Love Bites

She looked into the pond, her baggy eyes staring at the reflection which gazed back at her with tired contempt. From behind her the sound of clanging metal rang into her ears as though her home were the bell towers of Notre Dame. It reared her head back slightly with every lash of its wicked grin. Her weary arms shook with fatigue as she raised them. With a sigh, she clamped her hands over the cursed horns that shot from her head like a weed in a garden. While most flowerbeds had roses to distract from the ugly intrusions, she was left only with her sad drooping face. The muscles in her arms bulged as they strained against the thrashing force that hung overhead. Wrestling the protruding chompers under her arms, her face grimaced as she held them in place with only one hand. Sweat began to dab her forehead. Her free hand felt foolishly along the ground until they came in contact with the woven band that she had sat next to her. Growling between her grit teeth, she spread the band apart and forcefully drove it over her lashing horns. Contained between the sturdy cloth, her horns pushed and strained from beneath them. Unable to break free, they were successfully constrained.

She looked down into the pond and sighed. From behind her head she could see the iron maw shaking back and forth as it tried to untwine its confinement.  Her temples began to thump along her skull after only few minutes of feeling the constant fight pulling at her brains. She wiped her eyes and stood up slowly. Mawile was ready to start her day.

The sound of cracking leaves made her shiver where she stood. Her spine grew stiff and her skin felt like stone. The crunching footsteps drew nearer, and when a gentle hand was placed onto her shoulder, finally, was Mawile able to face them. She turned around and smiled halfheartedly. In her chest she felt her heart burn. In her head she wished she was able to express more for her friends. Snivy took one of Mawile’s hands and squeezed it in her grasp while Roselia rubbed her fragrant flowers along Mawile’s arm comfortingly. Their lips quivered as they both gleamed at her, returning to her undeserving demeanor a much more honest attempt at smiling for the one they cared for. They pulled at her arms gently. Although it felt like led filled her feet, Mawile swelled her chest with air and forced each leg out in front of the other. Together they all walked down the dirt part of the woods. The sun came and went as it followed them over the foliage overhead, flickering on and off as it was continuously blocked by the wide leaves. With her hands still held tightly in their endearing grasp, in the pit of her mind she knew that they intended on taking her somewhere specific, and she gulped at the prospect of what that specific spot was.

It felt too soon for her. Mawile had to shield her eyes from the barraging light of the day, even though where they walked was primarily shaded. She had lost track as to how long it had been. This was her first time outside in quite a while. The two that led her on where the only ones that knew where to find her, and as such where the only ones that ever came to visit her. Walking behind them she could see their smiles and shining eyes. Through their trembling bodies she could feel how excited they were to have finally been able to coax her out from her cave. Mawile gazed along the ground as they walked. Her head felt anchored as her mind was ravaged with guilt at making them worry so.

Mawile’s iron jaws swayed behind her as she walked. Feeling it’s weight, it made her mind instinctually reflect over what it was that had driven her into hiding. Inside her head she played out the same story, the only thing she was able to focus on during her entire sentence of self-imposed isolation.

It almost seemed like a dream at this point. Just a bad dream. Yet, because of how it made her unsure feet stumble forward, their balance offset by her rooted anxiety, Mawile knew that it went on to be much more than that. As she recalled it, it started off as a wonderful day. The sun shined and birds flew. The wind comforted them while it blew and the grass below them cushioned their resting bodies, filling their minds with an unfounded appreciation for life. Together they rested under the enveloping shade of a large oak tree, the only thing that sprouted from the otherwise open field. With her hands shrouded inside his, he being yet another Mawile, they gazed into each other’s eyes. Her heart thumped like the turbine in a car, working overtime at keeping her body from completely shutting down in his embrace. He bent over and kissed her on the forehead. It was all she could do from blacking out. He then wrapped his hands around her head, coming in close to her face for a kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes, waiting in silent apprehension for his affection to slather her lips. But nothing of the sort came. Only the sound of gnashing teeth where all that her sense picked up. Hastily opening her eyes, she watched with her mouth now held open in horror. His arm was stuck, caught between the clenched teeth of her horns. He bit his lips, and his face flared as he withheld any sort of audible indication for the pain he felt. Prying open her metal maw, he reared his arm back and held it to his chest, rubbing at the red that formed along his limb.  Mawile’s mind went blank. She didn’t know what to say or do. Without excusing herself she stood up and ran. Her lungs heaved as she hurried away. She didn’t hear him call out. Only the sounds of her own racing feet.

That was all that she could remember, and subconsciously she felt it was for the best that it was all she could recall. From then on she had nothing but darkness surrounded her. From inside the cave she had thrown herself into, no light came through. Which is why the two Pokémon in front of her chatted and giggled gleefully at finally being able to pull her out from her own damp well.

The foliage along the path thinned. Slowly, they made their way out of the woods. Tall buildings began to pop up where they sauntered along casually. Civilization now overtook them, replacing the natural barrier that Mawile had since taken so much comfort from. People glanced over them as they passed, pointing and smiling at the sight of the wild group. While none of them were rare finds, something in the heart of humans took great pleasure in seeing Pokémon like them invading their urban lives. Mawile began to blush from all the attention. Snivy and Roselia huddled themselves even closer in response, wrapping their arms through hers, and securing themselves beside her. Mawile’s nerves were still on fire, but the prospect of being protected by her friends helped to ease her racing heart.
Stores and apartments now surrounded them completely, a testament as to how far they had delved into the den of man. Mawile’s chest rose and sunk hysterically. Her lips stammered with each deep inhale. Through her shivering frame, her breaths were short and sporadic. Snivy and Roselia looked at each other, sharing between themselves a worried glance.

Snivy’s eyes gleamed wide when an idea popped into her mind. Leaning in to Mawile’s head, with her hand raised up along the side of her mouth, she began to whisper under her breath. After Snivy had finished and parted herself from her friends’ ears, Mawile looked back and forth between them, wondering if something like that would really help. The two nodded at her with large smiles. Mawile held her arm tightly against her body. She was unable to deny that she certainly had nothing to lose from at least trying it.
Air whooshed through her nose, expanding Mawile’s chest so that it pushed out far from her body. Holding her breath, she closed her eyes. Snivy and Roselia winced as Mawile clenched their arms with an iron grip. Secured to each other, they moved forward, the two of them leading Mawile along the way by her tightened arms. Wondering in the darkness, Mawile’s palms became sweaty. Still, they managed to cling on.

Mawile could only hear their footsteps as they moved along, as well as the idle indecipherable chatter of the people that carried out their lives around them. Some laughed, others merely talked. Whether it was amongst themselves or in response to her passing, Mawile was unable to tell, and from this, she felt her thumping chest ease up ever so slightly.  With the trust in her friends as secure as the hands that held on to theirs, Mawile was able to continue without a hitch.

Time was of no matter when wondering the world without your senses. Traversing in the blackness of your own mind, the minutes seemed irrelevant. The void was eternal, and so counting down something so endless was nothings short of a waste. The sounds of their feet scraping across the cobblestone streets shot through her ear. They had all simultaneously stopped. Mawile felt the tugging of her friend’s arms, prompting her to loosen her grip. She whimpered quietly as she felt them detach completely. She waved her arms solemnly around her. With no bearings of the world, Mawile was forced to open her eyes.

Mawile gasped audibly. He stood before her, a shy smile lingering across his face uncertainly. His eyes were kind and saddened, but the with a laugh, his dreary demeanor seemed to brighten all at once. Looking down, Mawile saw his hand wrapped tightly within a roll of white bandages. Her chest seemed like an internal void as she felt her heart sink at the sight.

He threw his good hand out from behind his back. Lingering above his only good grasp was a string, and as Mawile’s eyes followed the string upwards, they gleamed when she befell a large red balloon saying back and forth, suspended above them like his affections for her.
He smiled a toothy grin at her approval and laughed again, but after calming his raucous expression of joy, he tilted his head at her. With furrowed eyebrows he took notice of the strange band the bounded her jaws behind her. Shaking his head, he reached a hand up towards the confining strap.

With dilated pupils, Mawile quickly stepped away from his approach. Reaching behind her back she grabbed her maw and held it beside her body to ensure that it wouldn’t be free to hurt him again. He followed her with slow and easy steps. He tried to smile comfortingly and outreached both his hands to ensure that he felt safe around her. In expressing his security, his bandaged hand became that much easier to see. Mawile continued her retreat, shaking her head wearily in protests of his reckless self-endangerment. Their footsteps were timed in perfect unison. With each step away from him, he took another step closer to her. Mawile grunted when her body slammed up against something hard behind her. From the clanging that rang through her ears, she knew instantly that it was something metal. She turned around slowly. Reeling her eyes up she gazed at large silver canister, it’s shiny exterior gleaming against the bright sun. Beside it was a cart, and tied to it were a collection of variously colored balloons. Turning back around she again averted her eyes towards him. With her newfound knowledge of where he got his present for her came the all too familiar sensation of losing sight of everything else.  Swinging her maw as she turned her head, it rammed up against the shinning container, causing it rock and teeter nosily behind her as its metal scrapped along the ground. Gasping, Mawile threw her arms up to retain the soon to be tipped over seal of air. With her back towards him, he seized the opportunity. He raced forward, grabbed a hold of her horns with his hand, and forcefully pried of the bandage with a strained grunt.

Mawile’s face went completely white. With the tank secured, she quickly turned herself around so that he wasn’t vulnerable to her terrible bite. He held the band between his fingers laughing. Perhaps now she could finally see that there was nothing to worry about. He showed no fear for her metallic teeth. The only thing that scared him was the idea that she would feel the need to forcefully restrain herself for his sake.

Shivering where she stood, Mawile idly twiddled her thumbs, the toothy appendage swaying to and fro from behind her head. Her throat extended with a gulp. Dripping down across her face were beads of sweat. Her jaws lifted up and down, as if it were its own entity of which she was unable to control.  He sighed at the sight. Shaking his head, he walked in close to her. In response, Mawile’s face wrinkled when she sealed her eyes tightly shut. There was nowhere else for her to back up to. He took a hold of one of her hands and held it close up to his chest. From behind them, Snivy and Roselia audibly awed at his portrayal of affection, their hands interlocked as they witnessed the ordeal with excited eyes, like a pair of school girls watching the hottest romance thriller.

Neither Mawile nor him payed them any mind. He had lost his gaze within her eyes which slowly opened back up upon feeling his love for her squeeze at her palm. Mawile’s chest heaved as her breath failed her. In his hand her own shook as though the very earth was splitting apart beneath them. He bent down puckering his lips, then closing his eyes, and then finally he kissed her sweetly on the top of her heated head. Mawile’s entire body convulsed. In an excited frenzy her jaws shot open and then clamped back shut with an ear splitting snap. He parted his lips from her, smiling as he looked into her eyes. Their hands tightened within each other’s grasp, and they both laughed awkwardly. A slight hissing radiated faintly from inside Mawile’s ears, her mind hazy from what had just happened. Her stomach fluttered with butterflies and her chest began to fill with love. Such feelings she hadn’t felt in a rather long time. As the growing sensation that was her infatuation filled her body, she began to worry that she may just pop from it all. Looking up to him, she tilted her head when she saw his face suddenly fill with confusion. Clenching his teeth, he let go of her hand and began to back up slowly. Mawile looked back and forth between him and her friends who shared a similar expression. Her brain did a back flip as it tried to figure out what in the world had gotten to them. Then she looked down.

Mawile’s belly had rounded right out from under her nose, extending from her body like a balloon would when shoved under someone’s shirt. Worse yet, it was still growing. It swelled out more and more, forming along her midsection into a large plush circle. Her brain went blank at the sight. Her mouth stammered, unsure of what to say or how to respond. The hissing that lingered in her ears finally shot off something into her head, proving that it wasn’t just air the occupied the space. Feeling behind her, her hands shivered when they rubbed against the cold canister of air. In her excitement and dazed mind her jaws had clenched into the container, sinking their teeth into the metal, and thus allowing the air to escape through her opened maw and back into her swelling body.

Mawile’s face went blank, the sheer horror she felt rendering any sort of response nigh impossible. She daintily rubbed her hands along the growing sphere that was herself. Her skin felt thin and delicate. Pushing into it made her wince, the thought of just how easy it would be to pop her surging through her mind like the toxins from a snake bite. Feeling the strange sensation of her expanding belly, it soon reached a point where her arms strained as they then had to be forced down. Groaning with discomfort, Mawile gave in and allowed her arms to shoot up alongside her. They to begin to inflate, plumping up rapidly beside her. Her skin sounded like stretching rubber, the force that pushed it out thus causing it to creak as it built up inside her.

Mawile spread her legs as her body widened. Her arms had since formed into round mounds alongside her body, engulfing her wrists and leaving her franticly flapping hands to become trapped within the swollen bits of flesh. From below her, her crotch filled out. Pushing out from under her the space between her legs soon touched the floor, her entire body now beginning to round out completely as it did so. Her darkened cheeks puffed out beside her face, rendering her moans of discomfort into pitiful “mph’s.” And still she continued to inflate.

With the air that filled her, Mawile had transformed into a balloon, and as such had obtained the properties of one as well. Her feet promptly lifted off the ground once enough of the lightning substance had filled her frame. Rising up slowly, her body began to float away. Not even her fingers could wiggle in protests, as only the very tips were visible.

Gasping at the sight, Snivy stepped forward. Unleashing two vines from under her collar, she hastily shot them upward and wrapped them around Mawile’s circular body before her friend disappeared into the sky. Her face strained as she pulled back, grunting as she fought to keep the two of them grounded. The red balloon he held took to the sky as he let it go. Racing up to her on shaking legs, Mawile’s partner tightly wrapped his arms around Snivy. With her anchor’s weight doubling, Mawile had finally ceased to rise up any further. Through the tears in her eyes she watched silently as the balloon floated up past her trapped head and away beyond her limited line of vision.

People of all walks of life soon gathered around the scene. From below they looked up at the swollen blimp that had unmistakably been a regular Pokémon at one point. Most pointed and gaze up in awe. Others looked about nervously, sinking into themselves as they watched with the idea of her exploding at any moment in their minds. Altogether, none of them made any sort of effort at helping her in her expanding peril.

Over her swollen frame, Mawile was able to see the gathering she had accumulated. Being so high up, it took a conscious effort for someone to not notice her as she was. The only color that was visible on her face was a deep red. She whimpered and cried, the meek sounds gaining little traction for her own body had engulfed the bottom portion of her head, muffling her mouth and transforming her already sad cries for help into the most pitiable sounds of desperation imaginable.

Mawile was nearly a perfect sphere. Her hands and feet had been completely swallowed, leaving behind only black divots which indicated their original position. Her head was completely shrouded as well. The only visible part that was left were her horns which protruded from the top of her ball like body, the air tank still clenched between their teeth. Insider her rounded chest her heart raced like mad, causing her body to convulse slightly with each rapid pump. She couldn’t see nor hear what went on below, but all the same she could feel it. The countless pairs of eyes that peered up from below pierced her skin like a branding iron. There was nothing left she could do.

Snivy watched with sunken eyes. Her helper from behind had promptly turned his head away at the sight, his eyes clenched shut. If he hadn’t been using his arms he would have plugged his ears as he prepared his heart for the inevitable. His chest burned almost as much as his arms did from gripping around Snivy. The prospect of having been the one that removed her band and having allowed for this to happen weighed him down tremendously, to the point where he figured that this was the only reason none them had disappeared into the sky by now. Unable to grip the vine and help them, Roselia stepped forward with determination painted all over her face. Finally, she had figured out a way she could help. Raising her roses up, she aimed them at the ever growing Mawile. Snivy gasped when she saw what Roselia was doing. Before a single word against the idea could be spoken, a rapid succession of thorns shot from her floral appendages. They wisped through the air, and like a dart to the bullseye, shot up and pierced Mawile’s skin.  Roselia blinked and then they were gone. Her body leapt a good couple feet into the air when the nearly empty tank crashed a few meters away from her. Mawile’s partner had fallen face first along the concrete, blood beginning to run across his scrapped nose. Groggily he lifted his head up. The last they saw of Mawile and Snivy was her large yellow body shooting through the air like a comet while Snivy trailed behind like the comet’s tail, the released pressure sending them off veering overhead and somewhere through the city and back into the woods beyond.

The people all around them gasped in unison, the sounds of their confused muttering rang through the city like it was a high school cafeteria. Roselia shivered where she stood and slowly began to wilt in place as her supposed solution wound up blowing up in her face. She had figured with their weight they would have been able to hold Mawile steady while the air slowly leaked through the holes she put into her friend. Standing back up, Mawile’s mate quickly ran past the quivering rose. Slowly turning her head as she watched him race by, Roselia’s body strained when she forced her legs up and forward, her weary frame stumbling as she awkwardly attempted to catch up with him. They raced through the city and back into the wilderness that surrounded it. That was the only lead they had as to Mawile’s and Snivy’s whereabouts. And even then, it was only a vague guess at their location.

Leaves rustled when he parted them with his sweaty hands. A cloud of dust shot up every time he pushed a rock to the side to see if they had fallen behind it. His eyes shot about frantically in his skull, trying their best to look through every inch of the foliage heavy forest. Roselia clumsily followed behind him. Unable to push apart any bushes or rocks, she called out to them, desperate for a response to be returned back to her. Nothing came.

It felt like hours, and very well could have been. Both of their minds were much too occupied to have any room of which to focus on the time with. Roselia collapsed to the floor. Wiping her brow, she sighed to herself while tears began to fill her eyes at the realization that she had lost her friends. He went up to her and grabbed a hold of her arm, but before he was able to lift her back up to her feet, both their heads looked about eerily. His ears perked, and he gasped when a feint whimpering sound finally touched base with them.
He ran up to a seemingly random bush. Prying apart the greenery with clenched fists, he looked down and sighed with relief at what he found. Mawile’s back was turned to him, her whole body left to tremble in Snivy’s arms. Facing him were the very horns she feared so much. They wilted behind her, facing the ground and shivering like a recently scolded puppy. With a sigh Snivy looked up to him and smiled meekly. Roselia raced up behind him. Peering over his shoulders she let out a dainty laugh, the pressure in her chest disappearing having now since found them.

Snivy stroked Mawile’s head which whimpered into her body like a baby would its mother. With a gentle tug of her arm, Snivy slowly lifted Mawile’s head up from her chest and turned it slowly to the side so that she could learn who had come to see her. Mawile sniffed, her nose red and dribbling. Wiping at her puffy eyes, she looked behind her. Seeing him smiling there, she quickly threw her head back into Snivy’s chest cavity, forcing out a loud “oof” as she rammed her head into her friend. Snivy rolled her eyes and lifted her arm, but stopped when he put a hand over hers and pushed it sweetly back down. He leaned in close and slowly placed his free hand atop her jaws. Like a cat he began to stroke it, without so much as a word. He hoped his soft touch would have been enough to convey what he wanted her to know.

Mawile’s’ body tensed. But with each stroke it slowly eased. Until finally she was like jelly in Snivy’s arms. Soon enough, she was able to turn around and face him. He tilted his head and laughed. With her real face finally facing him, he held out his hand in front of it for her to see. Instinctively, she grabbed a hold of it. Without any visible effort he pulled her to her feet. Squeezing her palm, he pulled her body against his own and wrapped his arms entirely around her.

Roselia took a few steps back, allowing them a path to walk away from the bush.  Stepping out a couple feet from the shrubbery they halted their movement and took a moment to look at each other face to face. Exchanging their rosy grins, they then leaned in carefully and locked their lips. Mawile’s face went entirely red, but unlike before it was a smile then hat accommodated her new coloring. Parting from his head, she looked over to Roselia and Snivy, both of whom watched with modest grins. Snivy brushed her hand against the air, shooing them away to be together. Mawile nodded and her face brightened as she smiled at them in thanks. Together they walked off hand in hand. Roselia and Snivy sighed, their hearts filling their chest after finally being able to see her so happy.

No person is a completely smooth surface. Everyone has a few noticeable jags and points sticking from them like the thorns on a rose. It is thanks to these blemishes that were are able to filter out the ones that truly matter from those who aren’t worth as much as we may initially believe. As Mawile walked away, she felt a warmness overcome her, and in her head she felt a sudden urge to be thankful for her horns, thankful that they were able to allow him an opportunity to prove just how much she meant to him. From behind her, swaying as she walked, her horns curled their lips up and smiled, its sharpened teeth glistening in the sunlight above.