The Runt

Just A Game

     Cloud and Spike dashed around in the soft, green, grass, racing after each other in the cool Autumn breeze. "You'll never catch me! I'm too fast for you!" Spike yelled.

      "That's what you think!" Cloud shouted back. She knew Spike would still be faster as he was bigger, but Cloud knew she could easily tire him out. They kept chasing after each other as a grey and a white blur of color. The leaves crunched beneath their paws until Spike suddenly froze. Cloud banged into him and fell backwards into the soft grass. "Hey! What was that for?!" She asked angrily.

     Spike stepped back, starstruck. "There's a storm coming! I- it's really strong! It's coming our way! We need to leave! Now!" Spike said.

     "What are you talking about? The sky is clear! No clouds in sight! Except for me of course."

     "No! I'm serious! I-I felt it."

     "What do you mean you felt it? It was probably just me banging into your butt!"

     "No! With my horn! I felt it with my horn!"

     "Ha! You just don't want to admit that you're tired already!"

     "I'm not kidding Cloud!"

     "Oh really?"

     "Listen to me! I'm not joking!"

     "Hey!" White Fang scolded. "What are you two fighting about?" He asked as he walked towards Cloud and Spike, the Mightyena's muscles rippling under his pelt, Snowflake close behind.

     "Spike doesn't want to admit that I won this time!" Cloud explained, baring her white teeth at her brother.

     "No, Cloud won't listen to me!" Spike snarled back.

     "Woah, woah, woah," Snowflake said, her soothing tone letting their snarls fade to scowls as they looked at the Absol.

     "Spike, what are you trying to say to Cloud?" The Absol asked.

     "I'm trying to tell her that I sensed a storm coming and we need to leave! Now!" Spike explained desperately. "All of us need to leave, before it's too late!" Cloud snorted at this. When would he quit making excuses?

     "A storm? I never sensed a storm today." Snowflake said, half to herself.

     Cloud saw her chance, and whipped her head to face her brother. "See?! I told you! You're just trying to trick me!" She growled at him.

     "Am not!" Spike snarled.

     "Cloud." A deep voice warned. Cloud's ears immediately pinned to her head and looked up to see her dad staring angrily at her. She looked down at her paws in embarrassment. Just because Spike was tired already didn't mean he could make such a big deal about it!

     "White Fang, I need to talk to you. Pups, go to your trainers." Snowflake commanded.

     Spike and Cloud reluctantly started off towards their trainers. Cloud glared at her brother and growled at him under her breath.

     Cloud didn't understand why Spike was acting all innocent and making up excuses, She caught him every once and a while. He doesn't usually get that mad at her.

     Unless he was telling the truth...

     Cloud was still lost in thought when Spike burst towards Jayden. She sighed and slowly started to walk over to her trainer. If there really was a storm, why couldn't Rylie just teach her Sunny Day or something? It would prove Spike wrong even if he was right and teach him not to mess with this Absol! Or Poochyena, either one.

     "Cloud!" Rylie shouted out cheerfully. Cloud snapped out of her thoughts and looked up from her paws.

     Rylie and Sierra were sitting at a picnic bench, facing outwards towards Cloud. Rylie sat on the chair, with Sierra sitting on the table, her feet hiding under her soft feathers. The bench was green, with patches of slightly blackened wood from burn marks.

     "Hello Cloud!" Sierra chirped.

     "Hi Sierra, hi Rylie." Cloud mumbled quietly.

     Rylie tilted her head, almost like a dog, and pat her lap, "Come Cloud, let's talk for bit."

     Cloud jumped up onto Rylie's lap, the trainer helping her just a little bit. The hybrid felt a warm hand gently fall onto her head, Rylie's hand to be exact, and it pet her gently.

     "So. What's up Cloud?" Rylie asked.

     "I-" The hybrid paused, "I really don't know. Spike said he 'sensed' a really strong storm."

     "Oh? Then shouldn't we be taking shelter?" The trainer asked as she started to pull herself up, Sierra hopping onto her head.

     "No!" It came out louder than expected, which bothered Cloud. Why did everything have to come out a different way than she wanted?

     Rylie hesitated, then sat back down. She gently placed Cloud back on her lap, and sat down slowly so Sierra was comfortable on her head.

     Both looked confused, so Cloud explained. "Mommy didn't sense anything though!" Cloud growled, "I think he was just making excuses because he didn't win." The hybrid's voice dropped. She remembered that that was exactly what she was doubting not too long ago.

     This time, Sierra answered, "You really never know, Cloud. Spike was made-"

     "Born. Born... different." Rylie interrupted. That was strange, Rylie never interrupted Sierra. Or in that case, nobody. Unless it was her brother, Jayden, of course. But now wasn't the time to worry about this. We had more important matters to worry about.

     "Spike? Born different? What about me? I thought we were twins!" The hybrid barked, confused.

"Of course! Everybody's different! Just in a different way." The trainer answered.

"Then why is Spike's differences so much bigger than mine that he can sense storms nobody else can?" Cloud retorted. It just didn't make sense. Nothing made sense.

Sierra, who Cloud had forgotten about at that time, suddenly spoke out. "Um, I'll be right back guys." The Fletchling flapped her wings and sent Cloud's fur and Rylie's hair flying,  going back the way Cloud had come. She circled White Fang and Snowflake for a few seconds, Cloud and Rylie watching silently.

The two watched intently as Sierra flew back towards them, with an expression Cloud couldn't really identify. Except it wasn't exactly happy.

"Rylie, White Fang and Snowflake want you."