An Outlaw's Shenanigans, an Explorer's Horror

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(Energy - 5)

The Icy Lands were just as cold as Sova remembered them. Actually, it was colder since this time he was much farther in, nearing Mt. Frostmeer. Luckily, the snow wasn't obstructing vision, or he might have gotten lost trying to find it. Why was he even here? He thought about turning around, but the idea was quickly discarded as he was reminded of a voice echoing through his head.

His recent hallucinations brought on by the peak of Black Mist Mountain hadn't lasted with him for more than one day, yet he was still hearing the voice in his head, insulting him, calling him weak. Not because of any drug, but just because he couldn't forget it. The only thing he felt would ease his mind of the voice was to prove it wrong. What better way than risking death to climb a mountain for no sensible reason?

Even though he felt exhausted already just getting there, he didn't let up even for a break. He had to prove to himself that he wasn't weak. Though....proving something that isn't actually true in the first place usually isn't easy.

Sova turned to the wall encasing his deceased parents and approached it. He placed a paw on it and closed his eyes, trying not to cry again. He then turned away from the wall and back to Mirage.

He took a few steps towards the zorua before answering. "If you wanna get me to help you, you should try making me care if YOU live or die. Because right now, I don't care what happens to me." He said as he walked by Mirage.

"If you're coming, you'd better keep up." He muttered.

"You'd better watch your damn mouth, I don't care if you went through some crazy sh*t back there, I'm not going to take that!" she snarled. She followed the eevee, "I may be an outlaw, but as of right now the only hope of making it out of this damned dungeon alive is through teamwork. Even a fool knows that, as for your little 'I don't care' attitude' you better damn well care," Mirage thought for a moment, trying to think of something to get the eevee to work with her for the duration of the dungeon, "What would they think if they saw you like this? Hm? A pathetic little wimp that isn't even relishing the fact that he took revenge for them?"

Sova laughed, but it was clearly not a laugh of joy. More like a laugh of knowing something someone else doesn't know and finding it funny. "Heh....heheh. Like I said, I don't really care if I live or die right now. I'd much rather stay here for a while than leave, but I'm looking out for you instead. You may not wanna change my mind." He spoke in a....not really depressed, moreso emotionless manner. He sounded as broken as he looked, and was. In his eyes, there wasn't much for him to live for. He had no one to go to. The closest thing to comfort that was within reach was a snarky criminal.

Mirage gave a short and strong huff, stopping as the glaceon went on. If the kid wanted to die, then fine! Let him die on his own. She was about to go the opposite way, away from the evolution pokemon. She stopped, a small voice in the back of her mind demanding for her to go back and comfort him. He had nobody at the moment, and judging from how he acted it seemed like he had nobody. Mirage remembered the sneasel she had met a while ago, one that had befriended her despite her being an outlaw and such a jerk to them. She had not seen the sneasel since, but it had promised its friendship none the less. She sighed, she couldn't just let the Glaceon go like that.

She rushed to catch up with the ice type, "Hey, look, i'm sorry man. That must have been really rough...if you want to talk about it i'm here. I know I haven't been the kindest to you but talking to somebody about things is better than just holding it in."

'Keep this up, and your demise is certain...' the voice seemed to flip sides and hiss in a dark tone.

'Shut up, I know...just shut up,' she responded to it within.

Sova looked down at the ground as he walked, not stopping for even a moment as the zorua turned around, or as she decided to come back. He then abruptly came to a halt after Mirage had finished speaking and lifted the charm on his necklace with a paw, into better view. It had cracks on it. Likely from getting knocked around earlier in the battle. "I bet you wanted to rob me earlier. Guess that doesn't matter now, the only thing I have that's worth stealing is now damaged...." He muttered.

"So....if you're actually sorry and you actually wanna talk....alright. I don't know what to do." His voice was quiet, as he was hesitant to tell the previously hyper-judgemental zorua anything that could help to insult him.

"What do you mean you don't know what to do? How about going home and laying down for a bit? After all that i'd probably just want to go home and be left alone for a while to think. You're an explorer right? If you die then many many others possibly could because you weren't there to help them. Yes i'm actually sorry. Yes I actually want to talk as well," she spoke. She herself felt a bit forced to, but it was a battle between general morality that she was learning and her own morality. She didn't know which one was right. How would she live if she kept it up like this?

'Last time...I promise' she thought to herself.

"I mean I don't know what to do for my future....I want respect, but no one gives it to me, even if I respect them.  I tried to get respect by helping others, and not even that works.  You seem happy....but you're a criminal.  So....how do you stay happy if it's not by helping others?"  Sova glanced over to the zorua, partly to show it was her turn to talk and partly to make sure he was still talking to Mirage.  She seemed so different from earlier.  What happened?

Perhaps she still planned to rob him.  But now he had evolution over her and nothing to lose, so that wasn't really a worry.  Besides, this was....different.  She seemed nothing like earlier when she tried to pretend to be kind and innocent.  This seemed sincere.

"I'm happy because i'm doing what I was made to do," she spoke. Although she wasn't happy, she just thought she was happy. Her recent morality issues certainly made her life miserable, though she was not at the point of suicidal. She had to live, death was a cowardly way out. She didn't know what was behind death's doors for sure, there was no way TO know. There were ghost pokemon who claim to be the dead, but then whats beyond that death?

"You don't just get respect, at least pokemon worth having around don't just give it to you. You have to earn it. Helping others might earn their debt, but that has nothing to do with respect as far as I know. I don't know how you actually GET respect though. Not many respect me, but when they do its someone who is on the same side. I don't know why though, so its not exactly a good question for me. I can't tell you how to be happy as well, that stuff you have to find on your own."

Sova thought for a moment. It seemed to him that Mirage wasn't exactly good at being nice, but at least she was trying. "Well, I guess if I can't get respect for doing good and I can't get any close friends, the only way left for me to be happy is to do what I want...." He paused for a moment. "Unless you'd be interested in mending one of the other possibilities...." He continued, hoping he wasn't being too cryptic.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" she asked, not quite sure what the Glaceon meant. One of her eats lowered and her earrings made a slight clinking sound as they collided with each other.

The sky above her was bright and sunny, as if the events from earlier had not happened, and everyone was having a glorious day filled with happiness and cheer. The rays struck any below it, offering warmth to the freezing pokemon below and encouraging those to stay away from the shadows and stick to the light.

Sova stopped for a moment and shrugged, before continuing to walk. "I need a friend....and I don't know why, but I like you." He spoke quietly. Surely what he was saying sounded absolutely pathetic, at least to the zorua. But he really needed something worth living for....lest some poor innocent soul be hurt because of his emotional instability. Just one real friend was all he was asking for. Surely that wasn't too unreasonable.

"So, I understand if you aren't interested....but I'd really appreciate it if this wasn't the last time we talked."

"Uh sure..." Mirage spoke, a bit uneasy at how the wording but using context clues to guess he was not meaning what she thought he meant, "So you're quitting your job as an explorer? If you're found to be associated with me, you'll probably be put into the outlaw status and kicked from the guild. Perhaps thrown into jail, interrogated painfully for information on me, and perhaps a psychic pokemon looking into your mind or hypnotizing you and forcing you to say things and such." She stated matter-of-factly. It was common knowledge that even though the guild was rather laid back, it was strict on its policy for having zero stains on the record, and befriending an outlaw without turning them in would definitely count as a stain. A large, bright, bloody, and red stain.

Sova let out a faint laugh. "Hah. Well, if I'm found out, I guess I'm an outlaw. But till then, I'll stay in the guild. Don't worry, I won't turn you in or anything. Actually....I'm probably in a better position to protect you since I'm in the guild." He said nonchalantly. He wasn't really worried about being caught if he was branded an outlaw. The only thing he'd be worried about would be putting his friend in danger.

"And it's good to know you're worried about me getting caught and all, but don't worry. I'm good at talking my way out of things....and if that fails, I'm good at fighting and running."

"Surprised you're not asking what i'm even wanted for," she replied, "You seem pretty confident. I heard the guild master is pretty strong. Some kind of plant dino thing that can shoot vines and grab you from miles away. Never saw her myself even with my small trips to the guild in disguise. You'd think they'd have a better defense mechanism or better identification process but no, I can waltz in and out as I please with Illusion," she snickered with glee at her outsmarting the guild. She knew that telling the guild member might cause an upgrade in security, but then it would only make things trickier and more challenging. It would be a bit more fun that way.

"Eh, she's getting old and now and I've got a type advantage. I'm not too worried about her. The only one I'd be worried about is William...." He trailed off. That gengar would surely stop at nothing to either convert or arrest him if he were to become an outlaw.

"As for what you did....I can imagine that you've had a rough past and done bad things. I'm pretty sure you were planning to try to rob me, after all. But I like you, don't really know why, but I do. That's all that matters. If you wanna talk about it, I'd love to, but it's not something I wanna press on you."