The Eeveelution War

Chapter 26: The Message

"Well, we better start heading off." Crystal said.

"Go where, doof?" Candy asked.

"To find Bl..." Crystal went quiet.

Zappy looked sadly down at the ground as Pepe started to stir and Phantom looked around at everyone.

"Well, we have to go find Blaze, don't we?" Phantom questioned. "I mean, the prophecy said eight heroes. There's seven right now, and since the prophecy seems to go in order, with Crystal first, then Candy, Pepe, Zappy, Willow, Storm, and me.. Plus, the prophecy does state, "a two sided friend, closer to one of the heroes than the others"."

Phantom points to Zappy just as Pepe wakes up. "Blaze has always been two-sided about some of us, including me, and he adores you and Pepe, so it's gotta be him. We also don't have any other options for an eighth hero besides him and Hewa, and Hewa"

"Phantom, about...Blaze.." Storm interrupted.

"Phantom..." Candy said gently.

"He's gone, Phantom." Zappy cried as Pepe jumped off of him.

"He died..." Willow said.

"WHAT?!?!" Zappy yelled. "Who told you that? No, he's alive, he just....left because of what I did...."

Everyone was quiet for a bit, until Pepe spoke up. Or, at least, the force controlling her did.

"Blaze is not fully gone yet, heroes." Pepe said as her eyes tinted a bit purple.

Crystal started to pull out her cross, but Candy slapped her with her paw as Pepe continued to speak, "You don't know me, but you can trust me. Blaze will be able to come back to you, but only after you start to head for Hewa."

Storm stepped towards Pepe, his tail flicking side to side. "Just saying "yeah trust me, a creature who's taking over the mind of the weakest on our team to say cryptic sh*t' is like saying I should stand in the middle of a highway at rush hour."

Pepe stood up and stepped closer to Storm. "You want me to take over you?"

She stepped closer. "I'd get all your memories, thoughts, and secrets."

"I'd get your strength, too," Pepe said, backing Storm up, "and could beat up your friends, Stormy."

Storm shivered and nervously stood his ground. "F...fine. But still, we can't trust you without some sort of proof."

Pepe smirked and sat down. "Listen, I cannot be trusted now, but if you don't listen to what I've told you, your friend, who's basically a family member to all of you...he'll be gone...the prophecy will fail and Hewa...she'll do terrible things to all of you. You'll never be free."

Pepe suddenly twitched, and continued. "Ugh, I have to go. But, heroes, trust me. Either that, or you can die!"

Before anyone could say a word, Pepe's eyes went back to normal and she looked around at everyone.

"Uh, why are you all looking at me like that?" She asked, tilting her head like a dog.

Zappy took a step forward and patted Pepe on the head. "You just....made an odd noise, haha."

Zappy looked to everyone. "Okay, everyone, I know it's a big risk trusting someone we barely know, but we don't have a choice. I mean, we need an eighth hero, and Blaze is the only option left."

Pepe opened her mouth to say something when Candy stomped her foot and growled, "You're just saying that because you miss him! Whatever you did to him that drove him off drove him off for a good reason after all!"

"Candy, enough." Willow growled.

Candy turned to Willow. "Shut it, Leaf Head."

"In fact, even if we did find him," Candy continued, "He probably wouldn't even want to come with us because you're here!"

"CANDY SUGAR-" Crystal tried to interrupt, but Candy wouldn't shut her trap.

She continued with, "And you wanna know WHY he hates you? Do all of YOU want to know why Blaze thinks you're the worst, Zappy? Because you murdered his best friend in cold, red blood, without an afterthought! Because you where so damn focused on winning that stupid champeonship!"

Crystal, Willow, Pepe, and Storm looked at Zappy, who was looking at the ground when he collapsed and started to tear up.