(I would just like to apologise for the fact that the second person perspective is largely messed up here and it jumps into "eye-of-god" as we call it. Sorry for this, but for purposes of drama I have taken some liberties, I hope you forgive me)

The trail was sharp on her nostrils, the deep earthy aroma of her friend, the strong, overwhelming odour of the Ninetails. She ran through the bushes, barrelling along in her sleek form, when suddenly another aroma danced on her sensitive nostrils.

Feline.

Her ears flattened instinctively as something pounced on her, rolling her over with its large paws. She aimed for the Persian’s face, spraying it with water, but it appeared to have little effect on the cat, which stood on its hind paws and flung its paw in the air, as though throwing something.

Coins, razor edged, spun through the air, cutting through the Vaporeon’s dense fur. She squealed as the cat pounced again, pinning her to the ground. Its jaws about her throat.

"Can ya run?" It purred, "I think not, I think not."

<<Well fancy that, a talking kitty,>> she stated, matter-of-factly.

"No I ain’t," it replied.

<<Okay, if you say so.>>

"Yer’re my lettle puppy now," it growled, "I bet da masta will be more den happy to see yer!"

And then a crackling of leaves and twigs was heard as a shape pushed its way through the trees.

"My, look what the cat dragged in," said Giovanni, a sly smile on his cruel face.

*

"I think it is time we went back and found the others," Cassandra said, although without conviction. With her short stubby fingers she traced the fur on Nothing’s chest, revealed by his opened shirt. Their clothing was in a healthy state of disarray, Cassandra’s had been singed by the Rapidash, snagged on bushes, and now hung from her stocky frame in tattered remnants. Nothing’s was not helped by the fact that the Vulpix it had formally belonged to had been a good five inches shorter then him, and hung oddly on his muscular body.

He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. "As you wish," he said, and frowned when she burst out laughing. "What?"

"Sorry," she said around spluttered laughter, "you just remind me of Wesley, that’s all?"

"Wesley?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, then chuckled. "Ah, right, in the movie. You know, the school did blow up, we should see how Brooke and the others fare." But his voice too, lacked conviction. He scooped her up in his arms, and she wrapped hers about his neck, staring into his beautiful pale blue eyes. She had never felt so comfortable with anyone in her life, had never been around a man like him and not suffered the terrible curse of having her tongue tied. She felt warm inside, like someone had finally filled her with an inner heat.

She smiled at him. "Why is it you call yourself Nothing?" She asked. "You are not Nothing, you are something to me, something special."

"I believed my life was cursed, but then something happened, a ray of light stronger then anything I had ever witnessed, entered my life. You," he added, in case she hadn’t got the idea.

She felt herself go all weak and wobbly inside and knew now how Brooke had felt.

And why she hated love so much.

"So, can you be Saffire now?" She asked him, almost nervous. But she could not call him Nothing, the whole concept chilled her. Saffire was a beautiful name, and managed his pale eyes and his silver-white fur.

"For you, milady, I will be anything," he said.

So wrapped up in each other were they, that the first news they had of any intrusion was a thick rasping purr and a voice.

"Oh, how cute, I hate to disturb you love birds, but I think you have something I desire."

As one they whirled (quite easy as Saffire was still holding Cassandra) to see standing there a man about the thirties mark. His dark-blond hair was cut short into a tidy style and a cruel smile crossed his thin lips. Wrapped firmly in his arms, a knife pressed against her throat, was Brooke.

She was staring at them wide-eyed and naked, a look of terror in her eyes.

And around his ankles paced the largest and sleekest Persian they had ever seen. Cassandra gasped, clinging tighter to Saffire, pressing herself against him.

"What do you want?" The Ninetails growled, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, nothing much, a simple trade, the blue finned girl for her." He nodded at Cassandra. "It seems one cannot trust hired help anymore. Tell them what became of those fools Persian?"

The Persian flicked a blood-red tongue over its lips. "Oh, dey suffered for dere stupidity," it snarled, making Cassandra gasp in surprise. "Dere ain’t nothing like da taste of Sandslash on an empty stomach."

"Of course, Persian jests," Giovanni continued, "we had not the time to eat all of them, I cannot have my companions getting fat now, can I? Fat and lazy?"

The Persian strolled forward boldly and rubbed its long body against Saffire’s legs. The Ninetails stepped back, but his burden of Cassandra hindered him and he could not avoid it rubbing its velvety fur against his. It rumble-purred loudly, and sat down a short distance away, licking its paw in a disinterested fashion.

"Oh, I think de lettle one shall be most tasty," it continued, rubbing the dampened paw over its ear.

‘Come one step closer," Saffire warned, "and I shall not be responsible for what happens!"

Giovanni smiled slyly again. "Oh, you think you have the right to threaten me. Really. The spirit of some Poke-freaks nowadays. I have a whole army at my command and what do you have? A little Sandshrew girl, some tattered clothing and," he shook his head sadly, "probably enough energy left to attack a Rattata."

"Put her down!" The Ninetails commanded.

Giovanni laughed, and pressed the knife close so as to make a cut in her ruff. "Oh, you are so convincing, see me quake in my boots! I only ask one thing, you give me your girl, and I shall give me mine. A fair trade do you not think? One for one?"

Brooke let out a startled gasp as the knife dug into her Vaporeon ruff, drawing a pinpoint of scarlet blood.

"Quickly now, before I decide to kill her!"

Cassandra looked at Saffire, right into his blue eyes. "I have to go," she said.

"No, why?!" The fear was so evident in his voice it almost broke her heart.

"Because all of this is my fault."

Puzzlement crossed his face. "How do you figure that?"

"They want me, for some purpose. Brooke followed me, probably to see if she can help. If I wasn’t captured she would still be free and this wouldn’t be happening. I have to go."

She squirmed out of Saffire’s arms and stared at Giovanni, holding her arms out.

"Okay, let Brooke go."

"Pesian?" Giovanni commanded.

Before Saffire, in his weakened state could object, Persian lunged, knocking Cassandra into the dirt. The Ninetails stepped forward, ready to pull the cat from her, but the sleek feline shook its head.

"Nuh uh uh, fur-boy," it growled. "Dis here is mine now and yer can keep ya hands off. One step closer and I’ll tear out her throat. Yer betta believe it!"

Saffire was torn. Renardo’s friends had weakened him so much that he could barely stand, and certainly not fight, but he had to save Cassandra. Even if she did not want saving.

"You said you’d do an exchange," he said softly.

"Oh, I did, didn’t I?" Giovanni looked almost surprised for a moment, then he dropped Brooke and pushed her towards the fox.

She staggered, her legs folded and she fell into the dirt at an awkward angle.

"What have you done to her?" Saffire exclaimed, running towards her in a limping gait.

"I never said what state," Giovanni replied, and brought his hands together, forming a cup. A dark purple-red light began forming between them, and then exploded forth, striking her in the back.

She spasmed several times then lay still. Saffire reached her at just that moment and crouched down beside her.

"What did you do to her? how did you do that?" He tried to turn her over, cradle her. She made no movement.

"You don’t really think that with all my gene manipulation, I could resist enhancing my own a little, do you?" Giovanni gloated. "And now I have the girl, I will know the secrets, I shall be invincible!" He threw back his head and laughed.

Persian growled, batting at Cassandra’s head playfully. Every bash sent stars flickering in her vision and she knew that she could not stay conscious much longer.

"Is, is she dead?" She asked Saffire.

Saffire fumbled for a pulse, feeling a flickering like a tiny, dying bird. "Not yet," he replied. "Not yet."

"Good," Cassandra replied.

"You won’t get away with this," Saffire growled, trying to get the energy for a final attack.

"Al contrair," Giovanni grinned, "I think I already have." And he cupped his hands again, aiming one of the attacks at Saffire. Cradling Brooke’s head, the Ninetails could hardly dodge, and he felt it seer through him, draining him of life and energy. He sagged over the Vaporeon girl.

"Persian, let us leave these fools in peace," Giovanni muttered, gesturing to the cat. "And render her incapacitated."

And the Persian swung its paw about in a devastating blow, and darkness ruled again.