked. “You know... you might be ri-” “FLUTTERSHY!” Applejack’s voice roared out. The mare nearly jumped at the volume and I simply let out a groan. “Oh, what now?!” I growled under my breath. The mare looked out the window to see Applejack galloping up to her front door. “I don’t know... but you should stay here while I find out,” she answered as she got to her hooves and headed for the door. I closed my eyes, whatever Fluttershy had been saying forgotten as I glanced back at the fish and tore into them, the need to get as much food in my stomach before whatever else happened overwhelming any other train of thought. “What is it, Applejack?” Fluttershy asked the orange mare as she closed the door behind her. “That... thing just crossed the last line with me,” Applejack growled as she stomped up the pathway to her door. “He breathed fire at Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo!” Fluttershy’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh dear, were any of them hurt?” she asked worriedly. “Thank Celestia no, but that doesn’t change the fact he still did it and I don’t even have to remind you of the rules he broke doing so,” the mare stated firmly. “He needs to be detained and locked away, now!” “Now Applejack, I think you might be over-reacting,” Fluttershy said calmingly. “If none of them were hurt, it stands to reason that he wasn’t trying to hurt them. I mean, knowing those three they might have asked him to do it.” “Not the way I heard it, he breathed fire at them so they would stop poking him,” Applejack said with a deep frown. “So I’m not over-reacting when I say when he went over the line.” “I still think it would be best to get his side of the story,” Fluttershy replied. “He most likely didn’t think it was that bad of a thing to do.” Applejack closed her eyes and let out a steamy growl. “Fluttershy, I’ve had enough of your shenanigans of defending every little thing he does. He broke the law for this one, like it or not he has to be punished for this, not get a slap on the hoof this time!” “Are you part of the local guard?” Fluttershy asked her, a small hint of annoyance entering her voice. “Honestly Applejack, he doesn’t know our laws, and you aren’t in a position to actually enforce them, so I’m not sure what you planned to do by coming here.” “Just because he doesn’t know our laws doesn’t make him immune to them, Fluttershy!” Applejack exclaimed with a stomp of her hoof. “And I might not have the authority to really arrest him, but I have the right to get those who do, and even hold him down till they come.” “Applejack... please, just let this go,” Fluttershy said with a sigh. “It’s not fair, it’s not right, and you’re acting very badly.” “The law is the law Fluttershy, you can’t just keep defending him because of your kind-hearted nature; sooner or later, he needs to be punished for his actions,” Applejack stated. “I’m playing Discord’s advocate, Applejack, I’m defending him because no one else is going to or has so far other than Princess Celestia herself, whose judgement you should respect,” the pegasus replied calmly. “Then maybe I should get Twilight to bring her and see what she has to say about this,” the mare said in a bitter tone. “I’m sure that would be the best,” Fluttershy said with a nod and a smile. “After all, in most cases the guards don’t like it when we try and do their jobs, nor does the Princess.” “Fine, but don’t think they’re going to see it your way,” Applejack stated before stomping away and breaking off into a gallop. Fluttershy let out a sigh as her peaceful morning collapsed. She had the feeling that it was going to be a long day. I frowned, having heard all of the conversation. Why on earth was Applejack so upset? So I had breathed a few small strands of fire in front of the children, I had not hit them with it, nor had I attempted to. It was the kind of thing that happened dozens of times a day, and that was only counting fire, and not the things like electricity from a Pikachu or the winds from a Pidgey. There really wasn’t any reason to be angry about such things. Fluttershy walked back inside, letting out another sigh as she closed the door. She glanced over at me. “I must know... is what Applejack said true?” “What? That I blew a few strands of quickly fading fire in the air at the children? Yes, what is the problem? None of them were hurt and I was not trying to hurt them, simply make them stop poking me with a stick as I napped,” I answered with a shake of my head. “I would demonstrate, but Belle’s body is not capable of doing it.” The mare let out a small relieved sigh, though still had a troubled frown on her face. “Because Cres... it’s illegal for you do that within our borders. Whether you meant to harm them or not.” “Why?” I asked puzzledly. “There is no such law where I come from, so long as no harm was caused there is no foul. If there was, then it would be practically impossible for many Pokémon to live amongst humans at all.” “Because that’s how our laws work here, Cres... I know you’re already used to one way of living, but you must understand that might clash with our way of living,” the mare said. “And many ponies here are easily frightened or startled by predators such as yourself, so the rules are made so you won’t stir up trouble.” “Well, no one had the courtesy to tell me that,” I said with a frown. “All I was told was to not hunt within a certain area.” My crimson eyebrows knit together and a sob built up in my throat until I could take it no longer and lowered my head, tears in my eyes. “I... I just want to go home.” Fluttershy walked over to me and sat next to me, one of her wings draping over me and held me in a comforting hug. “It’s okay... once we cure you, maybe we can help you find a way to get back home.” “I... I know how to get home... I’m... I’m going to beg Giratina,” I moaned. “I... I can’t take this anymore. This... this entire place is twisted and makes no sense... I... it’s unfair. I...I didn’t do anything wrong!” Fluttershy remained quiet for a bit before nuzzling me. “No... not under your knowledge you didn’t.” I spent the next several crying until I finally pulled myself together. “So... so Celestia is coming, right?” “Yes... Applejack keeps to her promises, but don’t you worry, I shall defend you when she comes,” Fluttershy assured me. A smile crossed my face and I looked up at her for a moment before leaning forwards and giving her an affectionate nuzzle, a rumbling purr pulsing through my body. “You would make an excellent Pokémon Trainer, Fluttershy,” I told her with a smile. “And were things different... I would be honored to have you as mine.” The mare chuckled softly. “Well, I’m honored for you to say that... even though I don’t know what a Pokémon Trainer is... but I’m honored nonetheless,” she said humbly. “It is what my old Master was,” I explained. “Henry...” I let out a sigh and shook my head... now was not the time. “All that I ask is that I can return to my world so that I can be with the one who is most important to me.” Fluttershy nodded her head. “Of course... but-” “But I think you don’t want to go the way you’re looking now,” Discord’s voice interrupted from one side of the room. Our heads turned around to find him sitting on nothing stirring a pot with a wooden spoon. “You’re in luck, I just so happened to find some old ingredients I forgot in a pair of pants I own. Heh, who knew?” he asked as he pulled the spoon out and gave it a taste test. “Ahh, just right.” I gave the Legendary a frown, not trusting that he even owned a pair of pants to begin with... but I couldn’t really complain if it meant that I was to be returned to my body... after all... Belle would not be able to feel whole if I was not mysel- I blinked. Then I blinked again. And finally I blinked a third time. “I’m an idiot,” I groaned. Fluttershy frowned as she looked at me, while Discord only glanced at with me with an inquiring eyebrow. “What is wrong?” Fluttershy asked. “The... the hole in my chest... it’s... it’s how Belle feels without me,” I said softly, fresh tears filling my eyes. “And... and how I feel without her. I... I’m such a fool. A selfish, self centered fool. I... I left her without warning and then... then once she’d traveled all that way... I... I left her AGAIN!” With the last word I rammed my head into the floor... or would have if ‘Belle’s’ blade hadn’t been there. In the end... all I accomplished was getting myself into the embarrassing predicament of having my blade stuck five inches in the wood as tears streamed down my face. “Oh my...” Fluttershy said as she got up and walked in front of me. “You need some help?” she asked. “No!” I snapped as I tried to pull my blade out of the floor with several jerks of my neck. None worked though, I’d driven myself quite deep into the wood. Fluttershy took a couple of steps back when I snapped at her. “Oh... okay...” However, Discord had other ideas. “Oh don’t be such a sour grape,” he said as I felt his Pyroar paw grab the back of my head and effortlessly pull me out. I frantically checked to make sure my blade was still on my head, and to my great relief it was. “When a friend offers their help, you should at least accept it. And that’s really no way to reply to a lady.” “Sorry... I just... I’m... just give me the medicine so I can go home,” I said slowly, pointing my head to the pot. “Oh that?” the Legendary asked pointing a talon finger at the pot. “That’s not the medicine, that’s lunch for Fluttershy and I,” he told me with a small chuckle. “The medicine is in the back next to the bath tub ready to help you scrub off that poison joke.” My right eye twitched as I wiped away a stray tear. “Then would you please help me with it?” “I will,” Fluttershy answered as she walk next to me. “I’ll make sure to scrub away all of the poison joke off,” she add with a small smile. “Thank you,” I said, nodding my head as I started towards the door, the mare along beside me. As we walked, I hung my head. “Sorry... for snapping at you... this has all been... very stressful for me.” “It’s okay, I forgive you,” Fluttershy replied. “I understand how hard it must be on you, which is why I’m doing my best to help you.” I let out a sigh. “Thank you... I just... I wish you didn’t have to... I wish I was smarter... but I’m not,” I said softly. “All my life... I’ve been stupid... I... I don’t know why I was lucky enough for Belle to love me the way she does... Arceus knows I don’t deserve it, especially after the way I’ve treated her. I’m just... stupid.” “You’re not stupid Cres... just maybe a slow learner,” Fluttershy told me. “The two are entirely different, which one being the incapacity to learn, the other... well, you just don’t learn as fast as others.” “I guess,” I said despondently. “Still... I don’t deserve someone like Belle love me, or to have someone like you to support me.” “I support you because I know that deep down inside, you’re a good kitty, Cres... or Absol in your case. Maybe that’s what Belle sees in you too,” the mare said as we walked out back and up to a large tub full of water with a small bottle resting right next to it. “I suppose,” I said, unconvinced. Then I looked at the tub. “So... what do I do?” “Just sit there, and I’ll do the work,” Fluttershy told me as she pick up the bottle and used her mouth to pull the quark out. She then poured the liquid into the tub and motioned me to get inside. I frowned for a moment before stepping up to it and slowly got in. The water was a nice comfortably warm temperature and nearly reached up to my chest. “Alright, just stand still, I’m going to dump some of the water over you and start scrubbing you,” Fluttershy said before picking up a small bucket with her teeth. “You should be back to your normal self soon,” her words a bit jumble between the handle but were still clear. “Okay...” I said as the fact that this was the first bath I’d had in years suddenly hit me which was followed quickly by a bucket of water to the head. The water washed over me, and followed by another as Fluttershy worked at getting my whole body wet. As she did so, I saw some strands of red flowing down my body, tinting the water a bit. Then after one good splash near my rear I felt... three familiar weights returning... I honestly didn’t want to think how that was possible, but a small sigh of relief left my lips. “Oh, thank Arceus,” I said quietly to myself. Fluttershy moved on to a brush and began to give my coat a fairly decent scrubbing. With each firm downstroke, a bit more of the red ‘dye’ was removed, leaving a white patch of my original fur shining through. This went on for some time until at long last I felt like myself again and pulled myself out of the water. As I did so, my fur sagged down around me and I suddenly felt the urge to shake myself off. I glanced at Fluttershy who was smiling at me and decided to take a few lithe steps away before I did so. Water flew everywhere from me and I let out a sigh as a bit of ‘dryness’ returned to me. Then I turned to Fluttershy and saw that she was smiling a bit wider. “Thank you for your help Fluttershy, I feel like myself again,” I told her with a grin and a shake of my hips. “And that is a very good thing... I don’t know how Belle walks right...” “You are very welcome,” she said, her smile never leaving. “Now... do you need guidance to get back home, or are you’re good on your own?” I frowned for a moment before shrugging. “You can come with me to the pool if you’d like or you can stay here... I don’t think I will wait around for Applejack to return. She may call me a criminal if she likes but I simply do not care. Oh, and do tell Celestia that I thank her for the guidance she offered me earlier, as well as Zecora for the aid she offered me.” “If you feel you can do it alone, then I shall just stay here,” she said before walking up to me to give me a hug. “Be safe... and I hope you live a happy life back home.” A rumbling purr rolled through my chest and I bent my neck down against her for a long moment as an overwhelming feeling of gratitude washed through me. Then I pulled away and gave her a quick nuzzle. “Thank you for all you’ve done Fluttershy,” I told her before I turned and bounded into the forest, my thoughts of home and more importantly, Belle.