Dawn sighed. "I miss Mommy too... But I have no idea how to get back!" She was starting to loose confidence that they would find Azure, but she could give up. Not now, when they've got so far!

"I think we should head over by the lake if we can find it," Dawn said. "If we find it, we can look for Azure while also finding our way home!" she said, her eyes shining with that idea. "Plus, if we go back now, we're going to get scolded!" she added, a shiver running down her spine.

"No, no.. The zombie didn't attack.. Went to pick berries for lunch and when I came back, they were gone... I told them to play with each other there!" She felt tears building up again. "I'm such an idiot! I should of brought them along! [email protected]!" her hoarse voice was getting only worse. What could she do now?! She turned around. "Hafta find them...!" She broke into a run. Her body was aching and screaming in pain, but she was telling herself she had to find them... She must! Citrus placed herself in the situation, and thus she'd get herself out by finding them, by herself.

~~

Heron felt tears flowing down his cheeks. "But I'm scared, Dawny! I don't wanna look anymore! It was probably our imagination! Pweeeeaaase! What if the wild pokemon attack us like in Mommy's story! I'm begging you, I don't wanna explore down the lake, I don't know if that's near our home where we were with Mommy..." He was pleading her practically! "I want Mommy..." He didn't even care if he was called a chicken or scaredey-cat! "C'mon... We might never find Azure! I'd rather be fussed at then get heart..."

~~

Azure sighed at Voodoo's comment. Ignore him.. But she couldn't. Why did she grow to argue with him every chance she had?! She heard hr uncle whimper slightly behind her. Act tough.... She stopped when she was infront of him, and turned her head. "I see you're as crude as ever. And why would you want me around?"

Azul glanced at Azure. He was unaware of all the encounters the two already had. "Where's the other V-Voodoo? The real one I knew..." he said quietly, clawing the ground. He glanced at Azure, her expression showing gladness that he was speaking up, and then to the face of his ex-friend... The one he once liked. Why was he such a wimp? Azul's white eyes gazed down, his frown staying on his face like it was glued permanently.

Heron's tears made Dawn want to cry, too, so she started tearing in the eyes. "How else are we going to get home, Hewo?!" she said loudly, although she didn't want to yell infront of Heron. It was more like a whine. "We have no idea how to get back!" she finally started crying. "I'm so sorry, Hewo... I shouldn't have said we should look for Azure..." she crouched her head down low, feeling ashamed of herself, crying harder. Her tears were a mixture of shame, sadness, confusion, and fear.

Chase's eyes widened after he heard that the kids had run off. It was twice as dangerous for them to be alone right now too. Even if was going to be, he didn't have time to get upset at Citrus. He was too worried about the children. Seeing Citrus run off the way she did didn't make Chase happy either. It look like it was towards the area where he heard about a few zombie sightings. "Wait! Citrus! Please come back!" He called after her and bolted off to catch up.

~~~~~

Voodoo laughed at the questions he was asked. Oooh... he would have so much toying with them. "Crude? Crude! How am I crude? You read in too much into what I say, Azure. I simply enjoy your company. We always have interesting debates, you know, with you always fighting against what's really going on in that head of yours..."

He laughed harder and narrowed his eyes at Azul. The red eye was still the only one focusing properly. The green eye seemed to be rolling to the side. "The other one? Oh he's present. He's always been the quiet little annoyance. Yes. I do most of the talking, especially around this time of the month... course I don't think I plan on leaving anytime soon." He growled, "And he isn't the real one. That would be me. He is only the shadow of our living self. What I USED to be. I'm a zombie, not some dull, brown evee who lives in a cottage with an old man. That was all taken from me. Never call that the real one again, EVER."

Heron sniffed loudly. "W-we can uhh... Go back the way we came... I went stwaight most of the time, Dawny..." Tears pored down his cheek. "It's my fault too for saying we should go too..." Heron glanced at her, his eyes filled with fright. "Wh-what if Mommy Citwus is looking for us too? What if Daddy and Mommy and Daddy Ciwo is looking for us too? Then we'll be found.. or we'll find them!" he exclaimed, feeling a little bit happier. "B-but if you d-don't wanna go my way we can always go by the riwver..." He felt the need to cling to his only sister. He felt so vulnerable...

~~

Citrus slowed down a tiny bit at her name. She was too ashamed of herself to talk with Chase. It was all her fault, afterall! She wasn't even sure where she was heading now, just wandering until she could catch sight of her two step-children. Even if she had to wander for hours...

~~

Azure glared at Voodoo. "He can call you the fake one if he wants, because as I see it, you are. The REAL Voodoo would be the FIRST and ORIGINAL Voodoo, the one that came before you."

Azul blinked, looking at the two curiosly. He payed no attention to the answer to his question, but the zombie's response to Azure's question. "....Debates...?"

Azure growled. "Enjoy my company...? Bah, what silly talk..." She felt insulted and weak talking to Voodoo infront of her uncle... What was Azul thinking right now? She felt like buring her head in his mane and asking for forgivness...She'd do that later though, right? "Stop pretending like you know what I'm thinking. Because frankly, you don't and you never will..." Azure flicked her tail, watching the brown eevee.

Dawn's crying got softer as she listened to Heron's ideas. "Y-yeah, we should prowwy look for Mommy, Daddy, and Daddy..." she said softly and looked up at Heron, who was happy about the idea of finding their parents and getting back home. That made her a little more confident. "But which way did we come from...?" she asked, since they had stopped and moved around.

Chase chased after Citrus. "Citrus! Please! I'm not angry with you. Don't be upset..."How could he be angry with her? She had been watching his kids from a drunken fling just because he asked her too and for such long periods of time. She wasn't the one who made the kids not listen. He kept making mistakes himself. How could he be made?"Will look together! I don't want to lose you too right now! Please!"

~~~~~

Voodoo rolled his red eye. "There you go again... telling me how I think even though you are contradicting yourself. If you claim I cannot tell the way you think than why should you be able to know who is the real me? The other me is the dead me so I am the real me. I am the new begining. I am Voodoo...Other's me name isn't even Voodoo. He just uses it to hide behind me, yes... I mean what parent names their child Voodoo? They had no idea I'd be a zombie... Neither did the old man..." He stood up and took a few steps closer to the two of them. "You treat me so coldly. I'm not hurting your uncle, see? I'm doing as you tell me. See... see... I don't even want to touch that ugly blue fur of his anyway. Not worth my time toying around with that weakling I figure anyway. Why stop these discussions?" He grinned. " I think I understand you more than you want to admit, my dear... You have thoughts and intentions simillar to mine deep in that heart of yours..."

Heron turned around, pointing his head at a familiar few tree they had passed by. "That way... We'll just have to retwace our step swowy.." He thought about how long they had been there. He imagined Azure was long gone by now. The idea made him want to cry out in anguish and defeat. His shakey body started walking towards the clutter of trees, staring at the groud in hopes he'd see their foot prints. Was this even the way Azure had come? He took a wild guess.. "Let's go..." he smiled weakily.

~~

Citrus slowed down until Chase caught up. "I'm sorry.. But it's my fault for making that mistke. I thought berry picking would be boring and that's why I let them play by themselves... Everything is my fault... You entrusted me to watch them until you came back.. And I wasn't even suited to do such a simple job. How could it be your fault?" She was losing her voice from all the yelling and responding to Chase. The female coughed. "W-we'll find them... Right?" Doubt was surfacing inside her.

~~

Azure flinched slightly, the zombie was only a matter of two or three steps away. The stench of rotten flesh and the smell of death lingered around the air, getting closer to her. She felt like gagging. "But I doubt you can guarantee you won't try and hurt him eventually. And his fur isn't ugly," she hissed out. She stared at him in silence, still glaring at him. He did understand her better then anyone else, but she couldn't let him know it..

Azul blinked and whispered softly. "I'm gonna go, Azure... Meet me up later so we can talk..." the flareon whispered, turning around and running off in the direction they came from.

Azure was now all alone with him. The one she was starting to despise.

Dawn smiled. She was even more confident than before. "Okay..." she said, and started to head off. Wanting to run as fast as she could back to Citrus, she had to stop herself. If she wanted to get home, she would have to follow Heron. "...Tell me when we need to change directions, okay?" she directed towards Heron.

[[ I'm skipping a little...Making this seem like a memory. XDDD ]]

~~~~~

Heron finished reminiscing on the moment. That had been a long time ago...And now look at him. Months had flown by and he had grown. His coat was covered in specks of dirt and his build was strong. He had been an adult for awhile...

He'd grown close to his older brother, Ryder. They were more than brothers, they were friends, a friendship no one could break. And it all came about that memory. He sighed, finishing his reminscing. He hadn't seen his older and only sister, Dawn, in awhile.

He'd better check up on her, right?

It's okay to take a break from looking for Azure, he assured himself. Plus Ryder has it under control right now.

He went into a run against the icy wind, paws hitting the ground in fiecrely. Chilling wind punded in defiance, though it was ignored by him only highering his speed. He'd grown cold to the rest of his family just like this wind.. He and Ryder were like black sheep; they belonged no where in this society. Sigh. They..his family...weren't part of his life anymore..He'd heard that Citrus and his father finally had children...Five. Lemon, Lime, Kiwi, Apple, and Agate. He grunted in dissaproval. He was pushed away from their lives....He WAS an accident. It wasn't because mommy and daddy and step-mommy and step-daddy wanted them... It just..happened. He growled.

Sudden realization was never sweet.

Augh! of course they never wanted us in the first place... We were just a big accident waiting to happen- And guess what? We DID happen! Dawn wondered to herself, attempting to put all of the pieces of the puzzle in place. Dad and Mom just did a bad thing and a worse thing by making my sibling and me. Citrus and Dad... Augh, how could I ever be so stupid that they actually wanted us?! Citrus always acted exclusive to us when we were around... If only I had realized this sooner!

Dawn's heart suddenly started to tear apart in that moment of realization. Wondering around got her to thinking about the fact Chase and Citrus suddenly up and had 5 new pups (Apple, Agate, Kiwi, Lemon, and Lime). Citrus had always tried to act calmly around them when they were pups, hiding the fact that she didn't really care to have anything to do with them- Just with her new mate at the time, Chase.

Dawn was a strong adult now, and she finally began to realize less obvious things, unlike when she was a pup and barely knew much of anything. She still was a happy and outgoing person since the change, but now... Who knows how long until her happiness would come back?

He followed his sister's scent, a faint smell that he could only get thanks to the wind. His golden brown eyes-like his father's-gaped around with little interest of his surroundings.

*

He eventually slowed down after some time of searching. He glanced around. "Hey..Dawny?" he hummed out in his gentle voice. His mind was still racing with thoughts and problems...All of lis life.

Ryder and I may be brothers and friends, but we're still so..different. He's always bossing me around I feel..He takes the roll as leader. He's also been changing lately, though so slowly... He's starting to remind me of the zombie, with his behavior.

Why am I thinking about this so hard? He's my brother! I need to stop antagonizing him!

.......

Heron sighed. "Dawny, you there? Haven't seen ya in awhile..Just wanted to talk." He glanced at what was once a puddle of water, now frozen. His reflection showed.. He was the color of his father and resembled the leafeon in so many ways. His body was toned and muscular at parts from running often. "I look scarey, huh?" he whispered to no one in particular. Looks deceive. he thought.

-------

Citrus was lying around in a small cozy den. Chase had gone looking for Voodoo.

HUnting for Voodoo seemed boring now.. She barely heard of anything about the zombie from Chase. She rolled on her back. The children were learning how to hunt.

"I hope they're okay," she mumbled to herself.

She stood up. She needed some excersise. She barely went out side it seemed.... She huffed and exited the den into the chilly cold air. "I wonder if it'll snow...."

"...Hero?" Dawn managed to let escape from her mouth. She could tell Heron's voice anywhere, but just to make sure... "...I'm over here."

(((ROOM OF MIRRORS!!!)))

She didn't exactly want to have any visitors around her, sibling or not, until she recovered a bit and found a better way to hide the tear visible from her heart. But Heron, of all people, would probably be the most likely to understand if he found out.

...At least it wasn't Citrus.

Heron laughed, emerging from a few trees to see his sister. She resembled her mom mostly; black fur and similar markings, though she still had bits like Chase. ....He barely saw his mother. Maybe on two or three ocasions.

No one likes us. We're stuck in a society where we've been rejected, yet we try to act stupid and pretend we don't know it. How long do I have to put up the charade...And is Dawny doing the same thing?

"There you are..And now you're calling me Hero? Am I super man or something?" He grinned, his childish features buldging out. "How've ya been?" he asked.

Hide your discomfort, he repeated to himself. Don't let her see you're being an idiot and you're having some stupid thoughts like always...Errm lately. Whatever.

"How've ya seen Citrus...or Ciro..or mom and dad lately...?"

Smooth move. You sound like a complete idiot.

------

Citrus was wandering around aimlessly, digging tunnels half the time, and walking the other half.

She was bored.

Dawn gave a small giggle at the comment- one, to try to hide her discomfort, and two, because it seemed like there was an obvious answer- she had moved on from her speaking disabilities but didn't move on from giving him nicnames like Hewo (which would now be Hero).

"...I'm, er, fine." she replied, giving a fake smile. The bad thing is that it would be quite easy to tell the difference from her true smile and a fake one- she had ALWAYS had the same smile, from being a pup to even being an adult.

"No, don't think I have... Have you?" She then noticed she sounded like a complete idiot by adding 'don't think I have'. It was rare for her to see them anyway since after she grew, especially Midnight and Cio. Her features replicated Midnight, her biological mother, whom she had rarely ever seen her whole life, but bits of features from Chase could be seen. She had grown up being a Daddy's girl and really admired all that he has done- But now... she wasn't really sure what to think.

Heron blinked.

"THis is awkward..." he said quietly, reverting his eyes to the ground. "But no...I haven't seen them since I was old enough to not be watched over..Ryder..Me and him are looking for her. Azure. Remember? We were little back then, when we saw her? I..Don't even UNDERSTAND why we're looking for her. ehheh." It was the truth. Why the hell were he and Ryder looking for her? What'd they do when they caught her?

....Awkward. He needed to loosen up. "Dawny, do you still ummm...Like..our parents? Ciro, Midnight, Chase..Citrus?"

What a stupid question.

But it already came out. He knawed on his lip, causing it to bleed.

------

Citrus is still wandering around...... >>

(((AND SO CITRUS SLOWLY ENTERED THE ROOM OF MIRRORS...)))

~~~~~

"...Azure?" ...That's right. Citrus's long lost daughter. "...What would you get out of finding her? Why did you even start looking for her?" She didn't want to be mean, but it's true.

Heron's next question hit her hard, like a fifty-ton snowball. "Umm..." She hesitated. "...I've always loved them! Why wouldn't I now?!" Dawn faked, giving a fake laugh in the meantime. If she was a manga character, she'd have a big sweatdrop showing right about now.

[[ Citrus: stfu ]]

"Ryder was the one that wanted to look. I just..followed after him. I don't even know what he wants from it...And I don't see the use of it." He shrugged. "We've been on her tail several times..I guess for a long time, when we grew up and I let Azure slip out in front of him." She made sense, and he often questioned himself about it. What would they gain? Nothing.

"I guess it's just something to occupy our time. D-Didja know that the zombie..Voodoo...he like.. LIKES Azure. In a way. He's scared us off from her more than once..." he continued on.

"Are you saying that? With your true heart....?" He voice was starting to get thick with emotion. "Why don't they see us then? Why...why did Citrus never like us? She didn't treet us like she treats her own children....." He closed his eyes. ".....I don't like them. I prolly sound terrible. Lemme shut up now."

-----

Citrus is still a-wandering.

((AND SO CITRUS BUMPS INTO A PANEL OF MIRRORS ON HER WAY THROUGHOUT THE MAZE...))

~~~~~

Dawn knew she wasn't. She just didn't want to show any dislike to the one person she admired the most as she was growing up- her father. Chase. But Citrus, on the other hand...

Dawn hesitated a moment, and then spoke. "...I guess you're right. Citrus really doesn't care for us as much as she does her own children, even though it's unethical to have favorites... biological or not. But Chase..." she paused. "...I can't blame him. He's finally found a mate who he loves... We're adults now, he has the right to pay attention to his new children while they're still just pups. But if he doesn't change that after they grow up also..." Dawn stopped there, in mid-sentence- she didn't want to have to think about that.

Heron shrugged. "Let's talk about something else. OK?" He attempted to smile, but the nervous twitch only proved that he was kidding himself.

"So..What have you been up to while we were growing up? I remember you were once an itty bitty baby, just like me....And nw, here we are." He laughed uneasily. The eevee's mental self was gagging at his actions, yelling at him to stop that and be himself. What was the real him? Heron was frustrated with his thoughts. If I was away from Dawn, I could take a deep breath and yell. Curse this whole world. Curse my life. Curse the zombie and Chase. Curse my family... It all made him miserable deep down. Well, except for Dawn. And maybe Ryder. They were the only two he could consider his true family.

The mental pain was starting to be overwhelming. Too much for him to bear. Mentioning bits and pieces of his feelings to his only sister only made it help a little. Not too much.

"Uhh, Dawn, just saying this out and in the open randomly -- I'm glad you're my sister. I'm glad I HAVE a sister. You got escape from being tough sometimes when I think about it.. You know? Well, maybe you wouldn't understand.. Anyway, whatever." He smiled, an actualy genuine smile.

~~

Citrus is doing more walking.

[[ MMM yess ]]

((AND SO CITRUS SHAKES OFF HER CONCUSSION AND CONTINUES THROUGH THE MAZE...))

~~~~~

"No one place, really..." Dawn replied to his question, although she wasn't exactly sure how to answer to it. "I usually just wondered aimlessly until I eventually got back to where I started out at." she forced a smile to that.

"Heron... Well, I'm glad that you're my brother also. You were really my best friend since we were growing up together... I can open up to you when I need to without having to thing about it." This time, her smile was true, and not forced out of trying to not make Heron uncomfortable with how she was feeling inside at the very moment.

He laughed. "That sounds like you, alright." Heron gave a goofy smile. If he was like those trainers-humans--if they were built like humans, he would of ruffled her hair or given her a noogie.. He grinned at the idea.

He nodded. "Anyway... You hungry?" He grinned sheepishly. "I'm so hungry.. I could eat a ponyta!" The eevee glanced to one side. "So, you wanna go fishing?" Assuming that she was hungry and that she was willing to go fishing, he automatically headed towards a river he knew well from traveling and chasing after Azure for so long.

~~~

We put a car in your car so you can drive while you drive! I mean Citrus is still walking to who-knows-where.

Hopefully you won't, though, Dawn thought to herself jokingly. ((:sarcasm:))

Dawn WAS pretty hungry- she hadn't eaten in a while. And, even if she did, it was probably just berries or pokeblocks- nothing compared to going fishing.

"Hey... Wait up!"

((Wait... Isn't going fishing canniballism in Pokemon world? XDDD))