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"Sapph! Sapph! We're here!" I groaned at the voice in my ear and the shaking paws at my shoulder.

"Go away, I'm tired."

"Sapphire, we've arrived at the land, get up!"

I growled and lazily opened my eyes, seeing the face of a one-eared Espeon, silhouetted against the dark, starry sky. I felt the lumps on the Lapras' back, poking into me. I had managed to sleep on that?

"All right, all right, I'm up. Ow!" My legs, wings and neck were all stiff and sore. I could barely move.

"Hurry up then, the Lapras are waiting to go!" Splotch's voice was urgent.

"Ow, I can't. I was flying for way too long yesterday, I can't move."

"Oh, come on, lazy bum, get up!"

"No, it's the truth!"

"Sure it is," her voice was dripping with sarcasm, "Get up!"

I cringed when I pushed my body off the Lapras with my wings and splashed into the water. That didn't really help my situation.

The Lapras I had been riding on bent over and looked worriedly at me. "Are you okay?" he asked.

I nodded, cringing at the pang in my neck. "I'll be fine." I splashed my head back in the water and groaned.

"Well, if you're sure, we really must be going. Good bye!"

"Sure, whatever," I mumbled, watching the school of Lapras turn their tail and paddle off into the star-lit ocean. I closed my eyes and groaned again.

"Right, let's go!" Splotch had no idea about the pain I was in.

"Look," I told her sternly, "for the last time, I am in pain. I was flying for a day and a half non stop with you on my back, and I have just slept for who knows how long on the back of a Lapras, which isn't the most comfortable place to sleep. So I would really appreciate it if you would just leave me alone!"

There was silence for a few minutes, then Splotch cleared her throat, "Um, kay. I'll just, kinda, go now, and leave you to cool off."

"You do that," I moaned, "I'm going to sleep."

"What? In the water?" I ignored her and closed my eyes. Once I heard her soft feet padding over the wet sand, I lifted myself up and dragged myself further up the beach. Hopefully by the morning I would feel better.

I did feel better. The stiffness was still there, but I was better, it didn't hurt quite so much anymore.

"Oh, good, you're up. Let's get going." Maybe her character hadn't changed as much as I had thought. She was still talking too much for my liking.

"What's the hurry?" I groaned, my voice croaky with sleep.

"Guess there isn't real - gya!" I jumped at the sound of shock from her.

"What is it now? Oof!" I was suddenly bowled over by a small animal with stinky breath. I blew an ice beam in its face and pecked at it. I wasn't ready for a battle right now, I'd just woken up and the sky was still a watery morning greyish colour. I got to my feet and threw a more prepared ice beam at the creature.

As it flew back, I managed to just see what it looked like. It was a funny looking thing, it was bright yellow with long arms, stubby legs and black zigzags all over its body. There were two loopy things on the top of its head.

"Go away, I'm not in the mood to battle right now, so if you wouldn't mind." I turned my back on the little thing, and was promptly knocked to my chest again. This thing was getting on my nerves. "Look," I told it, my beak resting on the sand, "Would you please bugger off, or I'll have to do something to you."

A staticy voice spoke in my ear, "How do you know I won't do something to you?" it said. I couldn't prevent myself from laughing. The thing on my back let out an evil laugh of its own. It was the strangest sounding thing I had ever heard. Suddenly a shock of electricity ran through my whole body, standing my feathers on end and my legs twitch all on their own. When it had finished, it laughed again.

I lay there exasperated in the sand for a few seconds. It thought it was pretty smart, but I was smarter. I jumped to my feet, flipping the yellow thing to the sand all in one swift movement. Now that I was awake, I gave it a much more powerful ice beam, the special splayed one Mum had taught me. When the sand had settled, the little bugger wasn't feeling quite so cocky.

"So, you think you're pretty smart, do you?" I told it, "Well, tough luck, you're down, so you just run along and leave me alone, got it?"

The thing gasped for air, whined and nodded slowly, then stood up shakily on its little legs and walked away, wobbling like a Seel out of water. I repeated the routine with the one that had 'attacked' Splotch, even though she probably could have beaten it easily, I just couldn't help myself. I liked to win.

"Well, that was a charming wake up call, won't be able to go back to sleep now," I grumbled, more to myself than to Splotch.

"Oh, what a pitty," Splotch said sarcastically, "would you mind moving now?" she demanded, strolling off herself.

I shrugged. "Sure, whatever, I'll just catch something to eat, you get what you want." I turned and spread my wings, gliding out over the sea. Being careful of its quills, I snatched a Quilfish from the water and wheeled back to the beach. I dropped the fish and stood by it, facing out to the sea to watch the rising sun as I tore pieces of flesh from my meal.

I could hear Splotch coming slowly up behind me, trying not to be noticed.

"Don't even think about it," I said, through a beakful of fish, still watching the sea.

"About what?" she asked innocently. I didn't bother to answer, she knew very well what. I blew her an aurora beam when she whisked around to grab my fish.

"That," I said.

"Oh, ha ha." I had begun to notice her increasing love of sarcasm.

"Go get your own breakfast, or you'll get more than an aurora beam from me next time," I warned her, tearing into another piece of Quilfish. It wasn't the nicest fish on the planet, but it did have a certain tang, and it was fine if you avoided the spikes around its body.

"Hey, Sapphire, there are heaps more Elekid here, as well as their parents."

"Nice try, but you ain't touching my fish."

"No, seriously, they're back."

I turned around just to amuse her. "There you go, satisfied, I've looked. Now please can I finish my fish?"

She moped around and flopped in front of me, disappointed that her plan hadn't worked. She gazed up at me with the most pleading eyes you could possibly imagine. "Go away. You've evolved now, go catch your own damn fish."

"Oh, for crying out loud! You are so incredibly selfish Sapphire!" She stood up walked off in a huff. I shrugged and continued with my fish.

Sixteen | Old Fiction