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 Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 10:11 pm
Lenore sat silently in her witch's outfit, loaned to her by Farmer Todd, as she listened to a series of scary stories around the campfire at the Pumpkin Festival. She yawned sleepily as the last one ended, but the teenager was resolved to stay up. She had to, for Ellie. Everything at the festival was for Ellie, at least in Lenore's mind. She had to be happy, to show Ellie that everything was alright.
As the people dispersed from the campfire, Lenore got to her feet, dusting off the back of the robe where she had been sitting. Behind her, Mephistopheles watched the people leave. "Where would you like to go, next, Lenore?"
The girl turned her head to face the dusknoir, her eyes pools of red determination. "Let's go check out the mines. We haven't been there, yet."
Mephistopheles thought momentarily of reminding the girl they were abandoned for a reason, but then decided against it. She'd be too stubborn to let it go, so better to just go along with it. "Alright."
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 10:26 pm
After a while of walking, the two made it to the mines without incident. As soon as the girl stepped inside, however, a chill ran down her spine. Crossing her arms, she looked around, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Shrugging her shoulders, she continued on. Before she made it much farther, however, a wail came from deep within the mines, causing goosebumps to erupt along her arms.
A flash of red distracted Lenore as Nelis'viel emerged from her pokeball unsummoned. The girl looked at the gardevoir curiously. "What's up, Nel?"
The gardevoir was even more soft-spoken than usual. "Le...Lenore, I think we should go." She looked around nervously as she spoke. "Something about this place, it just... feels wrong. Like nothing should be here, least of all us."
Lenore looked at Mephistopheles briefly, but turned back to face Nel, affording the gardevoir a small smile. "It'll be okay, Nel. If there's anything scary down here, Mef can take it. And you're pretty strong now, too. We don't have to worry about anything."
The gardevoir was unconvinced, but she focused on Lenore and gained some of her confidence before nodding meekly.
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 10:31 pm
As the three progressed further into the mine, the wailing grew louder and more frequent. Stepping into a large chamber of some sort, Lenore got the sudden feeling she was being watched. Stopping, she looked around and caught a glimpse of light blue eyes. Then she wasn't in the mine at all, but in a place far more familiar.
The playground back in Orre.
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 10:49 pm
The familiar creaking of the swing drew Lenore's attention behind her. Turning, she came face to face with a younger Lenore. Stumbling backwards, she stammered. "No. Nononononono. You're gone, you don't have anything over me anymore. Ellie made sure of that!"
The younger Lenore looked around at the playground, seemingly curious about everything. Turning back to face the older Lenore, she smiled, and when she spoke, a voice that was not Lenore's came out. "Interesting. So this 'Ellie' sacrificed herself so that you could live on." The younger Lenore faded, and Elesh Norn floated where she had stood. The darkrai grinned. "You've lead an interesting life, girl."
Lenore slowly got to her feet, staring at Elesh Norn. "What's going on? You're not who I think you are, are you...?"
The darkrai faded, and Mephistopheles took her place. "Hm, and this one, you like him." The false-Mephistopheles ignored Lenore's question, nodding. "You'll suffice."
Lenore glared at the dusknoir. "What do you mean, 'suffice'? What is going on?" She demanded.
The dusknoir faded, replaced with a pokemon Lenore had never seen before. The diancie smiled, but with none of the cheerfulness usually associated with it. "You're taking me with you, out of this mine. And I shall be free."
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 11:16 pm
Before she could respond, Lenore was back in the mine. She looked around again, and froze as she saw the diancie staring at her, trapped in the wall. The diancie's eyes flashed as Lenore opened her mouth to speak. "Mef- get her out of there." A voice that simultaneously was and was not hers finished her sentence.
Mephistopheles looked cautiously at the girl. "Lenore?"
Lenore turned to face the dusknoir, her eyes taking a shade of blue. "Do as I say, Bloodskull." She growled.
Mephistopheles rapidly figured out that Lenore was being controlled. "Whoever, or whatever, you are, leave Lenore alone." He glared at the diancie, still trapped in the wall.
Lenore grinned. "Oh, and what will you do if I don't? Attack me? Scary, scary." The possessed girl laughed. "And what will you do if the sudden break of connection leaves the girl less than what she was? Would you ever be able to forgive yourself? The girl adores you, you know."
Mephistopheles clenched his fists, glaring daggers at the diancie. How dare she threaten Lenore? Before he could respond, a thunderbolt ripped into the stone surrounding the diancie, freeing her. Both Lenore and Mephistopheles turned to face Nelis'viel, whose extended finger still crackled with electricity.
"I have freed you, spirit. Now, please, let Lenore go." Nel spoke softly, but with a sense of authority that her words betrayed.
Lenore looked into Nelis'viel's eyes, seeming to search for something, and laughed. "This one has interesting companions. The dusknoir who took her soul, the soft-spoken gardevoir who feels fit to tell me what to do. What else can I see traveling with you?" She grinned. "Alright, I'll allow you the privilege of my company. You may call me... Lana'thel, yes, that was my name." Lenore's eyes faded back to their normal red as the diancie loosened her telepathic hold on the girl.
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Posted: Sat Oct 31, 2015 11:27 pm
Lenore blinked a few times before addressing the diancie. "You're pretty interesting, yourself. But wouldn't you have more fun in your own body?" The diancie considered her words as Lenore smiled softly. "I don't have a problem with you coming with us, but it's more fun if everyone can talk with each other."
The diancie stared at the girl, confusion setting in. "'You don't have a problem with it'? You lie. No one would willingly take me from here. You seek to betray me."
Lenore shook her head, her medium-long black hair waving back and forth. "No, I don't." She smiled. "You can tell things about me, when you do that thing, right? Why not try it again, and see for yourself?"
The diancie's eyes flashed immediately, and Lenore's eyes faded to blue for a brief moment before going back to red. The diancie looked up, possibly even more confused. "Hell-Hoot. You took in a monster, even though your other friends didn't like him. Why?"
Lenore smiled softly again. "You already know the answer to that, too, don't you?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 11:46 am
Mephistopheles and Nelis'viel looked on as Lenore and Lana'thel continued to speak, the two having apparently forgotten that the diancie was controlling the girl just moments prior, and looked at each other, concerned. True, it wasn't the first, or even the second time, that Lenore had tried to befriend an actively hostile pokemon, but it never made it seem less outlandish. Regardless, they both knew trying to convince Lenore otherwise would be a lesson in pointlessness, and might, in fact, simply anger the diancie.
Lenore pulled out a pokeball from her pocket, an extra she had kept on hand in case anything interesting showed up. Enlarging it, she smiled at the ghostly diancie. "Lana'thel, would you like to come with us? You're interesting, and I think that, given time, everyone else will accept you, too. Just like Hell-Hoot and Sheoldred. Like me."
Lana'thel knew what the girl referred to from her foray into the girl's mind, and nodded. "Very well, girl. I will accompany you and your companions." She turned a cold smile upon the other two pokemon. "Unless, of course, you two have issue with this arrangement?"
Mephistopheles merely stared at the diancie, unwilling to respond. Nelis'viel shook her head and afforded the other pokemon a smile. "If Lenore wishes to have you accompany us, I have no quarrel with it. Welcome, Lana'thel."
The diancie clapped her hands together in mock joy. "Oh, wonderful! It will be such a pleasure to get to know you all." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, and she focused on Mephistopheles. "Especially you, Bloodskull." She winked almost imperceptibly as she pressed the pokeball that Lenore held out for her, retreating inside.
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Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 11:57 am
Later that night, Lenore and Mephistopheles sat alone on the outskirts of the Pumpkin Festival. The teenager turned to face the dusknoir. "Hey, Mef?" The dusknoir looked down at Lenore, so she continued. "Can you try to get along with Lana? For me?"
The dusknoir closed his eye and was silent a moment before heaving a sigh. "Very well. I will try, for you."
Lenore smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "Thanks, Mef. I'm sorry I'm always doing things you don't like, but I think Lana just needs someone there for her. Like Hell-Hoot. Like me. You know?"
"As much as I don't like it, you haven't been wrong yet, so I'll go along with it. Just take care, Lenore."
Lenore continued to smile, and closed her eyes, resting her head on the dusknoir's arm. "I will. Thanks."
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