The Barnyard Bandits

And then Mama-Milly started crying again, tears rolling down her cheeks in great riverlets.

Nosing his smaller friends, Bracken trotted over to her, "what's wrong Mama-Milly?"

She looked up, her huge eyes sad. "I just miss my child, that's all."

And then Bracken remembered his earlier quest - to find her missing baby. But over the last few days, the Stantler had grown a bit more mature, a little more insightful. "Where Mama-Milly last see him?" He asked.

"Far to the east, where the forests part and give way to grassland. That's where I came from, in search of my baby. My precious baby."

Bracken looked at Api and Akima, his eyes glinting. "What are we waiting for?" He asked the two of them, "let's go find him!"

"No," Milly cried, "you can't - it's too dangerous!"

But it was too late, Bracken's mind was set firm...

Akima looked at the Stantler oddly, his huge baleful eyes, and shrugged. Remembering her shoulder, she put weight onto her leg, and felt nothing more than a sharp bruise. Rubbing her against the shoulder, she felt the bone, which had a slightly different feel to her other shoulder, but was definitely not broken.

She strode once, twice, three times, back and forth, and the leg gave her little trouble except the limp....she still had a limp. The malformed bone was giving her slight trouble, and her leg dragged very slightly, making her limp. That was no trouble to her though. She was glad to have use of her leg again. *Whatever* it was that had just happened to her might have been weird....but it must have done the world of good for her leg.

Akima stopped pacing, and looked back at the Stantler. She knew nothing of this Mama-Milly person, but she couldn't turn Bracken down. He *was* the reason she was still here. She owed him. A lot.

Akima nodded, a little unsurely at first, then a lot more vigorously. "OK, Bracken. I'll go with you." she said.

Bracken did a little skip in the air then immediately looked embarrassed. He bowled Akima over playfully with his snout.

Suddenly something very hard and very cold hit him. He did another jump, out of alarm. "Quick Akima! Api! We under attack!"

Akima caught her feet as her legs were knocked from under her by the playful Bracken, and landed, unhurt, though maybe just a little dazed. Taking firm grip of the ground lest Bracken knock her again, she looked up to see that the deer's eyes were wide with fright.

He leapt up, this time, not with joy, but in panic, like the leap of a Springbok antelope fleeing from a predator, and landed. "Quick Akima! Api! We under attack!" he cried out. Unable to see, her head with all the dazed confusion, she herself panicked, and jumped much like Bracken had done second before. "What? Where?" she yelped, trying to avoid Bracken's heavy hooves.

More icy pebbles pelted down on Bracken's flank. He dodged about, careful to avoid kicking Akima, aware that even if he was small, he could do a lot of damage.

"Everywhere! Nasty-hard things fall from sky." His hide smarted as the hail bounced off him.

Milly stared at him. She had lowered her head and walked under an overhanging tree. "Is only hail, young'un," she said, "but you stay here with me, keep yourself safe!"

Bracken puffed out his chest, ignoring the hail that bashed into him. "I not scared, I brave and strong and I help make Mama-Milly happy again!"

The Miltank's eyes filled with tears and the Stantler stared at her in puzzlement. "Why mama-milly sad again?"

"You're sucha good boy," she replied tearfully, "I don't want anything bad to happen to you!"

"Nothing bad'll happen to me!" Bracken replied, "I got Akee-ma to protect me!"

Akima felt her ears redden, and she grinned embarresedly. She had just been appointed the task of 'protecting' Bracken.

"Umm yeah, I'll protect him...!" she smiled nervously, unsure as to whether this was part of his ploy to gain the permission to go on this search. 'Ah well' she thought silently 'I've got nothing to loose.' A hailstone flew into her eye. 'Apart from an eye.'

Bracken grinned at her. "Akee-ma is big and strong, she got sharp sharp teeth too! We be fine, mama-Milly, nothing gonna hurt us, except maybe falling rocksies!"

The hail had already died down, turning to rain, and then ceasing altogether. He shook the water from his face and ears. "We go at first sunrise, yes?" He asked Akima. "Not go now, it all darksies, and we need our rest, yes we do!"

So saying, he knelt down, lying on his side so that Akima could curl up next to him. He licked her head in a friendly fashion.

Api growled at the hail and rain as it pelted into her coat, but was surprised to find that it stopped almost instantly. She smirked at the clouds, even though she couldn't see them. She had been listening to her friend's conversation, but she was thinking about various things more than anything else. She shook her head and came back to her senses. "Can I come too?" she asked Bracken. She already knew the answer, but felt she may as well ask anyway. "I can blow fire, I'll be a good protector!"

She suddenly realised she had grown quite sleepy, probably because of growing up so quickly from having been an egg for a day. She yawned hugely and curled up beside the fawn, who looked like he was halfway to sleep already. She closed her eyes and listened to the noises of the night.

Bracken nuzzled the young Growlithe happily. "You come too, we be unbeatable!" He declared, before drifting off to sleep. Soon his snores filled the glade with noise.

*

Dawn came, bringing with it the sun. Bracken awoke and stretched his long, lanky limbs. The movement disturbed Api and Akima, curled up beside him. *My, I am a lucky Stantler*, he thought to himself, *having these two brave girls to keep me company!* For a moment he had forgotten what he was doing today, but then it occurred to him.

"I have to same Mama-Milly's calf!" He exclaimed. "Come on big, strong fighters! Let's start now!" And he nosed them both into various states of awakeness.

"Ohh bugger." mumbled Akima as she was nuzzled awake. She buried her face into her paws, and yawned, opening one eye to be confronted by Bracken's long face. "Yeah yeah yeah!" she grumbled, clawing his nose with her paw.

She stumbled awkwardly to her feet, yawned again, and realised how hungry she was feeling. When was the last time she had eaten? The rattatas? Her brain was fuzzy and she could not be bothered to remember at this time in the morning.

Regaining her equilibrium, she gradually remembered what she had promised Bracken, and groaned. "OK Bracken, I guess it's time to go..." she mumbled, looking at him sleepily, and really wishing she didn't have to do this, at least, not when it was so early!

Evin walked closer in front of Bracken he looked at his eyes for a moment, being ocasionally distracted by the playful nips of Eva on his ear "Bracken.. Is that true? Are you off to explore the land?" Evin felt a awful feeling of sorrow, he had meet the little one for a very short time, but he had grown fond of him, as his second son. Evin let go a sigh and looked at him once again "I wish i could go with you on your journey, but i have to take care of Eva and Pearl, I hope you understand." He looked away "Please take care, of you and of Akima and Api" small drops fell on the floor as a tear rolled off Evin's cheek. "Be sure to visit the burrow Son, we'll be waiting for you."

Bracken smiled sadly, licking papa-Evin's face. "I not gone long!" He exclaimed, "I came back all big and strong, like Papa-Evin!" He tried to disguise the tears in his own eyes.

Evin with eyes still closed nuzzled against Bracken, how much had he grown up! "No bracken, you need to be strong, like Bracken, find your own strength, I know you are very noble, and that is your strength."

The young stantler shook his head. "You strong one, Papa! I only hope I can be as strong as you, in here!" He nodded at his chest. When he lowered his head, it became obvious that small horns, littlle more then lumps now, were starting to push through on his forehead.

Evin could not reply, he just smiled at Bracken, he looked at Api and Akima "Please take care of you and of my Bracken." Evin looked back at Bracken, "remember, it�s in your blood to be cooperative, learn to work as a team." Evin looked to Eva and then at Bracken again. "Come back soon, we'll be waiting you! Now I have to go back with Manami...."

"Farewell!" Bracken called. "I'll be back soon!"

Evin stepped back still looking at his shortly adoptive son, he smiled a last time "Farewell!" Evin turned around and trotted away, he decided it was better not to make things slow, besides, Manami Slzer and Pearl where waiting for him. Over the sadness, Evin still felt a huge Relief by having Eva so close to him.

Without looking back, because parting was so hard, Bracken trotted off, Akima and Api beside him.

Api's ears perked up. Surely Evin hadn't told Bracken to take care of Akima AND Api, could he? She shook her head and barked back at Evin, "Dun worry, Bracken'll be a good protector!"

She wagged her tail and bounded off to catch up with Akima and Bracken. "I'm hungry, think I'll go catch something to eat." So she did.

She trotted into the bush and slunk close to the ground up behind a Rattata, licking her lips and mentally telling her stomach to be quiet for a few minutes. The Rattata still hadn't noticed her.

Tail down and ear flat to her head, she crouched, ready to pounce. She wiggled her bum to take aim, as cats do, and leapt from the bush, spurting fire as she did so. The Rattata squeaked in horror at the raging beast heading straight for it and dove to one side, but its hindquarters were badly burnt.

Api, her killer instincts taking over, leapt on the Rattata and threw fire right in its face. It let out one last squeak, scratched helplessly at Api and fell silent, scorched and blackened. Api wagged her tail and lifted the Rattata by the scruff of its limp neck and trotted proudly back to Bracken and Akima with her prize, pompom tail wagging.

Akima flared her ears as she saw Api approaching. In her mouth dangled the carcass of a Rattata. Akima felt her stomach churn, and her mouth began to run freely. Swallowing, the Preevee suddenly realised Bracken might not enjoy the site of a dead Rattata as much as she or the growlithe pup might.

Limping over to the growlithe, she tried to keep Bracken from seeing the dead creature. "Api!" she hissed in a hushed whisper. "Not now! Bracken doesn't eat other animals like we do -- it might scare him!"

Api stopped dead in her tracks and her tail slowly drooped to the ground. She glanced nervously at Bracken and slunk back into the bush, then dropped the Rattata. "Sorry," she whispered back, "Do you want some?" she asked, trying to change the mood a bit. Whatever Bracken thought of the situation, she was going to eat that Rattata, no matter what happened.

Akima mouth gushed with water at the offer, and she eyed the Rattata hungrily. Usually, she would turn down the offer (it was a pride thing) but she was hungry and hadn't eaten for days. There wasn't enough meat on the Rattata to kill both her and the growlithe, but it would be something.... So, she swallowed her pride and nodded.

Api smiled and started chomping at it herself. It wasn't long before the pair of them had polished off the Rattata, leaving nothing but the bones and a few strands for the Spearow. Api licked her slightly blood stained muzzle and flamed at the ground, cleaning off the blood left on her fur.

"That's better," she sighed. It felt good to fill her stomach again, even if it was only half a Rattata. "Better go back to Bracken now, I guess." She licked her chops again, burped, and bounded off happily to Bracken.

Bracken had been getting worried. It took him about five minutes to find food - grass and leaves were starting to appeal now, as he grew older, and no longer needed rich cow milk. He chewed his cud (if deer can do that) and waited a little longer. His forehead was itchy, so he scratched it against the bark of a tree, frowning at the furrows it left in the bark.

"I'm getting prickly!" He exclaimed. And then he saw that the Growlithe and the Preevee had returned. "You eaten enough now?" He asked, tearing off some leaves to chew on the journey.

*

Bracken and his two female friends had walked all day. The young Stantler's knees were aching and his feet hurt and he was so thirsty by the time they finally reached the lake that he drank until he could hardly move. The lake itself impressed him greatly. He had never seen anything so BIG before! The water, did it ever end? He admired the sunset, watching in awe as the sun disappeared, leaving a tint of vivid colours on the horizon. He had never watched the sunset before - the trees had always blocked the view. But, here there were no trees!

"Yeah." replied Akima, more cheerful than she had previously been thanks to her small, but sufficient meal. She trotted happilly over to Bracken, and careful to avoid his heavy hooves, secured herself a safe position. Then, she frowned. "Bracken? Where is Mama-Milly's calf? You haven't told us."

The young Stantler did not like to admit that he didn't really know. "Mama-milly says the Miltank come from the fields, far far in this direction (east), so if we go to where she came from, maybe someone know where her calf is? Then we find him, bring him back and make her happy again!"

"Easy!" yapped Api, seeing no problem in the 'far far' away part. She saw it as go, get the calf, come back, get a reward, with nothing inbetween. "Akima, why do you look like that?" she asked her friend, seeing the unsure expression on her face.

Akima looked at Api, and shook her head. "It... it's nothing." she said, trying to hide her nervousness. She, the only adult in the group, knew she was the only one capable of knowing the dangers of the journey. Api and Bracken were naive to these things, they did not quite realise this would not be as easy as they had first presumed. Akima knew better. The soft ache in her shoulder reminded her of this. Dangers were everywhere. They should not under-estimate their power

Bracken could sense that there was something wrong, and could not understand why she did not tell him. It bothered him a little, in a way he couldn't really put into words. So he didn't bother trying, he merely knelt down, there on the lake's shore, under cover of a few scrubby plants, and rested his head on the ground. He drifted quickly into deep sleep, tired fom all the walking, and in his innocence, not worrying about the dangers of the night. And he dreamed...

~ Hooves pounding the earth, something lunging, tearing, hot, steaming fire, blood... Death hanging in the air! Tearing thrashing, the pain like a great explosion in his chest, terror... ~

Bracken awoke again, letting out a faint shriek, his fur matted with sweat. His heart jack-hammered for a moment before he realised that he was safe, that there was no danger, no noise, save for the gentle calls of the night insects and a Noctowl hooting somewhere. He looked to the skies, seeking desperately for the bright stars that he recognised, but the stars were hidden in cloud. "Father," he whispered, "where are you?"

Akima jerked awake from her light sleep. She daren't sleep deeply now. When she did, the dreams came. Next to her, Bracken jumped, and she looked at him with concern. He sat frozen a second, and then said in a hushed whisper "Father...where are you?" Akima looked at him oddly for a second, and then put her nose to his flank. "Bracken? Are you okay?" she asked, trying to suppress the sleepiness in her voice.

Api's ear twitched when she heard the faint voices. Why was Bracken wanting his father all of a sudden? She yawned discreetly and padded over to Bracken, then climbed up on his back and struggling onto his head, trying to draw at least a smile from the fawn. "You okay, Bracken?" she asked, peering into his eyes, her face upside-down. She wriggled when she felt pointy things sticking into her chest and lifted her head. "Bracken, what are these pointy things?" she asked, peering through the blackness at the pair of bony lumps on Bracken's head.

Distracted from his worry at his father, Bracken rolled his eyes back, trying to stare at his own head. This wasn't successful, to say the least. It still felt itchy too, so he scratched it against a nearby tree. "They are itchy!" He exclaimed, "very itchy. But I dunno what they are, can't look at them. What do they look like?" Then he remembered something, and he smiled at Akima. "My father is up there," he said, motioning to the stars, "and he can see me, but I feel so much safer and happier if I can see him too." He sighed. "But maybe I see him tomorrow night!"

He nosed Akima gently. "Sorry to have waked you up," he said gently. And glanced at the sky. "I feel so lonely, I cannot see my father." He gestured with his horn-buds at a patch of cloud. "That's where he watches me from, I know it, I feel it in here." And he motioned at his chest. "It's gonna be dangerous, Akeema," he continued, "I can tell, I can feel it. There will be much danger and pain. I no want you to get hurt."

Again, Akima looked at the Stantler fawn strangely, and then nuzzled him once more. "You sleep now. You need to rest...you've walked a long way." she yawned herself, and rest her chin on her paws. "You too Api. Sleep"

*

Api streatched and yawned, wagging her tail happily after her peaceful sleep, although slightly interrupted by Bracken's dream, she let that slip. In fact, she couldn't remember whether it was reality or just a dream herself, so she didn't bring the topic up.

She saw that her two companions were still sleeping, and slunk off slowly and silently to find something for breakfast. All she found was a Caterpie, but she felt that it would be better than nothing, so she crept up behind it just as silently and pounced. Of course, the Caterpie had no hope. Even if she had been sitting right in front of the Caterpie, it would probably not have been able to escape. She sunk her teeth deep into the squidgy body, ripping the crispy shell from her breakfast.

Bracken stirred with the sun after finally drifting off into a sleep borne of weariness. He stretched, itching his head against the tree again. Its bark was starting to look somewhat the worst for wear.

Akima, who had not had a very good night's sleep, grunted, and opened one eye. With a groan, she rubbed her eyes with a paw, and stood up shakily, feeling the cool heat of the sun on her back. Her belly was cramped with hunger, but she ignored this, and shifted over to the Stantler fawn. "Okay okay." she yawned, scratching one ear half heartedly. "I'm awake."

Suddenly Bracken noticed that Api was absent. "Where's Api?" He asked, and then his sensitive ears picked up a disgusting sound, a sound which sent a shudder down his spine. "There's something bad there in the bushes, but don't fear Akima! I'll protect you from it!" And stepping over the little Preevee protectively, he peered through the bushes, letting out a relieved sigh when he saw it was only Api.

Bracken paled as he saw his Growlithe-friend crunching through the hard skin of the little caterpillar pokemon. He had known that his companions were hunters, killers, but it still made him feel a little nauseous.

"Enjoying your breakfast?" He asked, a little bit weakly. "Cos we better getting moving soon, I think we're near the Miltank fields!"

As if on cue, a lowing "mmmmiiiilll" sounded form somewhere to the south west.

*

Slightly disturbed by Api's breakfast, Bracken was still eager to get a move on, and they shortly came to a fence. Beyond it a flock of Mareep grazed peacefully, "marrr"-ing in the morning sun.

Bracken stared at the fence. It was not too high, coming to just below his nose, and the little preevee could probably crawl beneath the lower wire, but he did not see how the Growlithe could get under it. His legs were still a little stiff and sore, but he managed to bounce himself over the fence and into the field beyond. Something inside him told him that this was the way to go.

A Mareep looked up at him dopily. "What you doing?" She marred, sounding almost brain-dead.

"Just passing through!" Bracken replied happily, "come on over guys, its not hard and the grass is greener here."

"No it ain't," the Mareep replied, "it greener over there." She motioned to the far side of the fence. "It always greener on other side fence."

Bracken peered at it. "You know what?" He exclaimed, "you're quite right!"

Api peered up at the high fence. How was she supposed to make that? And the gap underneath it was way too small for her to get under. She frowned and walked back from the fence. She stared at the fence, focusing on nothing but it.

With a burst of energy, she sprang forward and leapt at the wiring. She felt the air rushing through her fur, rippling along her back, then the scraping of the wiring on her chin and into her neck. She yelped and fell over the fence, landing heavilly on the other side.

She noticed that the Mareep were laughing at her. "Like to see you do it right..." she mumbled, shaking herself and attempting to restore her dignity.

Bracken grinned playfully at her, licking her face. "They just silly sheep, no worry about them! Come on, we gotta long way to go afore dark. Come on over Akima!"

Akima stared at the fence, and flared her ears. She could hear a soft buzzing, that was strange to her. Shaking away her nervousness, the tiny Preevee crouched low, and shoved her nose underneath. Clawing at the ground, she shoved herself further.

Above her, the buzzing noise was louder, and she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling tiny electrical surges in the sensitive hair in her ears. She pressed her chin closer to the ground, and kicked, sliding forward. Her long ears just missed the electric bar running above her head....

Standing on the other side, she stared up at Bracken, and then looked nervously at the Mareep who were giving her strange looks. "Where to now?" she asked.

The Mareep backed away from the two predators, giving odd looks at the young Stantler. "Why you with nasty eating things?" One asked.

Bracken looked offended. "They are my friends!" He said proudly. "They no eat me! No eat you either." He narrowed his eyes, "where might I find Miltank?"

The Mareep were all following each other to the far side of the paddock, but one spared him a glance and a nod of her head.

"South," she marred. "Close to barn, yes?" She then followed off after the rest of the flock."

Bracken glanced at his odd friends, "south it is then!" He sounded more confident then he felt, as he led the two of them through the paddocks.

*

As the trio rounded the corner of a very large shed, Api could sniff a smell stranger than anything she ever had smelt. It was musty and, she searched for the right word, oogy. That was it, oogy.

"What's that smell?" she asked her companions. "Are we near the Miltank?" A loud 'moo' answered her question for her.

She peered inside the shed and saw at least fifty Miltank, all lined up along the edges, attached to strange metal things. "How do we find Mama-Milly's baby here?" she asked nervously.

"There are no babies here," Bracken stated, as though he knew this for a fact. "Smells all wrong." Maybe he did know it for a fact.

He boldly walked into the milking shed, much to the amusement of the farmer who was sitting there, operating the milking machine. Bracken had never seen a human before, but since it was such a pitiful looking two-legged thing with no hair or armour to speak of, he decided it was below his attention.

He approached instead the nearest Miltank. "Hi there," he said, "I have a friend who has lost her calf, and I was wondering if perhaps you knew where it was."

The Miltank blinked its big sleepy eyes at him. "Gone," she lowed. "All gone. They take them away you know. Sometimes, when the wind blows from the south, it brings their scent with it. But we can't find them, no not at all. We never see our baby boys again." She blinked sadly.

The human had ceased to look amused - he had seen the Growlithe. Assuming that the canine was tracking the Stantler, and was of great danger to his cattle, he stood up and backed nervously into a corner, picking up a long device in his hands. It was long and thin and shiny, and smelt odd, unnatural, although its scent was buried beneath that of the cows. Slowly he brought it up, directed at the young Growlithe...

Bracken's nostrils flared as he sensed something dreadful might happen. He stamped his foot and flashed his tail, a Stantler signal of danger...

Api had only just noticed the human in the corner. She also saw the metal stick. She had seen something like that before, but where? She could only remember that it was a bad thing, that it caused great harm.

Slowly backing away from the man, she racked her brain for memories of the metal stick. A sudden image flashed through her mind. The crack of thunder exploding from a metal thing, the tiny pellet screaming out of the end of it. Straight into the Ninetales who had acted as her father for so long. She yelped and tore off, tail between her legs, hurtling away from the shed as fast as she could, hoping that her friends were in hot pursuit.

All the while she was running, she could see the body of the Ninetales, being heaved up by the human, thrown on the back of a truck and driven off, a tiny red dot on his chest. Tears began to sting into her eyes once more, as fresh as the day they had first come out...

Bracken belted after her, as the bellow of the shotgun tore out, sending the Miltank lowing and stamping in fright. He felt the air as it swooshed past him, and sprang over Akima as he darted through the door. Panic fluttered at his heart, and within a few seconds he had caught up with Api, almost overtaking her.

The farmer watched from the door, puzzled at the odd behaviour between carnivore and prey, for as soon as the Growlithe stopped, Bracken stopped beside her, nuzzling her comfortingly.

"We must go south again," he continued, as Akima caught up, still limping. "But I can go alone if you don't want to. That was pretty scary! What was that thing?" He nuzzled away her tears.

The farmer rested his shotgun against his hip. A Stantler travelling with a Growlithe and a preevee.... Now he had really seen everything! He only hoped the canine would not threaten his sheep, but he was not about to interfere now, for behind him the Miltank were stamping restlessly and if he did not see to their needs soon, they might panic and rampage, damaging his treasured equipment. There was time for hunting later.

Akima stumbled, and limped after the other two, whimpering as she heard the unshot whistle somewhere near by. Following the growlithe and Stantler, she crouched close by, and with her ears substantially lowered, avoided Bracken's heavy hooves. "I can go alone if you don't want to." she heard Bracken say as she fought for her breath.

She glared at him, and shook her head, craning her neck so she was staring him in the eye. "Don't be stupid Bracken!" she snapped, then her tone softened to the fawn. "Of course we'll come with you! It's not like it's any safer here anyway." Tensing her poor leg, she stretched it slightly, and then said. "South it is." he ears flexed. "I can hear something too...sounds like more Miltank."

"Oh good," puffed Api, "I hope there aren't any more farmers with guns with them this time." She noticed the pair looking oddly at her, then realised they probably didn't know what it was. "That metal stick," she explained, "When it goes bang, a pellet thingy shoots out of it really fast and kills you."

She stood up and headed in the direction Akima had heard the Miltank from, hoping desparately that there would be no questions as to how she knew all this stuff.

Akima looked at the pup oddly, but decided not to question how she had learnt such things.

Shaking her ears, Akima instantly took the lead, and bounded ahead. "C'mon then. Better hurry up." she barked, turning to look at the other two Pokemon. She leapt forward, unfazed by the limp in her leg, and set off at a brisk trot to where she could hear the lowing of what sounded like Miltank. Young Miltank.

Thankful for the change of subject, Api bounded after her. When she had caught up, she barked in her ear, "Race ya!" then took off again at a speed she knew all too well would be too fast for the limping preevee, she was just in the mood for winning.

Akima stared after the charging growlithe, and darted after her, knowing all too well she would not have a chance of catching up the growlithe. Her leg jerked awkwardly as she ran; tripping up at the side and dragging very slightly. Eventually, she just lifted it clear off the ground, and bounded on three legs, which she actually found was quite useful, and she was a lot faster than she thought she could be.

Lowering her head, the Preevee focused on the growlithe, relieved to hear Bracken's hooves clattering behind her. There was no chance to catch the puppy, but she was enjoying this run -- she hadn't run in the longest time! Suddenly, she screeched to a halt, and stared ahead. In front of her, was a barn. Inside, she could hear the noises. The distressed lows of Miltank calves.

Api slowed down to a trot as she reached the barn. She decided that after their last encounter that she would find another entrance to the barn, rather than right through the front. She paced around the perimeter of the barn and sniffed at the possible entrances. She found one that the Preevee *might* be able to get through, but it would be a squeeze. Api and Bracken would have had no hope.

She sat down and thought for a while. She realised that when they were in the shed, the gun had first been pointed at her, so maybe if Bracken and Akima went in, the farmer wouldn't shoot. She relayed the idea on to the pair when they arrived at the barn.

Akima stared at the huge building. She could hear the distressed sounds coming from the inside, and the strong scent of Miltank calves. She saw Api dart off, and begin sniffing at all the possible entrances. However, all doors were locked thoroughly, and there were no windows. "Is it in there do you think?" asked Akima, knowing the answer well. However, she suddenly noticed something interesting. Above her, were small squared holes in the walls. They whistled, and there was air blowing from them. The air smelt of chemicals, and made her sneeze.

She stared at the ventilation shafts, and slowly, an idea popped into her head. The shafts were small, but a Preevee could fit nicely inside one of them. From the smells, she could tell the shafts must somehow lead to the inside of the building. "Bracken? Api? I think I know a way to get in..."

Bracken looked at her expectantly. "How can someone my big size get in small hole?" He asked, stamping his foot in frustration. So close, and yet so far...

Api steared at the hole, frowning. "I won't fit either, but there's no other way in, I've checked." She sighed, "How are you going to get the calf out once you're in there? You could fit easily, but I don't think a Miltank would."

But she couldn't think of any other plan, so she climbed up on Bracken's head and called down to Akima, "Okay Akima, climb up and you can get in the hole. Good luck!"

Bracken pondered for a moment. "How they get the calves in there?" He asked. "Cos it'ld need to be pretty big - humans ain't that small. And neither are the baby Miltank. So they have to get them in somehow. Maybe if you go inside, Akima, you could find a way to get us in?"

He glanced at Api. "I think we should have a scout around and look out for other dangers. The gun-thing was nasty and smelt bad and if it really is so deadly, we better be watch out in case of more surprises! Yes?"

Api thought for a moment. "That's a good point, Bracken. I didn't see anything when I was looking for a way in, but I wasn't really looking for any dangers then." She dropped down and sniffed around a bit. "Do we keep together or split up?" she asked, hoping the answer would be to keep together. "And if you see another gun, call out and run like you've never run before."

*

Akima looked again at the ventilation shaft above her head. It was some two metres above her -- far too high for her to jump into. Taking a look, she saw a barrel to her side. Taking a small run-up, she leapt onto the barrel, and scrabbled up the side onto it. Looking down at the growlithe and stantler, she called "Seeya then!" and with a jump, leapt up, and caught her front paws onto the edge of the shaft.

She felt the air blasting into her ears, and shut her eyes. Kicking her back legs furiously, she fell down into the ventilation shaft, sliding into and down. Scratching about, she finely caught her footing, and stood. Opening her eyes against the onslaught of air, the little Preevee looked about herself.

She was surrounded by metal walls; the loud whooshing sound she could hear slamming into her ears reverbrating from them. Carefully, she began to walk forward, her senses completely drowned, unsure of where she was going.

*

Bracken watched as Akima jumped into the shaft. "Go well, small friend," he whispered, and then turned his attention back to Api. "Err, what do you think it best? We need to find a way to get ourselves in and the big calves out, but I dunno much about human- places. Where humans get in?" He queried.

Suddenly they heard something barking from away to the south-east, where stood a small, tidy cottage surrounded by a hedge. For a moment Bracken startled. "Sometimes human keep Pokemon?" He asked Api.

Api flared her ear towards the direction of the bark. Was it another Growlithe? "It would seem that way," she mumbled. She shook her head and cleared it of thoughts of playing with the possible Growlithe. "I think we should keep together, then if one of us misses something, the other might see it." The real reason was that she feared guns, and even though Bracken was much younger than she was, he was bigger, and she felt much safer around him. However, Api was not one to admit to anyone she was scared. "Maybe I can burn the lock on the door?" she asked.

*

Akima kept her ears flattened to the back of her head. The noise was unbearable, she she had this strange fear the sheer strength of it would blow her back out of the shaft, shoot her through the sky, and land her some distance away in something vile. Shaking her head at this vision, she lowered her head some more, and pushed herself ahead, shoving herself against the air that slammed out in rhythm towards her, and scratched her way forward.

Suddenly, she came to the source of the air. In front of her, she saw something she could not quite describe. From the roof, spun something, round and round, with three great blades. The air seemed to blow in from these rotating blades, and they slice through the air, creating the horrendous sound. Of course, Akima had never seen a fan before, so she had no idea what she was looking at.

Staring at the turning blades, Akima felt desperate to turn back, to tell the other two it was hopeless. However, she had promised Bracken she would get these back, she could not fail him. Damning her sense of loyalty, Akima stepped forward, watching the blades with fright.

She saw that there were gaps between the blades as they swung round and round in a never end cycle. These gaps were there for about a second, before the next blade swung round and cut a swathe through the air. Now that she watched them, she decided, was she quick...and brave...enough, she could run between one of these spaces...hopefully without getting sliced to ribbons.

Swallowing, she watched, studying the rythm. When would be the right time to run?

*

"What's a door?" Bracken asked, all innocence. He paced back and forth a bit, wondering how Akima was faring and what was inside. "It won't hurt it, will it?"

"It's a, well, it's a" Api struggled for the right words to describe a door, then gave up and found one on the side of the barn. "That's a door. It swings open and you can go inside, but this one's stuck. See that shiny thing? I might be able to burn it off. It won't hurt if you stand back enough."

She hoped she was right, and also that her fire would be strong enough to burn it. More so she hoped that she wouldn't burn the barn down. Nudging Bracken back a few meters, she stood at the door and threw a blast of fire at the lock.

Bracken looked at the barn for a moment. "What's to stop fire burning barn down?" He asked, "Akima and Milly-baby inside - we not want to hurt them, do we?" He paused. "I think we wait until Akima come out, maybe she have smart idea too?"

He then realised that Api was not listening to him and was already keying up to unleash the fire. Swiftly he danced backwards as the smell of burning seered the air. He remembered the smell of burnt fur...

... but he could not remember why, just a distant memory of something large, warm, lying there, but still offering his comfort and love, even though she did not move and never did move.

The sickly smell of molten metal filled the air as the hinges melted, and the door half fell open. For a moment there everything seemed alright, until the flames started licking their way across the wooden supports of the door...

"There we go, easy!" said Api, very proud of herself. Then she noticed Bracken's startled look and turned back to the door, hanging halfway off its hinges and crackling with the fire.

Api ran to the door and threw her weight on it, trying to knock it fully off so she could maybe stamp out the fire before too much damage was done.

She could hear the loud moo-ings of very distressed cattle from inside the barn. They were much louder than before, as though amplified. Api didn't know whether that was because of the fire or
maybe just the fact that the door had been opened, but she was hoping that it was the latter. A herd of terrified Miltank calves couldn't be good.

When she came in contact with the door, she felt it wobble and when she looked at it again, it looked to be less stable than it had before. Again she paced back and heaved her full body on the door, but still it wouldn't come off. Third time lucky, she thought to herself and ran against the door.

This time it did fall from its hinges, landing with a cloud of dust and smoke to the ground. Api lay on the door and rolled the fire out, then yelped in horror when she realised the door frame was on fire as well.

*

Watching the blades of the fan slash mercilessly, Akima stared with horrified fascination, her ears lowered to the heavy 'WHUMPH, WHUMPH, WHUMPH' as they beat down before her. Swallowing her fear, her throat dry and raw, she stared, watching the rythm. And then, gathering her courage, she lunged forward, and flung herself as a gap appeared in the blades.

Sliding forwards, she felt the hair slice from her rump, the blade cutting the fur straight from her behind. Yelping, she darted forwards, and awaited the slicing of the blades slashing her in two.

However, it did not come. All she was missing was a patch of fur on her tail and bum, but all her limps seemed intact. Thankfully.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the Preevee looked about. She saw she was at the end of the ventilation shaft, and looking down into a barn filled with Miltank. The stench was not the usual one of cattle, but of chemicals and man made things, burning in the air. Coughing, the Preevee let her eyes drift, and saw, to her horror, that the other end of the barn was on fire.

"Oh..." she gasped, as she looked at the fire licking up, and the terrified calves. "...Api." she guessed immediately, knowing about the fire puppy's abilities.

*

Bracken was having a flash-back. The fact that it preceeded (err, came before, I hope that's the right phrase!) his birth seemed not to influence it at all. The flames licking the sky, the smell of
burning... It seemed to awaken a memory inside him. He stamped and flung himself at the wall, feeling the pain and the foul stench of burning hair, then kicked dirt at it furiously. The pain was odd, sort of a dull throb that seemed to go much deeper in his flank. He reared up and crashed his hooves against the flames.

This did not seem to have any great effect, but something in his mind said "fire is bad" and that he must stop it if he could.

Behind the wall, the trapped Miltank calves "mooed" in fear.

"No! Bracken! The fire'll hurt you!" Api cried, pushing the young Stantler out of the way with such force that it knocked him over. She could plainly see the fear in his eyes, reflecting the scorching glare of the intensifying fire, eating away at the barn.

'This is all my fault', Api thought to herself as she smothered her striped body over the flames, 'Why didn't I listen? Why did I just...? It's all my fault.' She could feel tears burning her eyes,
not just from the smoke, but at the potential loss of a friend. Akima was still in there, and it would be Api's fault if she died.

"Akima! If you can hear me, get out of there quickly!" she yelled through the flames.

The smell of burning was seering Bracken�s nostrils, the heat in the air addling his mind, the frightened lowing of Miltank clashing in his ears... He fell to his knees, his little head swirling, his muzzle crashing into the dirt, spraying up dust.

His mind went blank, and then there were images... A small, rather delicate hind standing on a hillside, staring at the stars, starlight glinting off her flanks. And then, a stag stood before her, his fur glowing silver-white in the starlight, his antlers so massive that he could hardly hold them up. Or so it seemed. His eyes were fill of kindness as he gazed upon the hind, and nuzzled her gently.

"Father," he whispered, "I need help. Guidance." He stared at the sky, searching for his father, up there in the stars.

There was no answer, but he had not expected such, merely a sense of peace overwhelmed him. He felt calmer, his heart rate slowing down to a more normal rate.

Bright-eyed again, he stood up, stamping the dust from his fur. "Api!" He said firmly, "I shall save Akima!" And before she could stop him, he leapt through the flaming doorway, and into the
smokey and dark interior.

It was terror in there. The calves stamped and screamed in their pens, throwing themselves recklessly at the bars, until their skin tore and they bled.

But Bracken was calm, and quickly forced himself to breath easy, scanning the darkness for his small friend.

Suddenly, with a whir and a buzz, it began raining inside the barn, pattering onto the concrete floor, soiled with Miltank dung. The calves screamed and whined and bawled in panic at this odd turn of events.

"Akima!" Bracken screamed, trying to be heard over their bawling. "Akima! We must leave, it is dangerous!"

Akima heard the calling of Bracken, and looked up from the brink of the ventilation shaft, to see him stood beside the burning doorway, shouting over the frightened lows of the Miltanks. "Bracken?" she coughed. The air was becoming thick with smoke, and her nose and throat burned.

"Hold on Bracken! I'm coming!" she called, hoping he would hear her over the frightened Miltanks. Then, she crouched down, and shutting her eyes, jumped the full 10 metres to the ground.

She hit the ground hard, landing on her feet and crumpling on her side. After regaining her breath, she stood slowly, wincing at the already present bruises she had recieved. She looked about her. She had landed in one of the Miltank pens, and all around her, were the calves.

Api soon realised that there was nothing she could do about the fire and that it would now definitely consume the building, no matter what she did, so she abandoned the flickering fingers of flame, crawling their way along the barn and bounded inside after Bracken.

Sniffing through the smoke and stench of Miltank-related scents, she could only just catch a whiff of Akima's scent, but that was enough. Following her nose more than her eyes and ears, she pushed her way through the crowd of distressed Miltank, being as careful as she could not to be trodden on.

She reached a gate where she could see Akima inside, looking more injured than she was when she had scrabbled up into the vent. Api took a flying leap and this time made it over the gate without ruining her dignity. She bounded over to Akima, picked her up in her strong jaws by the scruff of her neck and, ignoring any protests she may or may not have been making [it was too moo-y to tell] she dove back over the gate in one swift movement.

She didn't take notice that she was only twice the size of the Preevee, fear and adrenaline made her at least twice as strong as she normally would have been, lifting the fluffy creature with little
effort.

At that point, Api noticed the rain that was falling on her. But there was no sky in the barn, where was the rain coming from? Oh well, there would be time to think about that later. For the time being, Akima was all that mattered. She streaked like a bolt of orange lightning through the herd and dove through the fiery hole without hesitation. She dropped Akima outside, told her not to go in again, then went back for Bracken...

Bracken fought back the confusion, why was it raining inside? And blocked out the smells and noises and commotion around him. It was then he remembered what he had come here for. To save Mama-Milly's calf...

But how was he supposed to find one calf in all of this herd... He would have to address them all. At least the rain seemed to be stopping the flames from spreading, but the smoke was very thick now, and quite chokifying.

In the distance he heard a strange screaming sound growing louder (fire engine, btw), and he knew, although he didn't know how he knew, that he had to get them out fast.

"Quiet, all of you!" He shouted as loudly as he could, trying to be heard over the sounds. His voice was already raw from shouting to Akima - he could only hope she was on her way over here to join him. "I am here to help you!"

Such was the power in his voice that some of the calves, the ones nearest him, did in fact silence. They stared at him mutely.

"You must break down your bars, and be free!" He shouted. There was a clang beside him, as one attempted it. "Use all your energy. You must stampede!" His father seemed to be giving him the words he needed to use.

Suddenly, with a thunderous noise of hooves, some of the calves stampeded. Some were too weak to make it through the bars, they fell to the ground in agony, but a few, a very few, managed to break through their restraints. Panic was a wonderful motivater.

"Now follow me!" He shouted, half blinded by the smoke, he closed his eyes and nostrils and bolted for the place where he knew the door to be. He did not know how many followed, all he knew was that he needed to feel the cold air in his nostrils, and see the light again.

Api flared her ear at the sound of the young Stantler's voice ringing out over the screeching of the calves and the increasingly loudening ringing of a strange animal or something that Api had never heard before in her life. She had already learnt that animals like Miltank got scared at the sight of her, though she still didn't know why, so she left everything to Bracken.

She nuzzled her way through the smoke, her nostrils almost completely blocked from any other smell. She made her way to where Bracken was standing, proud and strong, and smiled at the sight. Bracken was a born leader.

"I've gotten Akima out," she barked up at him, hoping he could hear, then she bounded around the barn, melting away one or two gates which had not fallen to the stampeding Miltank. As the herd followed Bracken out into the fresh air again, Api rounded up the remaining calves and helped them out, pushing those who were too terrified to take the leap of faith through the flames. She shook her coat dry of the inside-falling rain and leapt through herself, hoping that there were no calves left inside.

'I did that,' she thought as she glanced back at the burning building, 'that was me.'

"Akima, led them to the woods!" Bracken bellowed, as he felt fresh air on his face again and soft grass beneath his feet. "Api, help her!" He danced around the group, trying to shove the Miltank into a semblance of order. They looked fragile, their legs were thin and weak, and their fur pale. They staggered, looking dazed. They had spent their entire lives in a pen, and now the adrenaline of panic had worn off, some of them collapsed straight away from exhaustion.

Those that could move, Bracken directed after his two companions, and they followed, tottering like hour-old Stantler fawns.

~Was I once like that?~ Bracken asked himself, as he watched their erratic motion.

He padded over to some of the ailing calves, anxious because their were bright lights and a lot of noise coming from the east. He nosed one of the calves, which was lying on the ground, its forelegs almost dragging it up, but its hindlegs useless.

"Move," he said, nosing it. "Come on, I'll help you!"

The calf looked up at him with huge dark eyes. "Help me?" It asked, stiltedly, as though amazed that such a thing could ever happen.

"Yes, come on, stand up! You can do it!" And he pushed it up, forcing his head beneath its chest to support the tiny calf as it made its feet again. "Now come on, you can walk, just one step at a
time!"

Obedient in spirit, if not body, the calf took a few shaky steps. Bracken heard loud voices, and the shrill screech of some enormous and terrifying pokemon with blazing red and blue eyes that flashed.

It came speeding through the field, its hooves tearing huge gauges in the dirt. And then out of it leapt about a half dozen little turtle Pokemon, and a huge beast, with massive cannons on its shell. The ground shook as its feet hit the ground.

The calf, spurred on by fear, bolted across the field, staggering slightly, and Bracken made his way to the nearest of the remaining injured. Just as he was crouching down to speak to it, he caught movement from the side of his vision. Turning his head, he saw the farmer, standing there and pointing that long metal thing at him.

He remembered what Api had said, and how he had agreed to obey her.

But how could he leave the calf? He nosed it. "Please move!"

The farmer brought the gun up properly, lining the Stantler up in his sights.

His hackles standing on end, Bracken nosed the calf. "Please, it isn't so hard, just straighten your legs and pull your hindquarters up..."

Amazingly, the calf obeyed, dragging itself into a half-stand. It rocked back and forth.

The farmer put his finger on the trigger, puzzled at the Stantler's behaviour, but convinced it had to have something to do with the torching of his barn and the slaying of all his profitable Veal
calves.

Bracken braced himself against the calf, and slowly began inching forward.

The farmer pressed the trigger, and the shot rang out, loud and clear. There was a bright flash and the scent of gun-powder in the air.

The calf suddenly lunged forward, and half running, half barely avoiding falling, made for the tree-line.

Bracken dashed after it, wondering why there was pain in his left side, and why the odour of singed hair was in his nostrils.

The farmer cursed as the Stantler and his only remaining calf were consumed by the night. Ah well, he had hit the Stantler, he could trail it in the morning. Right now he had to calculate his losses, and as veal was his main production, they were bound to be extravagant.

Bracken, on the other hand leapt down the bank and towards the southern shore of the lake, his stride faltering. He had been hurt. He knew he had been hurt bad. And then his legs tumbled from beneath him and he fell down the short slope, to land in a crumpled heap at the bottom. The last thing he saw before pain consumed all was the small group of shaking Miltank calves (although in truth they looked more like Tauros), all watching him with reverence and fear in their eyes.

Her throat still raw from the smoke, the Preevee bounded after Stantler, senses a turmoil, confused, and dazed. She flared her ears, shut her eyes, and focused on following the sound of Bracken.

Eventually, convinced she must be far from the man now, she stopped, and regained her breath. Then, she looked up at Bracken, and looked at him.

Suddenly, he collapsed, and slid down a banking, landing heavily at the bottom. Akima stared after him, and then bounded down in a few leaps.

"Bracken!" she yapped hysterically, running to him and looking at him. She noticed the wound, and the leaking blood, and cringed. "You've been injured." she muttered, half to herself, and
half to the Stantler fawn.

Akima swung her head around when she heard Api howl in anguish and saw her tail disappear through the herd of Miltank. She tried to call her back, but the pup was long gone. Akima wanted to go after her friend, but knew that she also must stay with Bracken. What should she do? Api had been with a - what had she called it? A gun? - before, so she may know what to do about it.

But what if there was nothing she could do? She couldn't leave Bracken to die. Millions of other thought were spinning around the Preevee's head, none of them leading anywhere. In the end she decided to stay with Bracken, keep him company in what could very well be his dying moments. She began licking at the gash along Bracken's heaving side, keeping it as clean as possible.

"Don't die on me Bracken," she whispered, then spoke to the calf who had been standing by her for a few minutes. "Could you go and find Api, the Growlithe, please? She might be able to help him."

The calf nodded subduely and plodded off, glancing back at the Preevee and young Stantler.

Dimly Bracken could hear their voices, but they sounded to be an eternity away, blocked by great clouds of fog. He struggled through the fog. He must find his father... he must...

Before him, a great silver-white shape, staring at the sky.

"Father!" He cried, and ran towards him. Then his father turned to face him and it was his father no more, but a great dark furred stag covered in scars and with a malicious grin on his face.

"Father..." he faltered.

"I am the darkness," the great stag said. "And no mere prickling will be able to stop me."

To the outer world, Bracken's breathing was rapid and light, and the blood that trickled down his leg soaked into the ground, leaking away forever.

The blood scent was making the calves uneasy.

"What going on?" One lowed. "I scared."

"I hungry!"

They began surrounding the fallen Stantler, forcing themselves close towards him, staring at him.

"Issi dead?"

"Cause he ain't - he our saviour!"

"Looks dead."

"Farmer no like this."

"We gonna die too."

The voices surrounded them, forming an unbreakable wall of sound.

Api moped after the Miltank calfand reached the rest of the herd, who were all crowded around in an inpenatrable wall. Api sighed and leapt up onto the backs of the lowing Miltank, stepping gingerly towards the middle of the pack where she suspected Akima and Bracken would be.

Akima was still bent over Bracken, licking at his side, trying to stop the bleeding. Bracken was still alive! How could he have survived the gun though? How had he lived where Merah had died? Maybe it was because he was a young one, strong and healthy, that must be it.

"You called?" Api asked sheepishly.

"Yes I called!" snapped Akima, eyes red with anger and tears, "Why'd you run off like that! Bracken could die and you just hurtle off into the night? What were you thinking?" She turned her head away, hiding her tears.

"My step-father was shot by a gun and died instantly. When I saw you bent over him, I thought-"

"Shut up and help!" she turned back to Bracken, still breathing shallow breaths.

Api nodded and bent down to Bracken. "Bracken?" She wispered, "Bracken, you can make it, you can live, don't die Bracken, you're a strong Stantler. I can see your horns growing, big, strong horns on your head. You're the strongest Stantler I know. Remember when we were in the barn? You led the whole herd of Miltank out yourself. You made it through the fire, you can make it through this. You can live Bracken, you will live..."

Dimly through the haze of pain, Bracken heard Api's voice. But her words did not change anything - if someone did not staunch the bleeding, he would die. His head seemed to be floating and his whole body throbbed like one massive injury.

And his life blood trickled into the dirt, useless and spent.

"Api," Akima whispered, seeing that this was getting them nowhere, "you have to stop the bleeding somehow."

Api nodded slowly and pressed herself along the extent of the cut, leaning her full weight. She felt it was her responsibility to save Bracken. If she hadn't tried to get in by burning the door down, then the barn wouldn't have burnt to a crisp, the farmer wouldn't have noticed anything different, and he wouldn't have shot out at Bracken. 'I'm an idiot,' Api thought to herself over and over.

Akima sat down and continued urging Bracken to wake up. His breath was getting shallower, but there was still hope, there had to still be hope, there just had to be

The stars seemed to dance for a moment, and it was almost like a hallucination, witnessed by the watching Tauros calves and the Carnivores. A shape seemed to step from the stars, at first it was
nothing but light, but then it took on a distinctly Stantler-ish form, only with antlers so forked that it seemed it should be unable to hold up its own head. Although he appeared solid, there was still something celestial about him.

The Taurus calves shrieked in fear, backing away so that they were close to each other. The great star Stantler stared at Akima and Api.

~You have done well, young ones,~ he said, his voice reverberating in their heads like an echo but without entering via their ears. ~You make me most proud.~ He then knelt before the fallen Stantler.

~Bracken, my son, my destiny,~ he said, his voice weaker now, as though he were heart-broken. ~You are injured, and will die, so I must help you, for you have given yourself for purely altruistic reasons. But after this, you must do as you will on your own. Your destiny awaits you, my son.~

And then he touched the wounded Stantler with the tip of his antlers. Instantly, something small hard and metal seemed to fire from the wound, falling harmlessly onto the ground, and the wound bled afresh. Then, softly, gently, the star Stantler stroked his horn tips over the injury, and the muscle weaved itself back together, knitting itself so that not even a scar remained, the skin
closing neatly overtop.

Then the Stantler from the stars turned to Akima and Api. ~For helping my son I shall give you each a gift, for your honour and your friendship.~

He stood before Akima there, and stars flowed from his horns, lighting her body in a golden glow. ~Akima, you have displayed great strength of heart and empathy, so I give you the touch of healing, so that your companions will never suffer great pain. But be warned, for the power it draws on, it draws from you, and never give more then you have.~

And then he turned to Api. ~And to you, brave, courageous Api, I give you stronger sight, and enhanced hearing so that you can better protect and lead your pack.~ For a moment the Growlithe's fur glowed with starshine, and then everything went back to normal. The great
Stantler, Herne, stepped back into the stars, and become celestial once more.

Bracken blearily opened his eyes, and stared at the stars, his mouth agape.

"Father," he whispered.

On the top of his head his horns were now slightly longer, and beginning to fork.