Journal of a Sylveon

Chiyoko

I woke up this morning disoriented, momentarily startled because I didn't remember what took place the night before. But I calmed down as I remembered why I was there. I looked around, and to my slight annoyance, all of the others had their masks on, and I couldn't recognize them. I got to my feet and looked at them. 

"Where's Chiyoko?" I immediately demanded. They seemed a bit put out by my brusqueness, but one motioned me to follow her. Yay, more walking. 

But this time, we didn't walk as far, and it only took a few minutes. Then we stopped, and I was presented with a blindfold, which was tied around my eyes by another one. Then one roughly took hold of my feelers and pulled me around whichever direction we were headed. It was annoying, how I was simply being led on like some horse. This went on for another several minutes, and while we walked, I quipped in with a few questions.

"Where are we going?"

"Sore wa mondaide wa arimasen," one said. I groaned. I couldn't speak japanese... 

"What pokemon is Chiyoko?"

The phrase was repeated to me, and I sighed. This sure was aggravating. 

Two hours. 

My paws were sore, and my feelers ached from being yanked on so much. Milly was probably worried about me... I hoped all was going well and that not many of them were worried. Speaking of such, how could I be sure that I myself wasn't in danger? Great, now I was nervous. 

But we eventually came to a stop. I waited anxiously and the blindfold was torn off my eyes. I blinked a few times.

"Chiyoko!  Anata ga homon-sha o motte imasu!" 

I watched a den, and saw a figure stir inside. My eyes widened a bit as I saw a pokemon with four legs stalk out cautiously. She had a slight limp, and eyed me dangerously. A shinobi shozoku hid any recognizable features. But not the eyes. Deep teal eyes looked me over judgmentally. Then, she approached me, and I dared not move. He sniffed me, then backed away a bit, as if she had been slapped. She knew something I didn't. She looked at me no longer with judging eyes, but she recognized me. She tore off the mask. Sylveon. Then I caught the scent that had haunted my dreams for months. 

My mother. 

For a moment, I froze. I couldn't believe it. 

"Takao?" she said softly. Then I remembered. Takao. My childhood name. I remembered everything. 

"Mother?" I said, tears welling up. 

"Takao!" she cried, and ran to hug me. 

There we stood, both in an embrace, the first time we had seen each other in so long. I felt amazing, like I never wanted it to end. 

Mother. 

She was still here! We both sobbed joyfully as we hugged, feelers unwilling to let go. I never wanted to be apart from her again. 

We did talk. We tried to catch up on everything we could. Everything that had happened we talked about. She told me about how she eventually made her way to the region's forest and fell in with a local clan of pokemon ninja, and I told her about Dewmaru, his older brother, Milly, Glaceon, everything. And we again hugged, and just sat there in the middle of the clearing, crying our eyes out. 

I had to admit, for a moment, I was tempted to fly the coop and stay there. I had missed my mother so much, I felt like a void in my heart had just been filled, and I never wanted to be away from her again. I could train as a ninja, and eventually go out to find Milly again. But when I voiced the idea to Chiyoko, she told me to never act on that. I had made a commitment, and the others relied on me more than I knew. So, I let the idea go. 

Eventually, twilight came on, and night drew in. I was to stay here for the night, and a Fearow would take me back to my camp before Milly would leave. So here I am, laying here on a bed of leaves, wishing this time could never end. 

But I know who I am now. And I know that my mother is alive and well. For the time being, we're together. What more can I ask for?

-Takao, formerly Vincent