//------------------------------// // chapter 16 // Story: A New World, a New Ranger // by ed2481 //------------------------------// “I need to go somewhere,” Abby said. She’d been lying beside Kasai for the last hour or so, having woken up from her nap half an hour after she’d fallen asleep and felt no reason at all to leave her Mate’s warm embrace as he laid his head across hers and snuggled his paws around her. “Okay, where?” he asked, not releasing her from his hold. At the moment... Abby was vulnerable. She’d never taken big emotional events well... Hell, he was surprised that she’d taken becoming a Pokemon so well. Then again, that was more of a physical change he supposed. “I don’t know,” she stated flatly. “Just... somewhere.” “Okay, mind if I come with you?” Kasai asked, giving her cheek a lick. “Yeah... sure...” she closed her eyes and then leapt out of the bed, stopping only long enough to grab her translation badge before she was out the door, her nine tails flurrying around her as she broke into a sprint out of the station, ducking and diving around and over various ponies. Kasai sighed before he set off after her, though he kept a slightly slower pace and was much more polite than she was about things. Eventually, out in the street, he caught up to her. She was walking now, her head lowered slightly. “Kasai... I’m pregnant...” “Yes, yes you are,” Kasai said giving her head a comforting, affectionate nuzzle. “I already told you not to worry about it right now. You’re going to be a great mother.” Abby shivered. “I... I hope so... it’s just... just a lot to wrap my head around,” she muttered, lowering her head. “Indeed it is,” he agreed with a small nod. Abby turned and glared at him. “How are you being so calm about this?!” she barked. “Oh, I’m not, I’m just acting like I am because you need a rock,” Kasai answered with a small smile as he bent down and nuzzled her. “I’m actually freaking out really badly at having to be a good example to a puppy, not to mention everything else that goes with that...” Abby let out a shuddering breath and then glanced at him. “I’m being kind of selfish aren’t I?” “Kind of,” Kasai agreed with a small smirk. “But you’re forgiven.” “Thanks Kasai...” Abby trailed off, cocking her head to the side. “Do you hear that?” Kasai blinked twice and his nose flared. “Anger and pain and fear... water type,” he said slowly before glancing at Abby. “I’ll lead the way.” “Of course,” Abby said without a thought, it was the way those kind of things had always worked. So, with his nose flaring and his ears swiveling, Kasai took off at a run, deftly avoiding ponies, Abby running along behind him. It didn’t take them long to find the scene of the fear and when they did find it, something in Abby’s mind froze. “YOU STUPID LITTLE MONSTER!” a mare was shouting at an Azurill, the eight inch high baby Pokemon cowering beneath the earth pony’s four feet of height. In the background, Abby was dimly aware of the fact that the town house that they were standing in front of was leaking water from beneath its front door. “I LET YOU INTO MY HOUSE BECAUSE YOU WERE ADORABLE AND YOU FLOODED IT?!” the mare roared, her face mere inches away from the little Azurill. “I-I-I didn’t mean to,” the Azurill squeked out. “I- I was just so happy to-” “SHUT UP! ENOUGH OF THOSE STUPID SQUEAKS! THAT’S ALL YOU CAN DO!” the mare screamed. “I-I-I-I-WAAAAAA!” the little mouse stuttered out before it began to cry a literal river of tears. “I SAID SHUT UP!” the mare yelled a final time before pivoting on her front hooves and lashing out with her rear ones, sending the Azurill flying at least a dozen yards before it landed painfully against a wall, falling unconscious. Something in Abby broke. “HOW DARE YOU!” she roared, her voice sounding in both the mare’s ears and her mind, all but deafening her with its volume and intensity. “SHE WAS JUST A BABY YOU STUPID BITCH!” Abby’s eyes were glowing a baleful blue as she snarled down at the mare, her sharp teeth on full display as streams of fire trailed around them. Her fur was standing on end as all nine of her tails swirled around the Ninetales in a deadly pattern. As much as he loved her and was worried for her, Kasai knew trouble when he saw her and began slowly sidling away from his mate. The mare’s eyes widened as they met Abby’s burning blue orbs of anger and the rest of the world fell away from her. The only thing that existed were the odd fox’s eyes. “You like hurting things?” the voice asked her, all anger having left its voice, the only thing that remained was ice. “For the rest of the day you will know nothing but pain and agony. Your every step will lead you closer to tragedy. When the day has passed there will be pain no more, but should you strike out again, the pain will return evermore.” With those words, the mare began to scream. Then she collapsed to the ground and began to scream more. Abby’s eyes dulled from blue to red and without warning, her body crashed to the ground, unconscious. “Abby!” Kasai shouted as he rushed up to her and quickly gave her a run-down with his nose. She appeared to be fine, but whatever it was that she’d done to the mare, who was still screaming as if a dozen burning hot needles were being driven into her flesh, had exhausted any energy she had within her. Kasai looked at the large crowd of ponies who had begun to form around them and made a snap decision. “Everyone step aside, this is official Las Pegasus Guard Business, anyone who interrupts could be arrested,” he stated loudly enough to be heard over the crowd. “I’m taking both of these two down to the station for immediate medical attention!” That said, Kasai rushed forwards and used his jaws to gently lift Abby onto his back, she was limp as a wet noodle. The mare proved more challenging however. No matter how gently he touched her, she unleashed a more agonized scream. “Okay... not working...” Kasai muttered to himself before glancing around the crowd and spotting a unicorn near the front. “You there! I need your help,” he barked at the stallion. “Me?” he asked, blinking twice. “Yes, I can’t touch her without causing more pain, I need you to carry her with your horn down to the station with me!” Kasai hurriedly explained. “That’s a long way away and she’s very heavy... but I’ll try my best!” the stallion said, giving Kasai an uncertain nod as his horn lit up, it’s red aura wrapping around the screaming unicorn and lifting her into the air. The mare stopped screaming for a moment before she began to whimper slightly, her eyes leaking tears as a less intense but still extremely noticeable pain filled her body. “Ma-make-make-i-it st-st-stop!” the mare begged, though who she was begging, Kasai, the stallion, or the world itself, no one knew. “We’ll try,” Kasai assured her before glancing at the stallion. “Come on sir, we need to get her to the guard infirmary right away!” “Right!” the stallion affirmed. Kasai took off at a fast walk, his thoughts more on Abby and whatever it was that she’d done than with the screaming mare or the world around him. The world came into focus for Abby hazily, as if waking from a very heavy sleep. Her eyelids cracked open blinked twice over her twin red orbs. She felt... incredibly tired and exhausted... and yet... she had no idea why.