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 Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 3:59 pm
 KeiranKeiran shrugged, remaining silent as his two companions shifted about, wandering about. He wasn't as focused, at the moment, as they were. He wasn't really accustomed to being in charge of things, so he was more than glad to step back and let Era and Riley struggle to understand the riddle. He'd already been lost with the majority of the riddle. It wasn't until he was asked to pick a playing card, in fact, that it was explained to him a little bit. He'd never had a set of cards, of course, but he vaguely understood the card in his hands to be the so-called "Ace of Spades".
He glanceed at Era's card, frowning a little bit. She seemed to stare at it quite a bit, although he wasn't really understanding why. He would be more interested in the back of the playing cards, personally. There was a curious, intricate pattern on them, likely just present to be decorative. Would have made a lovely carving or some such thing, however. "They might help... somehow. It might be more symbolic than the actual cards, though," he replied calmly, glancing at Riley.
Era darted past them, heading straight for the base of a nearby tree, and Keiran followed along behind Riley, staring curiously over his shoulder. It looked to be a sort of hankerchief, though he could tell from the way it was lodged that it wasn't likely to come free very easily. Short of just tearing the fabric, anyway. He was about to offer to help, but Riley got there first, and he found himself instead staring in shock as the never-ending string of colourful fabric streamed from the tree trunk. This place was like a magician's wonderland. He much preferred this to the stage, in any case. It felt more natural.
"You're not?" Keiran responded immediately, more than a little surprised. If Riley wasn't pulling the trick, than how was it possible for it to actually have occurred without his planning? Easily; someone else had set up the trick. Riley was merely using their preparations. The problem was that they didn't know who had set it up.
He ducked down in surprise as he heard the voices of approaching children. A paw snatched him roughly by the scruff, and his body went entirely rigid as he was pulled down. His fur fluffed out, and his teeth bared very suddenly in a fierce, silent snarl. Out of pure instinct, he nearly turned on the one who'd dragged him down, but he forcibly calmed his reflexes upon realizing that it was only Era. All the same, the pulse which throbbed through his torso was nearly unbearable. A self-conscious paw rubbed the back of his neck, trying to reassure himself as he ducked his head in a silent mixture of shame and apology.
Though he missed most of the exchange between the Eevee children, he looked up in time to hear the joy in the voices of the family, to see their father walk them home. It felt odd, to watch. It wasn't a scene that he was really familiar with, he supposed. It seemed, and it was, that every second he was surprised by the way that Pokemon treated eachother. Respectfully. Peacefully. It was a wonderful place, really. He couldn't help but wonder what it would be like, what he would be like, if he hadn't been born into the tribe. He wouldn't have just snapped at Era like that; he knew that much. The heated feeling of shame once again rose to the surface.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 5:48 pm
  Era & Riley
Riley meanwhile, was lost in deep thought, trying to think of just who the Eevee they had seen had been. He didn't know them, he would have remembered too well if he'd met another Eevee magician like himself. Vinaldio, that was what the Jolteon had called the russet magician. Now where had he heard that name...? It struck a familiar chord, which he hadn't mentioned to Era because he couldn't be sure that he truly knew any of the odd Pokemon they'd seen. As he thought, Riley wandered the clearing to where the other Eevee had been, surprised to note that there were no pawprints that had been left behind. Strange...
As he stood there, searching through his mind for an answer to his question, Riley spotted a coin glimmering from between the grass blades. He did a double take as he realized it could very easily be the one that the other Eevee had done his trick with. Wouldn't his sister be upset if she didn't have it? Riley sighed, with no tracks there was no good way to catch up to them, meaning he'd just have to wait and see if they'd come back. To occupy the time as he waited, the Eevee began to play around with the coin. He tossed it up and down in his paw, then put it through the routine paces of a magician's coin: behind the ear, beneath the paw, inside the mouth, buried in the fur. In the end he tossed it into the air for a finale like the russet Eevee's, but as it turned in midair it caught the sunlight and promptly vanished. Riley blinked in surprise, again a trick had taken place without his prompting,what was going on here? Before he got much of a chance to consider it though, he heard a set of voices approaching again and hurried back to where Era and Keiran were.
"...Just don't understand it!" the voice of the russet colored Eevee said as he made his way back into the clearing. There was something different about him now tough, than there had been before. His voice was deeper and he even looked more mature; almost full-grown and likely ready to evolve soon. "What's so important about custom, I don't get it! Dad never told me to be like that, Mom neither up until now! Something weird's gotten into her and I don't know what!"
Two other Eevee followed him, an older version of little Evelise from before and a lovely caramel colored Eevee with evergreen shades to her fur, looking to be older than the former but younger than Vinaldio himself. "Vin, I don't know either, but don't let it get to you, the new Eevee said, "Look, we can't do anything about it now. Let's just make the best of it while we can..."
The lavender Eevee looked about nervously, ears pricked and watching as if afraid that someone would notice them. "I don't like this V... I feel like they're trying to make us into something we're not." Her voice still held the pitch of a child, revealing that she was not quite old enough to be as mature as the other two and thus more vulnerable to her emotions. She looked up at her brother with worried eyes, ears pressed against the back of her head in uncertainty.
"Aw, don't look like that 'Lise," Vinaldio said, the anger having dropped from his expression when he listened to the words of the others now to be replaced by a touch of good-humored gentleness. "Listen, Aelia is right, we have to make the best of it while we're away from them. I'll figure it out, don't you worry." He patted his sister's head with a gentle smile and nodded to the evergreen Eevee before tilting his sister's chin up to look her in the eye, "Hey, would a trick make you feel better?" Evelise seemed to brighten at the prospect and nodded shyly at her older brother who smiled and produced a stack of cups and a small red ball from only he knew where. With a wry grin he unstacked the three cups and placed them next to each other on the ground. "Alright, see this ball?" he asked the two of them, waiting until he received an affirmative to continue, "Good. Alright, you know this game. I'm going to put the ball under the cups, and mix them up a bit. Then you tell me where it is, alright?"
His sister nodded eagerly and Vinaldio proceeded to do as he'd stated, placing the ball under the center cup, and then scrambling the cups with such efficiency that the other two hardly had a prayer of knowing which it could be. When he stopped and looked up expectantly, Evelise stared at them hard for a long moment, her gaze intent. "Is it that one?" she asked after a pause, pointing to the left cup and looking back at her brother.
Vinaldio chuckled, "No, it's not under there silly." She looked questioningly at him when he laughed, and that seemed to cause his amusement to grow. "You want to know why it's not there?" he asked, teasing her slightly and causing her to nod vigorously. "Because it's sitting on Aelia's head of course!" the russet Eevee proclaimed causing both members of his audience to start in surprise, an action that caused the same red ball from before to roll off of where it had been delicately balanced on the older Eevee's head.
"Wow!" Evelise said with delight, tail waving happily back and forth, "How did you do that big brother?"
Vinaldio winked, "I've never told before, why should I now?"
"No fair!" the youngest Eevee said in protestation, pouting once more. Still, her spirits were far improved from what they were before, something that both Vinaldio and Aelia noticed. The older two exchanged a glance that Evelise caught and she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You guys always do that," she said, "Act like you're talking without me being able to hear, I'm not blind you know." As the two began to protest, her gaze grew coy. "But I know why, so that's okay!" The other two looked at her in bewilderment and she giggled, "It's 'cause V likes Ae-"
Before the little Eevee could finish, her brother pounced on her to cut her off, causing the girl to squeal in surprise. "That's enough out of you," he said, clearly embarrassed, "Don't go saying things that no one needs to hear." He looked back at Aelia with an easy, apologetic grin, "Just spouting nonsense again, you know her." He put a paw over his sister's mouth as she began to make muffled protests and laughed nervously, "We should, ah, probably be getting back. They'll get suspicious if we're gone too long."
Aelia gave a long look that seemed to be looking through the magician rather than at him before nodding and turning around. "I'll go on ahead and make up some story for you two, you can clean up here, but hurry, alright?" Without waiting for a reply, the evergreen Eevee disappeared through the trees again, leaving the siblings alone.
When she was finally gone Vinaldio removed his paw and stared his sister down sternly. "Don't say things like that!" he whispered through clenched teeth, "You know I didn't want anyone to know that, least of all her!"
"It's true though!" Evelise protested, her expression adamant. As her brother gave her yet another warning look though, she wilted, "Alright, alright, I'll be quiet. But you'd better tell her soon!" With a toss of her tail, the lavender Eevee walked haughtily to the edge of the clearing. "Come on, I'm waiting!"
Seemingly satisfied, Vinaldio nodded and cleared the cups and ball with a sweep of his paw, crushing them into nothing just as Riley had earlier with the cards. "After you my dear sister," he said with a pretentious and absurd tone to mock her slightly, bowing so low that his muzzle brushed the ground. Evelise stuck out her tongue at him before going onward, and the magician was soon to follow, with one last glance around the place to ensure that no one had overheard.
The three onlookers went unseen and as this second piece of action took place, both Era and Riley watched with interest. "Didn't they look a little different this time?" Era said pensively, "They sounded different too, and it seemed like a lot of things had changed in such a short period of time..." She frowned, considering the scene. "It was like...a different time almost. Like months, maybe years had passed even. But it was only a few minutes, that doesn't make sense."
Riley looked at her with interest, and his expression was lit up with thought, "Unless..."
Era raised her gaze to meet the Eevee's. "Unless?"
"Unless these are memories," he said, looking out at the clearing curiously, "Memories of one of those two Eevee, Vinaldio or Evelise. Memories that took place here. ...Memories that we're watching now."
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 5:53 pm
KeiranKeiran let out a final, shaky breath as he finally felt it safe enough to speak. His ears twitched, and he glanced shamefully at Era. "No. No, it's not your fault," he replied quietly, his voice very soft and guilt-ridden. "It was instinctive. Old habits die hard, I suppose." He didn't go into further detail, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously as he looked away again. His expression was very much downcast as he spoke again. "I'm fine. Sorry to have frightened you."
He drew his knees close to his chest, resting his chin on top of them in silence. He very much remembered his training, and he very much wish that he didn't. Even more so, he wished that his memories didn't sound like a cheap story of sorrow and abuse. This guild just had a way of bringing things forward that he'd rather leave buried.
Celeste especially made it difficult to come to terms with things. If she wasn't being a total jerk about anything and everything, she was reminding him of everything wrong with his life. One of these days, he was just going to walk out in the middle of her rant, and never look back. But he knew that he couldn't. Leaving Celeste behind would be possibly the most drastic mistake that he could ever make. He didn't have anywhere else to go, and Celeste would probably ensure that he didn't make it far, anyway.
He barely noticed Riley leave, although he certainly noticed his return. The expression on his face, and the hurried, shallow breathing clearly meant that there was to be more people passing through. He flattened his ears, and crouched low in silence, his small dark body lying near to flat against the ground, only a thin gap between himself and the grass. He listened, ears twitching at the words. They seemed troubled, to him, though they seemed to barely skim the surface of the true issue. He felt as though the very meaning of them... was glazed over. The words weren't meant for his ears. This was not his past to rediscover.
He glanced at Era in silence, his ears twitching slightly. The exchange between her and her companion seemed to last only a moment, before Riley seemed to settle on the same idea that he'd had. "That's what I assumed they were, as well," he offered, his voice meek. He wasn't really feeling too confident in his own opinion, at the moment.
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Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 9:08 pm
Era & Riley Era shook her head with a smile. "Don't worry about it," she said, "It happens to everyone sometimes. No one can help it when instinct takes over." The Pikachu let the matter drop after that, unconcerned about it. She had no trouble glossing over little things like that when it came to friends, or anyone really. Certainly she didn't take it as hard as Keiran seemed to be taking it. With a light sigh, she gave him another smile in reassurance and tried to keep him from being too hard on himself.
Riley nodded in agreement with Keiran's agreement when it came. "Yeah, that's probably it," he said in confirmation, "It's odd but I guess everything's pretty odd here, right? If I were to guess at which I'd say this Vinaldio character. The riddle mentioned 'magician's dreams' and he's clearly the magician here. So then I guess there's just a connection that we have to find between this and the 'key from the past' that it also mentioned." Riley's tail whipped back and forth pensively as he worked to figure the puzzle out and then he stepped out of the brush again without warning. "The last couple of times magic has set this off, so maybe..." Sure enough, when Riley looked he found the red ball laying in the grass nearby where it had last been seen in the memory, and so the Eevee took off his hat to remove a set of three cups from it. He proceeded to replicate the other magician's trick and mixed the cups up until even he wasn't entirely sure where the ball was anymore. Then, with a burst of Psychic energy, the Eevee knocked the cups over and as surely as before the ball was not there. Sweeping up his props and tossing them back into the hat, Riley returned to the other two even before the voices started; his precious headpiece returning atop his head even as he sat to quietly watch. "Showtime."
"Vin, where are you taking me," the voice of the evergreen Eevee came from the brush, sounding fully mature now and with an amused edge to it's tone.
"You'll see," was the cheerful reply. Vinaldio's voice sounded grown-up now too, but it still held that childish excitement too it in spite of that. Into the clearing walked to figures unlike the ones whom the group would anticipate. An Espeon led the way, his fur gleaming the same dark russet from when he'd been an Eevee and he looked spry and attentive to every detail, as if anticipating some sort of wonderful surprise. Behind him was a lovely and elegant Leafeon whose fronds were only slightly darker than her skin and whose eyes gleamed like miniature stars amidst the deep greens of her appearance. The Espeon stopped toward the center with an elegant bow to his companion and he couldn't seem to keep a smile from his face even as he spoke. "If it's alright with you I wanted to try out a new trick I've been working on for you," he said to her cheerfully.
The Leafeon rolled her eyes, and if one looked closely it seemed as though she was a bit crestfallen upon hearing that it was only that. "I suppose it's fine," she replied despite her chagrin, sitting and wrapping her tail around her paws to watch the Espeon with interest. "It had better be good though," she teased, "I don't like being dragged out to the middle of nowhere for no good reason."
Vinaldio's eyes gleamed with a grin, "Of course, only the best for you Aelia. You won't regret it, I assure you." There was something about the Espeon's tone, something that made it seem so gravely serious and yet so suave that it captivated his Leafeon companion. With a wave of his paw, Vinaldio summoned a box that hovered between the two of them in midair. "You see this box, do you not?" he asked, recieving a nod in answer, "Excellent. I like to call it the Box of Many Doors, because it can lead to many things. Right now though, it will lead to nothing." He turned the box all about with his Psychic, showing her all sides and then gesturing for her to try and open it. Aelia complied but to no avail, trying all sides until she looked at him in surrender. The Espeon smiled his pleased grin and drew the box back to himself with his Psychic energy. "Now the Box only responds to a magician's touch, I simply have to knock"-and he did so-"On the top and...presto!" The top of the box opened and a burst of color came from the top of it, like a rainbow was bursting forth from it. "Then once one door is opened, you can proceed to open several others," he continued, and proceeded to demonstrate, closing the one side of the box and turning it to open another side, then repeating the process again on all the sides, and even some duplicate sides. Each time it was different, from Vinaldio pulling a balloon out of the box, to a live Pidgey flying out there was something different each time.
Aelia watched all this with surprise and mild amazement. "Alright, I admit it," she said after he seemed to be finished, applauding him with a smile, "That was impressive, I have no idea how you managed it."
"Ah, but that's not the best part," the Espeon said with delight, "I can let you open it too now, if you'd like." With a puff of air, Vinaldio blew the hovering box over to Aelia, who caught it between her two paws in surprise. "Go on, give it a try," the Psychic urged his companion, expression bright with an eager, child-like excitement. The Leafeon laughed but complied, prying at the edge of the box with her paw and finding that it opened quite readily to her touch, unlike before. Inside, the Grass Type was surprised to find another, smaller box, which she took out after looking up and recieving a nod from the magician himself. The other box drew away as she opened the smaller one and gasped in surprise: within was a simply woven collar of ivy, and on its end was a brilliantly carved sun made out of shining gold. When she looked back up, Vinaldio's gaze was soft, and he looked her in the eye modestly. "Aelia I...I don't know how to say it. You make me really happy and you're my best friend. You're always there for me and you've been my strongest supporter ever since Evelise... Look the point is, it would make me the happiest Pokemon alive if you would stay with me, if you'd be my mate. Aelia I...love you." The words weren't at all in the Espeon's usual smooth style, rushed and a bit jumbled but their message was clear.
His Leafeon companion looked at him with surprise, and then back down to the necklace and then back up again. Then her expression grew gentle and she leaned forward to touch her muzzle to his in a quick kiss. "I thought you'd never ask," she purred contentedly, nuzzling his cheek happily. Vinaldio's face lit up with a blush that was hidden beneath his already red fur, but the Espeon's spirits clearly soared to hear his companion's words. He returned her gesture and carefully put the collar around her neck, stepping back to view it with satisfaction as the sunlight gleamed gently off of it. The pair didn't seem to need to exchange words but simply wandered off, the Espeon flicking his tails as an afterthought to make the remnants of his trick vanish as he followed his lady love off to who knew where.
Era released a breath that she'd been holding, half delighted and half guilty about what she'd just watched. It had clearly been supposed to be something private but they had watched it without being noticed. Then again, the Espeon's proposal had been so sweet that it had touched the Pikachu's own heart, and she wanted to sigh with contentment. Love was a beautiful thing, no matter what type. This had been like watching some sort of fairy tale happy ending. It made her wish that someday perhaps she'd have a similarly moving experience if someone ever proposed to her. Riley stood motionless besider her, still staring at the spot where the two Eeveelutions had been. He was shaking slightly and had gone terribly pale, and it didn't take long for Era to notice. "Riley?" she asked, her voice pitched with concern, "Are you alright?"
The Eevee seemed to return to reality at her words, somewhat at any rate though he still appeared baffled beyond words. "I know how I know them now..." he murmured, expression deeply troubled, "Vinaldio the Great. Those were the stories I was always told by my mother about my Grandfather who was a great magician. Aelia...she must be my Grandmother. She looks-She looks just like my mother." His voice faltered at the latter statement, feeling a pang of pain as he did every time he thought of his mother. Riley's right paw moved up to trace the Light Collar he wore and he touched his paw to the collar underneath it. The collar was different, leather and durable to keep it from getting hurt, but the sun symbol was the same. His mother had said that both his Grandmother and Grandfather had worn them, as a sign of their bond to one another. The one time he'd met his Grandfather was when he was very young and could hardly remember, but he had been given the self same charm that his Grandfather had always worn, his Grandfather's own treasure. Now it seemed to weigh heavily upon his neck, and he dashed out of the foliage again before either of the others could say anything, watching as the box appeared before him. The Normal Type picked it up in his paws and knocked once on top of it before setting it down again and pulling up the top of it. Then, everything seemed to freeze.
Without warning the russet furred Espeon stood before him, and rather than not noticing him the Psychic looked straight at him, seeming almost proud. Riley, the younger Pokemon looked up at the older one with a start at the sound of his name in his mind, and the Espeon seemed to smile. You have done so well young one, so well. Your mother would be very proud. Riley's eyes watered in spite of himself, but he found himself frozen, unable to move or even say a word. One day you'll become great, the Espeon continued, Greater than I ever was. Your magic capabilities far exceed my own. Vinaldio chuckled and Riley fought to open his mouth, to protest to his Grandfather, his hero, but he couldn't manage it. My time is short to talk to you Riley, but know this. You are stronger than you think, and you have the potential to become greater than you can imagine. Take the key now, let the magic guide you back. And remember Riley, we're all watching over you. With a nod to the younger Pokemon, Vinaldio flicked a paw and the shining sun charm that hung around his neck vanished and appeared before Riley. You'll know what to do when the time comes, I promise. The Espeon imparted those parting words before he faded from existance and Riley finally regained the ability to move, collapsing to his knees and staring at the sun charm before him as silent tears swam before his eyes.
To Era and Keiran, the scene went unnoticed. All they saw why Riley rushing forward only to fall to the ground without warning. "Riley!" Era cried, hurrying forward to the Eevee's side, "Are you alright?" She saw the tears in his eyes but didn't know what to say or what to do, standing there helplessly.
Riley bowed his head for a moment as he found himself no longer alone, and blinked back the residual tears, they would keep for another time. For now they had to keep going, they just had to keep going. "I'll be fine," he said quietly, rising to his paws and looking up calmly, "I found the key, we need to get back." After he finished speaking he picked up the sun in his mouth, holding it delicately so as not to hurt it in any way. Meanwhile the Ace of Spades that Keiran had last had began to glow, and sent a beam of light toward one of the trees nearby...((Feel free to finish this if you want and move on to your next challenge. The card will lead them back and Riley will open the chest where the portal is, so if you'd like you can add the intro to our next part at the end of your next post.))
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 8:08 am
KeiranKeiran rushed forward with Era, his eyes wide as he saw Riley fall limp to the earth. His heart thudded in his chest, as once again he imagined the state in which Era had been, only minutes before. It felt like an eternity before the young Eevee twisted to face them, and Keiran was most certainly relieved when he did. He didn't think that he was really prepared for another round of healing "sleeping" companions. It had been chilling enough the first time around, in more than one way.
He was silent, listening in silence as Era ensured her companion to be safe... and holding the key. The key in his palm glimmered faintly in the sunlight, the golden sheen standing out in the dim green of their forest.
A shining light seemed to break from behind them, as though a drop of starlight had fallen from the skies. Curious, Keiran was immediately headed back toward the source, and peering over the tree root. "It's the Ace of Spades," he noted matter-of-factly, reaching out with one paw. As his furry hand closed around the shining rectangle, he felt the glow begin to spread, sending a warm and tingling sensation up through the bones of his arm. It continued, reaching through his shoulder and torso, until it finally touched his toes. Glancing in surprise from himself to Era and Riley, he realized that they, too, were glowing. All three disappeared in a flash, and the coard floated aimlessly toward the ground.
Keiran sat bolt upright, his chest heaving with surprise as he found himself back on the smooth, black surface of the stage. The magical ornaments and trinkets were spread with careless abandon, just as they'd been before, all across the floor. As he got to his feet, he realized that the shining effect of the key had not diminished, despite the lack of sunlight in the area.
The last thing he saw was the shimmering key in Riley's paws, and the spreading shine of light and magic as the box was opened. The portal absorbed them all, the faint clatter of key and lock falling to the stage as their holders disappeared.
As the new world materialized around them, Keiran shivered. There was little warmth in this place, the ground cold and hard beneath his feet. Like frozen slabs of sand, the world was rough and icy. As far as the eye could see, not a creature lived, and no hills or mountains dotted the landscape. It was purely a flat plain of ice and stone.
He crouched down, pressing his palm to the earth curiously. Though the cold sent chills racing across his skin, he felt oddly dissatisfied by touch alone. It was as though the ice were a shell. "This place is more than meets the eye. Be careful," he warned slowly, tilting his head as he tried to extend the boundaries of his aura below. The earth, though frozen solid, was weakening. He wasn't sure how, but it was.
A falling flake of snow fell earthward, spiralling delicately down. It touched his paw, and he slowly raised it close to examine it. Just as every other snowflake. He watched it melt, only to be replaced by another, falling beside it. As the snowfall began to thicken, peaceful flakes of white falling down, he realized that they were all alike. That alone should have been a cue that something was wrong.
As flake by flake, the snow touched earth, the light began to seep away. Every flake absorbed the light around it, leaving the trio in a slowly binding darkness. Keiran's heart skipped a beat, still trying to examine the snow and earth around him. His aura was dying. He could feel it seeping away with the light. They were stealing away his senses, until he was left with the bare minimum. He was like everyone else, in reality, but to him, he felt near to dead. His fur prickled in agony and unease. "I can't sense anything." His voice was hard and strained as he spoke. Gaze fixing on Riley and Era, his eyes were full of sadness and mistrust. He didn't at all feel sure of anything around him.
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 10:29 am
Era & Riley Both Era and Riley watched as Keiran hurried over to investigate the source of the mysterious light and latter forced a smile to his lips at the mention of his Ace of Spades, though his heart wasn't truly in it. Vinaldio had given him a great deal to think about, and he knew for certain that he'd be weighed down by these thoughts for a while to come. His Pikachu companion placed a gentle paw on Riley's back, the gesture intended to be comforting. Era knew that something more had happened than Riley was letting on, but she didn't pry just as the other two hadn't pried about what had happened to her. The Eevee looked at Era gratefully, and his tail swayed gently from side to side in reassurance that he was alright. As they watched Keiran reach down and pick up the playing card, they both felt a peculiar feeling that spread from the tips of their ears all the way to their toes, and, to their astonishment, each found that the other two were literally glowing. When the glow had taken hold of them all entirely, there was a bright flash and the three vanished. The card lazily drifted down to the ground and lay there for a moment, only to vanish shortly after, returning to its master.~~~~~ Era snapped her eyes open to find that they were back in the place they had been to begin with: the stage. Nothing had changed even slightly, the positions of the items were the same, the lights still shone down; it was like they had never left. She got to her feet and looked around, spotting Keiran and Riley both doing the same. The Eevee gave a sigh of longing as he looked at the treasures that were once again within his grasp, but he had already set his priorities. He stood and walked over to the chest with a purpose, undettered by the temptation of the magic artifacts. As he arrived at the chest, the Eevee carefully transferred the key from his mouth to his paw and placed it into the keyhole. Era was close enough to see that it fit to perfection, and they all heard the lock come undone with a satisfying click. The chest opened up by itself, and as they peered inside the rainbow of colors that was their portal shot up to meet them and their surroundings began to fade from view. Era looked at Riley and saw that he was staring mournfully at the key, and then about at the instruments of his trade that he'd never gotten the chance to investigate. Even as everything blanked out she felt as though she could hear his thought, or perhaps he'd whispered it out loud: If only I'd had more time...~~~~~ Riley looked about as the new surroundings faded into view. This place seemed more unfriendly than the previous two, it was cold enough to make him shiver despite his warm coat of fur, and the ground was hard, cold, and rough to the point that it was almost painful for his paws to touch. His cloak was still, for there was no wind, and all around there was nothingness. No other Pokemon seemed to inhabit this empty slab of icy rock. It was a chilling place of loneliness that was a stranger to life itself. The Eevee drew his cloak around him against the cold and looked to Era and Keiran, who were to either side of him. The former was shivering slightly from the cold and looked around with wary eyes at their hostile environment; the latter seemed to be more keen on investigating the area and had pressed his paw to the ground, seeming to be feeling for something. Riolu had the capability to read aura he recalled, so when Keiran cautioned them to take care he nodded, allowing the Fighting Type to take charge of the situation.
Era felt eerily reminded of the place she'd been alone upon first entering the portal, but this time she had Riley and Keiran with her at least. And even if you weren't with them you know what to do now, she soothed herself, thinking back to the friendly voice and feeling a bit better as the oppressive fear was kept at bay. As she looked up, the Pikachu blinked with surprise as a lone snowflake fell on her nose. She brushed it off with a paw and looked around as more snowflakes came to join the first and they were suddenly surrounded by a sudden snowstorm. As she looked at the snow upon her paws she found that, strangely, the flakes were very similar-no they were the same. "Keiran..." she murmured quietly, "Something's wrong." As she watched the snow touch the ground, she noticed with alarm that the flakes were sucking what little light there was out of the very ground. The Pikachu's heart began to race, her pulse escalating rapidly as the darkness came back. It was one thing to overcome a fear once, but to face it a second time and so soon after was a little too much for her.
As the light continued to fade, Era repetitively looked back and forth from Riley to Keiran and back again. It was getting harder for her to cope; ever since her encounter with Ebony she had developed a fear of total darkness that bordered on a phobia. The light of her wings didn't cut through this darkness either: it was just like before. Desperately she clung to the fact that she wasn't alone in the darkness, but that only dealt with half of the oppressive terror that she felt. At Keiran's words, Era's eyes shone with dismay. Something sounded strange about the Riolu that she couldn't quite place and his eyes weren't the same as usual. Instead of their neutral or friendly expression that she'd grown used to, they were more similar to the look he'd taken on when she'd pulled him by his scruff and were wary and filled with uncertainty. "Something strange is going on here..." the Pikachu said in reply to the Riolu, "Snow shouldn't be like this, and if you can't sense anything then..." Era didn't know what that could possibly mean, Pokemon possessing the ability to sense things that others couldn't didn't just lose that ability without warning. Still the chill grew, encroaching upon them in a way that seemed faster than before but may have been the same; the flakes continued to fall; the darkness grew with every passing moment. "We should get out of here if it's possible," the Pikachu said, her voice trembling from the fear that threatened to chill her from the inside as the wind did outside, "This place isn't safe, and I don't like this snow. If we don't move quickly, who knows what will happen."
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 12:57 pm
KeiranKeiran nodded weakly, rising shakily to his feet. He felt kind of unstable, and ended up crouching back down onto all fours. It felt a little more awkward, physically, but at least this way he wasn't as vulnerable. He'd never been entirely cut off from any of his aura-reading abilities. His species sensed things; it was how they lived, breathed, and understood the world around him. Without that ability, he felt as though he were walking blind.
"Go where?" he replied dully, his tail drooping with sorrow and confusion. "There's nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. We're just... on an open plain." Looking around, it was clear that he was right. The light steadily faded around them, but there was nothing to see for miles. Just foot upon foot of flat rock, ice, and sand. Any trace of hope faded from his expression, as the final flakes of snow fell from the darkening sky.
Within a few moments, all was cold and black. He could hear the other two beside him, their breathing rough and uneven. He felt like a mere child; he was cold, alone, and utterly helpless were he stood. Strangely, with all that had happened, he wasn't sure what to do at this point. He trusted Era and Riley... to a point. He didn't fully trust anyone, if he was to be honest with himself. He took charge of his own safety because he had no other choice; there wasn't another being on earth who would likely go out of their way to help him. Era was different, that much he could be assured of; she seemed to have an endless amount of empathy. If someone needed help, she'd give it.... but how could that be the case for him? He was just a stranger, to them. A frightened outsider without a purpose.
With the anxiety settling deep in his bones, he stepped forward, feeling the icy cold strike through his forearm. He flinched, drawing himself back onto his hind legs. The air was warmer than the earth. If he could minimize his contact with it, he'd probably last longer in the icy chill. Another few steps, his movements unsteady and clumsy. The soft crunching of frozen sand and spiking frost beneath his feet was just audible enough to tell the others where he was; as if they couldn't already tell that from his ragged, frightening breathing.
Suddenly, he felt the ground crunch a little further beneath his feet, as though he'd stepped on thin ice. His heart plummetted in fear, and gravity forced his body to do much the same. He screamed, crying out in blind terror as his kicking paws were met with open air. His claws dug sharply into the side of the cliff, trying to get a grip against the ice, but he merely slid further, his claws making tiny scratches in the surface.
His thoughts flew for a moment to Era and Riley, but his resolve to save himself only greatened. He would survive, and he'd get them out of this. He didn't need help, and he wasn't going to get any. His paws finally slipped free of the ice entirely, and he tumbled down. The sound of shattering ice filled the air as he dropped down through the black abyss, his form falling through delicate spires and spikes of frozen water and sand. Finally, he came to an abrupt halt, letting out a sharp cry of pain as he made contact with the cold rock.
He curled up, trembling with fear as he heard the earth trembling around him. Somewhere above, he hoped that Era and Riley had found solid earth, somewhere safe to stay until they could leave again. That was, if they hadn't already gone. He was as good as dead, where he was. It would never make sense to risk your life for that of a stranger's, when you didn't even know if they survived.
"...Era!" he called, despite himself. His voice was hoarse with fear, and the cold air that stung his throat. "Riley!" He paused, hearing no reply over the shifting stones and ice around him. His fears seemingly confirmed, he could do nothing but try to survive as best he could.
Even now, he felt as though the ice on which he lay would break within moments. He crept as carefully as he could toward the wall of rock, trying to get a grip on the surface with his claws. The rock chipped away at his touch, so brittle from the cold that he could do nothing to stop the tiny shards that his claws broke away.
Twisting around, his paws were met with a sheer edge, and the narrow support of the ledge beneath him. He was trapped and alone.
Somewhere, far above, the earth where Era and Riley had stood was still in one piece. It was shaky, but stable enough by far to support the weight of the tiny pair. Where Keiran had once been able to sense his surroundings, now Era and Riley held his power. A narrow, shaky bridge of ice spun and twisted around the great frozen pillars. It flowed deep into the depths of the pit, where Keiran was now trapped. Unable to sense or see, the gaps in the bridge were unnoticeable to him. To him, all there was around him was a sheer wall of breaking ice and stone, and a drop to his death.
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Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 5:04 pm
Era & Riley Era's ears drooped as she listened to Keiran's less than cheery analysis of the situation. Yes she already knew it to be true, it was evident upon looking around the area that was still visible to them in the ever-growing darkness, but to have someone actually voice that truth made it seem more real than before. Riley picked up on the growing loss of comfort between his other two companions, and the Eevee made an effort to soothe them slightly. "Hey, don't be so morose you two, it's not the end of the world," he said, despite the growing evidence contrary to that statement, "We've gotten through everything they've thrown at us so far, I'm sure we can handle it. We're being pushed to our limits remember? No one said it would be easily, but I don't think the three of us will fail. Sure things look bleak, they do a lot of the time if you think about it, but it's never stopped us before and we shouldn't let it get to us now." Riley spoke in the seasoned and soothing tones of a story-teller and a stage performer, which worked their magic in even when he wasn't actually performing. The Eevee wore a brave expression, staring the danger in the eye with a steel gaze, and it was easy to draw courage from the Normal Type's words.
The problem was that they came at the wrong time, for even as Riley finished his speech so did the last trace of light fade from existance, leaving them in utter blackness. The pitch dark stole upon Era's fears and the Pikachu bit back on her nerves, tasting the bitter flavor of terror. Arceus she hated the darkness, it stole away everything that was good in the world and replaced it with uncertainty, secrets, lies, and pain. It was, by definition, devoid of light, and the light brought the good so naturally the darkness took it. She heard Riley and Keiran breathing, which reassured her of their presence, but all the same Era couldn't fight back the feeling that they weren't really there entirely. She reached out a paw in the direction of where she could hear someone's breathing, but even as she did so there was a soft crunching sound that signalled them moving away from her. The Pikachu's eyes widened and she fought the urge to cry out for the unidentified Pokemon to come back, she'd lost all sense of direction upon the descent of the darkness and wasn't certain which was which. Instead she tried again, this time toward the other sound of breathing she heard, and this one didn't move away. She gasped in utmost relief at the feeling of soft fur and the fabric of Riley's cape, kneeling down to hug the Eevee as though she hadn't only seen him mere seconds ago. "Era?" the Eevee murmured softly in her ear, causing her to cling to him more tightly though she couldn't speak to affirm his question. A soft sigh escaped Riley's lips and Era felt the tickle of his fur as he pressed his muzzle against her face comfortingly, "It'll be alright, don't worry. All we have to do is get Keiran-"
The Normal Type's words were cut off by a loud crunching sound that sounded with a snap and the panicked cry of their companion as something happened that neither could see but both could imagine. "Keiran!" Era's voice finally returned to her as she jumped up and took a few steps forward toward where she'd heard it, only to think the better of it and stop short even as the cry grew distant, hinting that their companion had fallen. The Pikachu's heart leaped to her throat at the thought of the Riolu plummeting to some terrible death and te sounds of splintering ice seemed to reiterate her thoughts. Then suddenly the cry was renewed, though far distant this time and hope crept back to the Pikachu. Somewhere in the blackness she could only hope that Keiran had fallen, not unhurt for that would be too far of a stretch, but at least safe. "Keiran are you alright?" the Pikachu called, her voice carrying down what seemed to be a ravine of sorts. She wasn't sure if he could hear her but it didn't hurt to try. She felt Riley come up to join her and the Eevee tapped her gently with his tail to inform her of his presence, both of them now looking uselessly down through the blackness, not even certain if they were on the ledge. Then, suddenly, they both heard his cry and each of them felt a surge of jubilation that their friend was still with them. "We're here Keiran! We're here!" Era called down, voice brimming with relief.
"Hang in there!" Riley called after his Pikachu companion, the Eevee quick on the uptake and his voice carrying more loudly than Era's, "We'll figure out a way to help you! Just don't move!" The magician carefully tested the ground beneath his own paws, finding it to be solid although slightly shaky. He was about to mention something to Era when suddenly an odd sensation came over him, and, judging from the way that Era stiffened, likely her too. It was a feeling from within rather than without, and the pair felt something akin to waking up after being asleep. It was as though their minds were waking up a muscle that they'd never known of before, and without warning they found that although they couldn't see, they could see. It was a sort of sixth sense type of thing; although their eyes were blind they could view the area in there mind. Was this what it was like, Riley wondered, to be Psychic? "Era, I can see," he murmured to her, and the Pikachu gave a muffled sound of agreement to say that she could too. "Keiran, we're coming!" he called out, hoping that his voice carried down to the Riolu. He looked over at Era, attuned to her presence through this odd sort of 'vision' and put a paw on the Pikachu's paw. "We have to get down to him," he said calmly, "Do you think that it will hold us both?"
Era had remained speechless upon the sudden regain of a sort of sight. It was reassuring to have these feelings, these senses of where everything was, but it wasn't quite the same as really seeing. The Pikachu was caught between wanting to help Keiran and her paralyzing inability to be without company in this wretched darkness. Riley's words brought her back to herself, in fact she felt more like herself than she had in a while. "...Yes..." she said after a pause, steeling herself against her nerves. In the end her friends came before all else, even her own fears. "I don't know if it will hold us both, but we have to try," Era said, quickly reverting to her position of leadership and growing routinely matter-of-fact, "I'll go first, you come behind me. It might take us both to help him." Riley nodded in agreement and the two began to proceed cautiously toward the ledge that led to the icy bridge and Era stepped onto it first. She tread on all fours to keep her balance more easily, ignoring the cold and focusing only on what she had to do. Once she had rounded the first pillar of ice Riley followed, holding his breath as he stepped on and only really breathing again when he found that it didn't crumble beneath his paws. After he got started it was really just one paw in front of the other. They moved rapidly onward, growing more confident but not any less cautious. Neither was entirely comfortable with the whole concept of sensing things instead of seeing them, but they didn't have the luxury of time to get accustomed to it. They had no idea if their Riolu friend was at risk of falling yet again, or how long it would take them to reach him. As she traveled downward, Era called out again to him, hoping to get a response, "Keiran, can you hear me? Riley and I are coming down to help you!" She bit her lip uncertainly as she heard the echoes of her own voice and listened for a reply. If the Riolu said something it might be easier to locate him by using both hearing and sense.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 12:59 pm
KeiranKeiran shivered. From where he was, the voices echoed across the surface of the ice. He could see and sense nothing; but he could feel the cold of the slick surface beneath his paws, and he could hear their cries. He felt panic surging within, the adrenaline in his veins setting him on edge.
Their voices. So distant, echoing. With only the warped, broken ice to echo off of, they sounded shattered. Sinister and unlike themselves. He didn't want to be near them. Not now. Not at all. He didn't trust them; there was no way for them to help. The only thing they could do was lead him away from the safe place to which he clung.
Their voices grew stronger, their echoes ringing in his ears. His name. Over and over again, he heard his name. Their pleas for an answer. He didn't want to.
Curling his tail between his hind legs, he stepped backward, backing against the wall of sheer ice. He wanted out. He could do this on his own, and he could survive. He didn't need anyone. They only wanted to lure him away. He would be safe, as long as he trusted himself, and only himself.
His claws scraped desperately at the ice, and he struggled to try and climb the cliff face, only to be met with the crumbling of powdered snow under his fingers. He slipped again, his body striking the ice, and knocking the breath from his body.
The cracking of breaking ice sent chills of terror racing through his spine, as he scrambled away from the cracks which formed beneath his feet. Trembling, he now clung to the sole square of ice which remained atop the lowest pillar. He was alone, his paws clinging to each edge in hopes of somehow holding it together.
A midst his panic, the realization was quick to set in that he needed help.
"...E-Era?" His voice was quiet and meek, at first. Breaking with every word, he was fighting against the idea of trusting anyone at all. No. He had to trust them. What choice did he have? What did he have to lose? He was alive, yes, but not for long, if he couldn't rely on their instinct to help him to safety.
He could hear the clicking of claws, and muffled footsteps of the pair above him. His ears twitched at the differences in their movements. It was sort of like a series of platforms, nearing the end of their path. Sort of like... a broken bridge? He'd never make it across on his own, not without a way to see or sense.
"...Era. Riley. I'm down here." This time, his voice was stronger. "...I can't... I can't move. It's like.... a pillar... or something; there's no way out." He explained, trying to describe his surroundings to them, without knowing it fully, himself. From where he was, he didn't know that they could sense things as he used to. As far as he knew, they were as blind as he.
He waved an arm hopefully skyward, trying to reach toward them. They were too high to be reached by someone as small as Keiran. Besides, even if he were to jump or stretch, he risked the danger of falling. "...I... I need help," he admitted aloud.
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 3:17 pm
Era & Riley The long and winding path that lead down amidst the ice was cold and treacherous for the two small Pokemon that traveled along it. Neither of them were fully comfortable with this method of travel but there was no alternative. Era found herself more and more grateful for this bizarre ability to sense things the further they went, for the route grew more and more treacherous. The sandstone-like icy bridge wove to and fro in an impossibly complicated manner, and certain parts of it broke off suddenly and would have likely left them plunging to the depths of the pit if they hadn't been able to locate them. The only problem was that the object of their search was remaining quiet despite their cries for him to answer them. Era refused to give up though, calling out to him every few feet that she traversed in hopes that he could hear her one of these times. When she wasn't calling, she shifted her ears this way and that to try and pick up any sort of response. For the longest time none came, and the fear that Keiran couldn't reply began to form in her mind. Without thinking, she picked up her pace and continued onward faster than before, fearing the worst for her companion.
Then her ears picked up the faintest of sounds, and Era froze where she stood. That sounded like her name, and though it was difficult to hear she still took pause to see if she could hear it again. She hardly dared to breathe in disturbance of the silence, and the Pikachu waited to hear that quiet voice again. She was not to be disappointed, and soon the voice came again very definitely speaking her name and then Riley's before explaining his own whereabouts. Now that she heard his voice, Era went about experimenting with this sixth sense that she'd been given and tried to pinpoint where the voice was coming from. She pushed the limits of her 'sight' and tried to expand it over to where she heard the voice. It worked to some extent, she was able to lock on to Keiran's presence but she couldn't tell anything other than that he was alive and, judging from the tone of his voice, rather afraid. "Don't worry, we're coming Keiran," she replied, to his admission of needing their help, "We're going to to get you out of there."
"Era!" Riley's voice came from behind her and she turned back before realizing that it was a pointless endeavor. The Eevee stayed a good few feet back from her, but he was close enough that she could hear his breathing when he wasn't speaking. "Era, we're getting close now. What are we going to do when we reach him?" the Eevee asked uncertainly, "He can't see to get himself out so we'll have to figure out a way to guide him back up, won't we?"
Era gave a nod of agreement although it couldn't be seen. "That's exactly what we'll have to do," she replied, "One of us can go in front and one can go behind him, that should work hopefully. Just so long as he can trust us to lead him back." The Eevee gave a soft sound of agreement but seemed worried nonetheless, and Era added for his benefit, "Don't worry, it will work out fine. You said yourself that we can all get through this." Now all that the Pikachu needed to do was really believe those words. With a smile to hearten herself, she turned and continued onward, listening to Riley's pawsteps behind her as she went.
In a matter of time the pair arrived close by where their friend was trapped, and Era paused. "I think...this is it..." she said, half to herself and half for the benefit of Riley. The bridge didn't extend much further on, so Keiran had to be nearby. "Keiran!" she called softly through the black, trying to feel for the presence of the Riolu, "Are you there?"
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:10 pm
KeiranKeiran's ears twitched again, and he leaned slightly toward the sound, squinting through the inky darkness, in order to try and see ahead of him. Oh Arceus, how he missed the gift of sight, of sensation. He felt so blind and helpless, just waiting and hoping.
As Era and Riley drew closer, the Riolu stretched out a little toward the voice, reaching out a paw into the darkness. He could feel nothing; wherever they stood was beyond the reach of his short arms. "I can hear you. You're close.... Somewhere to my right, I think. I'm trying to reach over the gap... but I don't think I'm close enough to reach."
He was getting the sinking feeling that a leap of faith would be required. There was no other way to bridge a gap like that, really. He wasn't even sure if he could make it. He just had to try and focus on their voices; it would at least give him some idea of where they were.
"...I think... Maybe I can jump, if I have some idea of where your ledge begins? I can't tell for sure, without being able to sense or see, but it should be close enough. Your voices sound near." His smooth, subtle manner of speech was beginning to settle back into place, although the nervous wavering never fully vanished from his voice. He was scared out of his wits, if he was being honest. He'd never been in a situation like this before, and no one had gone so far just to help him.
The sound of their breathing, their voices, urged him onward, and he could feel himself instinctively crouching. His muscles bunches and tense, preparing himself to spring forward. His breathing evened and lengthened, trying to calm his frazzled nerves as he mentally steeled himself for the possibility of failure. To fall would likely mean to die.
His hind paw found the edge of the pillar, and he sprung powerfully from the ice. He lengthened his body, arms stretched far in front of him. Within a few moments, he found his shoulders hitting hard against the ice. His claws made a bizarre scraping sound against it. It seemed rough, like sandstone, almost. His legs scrambled against the edge, trying to kick himself up and onto the ledge. A pair of warm bodies pressed close to him, and he somehow found the strength to draw himself upward. He lay for a moment between Era and Riley, gasping for breath with relief.
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Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 8:18 pm
Era & Riley It was a welcome sound to hear the Riolu's voice so close-by, bring smiles to both Era and Riley's faces. Despite the cold, the presence of their friend warmed them from the inside out and made them feel more at ease now that they knew he was alright. Era tilted her head toward the sound of Keiran's voice and found that he was right; there was a gap and she could all but see where the Riolu stood with the sensing ability she'd been granted for the time being. "Yes! Yes I'm sure of it, we're just across from you!" Era replied, the happiness at finding him evident in her voice. The Pikachu reached out her paw in return, leaning out as far as she could without risking falling but it was obvious before too long that the gap was simply too far and their paws weren't even close to brushing. "I think it is too far," she said disappointedly, "But there has to be another way." Riley was disappointed, she could feel it in the way that his figure slumped slightly and she brushed her paw over his scruff gently to ease his worry.
Two pairs of ears lifted in response to hearing the Riolu's voice again. They both felt a mixture of worry and hopefulness at his suggestion. "You seem close," Era replied, "I bet you could make it if you're careful." The Pikachu attempted to calculate some sort of distance of the gap through the void of presence, and found it to be wide but not so much that a well-placed jump couldn't cross it. "If you try Keiran, we're waiting on the other side," she said reassuringly, "We'll catch you before you fall, I promise." Riley's silent assent was present as well, the Eevee's posture straightening in preparation for if he was needed. It was a difficult thing to ask, for someone to take a leap of faith and trust that they wouldn't fall, but they didn't have another option but to hope that he believed in them enough. Come on...You can make it! Era thought as the silence hung in the air and they waited. They waited with bated breath as the seconds seemed to freeze just like everything else in this place.
Then came the warning sound, the connection of paw to the odd sandstone, and the pair braced themself for the oncoming presence of the Riolu through the darkness. When he hit the side of their bridge, the pair jumped but instantly Era crouched down on one side of Keiran to lend a paw, just as Riley did the same on the other. Although they couldn't see it, the Pikachu's paw brushed against Keiran's and then she grasped it in her own and pulled back to help him up. Riley did his part as well, nudging the Fighting Type forward and away from the treacherous edge once he was fully resting on the flat top surface of the odd bridge. After that, it was suddenly over. The two who hadn't made the jump both panting as much as Keiran himself to keep up with the rapidness that had overcome their heartbeats. They all needed that brief moment to recover from what had just happened, and to let the knowledge that at least half of the immediate danger was gone. Now that their little group was reunited again they could solve the rest of this, whatever remained to be done here.
It was Era who recovered first, at least somewhat; enough so that she was able to get to her feet again for she had fallen in a kneeling position still clutching the Riolu's paw. The Pikachu still held his paw as she stood and smiled a bit though none could see, "Need a hand?" She carefully helped Keiran to his feet before releasing him at last and she felt a wave of giddy relief come over her as it sunk in that he was really alright. "I'm so glad we made it in time," she said sincerely, "I was afraid that we might lose you."
Riley gave a half-hearted laugh that was mostly a result of nerves as he gave the Riolu a careful pat on the back that was a bit awkward due to their lack of actual vision. "Don't scare us like that next time, alright?" he said jokingly, clearly just as pleased as Era to have him back. It was a general way about the Team as a whole that stemmed from its Pikachu Leader: friends were made quickly and firmly, and if you were a friend then you were as close as family.
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:15 am
KeiranKeiran choked out a shaky chuckle of relief, taking comfort from the warmth of Era and Riley at his side. He'd never done anything like that before, and he certainly wasn't about to do so again.
His heart fluttered like a ticking bomb within his ribs; he felt as though it were likely to explode at any moment. He nodded weakly to Era, though he knew that she couldn't see him. "Yeah... thanks, guys.," he breathed painfully. "That was... woah. ...I'll have to remember not to scare me like that, next time." His nervous laughter was a little more eased, now that he felt himself on more stable ground.
The faint cracking of ice met his ears, and for a moment, all was tense as he waited to find out exactly what was breaking. It was, in fact, the platform from which he'd jumped, the pillar slowly tipping over, and crashing into the depths of the darkness. The resounding crash as the ice hit the earth brought a shiver racing through his body; that had very nearly been him.
"...At least we know that it's not a bottomless abyss?" he tried to comfort, though he wasn't entirely sure if his words were meant for himself or his companions.
His breathing still a little shaky from the dramatics of the situation, and the panic which still seemed unable to settle, he turned to Era. "Era? You are... leader, of your team, aren't you?" he began uneasily, his paws stuck firmly to the frozen bridge of sand. He didn't want to budge an inch, despite the full knowledge that he had to. "How did you guys get down here... or rather, how are we getting back up? I'm amazed that you got here so quickly; it felt like I was falling forever." His tail swished slightly, tucking again between his legs as he found himself listening to the explanation of the young Pikachu.
They were on a sort of bridge, apparently, made of icy... sandy.... something or other. Basically, it was frozen into a solid enough form to walk on. It was narrow, and broken in some places, but they'd managed to get down with a power which they described as being quite similar to the one he was currently deprived of. A sense of second sight. They were reading aura. The idea made his stomach churn with longing. He wanted to see again, at the very least. To not have aura, when they did? It just made things twice as uncomfortable, for him. Still, he wasn't about to look poorly upon the gift. He needed their help, without a shadow of a doubt.
Proceeding single-file, up the bridge line, Keiran continued to walk on all fours, placing one paw before the other, and just cautioning himself into slowing his movements. It wasn't difficult to go slowly and carefully, when every nerve and instinct was screaming for him to stop. No, indeed it was the moving at all which was a difficult task for him.
There were parts of the bridge which had fallen away, and the steady crumbling of the edges and undersides of their path made things very difficult to trust. The guidance of this team was a life-saver in so many ways. He decided that, at some point, he was going to have to find a way to thank them properly. They deserved it, beyond a doubt.
As their paws met the surface of the ground above, Keiran reeled in shock, nearly bumping backward into Riley. It felt like he'd been touched by an electrical current. The world was light again, as though someone had swept a blanket over the abyss. Looking back, it was an empty blackness that no one could see through, like the surface of a murky pool. The ground around them had warmed considerably under their toes, and the relief of the sunlight and heat around them, spreading upward and through their limbs felt incredible.
The Riolu fought the urge to lie down, then and there, and just enjoy the warmth. It was certainly a gift of Arceus, to have this much heat and light, just then. Then again, it wasn't easy on the eyes, to be in such bright surroundings after all of that.
With all of the commotion, he barely realized that his senses had returned, leaving Era and Riley as they'd been before.
{{ Feel free to end this, or move on to another trial? They'll pretty much just enjoy the warmth, and go through another portal. }}
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Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 1:46 pm
Era & Riley Both Era and Riley joined in with Keiran's nervous laughter, because they desperately needed to release the tension that had built up about them. The blessed relief didn't last much longer though, for the splintering of ice was heard and they didn't need the odd sixth sense they'd attained to know that it was the pillar and all but see it plunge downward into the gaping void. Riley winced at the crash, while Era all but jumped in shock at the loud cacophonous noise it made. Despite the uselessness of their eyes, they stared down at the blackness, wondering where the bottom was and hoping that they would never have to find out. The fact that their companion had been there mere moments before was not at all reassuring, and Era had to remind herself more than once that he was safe next to them now and in no more immediate danger than the rest of them. "No kidding," came Riley's voice in response to Keiran's comment, which, to his credit, only quavered slightly although he felt as though he could collapse from the stress he was under at any time now.
Era blinked as she heard her name spoken and nodded slightly. "Yes, I'm one of the two Leaders," she returned, "Along with Ethfael." She listened quietly to the rest of the Riolu's words before answering, planning out her words as she said them to try and have them make sense. "After you fell, something kind of strange happened," she began, "While we still couldn't see, we suddenly found ourselves able to...visualize things I guess you'd say, in a different way. It's like seeing without really seeing if you understand what I mean, like when you picture something in your mind. You can see it all if you close your eyes, but in actuality you aren't seeing anything at all. Anyway, whatever caused that let us know that there was a bridge of sorts, and there were gaps in it like the one you feel from. It's made of the same odd thing that everything else is here, but it's a lot like walking on thin ice. Still, it's strong enough to support all of us apparently, since we're all on it right now." The Pikachu paused for a breath before concluding, "If we travel in a line then we should be able to reach the top without too much trouble. I'll probably take the front and tell you where you need to watch your step, and Riley will be behind you and tell you when to turn or if something's happening in the back. If we work like that we should get back in no time!"
After the Riolu agreed to the procedure, they began their careful ascent, exactly as Era had described. She went ahead, using the sense to find anything troublesome and warn Keiran in advance, and Riley traveled behind, calling out warnings when they were needed and ensuring that their companion made it through safely. As they traveled, the Eevee couldn't help but be reminded of a children's game that he'd played when he was younger: one person had to wear a blindfold and the other would tell them where to go and make sure their partner didn't get hurt. It was oddly nostalgic to be doing something so similar now when he was so far distanced from the past anymore. Although their way was slow, it was steady and safe; despite the fearful sounds of crumbling ice or stone or sand and the creaking and sometimes falling of the same such things as they passed by, they managed to make it through, and before they could hardly believe it, their paws were back on solid ground.
The difference between the two was, almost literally, night and day. When they all touched upon the steady ground they were met with light, almost blinding at first but that was more than made up for when they found they could actually see one another instead of only through feeling. When Riley glanced back, he found there to be a veritable curtain of blackness that was like a wall between where they had been before and where they were now. There was sunlight here, and a warmth that felt as though it went all the way through them so welcome was it from the cold. They had made it. It was all the Eevee could do to keep from a shout of relief that they were out of that Arceus forsaken place and back in some semblance of normalcy, and the look on Era's face spoke volumes to that feeling as well. Yet, of course, when everything returned to normal so too did Era and Riley's senses. For a moment the two felt a pang of loss at having just discovered something so strange and new and then having it taken from them as quickly as it had been given, but it didn't last long. Both of them knew that things were meant to be as they were, and that their momentary gift had never been something meant for a Pikachu nor an Eevee to possess naturally. Era had an assumption of her own as well that she kept secret though she didn't doubt its truth; for she couldn't help but notice that when Keiran had lost his aura they had gained the strange power, and now that it was gone she was more than a little certain that the Riolu likely had returned to normal as well. She felt as though thanks were in order, but none of it had been the Riolu's doing so she didn't quite know who to address them to. Thank you...For keeping us all safe. As if in response to her thought, before them the shimmering portal appeared once more, its colors shimmering vibrantly and this time free of distortion. It was as though their passage through these trials had cleared it, which it may have. A smile rested across Era's features and she looked back at the boys. "Come on," she said softly, "I think this one will take us back." As soon as the words were spoken the portal shimmered and began to gleam brighter than before, drawing the three Pokemon within it and vanishing without a trace.((I went ahead and ended it, mostly because the chapter's over. I think we wrote enough to meet our challenge's standards regardless though, but if Cy wants us to change it and add more I can easily edit and we can keep going. ^ ^))
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Dark_Hunter-Angelic_Tears Crew
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