Snorlax was up early rummaging through the forest. Draco woke to one of his killer back fires. He held his nose and ran. Gagging on the heinous fumes he flew away to the nearby pond. As Draco swallowed gallons of water Pichu came running up to him.
"What are you doing up so early Pichu?" Draco ran some water over his face.
"Nero snores worse than Snorlax!" She giggled and began chasing grasshoppers.
"Don't go too far from camp Pichu! These are the woods not the city!" Draco decided a morning swim would be relaxing though, he wanted to keep an eye on the baby.
He sat watching the little one scamper around chasing all sorts of bugs. Draco examined his reflection. Why did he have to be so different? His horns came to sharp ends rather then blunt tips like any other char. He could stop exercising so his chest would no longer be so muscled. His green eyes were unusual and seemed to be the only thing that attracted females.
Draco would do anything to win back Charcole but, was his ugliness his greatest hindrance? He was rather normal as a charmander and charmeleon, why now? Why as an adult charizard had these features appeared?
His green wings lured a few females to him but, the worst was his belly. His belly was tight and revealed muscle rather than almost dragging to the floor. By any standard he was ugly to any hen. His love for water didn't help out either.
"My back is sore!" Cynder flopped down. "I need sleep! And food!"
"If you hadn't spent the night chasing tail you wouldn't have these problems!" Draco had his own problems and didn't feel like listening to Cynder bitch.
Ace ran out of camp with Nero and Jenny right behind him. All fanning fumes from Snorlax away from their noses. Nero almost retched, Ace began to rub pinecones against a tree.
"What are you doing!" Nero choked back tears.
"The oil will settle his stomach and he'll stop gassing us." Ace broke sharp edges off another cone, when he had about thirty he offered them to Snorlax.
"Just pokéball him!" Nero shouted.
"No! The smell will just seep out the ball then." Ace moved them out of the line of fire.
"Pathetic! You are all pathetic!" Qwil slapped her tail sending squirts of water over Draco.
"Grumpy trout!" Draco stuck his tongue out.
Charcole hissed at him as he passed. Draco glared at her. Grunting he knew it was time to talk with her and maybe have a little peace around the camp for once. Since she had been rescued by himself and Ash, Charcole had been rather vicious around all males.
"Listen Charcole! I don't know what's happened to you since the time I was living in Amber and it's becoming obvious the love we shared is over. So either make nice with me and my friends or leave! We haven't done anything to you! All I ever did was love you and now that is changing." He was telling a whopper, no matter what he would never stop loving her. "Friends?"
She had a hurt look as she watched him extend his paw in friendship. She turned away looking into the forest. In their youth when he was courting her he did anything from the tiniest thing to the extravagant just to make her smile. Cole remembered how he always made her feel when he was near her. He was then her perfect ideal of a mate and male, she looked at him now and she was disgusted. She turned toward him, was he like the drake he reminded her of. He never showed any signs of that cruelty that male had. She stared at him again. He had been so sweet toward her long before the Rocket War. A tear was at the corner of her eye. She threw her arms around him.
Why was she Jekyll and Hyde these days, he didn't know. He stood there holding her. His fingers felt every scale on her shoulders, he took in her sulfur smell. Draco's eye fell on her broken horn. He saw that it was cut off by a claw. His fingers fell upon a set of scars on her right shoulder.
He began to piece some of what happened together. His rage was immense. He kissed her forehead. She looked up with a expression he hadn't seen on her since Ace took him to Amber, he saw love on her face.
Her face changed in an instant. She growled and threw him down, stalking away she went further into the woods and spent the day hunting. Draco snarled and ran his claws against a piece of driftwood. Draco felt the rage boiling, he had never felt this level of rage before. He wanted to tear the male apart that wounded her. His jaws shattered the log apart.
"Relax Draco! You are not having the nightmare." Drowxena was in his dream as he slept. "I've seen nothing as you described."
Waking Draco watched Drowxena run her hands over his forehead. She sat back down.
"What did you make of it?" He whispered.
"I didn't see this dream you describe, I however saw some rather embarrassing thoughts you have Draco. And some disturbing ones." She was a bit red in the face.
"What do you mean?" He sweated.
"Well your dreams of Charcole are rather normal for your age group." He went red now. "Don't worry I left those dreams before any of the really juicy stuff happened. No, what bothers me are these other dreams of a black charizard that is hurting Charcole. Draco what are these dreams about?"
"Well I was looking at Charcole's wounds Drowxena and I've seen the type before. On females forced into ...." He felt his teeth bare again.
"So you are very intuitive. Yes, I've sensed it the first day she returned Draco. You want to hurt these males?"
"More than anything else." He sat up.
"Well it was more than just one Draco, I'm afraid since the Rockets took over Emerald she was being abused by their charizards. You should give up the thought of hurting these males and concentrate on helping her Draco. She needs you to help her out of the dark place she is in."
"How Drow? She won't even talk to me at times."
"I saw her with you this morning Draco. She still loves you only she is hurt inside and she can't heal it without time and you must show her that all males are not beasts! I love you like a son Draco. I never told you that but, I lost my children young and having you as a little charmander running around helped me get over that pain." She sighed. "You've grown and made me proud."
She kissed his cheek before strolling off to sleep. Draco had a warm feeling in his heart. Drowxena had watched over him so well that he had thought of her like a mother. He slept well that night with only soft wonderful dreams. Drowxena had used dreameater after all.
Ace watched the open fields before him. This was his last night in Emerald for who knew when. He understood why his ancestors loved the land. Without a king the people would now be sucked into the more modern world of democracy.
Amber was no longer safe harbor for him either. He was just as American as he was part of this land. Ace couldn't go home to Emerald nor could he go back to the apartment he called home in America.
“You could just release me Ace… Think of the greatness I can bring to you! Ace, we are so much alike! Thirst for revenge, thirst for power! Most of all thirst for blood!” Loki laughed, Ace shivered trying to force the invading mind from his. “We can make a world in which we rule and kill as we please. Think of the pleasure that would bring Garou! So much we could create and shape and reshape in our fists! Yes, a rule of blood!”
“Shut up! Shut up Loki! Just leave me alone you bastard!” Ace fell grasping his hands to his ears. “Damn you demon!”
“Why deny destiny? You shall see! The Neo Destiny is coming whether you like it or not! The time of apocalypse! Light versus Dark! Moon versus Sun! And when it is over the darkness shall prevail! The dark one failed to bring the Neo Destiny but… this Krell will bring it where she failed Ace! I will bask in the glory of the aftermath! The Dark Children shall rule Ace.” The demon laughed, Ace tried to shut the demon out but, Loki was growing stronger.
To be continued.............