Premise: Heart can only take one so far; this is a matter of survival.
Posted: Sun Apr 29, 2012 12:44 am
.,:~* Housewarming Hunt *~:,. Wild geese shouldn't be too hard to find, right?
It was quite possible that Kiara had been feeling the need to enact a bit of vengeance on Kyran, utilize the power the shiny had over the normal, that Kyran found itself under these circumstances. Kiara knew that its twin couldn't very well decline the request, no matter how absurd or dangerous it could have been. It was Kyran's fault that the two of them took so long in locating a place to hide for the time being, a place that most probably referred to as 'home,' so it was no wonder that the desire was vocalized in the first place. Or, at least, that's what seemed to be implied, and Kyran was, as per usual, emotionally drained enough to believe the notion whole-heartedly. If the black-toned one was able to bring just a little bit of happiness to its sibling, no matter how miniscule or how much of a stretch it was, it wasn't going to hover around indecision for long.
Especially when it had been all but commanded, but Kyran liked to imagine it was just Kiara's way of asking politely. It was as polite as the darkrai was ever going to hear of the shiny, at least at this point in time.
So, with the haziness of the sun dropping to settle behind the passing scenery, Kyran set out to find the object of Kiara's longing, even if it was obvious how much of a whim the solicitation was. Kyran tried to think of the various ways in which the decision came to pass as charred claws pushed past branch after bush of greenery, but the queries always led in circles, knowing that the darkrai was only fooling itself. It was strange, Kyran thought, that even after all this time, the darker apparition was still trying to figure out a more emotional motive behind Kiara's actions. It was futile... the more feminine of the two twins merely wanted to be rid of the incessant annoyance that Kyran always seemed to be when in the vicinity. I really should learn to value the silence more, or give more personal space or something, thoughts mulled over under a smokey-white haze. If a mouth had been present, it would have smirked as the darkrai's head shook from side to side in wry amusement.
Things weren't all bad, however, not by a long shot. Truth was that Kyran was quite interested in scoping out the surrounding area that came with the new territory, to gain bearings on what could be expected from living in the environment. If anything else was stationed nearby, Kyran wanted to know of it, and to be on guard for any encounters that may arise from it. In fact, just knowing where the nearest encampments usually took place would be a good statistic to make note of, and to be on guard. Kyran's trek through the woods was taking much longer with the gingerness the darkrai was employing in its search, a scavenger hunt that was suddenly made two-fold and more meticulous.
Originally, Kyran had been sent out to find a specific object for its sibling, and was directed to get it as soon as possible. It was stated in the nicest way possible (namely, 'don't come back until you find it'), but the black-hided darkrai would have felt wrong to finish the day in any other fashion regardless. But, honestly, where was one of his specie and caliber suppose to pin down a dusk stone, anyway? Wasn't it usually the humans that mined and used those things?
The pokémon sighed; if worse came to worst, it supposed it was going to have to deal with the prospect that that just might be how the hunt ended up, but it hoped that that wouldn't be the case.
It seemed that the longer things went on, though, the more and more it was pointing to that exact outcome. How was Kyran supposed to know who was carrying one? Wait... weren't there some pokémon that needed those to become a certain stage in their evolutionary cycle? The darkrai supposed it could base the search on that, but then again... it wasn't completely clear on which ones needed such a catalyst to grow. Such was the downside to living in isolation for the entirety of one's life -- one had to pass on the more fundamental knowledge in favor of survival basics and a life of obscurity. Being a legendary, everyone was either out to get you, or was out to lock you up. For a darkrai, it tended to be the latter: most people just didn't appreciate living their remaining days locked in an endless and looping nightmare.
So a secret was a secret in the end, and unfortunately, the twins' existence needed to stay that way. At least the both of them didn't truly mind it; they enjoyed the solitude, and social interaction was neither of their strong point nor something they craved in the slightest. Then again, growing up under different circumstances could have very much altered such perceptions, but there was no use in entertaining such frivolous thoughts.
It had been perhaps a good hour since Kyran had last run across any sort of fauna, the soot-colored pokémon having come to the decision they were a good distance away from any sort of congregation of humanity. Unfortunately, that also meant a lack of a means at a dusk stone. What, was the darkrai suppose to go mining for one or something? Did... did dusk stones even come from a mine? Frustrated, Kyran pulled both taloned hands to its head and mussed the misty haze of a mop in irritation. This search was going nowhere!
It seemed like a lost cause at this point, and the darkrai started toying with the idea of storming the nearest Gaian settlement in search of one, but it was halted before aggravated recklessness elevated too high. Ducking behind the trunk of a large tree, Kyran cursed at itself for almost being spotted -- and in the dark, too! Electric blue eye peering around the side, the darkrai saw a pair of heracross meandering down through the forest, chatting away to one another. Kyran rolled his eye and heaved a sigh in irritation at their slow pace, slouching to the ground as it waited for the two of them to get out of there so it could continue on its way. The pitch black pokémon was tempted to exploit its abilities in order to speed things up, but decided against it for now; it was just too tired and annoyed at the moment, and that would only end worse. Hurry up already! Hurry up, hurry up, Kyran decided to chant to itself instead, drumming claws on the grassy floor.
<<So she said she didn't really need it anymore. It's funny, considering she pilfered it and everything, and now she's just throwing it away!>> a high-pitched young heracross giggled.
<<Ha, and she was going on and on about it for so long. Girls, I swear, they change their mind so much...>> another younger heracross, but this one had slightly lower voice than the first. Kyran hit the back of its head against the thick trunk it was leaning on, finding the gossip to be almost torturous to listen to. The second rolled its eyes, completely oblivious, <<She was just SO PROUD that she could steal it from that trainer, but I think that human was only a little kid anyway... Not to mention, it's not like the human even had any pokémon to use against her anyway.>>
<<I know!>> the first whined, voice shrill, <<What am I suppose to do with it, anyway? It's not like I can even use it. I don't evolve into a honchkrow... It's so dull, too!>>
Kyran was quick to react -- too quick for either insects to really realize what happened. Adrenaline rush created split-second actions, and it took a flash of concentration for Kyran to realize that it should probably hold back on the punch it sent the pokémon. Hesitating, the darkrai left it at just putting the two of them to sleep, since the hit was so sudden that it wasn't sure whether it had been painful or not. Backing off on the nightmare portion of the attack, Kyran cautiously swiped the dusk stone from the younger one's claws before making a rapid retreat.
It was rare that Kyran found itself regretting a decision.
[[ Word Count: 1,409 ]]
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Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 6:09 pm
.,:~* Finding Jirachi's Star *~:,.
Link:Astral Walk Type: Solo (with Kiara) Stages: Pokémon (Both) Status:Complete!
Posted: Tue May 01, 2012 8:33 pm
.,:~* Linkdrop #1 *~:,.
(( The purpose of this post is to provide links to other characters' solos that Kyran had a part or was mentioned in, but was not necessarily written or originally posted by me. ))
Title: Trick of the Light (messenger RP) Participants: Solo (with Kiara) Stages: Child (Both) Status:Complete!
- - -
Roleplay: Under spoiler
Tyche Fortuna “What the hell just happened?” Kiara muttered groggily as she opened her eyes. “You didn’t drug my berries did you?” Of course Kyran didn’t, he didn’t have the nerve to try something like that. Sitting up, she added “It feels like I have been asleep for years.” Her eyes catching her twin, still unconscious, she stated, “What the hell happened to you? You look like some sort of half human freak.” Off handedly she added, “You wouldn’t catch something like that happening to me. Maybe this is still that weird drea…..” Suddenly she glanced down at her changed form. Jumping, she exclaimed, “Me too?! This isn’t happening… Whoever did this will pay…..”
Though she had never previously worn attire, she suddenly felt very naked, very exposed. It was then that she noticed two piles of clothes next to her and her twin. Grabbing the one closest to her, she quickly pulled it on, noticing the sleeves were far too long. Pulling them up to expose her hands, she suddenly felt self-conscious. She had always prided herself on having claws but…now…something seemed wrong with them; they didn’t seem write. Why does Kyran have one claw and one normal hand? The meaning of normal had suddenly shifted in her mind. In disgust, she let the sleeves flow and her clawed hands were covered. What is happening to me? Why do I even care about this? This…..this just isn’t right She wanted to hurt something. Kicking her twin she growled, “Wake up and get dressed.”
MoogerMint The dream was as a hazy memory in the back of the darkrai's unconscious mind as Kyran dug closer to the waking world. It was a difficult climb, but the closer the darker of the twins came to the dim light of reality, the more cluttered thoughts were able to straighten out, filed and examined, like threads on a loom. The world while asleep was the darkrai's own comfort zone, but even Kyran hadn't all the answers when it came to the whimsical workings of a mind under the influence of a dream.
Especially when Kyran knew, deep down, that this wasn't merely a dream. That glowing shard of silvered light that they had found, whatever it was... it was an omen. Something was different. Something had changed. Something wasn't right.
It wasn't until Kyran felt a swift foot to the shin did the darkrai jolt awake to the jumbled mess of a realization. "W-Wha-!?" the child sat bolt upright, slightly dazed -- especially once sights set on the young girl before him. The... Wait a minute, something about her seemed familiar... "K-Kiara!?" the voice, familiar and alien both, rasped. The darkrai took a quick glance around, once more remembering the glowing artifact, discovered within both realms of practice; the question didn't need to be asked about what happened, but there was still another clawing at the surface, "What was that thing?" Kyran never did get a good look at that star...
Almost as soon as the question had sprouted from his mouth did he bite his tongue. He was given an order, no matter how momentarily-confusing it was, so he'd better be following it. This was no way to start out the day, if things were ever going to get back to normal, or at least as normal as it was ever going to be again. This new form was strangely difficult to get a proper grasp on, though, as he found the legs to be more of a hindrance than anything. Why couldn't he just levitate like before? He could manage for the moment, but an obstacle of this caliber was going to be problematic if it continued. He just wasn't adjusting as adeptly to the changes.
Tyche Fortuna “What it was isn’t as important as what it has done to us,’ Kiara replied coldly, “Though it appeared to be a star.” Pausing for a moment, as her twin dressed himself she stated, “And what it has done to us…is turn us into abominations. Though, at least I have two proper sets of claws, unlike you are your….human hand….” She refused to admit her envy, especially to him; it was much easier to show contempt. “There may be a way to get out proper forms back but, if there is, I do not know it.” She was about to ask if he had any suggestions, but no, she would not stoop to that level.
A creature of nightmares, she was used to ransacking dreams, extinguishing hope. Despair was her stock and trade, sleepless night and dread her business. But for once, she hoped this was a dream, that she was the one in the nightmare. This just can’t be ride…What have I done to deserve this… For once, she was on the receiving end of despair. Not wanting to be seen as weak, she ordered, “Go! See if you can find something to explain what has happened to us; a means to end this!”
MoogerMint While looking at all sides of the situation may be important, Kyran could agree with the logic in Kiara's words. He may have wanted to know what it was that they found, and it may help them figure out where the other pieces to the puzzle were, but it was best to focus on one aspect at a time, follow where such conclusions branched and ended. He tightened the sash around his waist before pulling his hands up once indicated. Sighing, he bumped the two mismatched hands together, side by side, as a brief means to study the damage. "Human..." he repeated irritably, reaching up to tug at his white bangs. He didn't like the idea of parading around in the skins of those who they had been avoiding all this time. The only reason the two of them were on the run was because of those who feared the unknown, that which they could not explain or control...
He flinched at Kiara's sudden, sharp order as it cut through the unnerved contemplation. While traversing out into that forest was something the darkrai was more than reluctant to do, he didn't voice it. It didn't matter what he did or did not want to do, this was important. Even if he had no faith in himself to be able to find anything, that was hardly reason to negate possibility. Kyran steadied himself on the cave walls and made his way to the entrance, tendrils of darkness sourly fazing, crackling at the sudden light. He took a brief glance around first before turning sights back into the depths of the cave. He was hesitant, but it was buried simply enough, "...I'll be right back, then." More than his unwillingness to be seen like this, he was worried about Kiara; change tended to be difficult in itself, but this was far beyond anything they had yet encountered. How could he help her find the road back to peace of mind?
Without the walls for support, Kyran found the search for clues to be increasingly aggravating. With an irritated grumble, he reached for a branch that had been cut down like a machete through foliage, victim of Kiara's outlet. Using it as a staff to steady his steps, he continued on his way, determined not to hold things up any more than was absolutely necessary... and even that was a bit of a grey area.
Tyche Fortuna Kiara remained silent as her twin left the cave. She just wasn’t in the mood to talk. Why did this happened? She wasn’t sure if she would ever know the answer. This….this was just wrong.
After he left, she rolled up her sleeves and looked down at her claws. Why am I ashamed of these? I love my claws…. But now, they just feel wrong…. In anger, Kiara struck the wall, intending to claw a chunk of the cave out. Her goal had been to calm herself with some random destruction. Instead, though, she felt incredible pain. She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt pain like that. She might have been left with claws, but, compared to what they once were, they were useless. Blood began to flow from beneath her nails; she had never bled before. Looking down at the mess that was now her hands, for the first time in her life, Kiara cried.
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:23 pm
.,:~* Pulling at the Veil *~:,. Walls turn threadbare at the mercy of time
The underbrush was thick with tangled greenery the further away from the cave it sprawled, appearing to reach up and grab hold of anything out of the ordinary as it passed overhead. More than once did Kyran deftly find these snags, skillfully bypassing the chance to avoid them.
His legs were not cooperating with him, and at times the torn branch he was using to steady and direct his footfalls worked more to hamper his progress than it did to aid. Again, the shattered and blunted end of the branch caught on a partially exposed root, far-reaching from the tree it had originated from. Kyran stumbled, forcing quick redirection into a nearer tree trunk at the opposing side. It jammed his shoulder a bit, but the frustration endured far outweighed any faint sense of pain as he sat himself down harshly to the floor.
This was not acceptable. How was he to be of any use as he was now? Currently, he wasn't even able to carry out the simplest of tasks that Kiara requested of him.
What had that star done to them? He could identify the obvious physical changes, but not the reasoning behind a transformation that bordered on absurdity. Whatever it was, it had not been natural: there was some sort of purpose behind it. Was there really any point to theorizing the answers, though? In the end, all he really cared about was that it had become a hindrance. Nothing more.
His hands slid down the length of the makeshift staff, resting at a more relaxed position before him. Kyran's sights fell back on the mismatched pair of hands, once more refocusing attentions to how closely he resembled a human now. The right succinctly displayed his current predicament, whereas the left appeared as a taunt to what he could no longer go back to being. More than upset the darkrai with the swiveled redirection of fates, however, it uncovered a road that had previously been shrouded and inaccessible, like a closely-guarded secret.
Cautiously, Kyran put his weight on the staff and pulled himself back up onto his feet. His attention turned, through the copse of trees, his mind wandering to the town far beyond it and the prairie that divided and separated them from one another. History in relation to civilization had never been a pleasant memory, and like many a pokémon and human both, held its biased views in strong regard. This was, of course, based off of the condition that he was a pokémon, and while he was still that very same pokémon, a new idea was ushered forth -- was he still considered a pokémon to everyone else? In this case, it only mattered in the sense of how others would perceive him. As a darkrai? Or as some kid? Either end of the scale resulted in differing modes to which action could be taken.
Then again, it was those very same actions, those abilities, those that he had no control over that had landed him and his sister into their predicament in the first place. Kyran didn't need to test it out to know that he still held the same power as before; he could feel it. The only thing that had changed was his outer appearance, but his mentality was still just as it had always been before -- he was merely driving a different vehicle. He had to be mindful, deliberately careful, if he was going to take advantage of the chance the two of them had arbitrarily been given. There was no reason to rush anything anyway.
Taking one more glance toward the city lights, Kyran turned himself back around. In time, maybe he could find a way to blend in, to hide amongst what was currently deemed 'opposition,' but that time was not now. The notion of keeping one's friends close but their enemies closer had never made as much sense as it had now. Then again, what was a friend but one who had managed to breach the outer barricades of someone's heart? It seemed more dangerous than it was really worth...
He paused again, footsteps hesitating at moving him any further. Had it been long enough? He knew Kiara needed the time to adjust, to regain her composure. Kyran could always linger a little longer if necessary, but taking too long could do just as much damage. With an irritated, relenting sigh, he decided to stay put, if only for a bit longer. He still hadn't found any answers out here, and while he was not expecting to find any trails towards the goal he was commanded to find, he also didn't want to head back empty-handed. He didn't want to be that useless.
Leaning back against the tree, he turned his sights on the canopy overhead. Now that he had a moment to think about it, Kyran was pretty sure he hadn't been through here before. While it was easy enough to find the direction he came from (walking in a straight line from one's point of origin had its advantages), he hadn't really scoped out the surrounding area as much as he probably should have. Perhaps he could find something of use out here if he were diligent enough about it. Of course, he could just as easily get lost in the depths of the dense stomach of the forest, too.
How much of the area could he survey without having to walk the distance? It didn't appear to be very far at all, through the labyrinthine, wooden corridors of vegetation. How much of this place was still blank parchment in his mental map of the area?
A whispered flutter of wings rose over the still air as an insect flew past. It was just enough of a leap for Kyran to remember the heracross he had taken Kiara's dusk stone from. Had that been near here? No, that was farther to the west, wasn't it?
One, two, three... he ticked off the number of trees before something more familiar came into sight. It was strange how different the forest looked during the day, but he didn't need the visual to recognize where he was. Different areas presented their own unique feel, smell... and obstacles. It had been perhaps ten minutes before he got himself caught on a bramble bush he could remember running across before. With similar results, as a matter of fact -- he probably should have seen that coming, he considered as he yanked the edges of the robe free from the snaring thorns.
Taking a better look around the immediate area, Kyran began trying to picture the forest as a whole, where he had been and where he had yet to discover. He knew the world was a massive place out there, but just how much of it was unexplored? Just how hidden were the twins going to have to stay for the rest of their lives? Even though it was the way it had always seemed to be, it never felt quite right. For once, Kyran began to question his role in the grand scheme of things. How strong was the lingering memory of the darkrai? Would the history ever truly be erased from the minds of the humans, who had grown to dread their presence enough to banish them far from civilization?
How long had it been?
He closed his eyes and focused on settling his nerves with a slow breath. "...No," he reminded himself, pulling away from the landscape before him, "it's time to head back." While he hadn't found any solid evidence of what occurred to the both of them, he supposed that was a clue in itself.
Maybe he was just running away, but whether that was toward or away from danger had yet to be fully realized.
[[ Word Count: 1,300 ]]
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:25 pm
.,:~* Roleplay #2 *~:,.
Link:Saving Nightmares Participants: Ilia & Kyran Stages: Child (Both) Status:Ongoing
Premise: The only question is: who's pulling the strings here?
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:26 pm
.,:~* Roleplay #3 *~:,.
Link:Who Fears the Subconscious Participants: Jayme & Kyran Stages: Teen (Jayme) & Child (Kyran) Status:Complete!
Premise: How far can one dig into another's mind before something breaks?
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Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2015 9:27 pm
.,:~* Roleplay #4 *~:,.
Link:Cause and Effect Participants: Urban, Jayme, & Kyran Stages: Teen (Urban & Jayme) & Child (Kyran) Status:Complete!
Premise: Repercussions and impossibilities aren't always a simple matter of mapping out likelihoods.
Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:40 pm
.,:~* Roleplay #5 *~:,.
Title: Nightmares in the Forest (messenger RP) Participants: Brennen & Kyran (+ Conrad cameo) Stages: Child (Both) Status:Complete!
Premise: Great power does not necessarily equate great experience.
- - -
Roleplay: Under spoiler
Thaliawen With two new friends in his heart, Brenny bid them goodbye and thanked Arashi for his advice. He was sure the eevee boy was right! Maybe he could visit Cecily! Someday. He wasn't sure about today. It was starting to get dark. He didn't want Connie to start missing him, after all! He made his way through the forest cheerfully. Maybe he would make a new friend on his way home! He paused to study an oak tree, smiling. Huh! So they did grow when he wasn't around. It was a small oak, but it had certainly grown since he'd seen it last! He thought it would be easier if trees could communicate. Maybe they could, amongst themselves! Did they talk about holidays? Did they have worries and fears? Did they have joys? It would've been so much easier to know how his forest was florishing if they could speak to him! Maybe he would ask the other Pokemon in the forest if they were happy.
MoogerMint It had been the closest he had ever ventured to the city before. While weeks had since passed since Kyran's last encounter with anyone else, a few miles from civilization's borders, it seemed the darkrai was tempted to test the limits of his capabilities. The theory was such that if he didn't actually see the town yet, in the distance, it was possible he was still out of reach of affecting any of the inhabitants therein. The problem came with the fact that he didn't know how far it was until it happened into visibility, and by then it would be a little too late. He winced at the thought, thinking it may be better to turn around. He didn't even know why he was so inclined to tempt fate like this. Maybe he was just a glutton for punishment...
With little confirmation, Kyran ducked behind the nearest tree, assured he had heard something move along the lack-of-a-trail. Regardless of whether he was correct or hearing things, it was better to be safe than sorry. There was a brief moment where he wondered if it was someone he knew... but the thought was quickly snuffed out. A useless thought. The pacing of the sounds as they came around indicated that it was, indeed, someone with a bit of a stride, humanoid in shape. He wasted no time in readying a Hypnosis attack to knock the kid into the dream realm once his worries were confirmed, launching it from around the tree he was hiding behind.
Thaliawen Kyran might have heard Brenny, but the celebi was oblivious to his presence. He was cheerfully walking towards the city, hoping to get home before it got too dark and before Connie became too worried. He hesitated, whirling around. "Is someone there?" He asked. He had the strange feeling that he was being watched. That feeling didn't last long, however, as a sudden sleepiness took him. Hm... Maybe he could rest here for a while. Daddy wouldn't mind. It'd just be a little while. He laid onto the snow covered ground and fell asleep.
MoogerMint The darkrai was already back around the other side of the tree, hiding in the off-chance the attack didn't work. He waited, ears tuned as pin-pointedly as they could. The child, calling out to him like that, initiated a more defensive reaction as Kyran gripped his staff tighter. Was he going to have to bolt for it? Good luck not tripping... Hearing Brennen curl up on the ground, however, caused Kyran to almost immediately relax. He glanced around the area for a moment, listening to the sounds to make sure nobody else was with the boy. He made it this far without being discovered, it wouldn't do to be careless now!
Peering from behind the tree, he blinked in confusion. He hadn't the foggiest clue what the heck the kid was, outside of likely being another pokémon caught by the star's curse. There was... something decidedly off about him, though. Once curiosity sank its claws in, there tended to be little else that Kyran could do but grab hold and take the nagging instinct for a ride. Brennen seemed to be considerably more powerful than those Kyran was used to running into, so obliging took little effort. What sort of things did someone like this really fear?
It wasn't difficult to crack into the celebi's mind, locked in it's dream state. Few ever had barriers up for such intrusion, and even then, Kyran hadn't met a person he couldn't break into the mind of. He kept his prescence hidden behind folds of shadow, easy to mask when one wasn't specifically looking for him. And who would? Often, the sleeper was unaware they were even in a dream, let alone that someone was messing with the very fabrics of it. Kyran was content to observe for now; his prescence alone was enough to ignite nightmares.
Thaliawen What had happened? Brenny found himself in a dark realm, crowded by blazing trees. ...Had his nap kept him from realizing his forest had been set on fire? He didn't know what to do, he hadn't dealt with a fire this vast before! The one he had encountered before meeting Connie had been small, but enough to have frightened him. This one seemed to be engulfing the entire forest! He looked around, frantically for water. He knew there must be some: there was a river nearby! He ran in the direction he knew it to be, only to find it had been dried up. That wasn't right... It was winter! The flames should've melted the ice, but not left the river completely drained. He glanced around, stiffening. The trees seemed to be coming closer, inching to set him ablaze--this couldn't be happening! This couldn't! Trees couldn't move! Where was Daddy?
MoogerMint It hadn't been often that Kyran was witness to fire, let alone one that was set out of control like this. Plenty of campfires, sure, but those were usually controlled. Despite the lack of experience of his own, it wasn't rare to see someone afraid of the element, of those that he had broken into the minds of previously. It seemed, however, that this kid was more at home in the forest that he was surrounded by, currently in danger of setting on fire by. Strange, since he seemed to be a city-kid... It wasn't lost on the astute darkrai that this vision was a number of fears rolled into one. The words running through Brennen's mind, while not tangible as language to Kyran, were still able to be felt while immersed in the mind of the celebi. He trusted the forest, he knew his way around it, but it was dying. Not only that, but in its dying efforts, it was betraying him. That was not something that one feared unless they had been afflicted with betrayal in the waking world.
But no, no, this wouldn't do. Kyran didn't want the celebi child to 'die' here, not yet. They were barely burrowed into Brennen's reservoir of fears, and if he were to die now, that would only result in being thrust back into the real world. What else was hidden in this child's psyche? He forced the mind to dig a little further, attempting a transition or interruption. Kyran couldn't control the nightmares without directly interfering, which he was hesitant on doing, but he could influence them without getting caught in the middle.
Thaliawen The fire died down just as it reached Brenny. The trees went back to their original positions. The scene darkened: and the celebi boy found himself alone. Completely. He gave a shiver, glancing around the dark area. "Daddy?" He called, hopefully. He couldn't remember the forest being this dark before, even at night. It didn't feel like the forest. There were no animal sounds, no wind through the trees. There was a complete silence. He couldn't tell which way was up, or which way was down. Maybe he shouldn't have stayed out so late! Had he gotten lost? Daddy would come find him, wouldn't he? He'd promised he wouldn't be alone, hadn't he? "Daddy? Where are you?"
MoogerMint With the transitioning through fears, little seemed to change, at least visually. Many of Brennen's fears seemed to be interlinked, happening throughout a seamless single area as it was. Either this kid had a lot of fears, or they were all attached to similar occurrences. Maybe it was both, Kyran didn't know. He didn't necessarily even care what caused it, just what it was, at least at the moment. Isolation and abandonment was a fear that many people were afflicted from, regardless of whether the individual knew they were afraid of it or not. Considering Brennen was a child, and acted as such, it wasn't surprising. It did, however, cause Kyran to hesitate a moment. It wasn't often that he infiltrated the nightmares of a child; he had thought, considering the celebi's power, that he had actually been mentally older, like Kyran himself. Having such attachment to a parental figure, though... that was considerably more alien. The father wasn't going to come, though. What was he going to do, once he realized that fact? The dark-type child waited for further reaction before initiating any further change in scenery. He was eager to see the range of fear, yes, but there was no sense of being hasty, at least at the moment. The night was still young.
Thaliawen The dark seemed to swallow everything up. In it, there was nothing. And that nothing, along with feeling isolated from his friends and family, terrified Brenny. Time seemed different there. It seemed to stand still, yet go on forever. He wasn't sure how long he had been there; hours, maybe a day now. But Daddy wasn't coming! He sat on the--well, what he assumed was the ground, as he had been previously standing on it, and drew his knees up to his chest. Daddy would come. He'd promised. He wouldn't leave him!
MoogerMint Kyran watched as the scenery seemed to fade, leaving nothing to replace it in his wake. He could feel that sense of hopelessness creeping up as the recognition of time displacement was registered through the celebi's mind. It was imagination, sure, but it helped put into context how stubbornly the kid was willing to hang on to his belief of a promise. Words, silly thing, they were merely words... There didn't seem to be anything that seemed particularly dangerous. As eager as Kyran was to see what lie deeper under the layers of fear, he wasn't apt to move it along himself if he could help it. Not unless something was threatening to wake the mind of the sleeper. The darkrai's antsiness grew when Brennen decided to patiently wait for something that was never going to happen. He wasn't... going to spend the rest of his nightmare like that, was he? It was useless to think he was coming, not when the embodiment of nightmares was observing right through the gauzy fabrics of his mind! But then Brennen didn't know that... so it only left one choice. Move along, celebi-boy, move along... all it would take was a tug at the mind's subconscious, and the nightmares would progress, deeper down that hole of despair.
Thaliawen The scene changed. They were in the middle of a field, and Connie was there! Brenny ran to him, only to have a hand placed on his shoulder and held away from him. The tauros teen turned away and left. When Brenny tried to follow, he found an invisible wall keeping him doing so. This wasn't right. That--that imposter couldn't be Daddy! Daddy had promised! Daddy loved him! The celebi boy was so focused on this fact that he didn't notice the thunderstorm clouds rolling in. "Daddy, wait!" He called, attempting to get through the wall. It threw him back and onto his bottom. A storm! And Daddy had left? No, Daddy wouldn't have!
MoogerMint It wasn't very often that things started going as planned once Kyran interfered with the direction of the nightmare. He'd done nothing wrong -- well, as far as what he had actually aimed to accomplish -- so the preparation for hopefulness to be dashed in a matter of moments was already at hand. The fear of abandonment wasn't a subject that was so easily misunderstood, but instead of reacting to its inevitability, watching as Brennen ran to his father figure, he merely waited, observing. It was obvious, by this point, that despite being a pokémon of legendary status, the celebi was also extremely young. As such, while his fears still flourished from experience, they weren't as deep-seeded as those of someone who had been afflicted with them for many years. These could likely be overcome instead of avoided, if one pressed the issue. His attention shifted briefly to the sudden storm that appeared overhead, curious if that was yet another fear or if it was merely in reaction to his current mood.
Thaliawen "Daddy!" Brenny called, still trying to break through the barrier. He flinched at the sound of thunder. He was being abandoned? In the middle of a storm? His lip trembled. Daddy was breaking his promise! He'd left him! He was alone! Tears started to fall down the celebi's cheek. He curled his legs close to his chest, leaned his head against them, and began to cry. Would Connie feel guilty? Would he come back?
MoogerMint The more Kyran watched, the easier he was able to decipher the feelings Brennen was experiencing while acting a role in this shadow play of make-believe. If he was patient enough himself, the darkrai could feel the emotions emanating from the world around them, emotions that were felt strong enough to cause an inability to restrain them back. The further he tended to dig, the harder it was for even the most mentally-assured individual to keep the reins secured on the terror, on the multitude of hemorrhaging emotions caught in fear's clutches, especially when they were perceived to be so real. No, this was never a nightmare, it was ever akin to a night terror. He moved himself around the area, encircling where Brennen had seated himself in the open and storm-riddled field. Was he going to wait it out? He didn't seriously believe that his parental figure was going to turn around, was he? Kyran readied another pull at the celebi's subconscious to burrow further, but waited for a reaction nonetheless. No reason to be hasty, now.
Thaliawen Brenny was oblivious to the fact that this was a dream. He perceived it as reality. There was no shelter from the storm in the field, so the celebi curled up upon himself, hoping that lightening would not strike. Why had Connie left him, when he had promised not to? Had it all been some sort of trick? Had he met with Cecily, and liked her better? What was he going to now, that he had no where to stay? Daddy was gone... And he hadn't come back, despite Brenny's calls.
MoogerMint As patiently as he could muster, Kyran watched as Brennen curled into a ball in an attempt to drown out his surroundings and turn attention inward -- at least, to where he thought was inward. Was this how the celebi was going to react to it? He wasn't going to fight back? Or was this merely the precursor to reaction of a more violent type? The darkrai had been witness to a variety of instincts to anxiety, but giving up in such a manner usually meant that Kyran had reached the core, what scared the individual so fully. Maybe there was a layer beyond, but Kyran had not been able to access it. He had toyed with the idea that, perhaps, it would only drive a person mad if the shadowy child were successful in hacking in, but... would that have been worth it, in the end? To ruin someone's life for a moment of curiosity? Regardless, despite his temptation to test the theory, he wasn't about to make a simple child the lab rat for something so intense. A fully-grown adult may be able to recover, but a child could be scarred for life.
It was a little disappointing, sure, but it seemed this was as far as he could go. Currently, the celebi would probably be too groggy to realize someone else was there, while so far enveloped in his nightmares to shake them completely upon waking. It would be the perfect time to escape detection, and he would be able to leave the child here, asleep in the abandoned field within the recesses of his mind. Rest well, kid...
Thaliawen Brenny remained in the field as Kyran left his mind. He'd been completely oblivious to the other boy's presence. The storm seemed to dissipate, the clouds clearing some to reveal a gray sky. But that didn't make the celebi boy feel any better. Connie had left him! Where would he go now? What would Eliot and Mei do now that he was gone? Would they be happy? Would they miss him? ...Would Daddy be happy?
MoogerMint Kyran wasted no time. Once he was back in the waking world, he made sure Brennen was still sound asleep before he snuck off under the cover of darkness. This was likely as close as the darkrai-child would be able to get to the outskirts of the city and still be able to keep hold of an ounce of comfort, but it wasn't long before that security was waning. There might be others, so it was safe to assume he should fall back for now.
However, it wasn't for a while longer before anyone came stumbling through the spanning of trees, flashlight in hand out of a less adept night vision capability. The sun had set before Connie had realized anything was awry, and even then, it took longer yet before he had managed to locate where Brenny had wandered off. To be honest, he hadn't the foggiest idea, only that the young celebi had wandered into the woods for the afternoon... and didn't come back. Had something happened? He hadn't been kidnapped, had he? Swatting at a tree branch as it located one of his horns, Connie kept attempting to meet him halfway, "Brenny! Brenny, where are you?"
Thaliawen Brenny didn't stir at first, thinking it was an echo in his dream; he only awoke when he felt the cold snow pressed up against his cheek. He shivered, sitting up slowly. Being outside too long in the winter seemed to slow him down; it made him feel sluggish and tired. Had he fallen asleep in it? He couldn't remember. Was this where Daddy had left him? But no! He could hear Connie's voice! "Daddy?" He cried, standing and moving towards the teenager's voice. "Daddy, I'm here!"
MoogerMint His ears swiveled to locate the direction Brennen's voice finally emerged from, turning the handheld flashlight to pinpoint even further. Connie's steps may have been quickened, but he didn't run -- he didn't want to accidentally run into the small celebi! It wasn't until he caught sight of the child did he release his held breath, snickering despite himself, or possibly from sudden relief, "Brenny, it's dangerous to stay out here so late!" He couldn't have gotten lost... "Did you get carried away?" Why DID he come out here in the first place, anyway?
Thaliawen When Brenny caught sight of Connie, the celebi boy broke into a run, wrapping his arms around the teenager. "I didn't mean to! I was coming home, I promise! I left long before it got dark! I told Arashi and Trace I needed to walk home before it got dark and..." he hesitated, his grip on Connie tightening. "Daddy, I fell asleep," he said, muffling his words against Connie's coat. "I saw all sorts of...horrible things and..." he sniffled. "I wanna go home!"
MoogerMint Well, he certainly wasn't expecting such a severe reaction. Sure, it was late, and dark, but Connie wasn't going to chew him out about it! However, he flinched at a blurted out, recognized name as Brenny latched onto the teen's waist. "Arashi..?" he blinked, wondering if it was the same eevee, snickering and shaking his head slightly, "...Small world." He patted the child on the back comfortingly to lessen the stress, "Sounds like you had a bad dream. It's okay, you're all right now. Let's go home, and we can talk about it once we get there, okay?" This might prove to be a long night yet.
MoogerMint Crew
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MoogerMint Crew
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Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:42 pm
.,:~* Silencing Clarity *~:,. At the crossroads, even familar paths appear alien
Dusk was fast approaching the twilight hours of the night, made darker by the movement of the cottony clouds overhead. The breeze that wheeled them along was soft as it pawed at the scenery, but under the cover of the moon, it was quickly picking up pace in its travels. It kicked up as it passed the forest, gaining the momentum needed to make it up and over the mountainside beyond. Kyran barely budged against it as he stood, rooted at the entrance of the cave he and his sister called home, only turning as a sigh escaped him.
He was on edge -- more than the usual -- and the white noise of the greenery as it danced to the wind's song was not helping his ability to recede from the lingering thoughts of imminent peril, like blackened claws at the periphery of his mind. His wings flinched as he turned, near invisible in the stilled darkness.
It appeared that the area was still secure, under wraps from the knowledge of existence that may spread like a wildfire. He didn't really expect anything awry to happen, but he couldn't shake the vulnerable feeling, the dread looming just out of reach, unidentified and daunting.
Kyran had been more reserved in speaking out of turn over the course of the week, avoiding the backlash that may come with an inconsiderate or foolish comment. Sometimes the silence worked against him, sparking assumption within his anger-driven sister when he only meant to lay low. Perhaps it was these instances that had caused the boy to scout out the area more often as of late. Despite trying to insist to himself that it was purely a security measure to keep the two of them within the confines of obscurity, to map out the area if the worst occurred in a time of weakness, but he couldn't pretend that it wasn't also for peace of mind, placing distance between himself and everyday violence.
It had always been this way, hadn't it? Then why was he still questioning his role, the way of life that had become but second nature, enveloped within the majority of his -- of their -- history? What else was out there, that he should turn his back on what he already had?
Perhaps it was merely curiosity, a small flame ignited when adaptation was necessary. He was not fool enough to think that they were the only ones that had it hard, or that were forced to alter course in order not to crash and burn. Maybe they were the only ones with the specific foundation the darkrai twins had to build up from, but the spectrum was lengthy and wide. Things could be worse, they could always be worse... but did they have potential to create a better future for themselves? Did it have to be this difficult anymore, now that a new thread had appeared on the loom? Life was a branching path of choices, but which one was ideal for their predicament?
Brief, chipped recollections of memories and twisted fears surfaced as Kyran turned once more to the north. Ilia, Jayme, Urban... they all had their own worries, their own plausible nightmares to face, hazards to both themselves and those around them. Every pokémon, every adventurer, anything that slept, they all had a yin and yang about them and the way they perceived the world. Some... hitting closer to home than others.
Much too close for comfort.
His attention drifted downward, though it was a forced effort against the threatening tides of an unheeded fear. There was a momentary hesitation, making sure the walls of memory lingered back in the past where they belonged before he made any move to kneel down. Scooping up a stray pebble, easy enough to find littered at the base of the rocky mountain range, he stood back to full height with the help of his staff.
He needed to remove that near proximity, and push back when the notion of danger presented itself. It was apparent that Kyran was lacking in the way of potential, if when trying to help only caused further destruction to those around him. He had the chance to help people out, but in doing so, detoured down a less-than-viable route. Were the paths so shrouded that, when faced with a decision, he was blind to the safer road? Was he so fouled up that the better paths were unreachable to one such as himself?
Why was he even questioning this? Of course that was the case, Kiara had made that perfectly clear. He was hopeless without a guide. He didn't want to be so dependent, but did he really have a choice when independence led to so much destruction?
With a sigh, he tried to release the irritation with a drop of the pebble from his hand; despair was a mighty negotiator. In the rock's descent, Kyran once more played out the events of the last week by launching the airborne stone through the trees with a gust of Ominous Wind. Useless move... it had done nothing to prevent the snowball effect of a teen driven mad by unconscious sleeplessness. In fact, the attack might have only succeeded in making the situation that much more hazardous than it needed to be in the first place, triggering the kill switch and swinging the target to himself.
If something had happened to him then, what would have become of Kiara? What would have become of the fairy tales of darkrai, now that existence had proven it fact? What would have become of..?
"Useless," he curbed his thoughts with harsh command, parroting the vocalized thoughts he heard daily to focus himself. He didn't need to worry about what happened to anyone else. Why had it become so difficult for him to remember that? It wasn't hard to stay unseen, so what did he hope to gain from chancing encounter? He really was quite hopeless...
He waited, watched, for a few moments longer in the heavy silence, attempting to calmly collect himself so that the inner turmoil matched the whistling wind. He didn't want things to be like this. After so long, bracing against barrage that should have been regarded as normal, the cracks were more easily spotted. He didn't want this, but he didn't want change, either. Both ways were a detriment, and both promised certain annihilation.
Gripping the staff with both hands, he moved to enter the seclusion of the cave. At least this way, the damage would be concentrated, instead of spreading outward like a plague. He could grasp for improvement, but it seemed like an endeavor practiced in vain. One foolish action was enough, though it seemed to have been proven positive that it would always, always happen again, even if it was as an alternate method.
However, he knew when something had outlived its welcome. Ominous Wind had become obsolete in Kyran's hands.
Why try to utilize something that could only draw attention, if he wanted to remain enshrouded in the comfort of someone else's make-believe Nightmare?
Link: An Eruption of Anger (messenger RP) Participants: Kiara, Calliope, Mana, Etna, Beta, & Kyran Stages: Pokémon (Etna) & Child (Kiara, Calliope, Mana, Beta, & Kyran) Status:Complete!
Premise: Who has unleashed this terror on the world? A common enemy is not always enough.
- - -
Roleplay: Under spoiler
MoogerMint It had been a few days since Kyran tempted fate by venturing further into the surrounding forest of the darkrai twins' dwelling, and he wasn't so keen on trying again anytime soon. Too many times had situations escalated to a dangerous level, as all conscious interaction fell into such categorization. His main priority should be in securing the area from potential threat, to fortify it by learning its inner trappings, in order to keep his and Kiara's existences unknown. Having been hunted in the past was not a history he wanted to have repeating, and when close encounter with a darkrai always inevitably led to recurrence of persistent nightmares... well, most did not look upon such innate power too fondly, even if they were automatic and uncontrolled abilities. The fact remained that, the further he pushed his luck with the boundaries, the more he ran into potential threat. Kyran at least limited the farther ventures to the darkest of nights, but the fact still remained... they were in danger, no matter where they chose to stay. It was only ever a question of when they would be discovered, not if; it always had been.
Regardless, even in the daylight hours, it seemed relatively safe to scour the area immediately outside the cave entrance. Few pokémon ever ventured in this far, the foliage thick and matted to obscure the home hidden beneath. He was pretty sure the destruction that Kiara had applied to the nearby area helped to scare any of the smaller bug-types away as well, but the debris was showing its age, exposed to the elements for so long.
Speaking of the elements, even living in such seclusion, they were not saved from the mood swings the weather seemed to be experiencing over the past week. While the extremes failed to reach the foot of the mountains on their side, they didn't need to to be prominently obvious. It wasn't normal... but it wasn't damaging the twins' security, at least. The earthquake that tore through his thoughts just as easily as it had the surrounding area, however, was a different story. The violent rocking knocked the boy off his balance; all he could do was brace himself on the ground, too disoriented and confused to do much else. It was only after it stopped did he question what could have caused such a fierce tremor, stumbling back to his feet with most of his weight placed on his staff.
Speaking of which, was his sister okay in there? He made haste back to the entrance, catching her voice as it echoed over the walls, but missed the subject. "Kiara?" he peered in, surprised to see her up. And wet... oh crap, that tub hadn't flipped over on her, had it?
* * *
It had been quite the undertaking, but Beta had convinced herself that the weather anomalies afflicting the land could not be solved by one such as herself. Patterns were disrupted to an irreparable level, but the strict source was unknown. This was not due to some haphazardly-applied phrase of global warming or whatever else the humans tended to lay blame on, this was most certainly pokémon-inflicted. The stories were everywhere, part of lore and history both, so there was no doubt in Beta's mind that the cause was their doing. For what purpose, she didn't know, but decisions of such caliber were not oft impulsive, especially with hundreds, thousands, of years' knowledge under one's belt.
The floods had been most problematic, for although the lighthouse was still structurally sound, it still had potential to be worn away by damaging conditions. Ebb and flow, this was not... and more than once did she find herself erecting a Barrier against the crashing of waves against her home. It was an irritant, but it would pass in time, she hoped. Drag it on too much longer, and she may reconsider departure, but it seemed too far out of the way to bother with at this point in time.
Electrified green eyes jumped to her computer screen as the readings soared. She had been mainly preoccupied with the meteorological fluctuations, but... these came beneath the earth's crust. It didn't seem to be far enough down for a true earthquake, but it touched on the edges. Could this have been caused by the feuding legendaries as well? Could the problems be increasing with time? She scrolled through the lines, expression creasing into a slow frown, -No... no this is not good...- The rocking may not have been a tectonic shift, but it was causing the damage of one. The source was closer than the origin of the storms seemed to be, and was tapping at the precipice of something more dire.
She couldn't stand idly by any longer. Swiftly, she grabbed the lab coat -- her protection against the elements -- and leaped from the highest window of the lighthouse, enveloped in a bubble of psychic energy. Her attentions were focused for the mountain at the back of the forest, an area she had managed to avoid thus far. -If the destruction does not cease, we are going to have more than just an earthquake problem...- she growled to herself, determined to reach the site in time. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
Tyche Fortuna “Don’t you know how to knock?!” Kiara yelled as her twin walked into the cave. “I could have been getting dressed; or in the bath!” It had been a while since she had yelled at Kyran. It felt nice, much nicer then moping around her cave. Ineffectually attempting to wipe some of the water off her clothing, she added, “Eh, I’ll yell at you more about that later. There are more important things right now.” Adjusting herself, she yelled, “You felt that right? Of course; yo aren’t that much of an idiot. There is some powerful ground type near our home and, if we don’t do anything about it, this place, our home, could end up as a pile of rubble, So get ready 5 minutes ago; we are leaving now!”
Without giving him a chance to reply, she turned and started to walk into the network of tunnels. She didn’t turn around to make sure he was following; she knew he would be. Suddenly she found herself wishing that something else had been left with her clothing, a weapon. That might have proved more effective than the claws hidden under her sleaves.
***
It hadn’t been long since the quakes began and, as time passed, they only increased in strength. Calliope was certainly aware of natural earthquakes and these certainly weren’t them. A pokemon was causing this and it obviously didn’t care how much damage it would cause. Already chunks were falling from the ceiling of her home, if she didn’t act soon, the whole thing would likely come down on her and her kin.
“Zap,” Calli began, “this time is different. I don’t want you following me. Promise me you won’t follow.”
<>
“Whatever is shaking the earth, threatening to destroy our home, it might be too powerful for me.”
<> The little Joltik countered.
“No, this time I might not be coming back; this time…no one might come back. And if something happens, I need you here to lead everyone to a new home, somewhere safer. Because…well…if I’mnot able to stop whoever is causing these quakes, our home will be gone; for good. So promise me Zap!”
<> Zap began, <>
“I’ll do my best Zap.” At that, she nodded to the Joltik and turned to walk out of the home she had made with so many of her kind. They needed her to succeed; they were counting on her.
***
Sitting up, Mana tugged at her wet clothes with a look of obvious annoyance. “It’s been raining so much,” she mumbled to herself. Honestly, she liked the rain; she liked being rained on even, but now that she wore clothes, she did not like the feeling of them clinging to her while wet. Suddenly, though, she transformed into a normal Mew. <> A wide grin across her face, she ran though the water. Normally she would just float, but rain was a special occasion. Suddenly, as she ran, the ground shook beneath her, causing her to trip, though she did catch herself in midair.
While the rain was unnatural, it didn’t concern her that much. While the area she lived in was getting more rain than normal, it had managed to avoid the worst of the weather problems. She had heard of areas that were getting worst weather, likely caused by someone angering the three forces of nature, they could be a rowdy bunch after all, but she was more concerned with the quakes. She had felt similar ones before an eruption in the past, not something that she wanted to relive. She was certain if they continued, as they seemed to be, there would be another eruption, possibly worst. She could also tell that they were not natural; they just had a Pokémon feel to them.
Not wanting to risk her home or the homes of others that lived nearby, Mana once again transformed, this time into a swanna, and flew towards the mountains.
***
It had felt like she had slept for ages, after her escape from the lab. But now, after an extended period of hibernation, she was full of energy; energy she used for destruction. While she had destroyed a large portion of the lab in her escape, she was sure some of it still stood. She also recalled, in half memories that almost seemed like dreams, that there was another underground lab nearby. She had no idea where it was though. Luckily, for her vengeance, not for anyone that lived in the region, she was beyond caring about collateral damage; it actually never even crossed her mind. All she wanted was revenge. That was all she could feel. Her face emotionless, but her eyes burning with rage, Etna lifted a foot and slammed it back into the ground, causing yet another earthquake. All around her, small pieces of rubble fell from the ceiling.
MoogerMint Considering the debilitating depression that Kiara had been experiencing for the better part of a month, Kyran had not been expecting the snap retort to his concern. Her venomous words came as a double-edged blade: while it was encouraging to hear some of her old spark come back after so long lost, the damage the words were meant to cause wasn't missing. Sticks and stones... whoever had come up with that obnoxious expression hadn't had the abuse come from the only one they cared for. "S-Sorry," he hesitated quietly, despite the request to knock lacking foundation at a cave entrance. Despite it all, he almost smiled to see her like that.
Once her heated reprehension subsided, Kyran moved to step past the threshold as the lesser-preferred options were proven false: she wasn't bathing, and she was certainly still fully-clothed. He attempted to focus on his steps, trying to rely less on his staff, to blunt the sharp condescension and let it roll off. Glancing around the inner walls, he could see that most of the damage hadn't broken the surface; with as violent a shake as it had been, though, that luck wasn't going to last if the tremoring continued. Retraining his attention back to his sister, he nodded, "I'm ready." Having a schedule to keep wasn't usually much of a problem.
As they traversed down the winding trails beneath the mountain, the boy couldn't help but be glad that the source of the problem seemed to be buried within the depths of the cavern systems, for he didn't think he'd be able to keep up with Kiara's pace any other way. The staff was one thing, but it took time to maneuver; when the rocky walls flanked the other side, it cut the time down to compensate for half the weight normally reserved for the held support. The optimism wavered with the thought of a cave-in, and his senses on guard for the smallest of alerts in the darkness. He didn't dare speak, in case whatever was causing this whole fiasco was closer than expected, but as he accidentally knocked a pebble on the ground with a misplacement of his staff, he realized it wouldn't matter either way at this rate.
* * *
Normally, traveling so far a distance from the place she was supposed to protect would have been nerve-wracking for the child of science experimentation. She was to be bolted to the place with the trappings of ingrained loyalty, a twisting prerogative to uphold the sanctity of the lair the scientists -- those who made her life possible -- toiled over and held dear. At least, they had many a year before, but without such path to follow, what future did one of her discipline, her history, really have?
Her hands clutched tighter at the small console, fished out of the lab coat pocket so as not to accidentally drop it to the surface below. Again. The child's body she now occupied floated yards above the tallest of the forest's trees, but the young girl barely batted an eye to what was literally beneath her, concentration narrowed to her goal line. She didn't even know she was capable of moving so fast while airborne, for even while scoping out the perimeter of the lighthouse where she dwelled, the nervousness of being discovered kept a strong handle on her internal emergency brakes, her foot loosening it's pressure on the acceleration. However, if the readings were correct, then it wasn't just her that was going to be in peril...
The mountain was losing its distance from the green-marked mewtwo-child, and with it came the frantic scan as to where the disturbances were taking place. It didn't take more than a couple of seconds to determine that it wasn't on the surface... and that to get a good reading of where she needed to go, she would have to deploy the abilities she hated to admit she was capable of.
This was no time to be self-conscious. Hovering in place, Beta redirected attentions inward to project out. This was certainly not a natural occurrence, and at the rate it was headed, was running head-first into a battle with Mother Nature's anger. Maybe that's what this angry pokémon wanted, in the end... for Beta was certainly tasting more than enough hatred emanating from the far-off sensory pulses of Etna's enraged mind. -It is unraveling...- she paused, distressed, before moving onward. She'd have to find some way to get down there...
Tyche Fortuna Kiara replied neither to Kyran’s apology not to his confirmation that he was ready. Neither really mattered to her right now; she was looking for vengeance. She was certain she would find it at the end of the tunnel. Breathing in deeply, Kiara released ominous wind around her, letting it flow over her and around her and down the tunnel. The fear in the wind felt nice to her. In a way, it reminded her of the fear she had been feeling nightly, in the nightmares she had been having since the transformation, only from the other side. It felt nice to be on the other side again; the one causing fear, not feeling it.
“This is definitely the right way,” Kiara stated. It was said out loud, but it wasn’t really directed at Kyran. “Though, I think it has stopped for a moment..” Closing her eyes, she did her best to picture the cave network in her head. “Yeah, definitely the right direction.” This time it was more of a mumble. Descending with the slope of the tunnel, they soon came upon a large round chamber. It seemed to be the hub of a large network tunnels. On the far side of it, lay a large wall. “Just past that wall, I’d say…”
***
The ground shaking beneath her, Calli steadied herself using her spear. The closer she got to the source, the more the earth seemed to shake underneath her feet. She actually found herself worried. If something could do this to the very ground itself, what could it do to her? Still, there were many Joltiks waiting for her, back at her home; she had to make sure they were safe, that whatever this was wouldn’t get to them. And, hopefully, she would make it back to them. Regardless of that, though, she had to stop this threat.
As she continued along the tunnel, she released some webbing. Carefully, she braided it into a rope, wrapping one end around her wrist and securing the other end to her spear. If this was a ground type, she might not want to get close. This way she could still use her spear, without putting herself too much at risk.
Her weapon now modified, her pace quickened. For the moment, the quakes seemed to stop coming. Either whatever was causing them was taking a break, or it was merely up to something else. She was certain that they would continue, though. Rounding a corner, she noticed that the passage she was in was leading towards a large chamber. She could see another tunnel on the opposite side, and a large wall in between.
***
Eyes glowing with rage, Etna unleashed a blast of flame, a bizarre mixture of reds, oranges, and black. It made molten the wall before her. A smirk across her face, charged toward it, a shadowy aura enveloping her. The moment she made contact was painful, the heat from the molten upper later combined with the force of the solid layer beneath, but that did not stop her. Oblivious to her own pain, she smashed through the wall into a large, adjacent cavern.
***
As she had taken the form of a swanna, as opposed to a harrier jet, it had taken Mana a bit of time to make it to the mountain. Luckily, she had traveled there many times in the past and, while she did not know the network of tunnels that ran under the mountain, she certainly knew of many entrances. Landing at one such entrance, she quickly transformed into a Zubat and flew into the cave, content that she would fit right in.
She knew that she still had a ways to go, but she was definitely making progress.
MoogerMint Even though Kyran didn't know what to expect by the time the two of them reached their ultimate destination, he knew very well that whatever they encountered couldn't be good. Secluded from much of the world throughout their time on this plane left its marks visible, but it was the price to pay for safety. At least, that was the general idea; these pokémon-created earthquakes would beg to differ, it seemed. Despite the fact that these mountains had survived the test of time, even with the drilling of tunnels, woven through the inside, it was only a matter of time before things started collapsing under the trauma. The mountain itself may be fine, but those who depended on its inner workings...
His steps slowed briefly as he caught sight of the Ominous Wind that Kiara was producing, for he did not wish to be caught up in that disturbance. Instead, he walked a little to the side, so his pace could continue at a regular pace to her own. It was a move that Kyran had once been able to do, but had recently overridden in favor of something he'd likely use more often. There wasn't any telling whether it would come in handy in this particular case, however, and he found himself hoping he hadn't jeopardized the situation by replacing it too soon.
Kyran glanced to Kiara as she spoke, but refrained from vocalizing his agreement -- he never had any doubt that Kiara knew where she was going. Even leading the two of them astray would probably have been seen as all part of his sister's plan, towards some end or another. His attention stuck close to their surroundings, the stability, more so when Kiara called attention to the shaking earth, pausing in its vibrations for the moment. Peculiar... though the likelihood of them staying that way probably wouldn't have played much of a part in halting their own advancement towards the source: Kiara was angry, and there was nothing that was going to stand in her way of finding out what had her so flustered.
As they reached the deeper tunnels, a convergence toward a larger, central area became more evident. Kyran's pace tapered off as he reached where the path widened, bracing himself with his more humanoid hand at the wall a he peered past. This felt wrong... not the area itself, but he thought he could feel the rumbling increasing again, closer this time. He was about to mention as much when the walls before them seemed to bow to the sound of something massive hitting another more solid. It wouldn't be solid for long... but Kyran's sight snapped down to the violent shaking, and it was all he could do to keep himself upright. It wasn't until he was sure that the tunnel the twins currently occupied wasn't going to collapse over the top of them did he turn back to the source of this madness. He never thought he'd see a pokémon so large... and it would be but a matter of moments before he also realized she was on a murderous rampage.
* * *
Beta circled about the surface of the mountain. She could feel that the origin of the shaking of the vicinity was directly below her, but she couldn't locate a way to enter into the mountain's depths. Considering the girl was not at the point where mountain fell into forest, many of the caves were out of her reach. Things were getting more serious... the problem was surfacing, quite literally. While such knowledge lended it to the fact that that would mean the rocking of the earth would touch less on the instability of the magma veins, the damage had already been done. This situation needed to be contained, and it needed to be contained now.
The psychic energy she was feeding off of was directed downward, toward the underground networks. Perhaps she could locate a durant colony in there that could guide her on where to go from here, the shortest cut through to the problem area. She managed to lock onto a mental map within a moment of beginning, something that had traversed the long halls many times over... and that was being mindful of staying clear of the maddened pokémon below.
Without a second thought on the matter, she reinforced her barrier and dove through the closest entrance into the cave tunnel systems, maneuvering the stony corridors as though it were the back of her hand. It took her little effort to find the place, still hovering above the ground, immune to the rumblings beneath feet but not to the overhangs above... or the enraged groudon before her. She only paused briefly, in order to gain her bearings, quickly calculating speeds and distances. -This disruption has gone on long enough, you must stop!- she called over the muddied static of a broken mind. Beta didn't think it was any use, but there was no harm in trying. She focused her energies on Future Sight as a backup plan, but that only managed to prove her suspicions correct. Things were about to get messy...
Tyche Fortuna At the sound of a crash, Callie ran to the large chamber. At various points stood herself, a dark black and red pokemon, that she couldn’t identify, the most likely source of the rumbling and three pokemon that had been transformed into humans, much as she had. The two that stood together….one of them smelled familiar….she seemed to recognize it from before her transformation. The third, though, it was completely unfamiliar and seemed to float in the air, as useful defense against a pokemon that caused earthquakes.
Standing there, she didn’t have to be a psychic type to sense the rage emanating from Etna. Thinking it prudent to try and slow the beast down, she launched an electroweb at it. Unfortunately, since Etna was a ground type, the move was completely ineffective. Etna didn’t even notice it.
Not willing to wait to give the creature a chance for a first move, Kiara attempted to use Hypnosis on the Groudon; other pokemon were much easier to deal with when they were asleep.
The wave hit Etna, dead on, and created a sinking feeling in her mind, that Kiara was able to sense, bringing a smirk to her face. It soon vanished, though, as Etna’s rage pushed through the hypnosis and the only effect it had on her was making her angry. Tyche: With an otherworldly roar, Etna launched Shadow Fire at the shiny darkrai. It flew straight at Kiara, enveloping her in its deadly heat. With an intense scream she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
* * *
Hurrying towards where she sensed the source, Mana suddenly heard a loud scream. She knew it belonged to a victim of whatever was causing this. In a panic, she picked up speed.
MoogerMint Kyran still hadn't determined what it was this large behemoth was after, tearing up the place as she was, but it was clearly apparent that she was angry about something. Such a volatile creature, blinded by emotion, it would have been best to steer clear and observe how best to handle a situation of such magnitude; that's how Kyran would have preferred to go about matters, at least. The consequences of this turn of events was not only aimed or accrued by himself, however, a point made very clear as Kiara was taken down -- everything past that point, Kyran reacted on instinct. He couldn't undo the damage that was already caused, but at least he could prevent some from stacking on top of it. With a glare, he hurled a Disable Etna's way, moving to stand in front of Kiara in case things backfired. It would be best if he just took Kiara and ran for it... but then that would leave this whole place vulnerable to catastrophe. He'd never hear the end of it if he let that happen.
Beta jolted as Etna's attack knocked its intended target unconscious. She had never heard of a move like that, let alone witness its destructive capabilities first-hand. With a slight wavering nervousness, she turned to spot Calliope across the cavern; there were more people here than she thought there'd be. She offered a single nod, though doubted she had caught the biggly's attention long enough for her to notice, and levitated a little higher. Beta may have foreseen a single move in the future, but until then, she was just as susceptible as anyone else here. One-hit moves were not to be taken lightly... so in preparation, she strengthened her Barrier one last level, hoping that the rest of the others in the area would be okay through the onslaught.
Tyche Fortuna Kiara began to dream as she lay unconscious on the hard cavernous floor…..
Eyes still beaming with rage, Etna unleashed Shadow Sky. Unnatural, inky darkness emanated outward from her, filling the cavernous room. It had no effect on her, but its jet black cloud darkened the already dark cave and drained the life of those within it.
Inside and out Calli burned, as the blackness engulfed her. The large pokemon in front of her was now a red blur in the darkness; she could still make her out, but it was through like a fog. Fighting through the pain, Calli, now aware that her electric attacks would be useless, launched her spear-made-harpoon at Etna, and unleashed a leach life with the other. As the harpoon connected on Etna’s back, she cried out. The pain in Calli lessened slightly as the leach life connected, restoring a small measure of the damage that the dark sky had caused her.
* * *
Worried that she would get there too late, Mana hurried through the tunnels. “I..I’m, almost there!”
* * *
Kiara looked around frantically. She appeared to be manacled in some unfamiliar cell; there was barely any room for her to move, and her hands had bizarre, claw shaped harnesses on them. The room was dark, too dark for her to even see in, despite being a dark type. The only thing she could sense ahead of her was a small glint off what looked to be a metal bar. She felt trapped and alone. “Where am I?” she pleaded desperately,
MoogerMint Kyran stood his ground, blocking his unconscious twin from immediate view from the towering pokémon. As non-damaging as his own attack was, the shadow groudon's temperament made her more than a little unpredictable, as blinded by rage as she was. It felt familiar, though he was drawing from similarities and not a repeat occurrence. With everything that could go wrong all seeming to converge into a single moment, Kyran almost wished he had the luxury of panicking, of receding back into the tunnels from whence they arrived and ignore the destruction. The thought was impatiently tossed aside, even before Etna countered the defensive maneuvers coming from all sides of her. Sight cutting through the blackest of night had never been an issue for him, and neither was this false darkness, blue eye flashing in the haze as a sensation like needles cut through his attention, sharply refocusing his efforts. He didn't want any further harm to befall Kiara, so out of reflexive action, he rushed Etna with a Feint Attack, as warning to cut it out. Sure, it was obvious the message probably wouldn't get through, but there was only one person he'd allow to push him around without consequence.
The strength of the Barrier left Beta's vision like looking through frosted glass, but the filter was more superficial than it was impairment. Sight had not been really dampened until Etna's attack on the territory, and Beta found herself wincing and reeling back a bit at the pain. It felt like her energy were being forcibly torn off of her, seeping out the pores in her skin and dissipating out of her own reach. Future Sight was not yet ready, this was not the move she had seen coming... Through the sharp pangs, her nerves pulsing and clawing, she tossed a glittering barrage of Swift into the darkness before her, biding her time before she'd be able to cause some real damage. She caught sight of the others, attempting their own strikes on the groudon, and hoped they'd be able to do something more than just enrage the legendary further. They had to put a stop to this!
Tyche Fortuna Her face in a grimace, at the pain of the shadow sky, Calli made her next move. The possibility of fleeing didn’t even occur to her, even though she was greatly outmatched. Too much was riding on this battle. She was thankful that she was not alone, even if she did not know her current comrades. Even if they would normally be at odds, the enemy of her enemy was her friend, right? Raising her left hand at the great beast, she launched a single beam.
Etna let out an earthshattering roar as she was first pummeled with a Feint attack, which was then followed up with a Future Sight, Swift, and a Signal Beam. Reaching her right hand behind her, she gripped the webbing that was attached to the spear in her back on one end and to one of her opponents on her other. With a great heave, she whipped the Biggly Joltik girl into Beta. Eying the Darkrai in front of her, she lowered her left shoulder and charged into him with a Shadow Break.
Just then, Mana flew in from a side entrance, still in the form of a Zubat. Without hesitation, she launched a confuse ray at Etna.
* * *
As Kiara sat alone in her cell, the shadows that surrounded her seemed to congeal into long tendrils. She shrieked as one reached for her leg.
MoogerMint It was one thing to actually move in order to hit an opponent with a Feint Attack accurately, but it was quite another to get out of there as fast as he had landed the hit. Persistence drove him toward his mark, but unsteadiness caught hold of Kyran as soon as the move had been delivered. He had been hoping the attacks from the others in the area would distract their shared opponent enough for him to survey what had been done, but by the time his balance was steadied, inching himself to the side slightly, he was met with the stony shoulder of the pained groudon. It had only pinned him to the wall for a second, but the force behind the move was enough to traumatize his lungs into seizing, temporarily incapacitating his ability to intake any oxygen. Like an injured, cornered dog, he struck at her with another Disable before she could retreat from him, but his attention was getting fuzzy. Without the necessary foundations, he collapsed to the ground, holding himself upright by the shaky support of his arms.
Etna's roar was enough to startle Beta; she knew that all the attacks meeting the same goal would draw attention to the pain they would be inflicting, but so vocally, no. She flinched as a piece of the walls above her crumbled and hit the Barrier that encapsulated her form, renewing the attention she had to her own health meters from the prior attack and knowing that they did not have much time left. It was enough of a distraction to detract her mind just long enough for Calli's flight to go unnoticed -- that is, until she landed on the mewtwo. She gave a surprised squeak as she was knocked from the sky by the reverse-bugswatter, disoriented but saved from the brunt of the damage by her erected guard. With a start, she grabbed for Calli's arms despite the girl having a good foot's height on her in order to catch and slow the joltik's descent. As she latched on, her attention divided, spotting as Mana emerged from another tunnel. That was... one brave little zubat.
Tyche Fortuna Looking down at her hands, Etna was utterly confused, in addition to the actual confusion effect; she could no longer use neither Earthquake nor Shadow Break. Lost as her mind was, in the deepest recesses of her head, this did not worry her, as it would worry a more rational pokemon; this only served to infuriate her even more. Eyeing the newcomer, Mana, she lobbed a ball of Shadow Fire at her and unleashed a roar.
Calli was seeing stars, “What happened?” she mumbled, barely coherent. Suddenly shaking it off, she turned to Beta and stated, as she rubbed her shoulder, “Sorry about that.” Barely getting to her feet, she launched a Signal Beam at Etna, as the shadow groudon released a ball of Shadow Fire, but it didn’t seem to have a noticeable effect.
The Shadow Fire hit Mana head on, she shrieked out in pain, as the burning sensation spread over her. This isn’t going to work….I have to fight fire with fire… Closing her eyes, she transformed into Etna. The first thing she noticed was the dark air feeling the cavern no longer seemed to burn her. The second thing she noticed was the rage. That hit her harder than the attack had. She roared out, barely able to keep her emotions in check; whatever had caused the groudon to feel this way, was not natural. As if to confirm her assumption, flashed of memories, of being in a lab pulsed through her mind. No longer able to keep control, she charged Etna with a Shadow Break, slamming her into the back wall. Bits of ceiling fell all around them.
* * *
Kiara cried in fear, as the tendril of shadows grew and enveloped her lower half. She could no longer see her legs but, what really frightened her was, she could no longer even feel them; it was like she was being erased from existence and, trapped as she was, she could do nothing to prevent it.
MoogerMint His lungs still tensed and reluctant to work, Kyran managed to force a harsh breath, attempting to get his bearings. The impact of Shadow Break had made the entire upper portion of his body ache to the point that it had grown numb from the shock, but at least it made it easier to ignore the pain, even if he couldn't tell how much damage had truly been done. These human bodies, they seemed so frail to the darkrai structuring he was still so used to... but this was no time to reminisce. He hesitated only briefly, confusion drawn across his face at the appearance of not one but two shadow groudon. This was too much to handle... the caves could barely stand against one! He had to get Kiara out of here; he could deal with the repercussions later. Focusing on his sister's safety, he ignored as the searing attempted to get him to sit back down and stop moving. Later, later! He only just managed to reach where his sister was lying uncoscious before the two groudon rammed into the back wall. How much longer was this place going to be able to hold up the mountain, at this rate?
Beta lowered Calliope back to the ground, but still hovered in place on her own. While she considered that it may have been of aid to keep the joltik girl suspended in air, to avoid much of the collateral and aimed damage, she knew it would have hampered the ability to attack. Not only that, but Beta wasn't the strongest and her arms had already been getting sore. She was about to make sure Calli was okay, but it was then that she noticed that the zubat had disappeared, a groudon occupying its previous space. It may have been practical to think she was dealing with a ditto, but it was only then that she realized she could feel the psychic waves emanating off the false groudon. Beta twitched her tail, stiffening at the sudden surge of inexplicable despisal. She pushed the feeling out of her mind as much as possible, readying another round of Future Sight; she'd get her answers later.
Tyche Fortuna Rage still coursing through her body, Mana unleashed a Shadow Fire at Etna. Etna shrieked out in pain as it made contact, one of the few moves to cause noticeable damage. Finally gaining control of herself, after the flame was released, Mana stumbled backwards and collapsed, transforming back into a girl at Beta’s feet. “So much anger…..” she mumbled as her eyes shut, exhausted.
Not taking long to recover, Etna roared out, causing the very walls to tremble. The disable effect had finally worn off on her move Earthquake and she was looking to end it in one final round. With a stomp, the ground began to shake…..and to crack. Whatever had been holding up this chamber has been weakened by the violence of the few rounds of combat added together with all of the previous quakes. As the ground opened up into a chasm, Etna fell.
Her spear still lodged in Etna, Calli was violently ripped into the hole. Still in a daze, the sudden yanking on her arm did little to help. She had no idea how far she had fallen before snapping back to coherence. Not sure if it would be enough, she launched as much electrowebbing as she could at the rocky surfaces around her. With a snap, the web halted her fall and dislodged her spear from Etna. It is going to be a long climb back up… Sore and with a numb arm, she began her ascent.
* * *
Trapped in her dream, Kiara made no sounds, the black shadows had almost completely enveloped her; just the top of her head remained uncovered. Suddenly, though, the blackness was tore away and the darkrai just stared into the distance.
MoogerMint The majority of Kyran's attention was averted from the battle raging on in the central area of the cave tunnels, only mindful of how near the two battling groudons were getting to his and his sister's current stead. What focus wasn't used for blocking out pain was instead retrained to try to figure out how to get the both of them out of there. His own energy was nearly drained, and the lingering effects of Shadow Sky weren't helping. He moved to prop Kiara against the wall of the tunnel, considering that it may offer better support for him to pick her up and carry her back -- a foolish idea, perhaps, but the only one he had at his disposal. His attention was snapped back to the battle in the central area not from Etna's roar, but from the subsequent rattling and deterioration beneath her feet. Hissing a curse under his breath, he roughly grabbed hold of Kiara and pulled her further up, in case they needed to make a quick retreat. Survival was the most important part here, and he didn't know just how much the place was going to crumble into pieces.
In an attempt to gauge a good time to help out in the fight, Beta kept concentration on the movements of those around her, readying herself to sling another Swift Etna's way. She never got the chance to before everything seemed to cave around her, from the surrounding infrastructure to the combatants themselves. The stars about her hand fizzled as Mana collapsed at her feet, and she jolted when Calli was torn from where she stood to follow Etna's descent into a crevice who-knows-how-deep. Quickly, she temporarily abandoned the unconscious mew-girl to float to the edge of the gaping hole, trying to determine if she could descend down into the crater and fish Calliope out. There was no time to deliberate on it further, however, as the floor where she was hovering gave way, forcing her to compensate for the lack of stability using her own powers. She glanced back; the floor was terribly unstable, and she knew that she'd never make it back out of the hole before Mana had fallen down as well. At least Calliope had been conscious... With a wince, she tried to push her thoughts onto the joltik beneath the surface, hoping she was still alive, -Beta is sorry...- Turning tail, she snatched up Mana's slight form and tore out of the mountain.
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 11:03 pm
.,:~* We All Fall Down *~:,. A voice to the void
It was likely the fastest that Kyran could recall moving since his star-bound metamorphosis, but that was perhaps from the frantic direction of his mind and the focus of the goal line. He hadn't the best hold of Kiara's limp body, but it would suffice, at least until he was sure the disintegration of the ground couldn't keep up with their retreat. There was no time for fear, there was no time for personal inquiry, only to act and react. Emotion was torn from the present, and Kyran moved in line with logical interpretation, his sense of self completely removed from the situation. He didn't care about what mode he and his sister made it out of there, just so long as they did, while alive; damage count could always come later, and be dealt with then.
His grip remained firm to counter Kiara's weight as he made his way toward the entrance of the tunnel. The further he progressed, the more stable the ground seemed to become. He hadn't noticed the lack of trembling under his feet until the alcove the twins lived in was within eye shot. All he could hear was his own sharply gasped breaths, his momentum slowing the closer he got to their perceived haven. With a twinge, he realized the numbness was wearing off as he became more aware of the lack of danger, and he focused on pushing himself the short distance that was left.
The transition back into the comfort of safety was not a graceful one, and the boy nearly dropped his shiny counterpart. He almost wished they were still within danger's grasp as the pain returned. The effects of Shadow Sky seemed to have dissipated with the descent of the shadow groudon and the twins' swift withdrawal from the battlefield, but it was a hardly discernible change when everything else seemed to be on pain overdrive. Even if the attack hadn't been aimed at chest-level, he was certain he still would have been having difficulty breathing regardless, the intense searing raking through him like talons.
He lowered his unconscious sister down, stumbling a little in his effort to be careful. He took care to keep Kiara's head from hitting the wall as he leaned her against it, his touch shaking despite the seismic magnitude the cave had experienced lessening to a full stop. With a wince, Kyran pulled back, landing on the floor himself with a cough he wished he hadn't fallen victim to -- it only made the pain that much worse. He found himself holding his breath more often than he was breathing, just to combat the focus on how he was feeling and redirecting it to Kiara's well-being and their current predicament.
Pushing himself back to his feet, Kyran's balance faltered but he managed to stay standing. He inched himself back down the natural corridors they had escaped from, attempting to survey the damage. He didn't want to move too far in, partly for fear of leaving Kiara alone and partly because he wasn't sure the floor, whether fractured or not, could sustain his weight. Sight was blocked from what little light had managed to reach so far down before, precluded by the collapse of stone. It was possible there was still a way to get in there, but Kyran hadn't the need, nor the drive, to entertain the notion further. What mattered now was that it was near impossible for the groudon to plow its way through, if it even managed to survive its fall in the first place. If Kyran had been able to take note of his frame of mind, he might have felt relief from the subsiding terror of the interaction, even if only slight in its effect.
Moving back to Kiara's side, Kyran sat himself down next to her. He sat motionless for a moment, as though determining whether it was a good idea to try to wake her up or not, before raising a hand to shake her shoulder. He stopped short, flinching in hesitation, before taking a more verbal route, "Kiara... Kiara!" There was no indication she heard him at all. Scooting closer, he attempted to find where all she might have been physically injured that could use patching up, and tearing off sections of his shirt to use as bandage material without hesitation.
He had never experienced fear this strong before, not coming from himself. There was never a reason to fear when there was always someone right here, someone who was so much more sure of herself and what to do than the bumbling fool who was now tasked to care for her. He was sure he was going to screw it all up. If she never woke up, it was sure to have been some fault on his part, and not what the groudon had done to set her on this path.
...If she never woke up...
Kyran couldn't tell if it was fear or cracked ribs that stung him more at the thought, and in desperation, he gripped at her sleeve and tried to find a way to hack into her mind. If she was unconscious... it was like sleep, wasn't it? Couldn't he cut through the fog and wake her up similarly?
"...No..." he hissed, failing to locate the familiar holes in the mind that would normally allow a darkrai to slip through. She... she wasn't sleeping. It was much deeper than that, into a depth he couldn't traverse. It was the only thing he could do, and it was as ineffective as anything.
His hold tightened on the fabric, "Kiara... Kiara, please wake up..."
[[ Word Count: 940 ]]
Posted: Sun Aug 14, 2016 12:53 am
.,:~* Role Reversal *~:,. Offense is not always the best defense
It had been days since the inner cave system had more or less imploded in on itself, but the imminent threat levels of those days prior had slid to the backseat. It did not seem as though there would be any emergence for those swallowed by the pit that appeared beneath the darkened groudon's rampage; there were small tremors every once in a while, but it felt like rubble breaking free more than a massive legendary scaling its imprisonment. With all the tenseness in the air, product of multiple sources of high intensity, it felt more like weeks, swathed in endless turmoil.
The bouts of sleep that Kyran had managed to find were short and sparse. While one terror receded back into the depths, the passage of time only served to illuminate another fear, soon overtaking. Consciousness was quickly becoming associated with a myriad of negative connotations, of panic, helplessness, and severe pain, both physically and mentally.
Despite all efforts, Kiara had yet to give any outward signs of waking up. It was almost like she was eternally affected by the trappings that she had once used on everything that had gotten too close, and even some of those who hadn't. However, had that been the case, Kyran might have been able to do something more, but time and again he found himself failing, and at the most crucial of moments. But, then again, what was he supposed to expect? It was just like him, to fall short of succeeding where his sister likely could have with her eyes closed.
Once more, he jolted awake after a handful of moments, consciousness clinging to a suspension of disbelief to the current predicament. It was always such a short-lived moment of hope, sometimes dashed before it had the chance to fully manifest. With a mind still not fully woken from its idling, he moved to pull his legs closer to his chest, only to remember that each time he moved, he felt all the worse. Holding his breath or biting his tongue never helped, but it was all he could do not to cry out against the pain. Shuddering, he tensed, rooted in place, and attempted to redirect his attention on the young girl seated across the small enclosure, slumped against the far wall. It was at least a little easier to bear when he knew he was the lesser problem, regardless of whether or not he could do anything about either case.
The dream world was his domain, easily manipulated into a deranged corruption of the waking world. While he didn't necessarily have the ability to control what appeared in them, when he was always trying to stay under the radar of the dreamer's intruder's alarms, it was still a place he felt he had more control of altogether. Despite that, it wasn't as though he were powerless in a conscious setting -- he could hold his own in a battle, after all. There was always something he could try, he just had to look for an opening in the perceived defenses.
Recalling the events of the battle, whirling and confused, Kyran found himself having a hard time remembering the finer details. Between what little sleep he had gotten and the fact he had been acting mostly off of quickly-processed instinct, not to mention the walls he was putting up against physical agony, there were few aspects he could recollect without a doubt: Disable, Shadow Sky, Kiara's screams, being pinned to the wall, an... inexplicable copy of the groudon fighting itself...
The glow of Kyran's sight blinked in the darkness as he focused once more. A thought came to mind, but with how utterly exhausted he found himself, he was unable to determine whether it had any ground to stand on outside of fatigued imagination. What if... what if this state of mind was still a cause of a pokémon's move? New things were discovered all the time -- just because this wasn't a sleep status didn't mean it wasn't some other ailment. It was a long shot, but even a long shot was a chance worth exploring. To be able to attempt it, however, he would have to let go of an ability that had proven effective in the past. For a future with the strongest figure in his past and present, it seemed hardly worth considering the cost for. For all he knew, Disable had been the one straw that broke the camerupt's back, so in all likelihood, it was for the best in either case.
His breathing seemed to rattle his body, his lungs craving oxygen but the rest of his body intensely alerting to a more pressing matter of internal injury, in turn slowing the action. He sat there a moment, if only to replenish that little supply before once more holding his breath and turning his focus back to the more important matter at hand.
"Hold on, Kiara," the darkrai managed to slide out before sights flared. In the dark, the effect may not have been noticeable but for a stuffier air supply in a confined space. Kyran could easily see through the fallen dark as the room seemed to grow darker in response, like the billowing effect above a wood-burning fire. To carry reduced functionalities with it would have been the best result, but with everything so different and unknown, it came as no surprise that despite the best of intentions... it was still not enough to do any good. Kiara's unconscious form still lay motionless aside from the expansion and contraction of her lungs.
Again, the struggled breathing cut Kyran's focus off, and it was all he could do not to collapse and aggravate misaligned bone to wreak havoc on his entire body all the more than it already was. "H-Hold on," he gasped, "I'll get you back, just hold on!"
* * * * *
Level: 40 --> 60 KYRAN forgot DISABLE and learned HAZE
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