Null Forest Depths

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian heaved and panted, but she kept running even as her chest burned with pain. She leaned against one of the identical lifeless trees to catch her breath. Everywhere she turned looked exactly the same.

"I only know how to run... Whenever I get scared..."

That dreadful shadow was still following her. Cynthian turned around with gritted teeth and a weeping face. No matter how far she ran, her shadow was always behind her. Never getting closer, but never too far for her words not to reach Cynthian.

"Leave me alone!"

Cynthian whimpered and she was back on her feet again. Running with her flowers glasped over the base of her horns.

"Icetales will forget about me, so will Ivy. No one will care if I'm gone."

Even with her flowers held tight to her head, her shadow's words seemed to be broadcasting right into Cynthian's head...

"Get away from me!"

"I couldn't save anyone. The one thing I'm good at is running away and letting others down."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Please, I beg you."

"I'm weak, helples, and pathetic. I only know how to be carried along. I don't know how to stand on my own."

"Stop it... Please."

Cynthian tripped on an outstretched root and fell face first into the dirt. She pushed herself up with a whimper and a groan. When Cynthian looked up, her shadow was standing right in front of her.

"I must tell Mama Zahra that Mama Rosa is gone because of me. Will she hate me? Will I even be able to tell her? She'll hate me!"

Cynthian crawled back, staring at the distorted Roserade with shaking eyes.

"I deserve to be hated. I brought Mama Zahra so much trouble trying to raise me, I caused her so many sleepless nights because Mama Rosa was gone. I deserve to be alone, and die alone."

"Stop this already. You don't know anything!" Cynthian yelled.

The shadow tilted her head slightly, her featureless eyes locked on Cynthian. For the first time, it felt like she was actually looking at Cynthian herself.

"I know, because I am YOU!"

"No, you're not me! Stop pretending to be me!"

The shadow scowled and the smoke seeping from her chest rushed out in a much denser plume. The smoke gathered in her black rose to form a sharp spike. She drew it backwards, ready to strike.

 

[windskull]

Nip had no clue how long it took him to get to the forest, but it was far longer than he would like. He was starting to tire from the mad dash from the river. Constantly, he glanced over his shoulder, keeping an eye out for the possibly pursuing charizard. If he didn't find Brisa soon, he feared his exhaustion would slow him down enough to be caught.

Fortunately, inn the distance, standing amongst the trees, he caught sight of the luxio. Cynthian was there as well. For a second, he considered taking a different route, worried about leading a rampaging Owen right to the small grass-type. But he couldn't prolong the chase any longer.

He stumbled to a halt in front of them, gasping in air. His words came out between gasps in a jumbled mess. "Brisa! You gotta... Owen... evolved... losing his senses... Need to... stop him! Calm him!"

 

[Namohysip]

Null Forest was very quiet. It was, in a way, calming for Owen, who was still trying to come to terms with his overactive Perceive. It was stronger than ever, probably what Wishkeeper constantly had, and every little movement and every subtle gesture that those around him made were known to him. He had to ease his breathing, calm his nerves, and stay away from as many of them as possible. He didn't want to be set off, and maybe Wishkeeper was right that he had to be alone.

Was that what Wishkeeper had been trying to warn him about? That he was going to evolve, to hurt people? Was he... really right this whole time?

Owen shuddered. The Shadow was the truth...

For some reason, Owen's mind wandered to Bahamut. That dream he'd shared on accident, that horrible landscape, those warped Legends... Bahamut had to endure those demons and then some. He had countless inner demons, too, just from... what he could glean from how he carried himself. Had Bahamut been brought here, would those inner demons consume him, or would he withstand them like he'd handled everything else?

He wondered how they were all doing. He had to see them again. And to do that, they had to survive here. Diyem could help them... but he seemed busy trying to gather his strength. If they died here, if they were careless, what would happen to them? Would he lose himself to the shadows and become one of them?

He had to keep it together. Glancing at Wishkeeper, who didn't stray more than a few paces away, Owen said, "Stand guard for any Void Shadows that might attack us, or something. And if any of my friends come along, let them through. Okay?"

"You don't have friends."

"Don't make this a thing," Owen said with a sigh.

Wishkeeper snorted, turning ahead. "Fine."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Dave was looking at her like she was still wounded.

"You want somethin', partner?" she asked, tersely.

She was fine.

When was the last time you were fine? What does even mean, fer you? That y'ain't dead yet? Ah, no. Too late fer that.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Don't follow me.

Brisa loped onward, heedless of the things she glimpsed in the the forest depths. It didn't matter. So long as it brought her further away from Dave, from the others, from everything.

I'm a goddamn monster.

She'd finally done it, like she always feared. She'd lost control. Hurt someone she loved, who was only trying to help her. She was dangerous. She could never have people in her life. Maybe it was better she didn't live at all.

I'm sick of feelin' like shit fer doin' my goddamn best.

She'd tried her hardest. That, at least, she could admit. It was just . . . her best was inadequate. She would have fallen short sooner or later.

I can't offer anythin' else; this is all I am.

Everything she had, and it still wasn't enough.

I'm not wrong.

"You're wrong, an' you know it, Brisa Escarpa."

The voice was her own. At first, she thought she'd spoken aloud. But there was another shadow next to hers; another set of pawsteps on the leaf litter below. She was not alone.

Brisa looked round, and saw herself: obsidian-furred, eyes a blank yellow, and her neck and forelegs shackled with light. Her Shadow, here at last, and addressing her by name. A name to use in return supplied itself from a childhood story. The living shadow, 'Sombra'. Brisa bared her teeth at the apparition, at Sombra, but what was the point in savaging her own fucking Shadow?

"I thought you were the one supplyin' all that shit," she hissed. "Now you're tellin' me that weren't shadow feelings?"

Her Shadow blinked at her, slowly, then turned her head away and sighed. She looked so tired. Even that dark fur and those blank eyes couldn't disguise exhaustion like that. Was that . . . how Brisa looked?

"Nah," said Sombra. "That was all you. Ha, y'think you're so in touch with yer deep feelings that what comes outta yer mouth is the real you? Salt and sand, Brisa. No. You've been blockin' me out fer months! You never fuckin' listen to me."

"...What?"

Brisa's stomach lurched. She tried to stamp out the memory as she usually did, but in this dark place, the vision was inescapable. Her shadow, levitating above her, chained and bleeding and weeping like the most wretched creature on earth.

"You goddamn hypocrite," drawled Sombra. "Tellin' Dave he's pretendin' his Shadow ain't how he feels? You do nothin' but discipline yerself so bad you can't even admit you're miserable."

"It ain't about–"

"It ain't about happiness. I know. I fuckin' heard ya th'first time."

Brisa grit her teeth and walked doggedly ahead. Sombra kept pace, in perfect time. Silent.

 

[Disco]

It was strange, in the Voidlands. She didn't want to say it felt uncomfortable, because... Well, it wasn't. Truthfully it was like any other terrain, only different colors and perhaps more like a desert overall. Even here in the midst of the forest that Diyem had said Vix was located in. The Shade soared over the treetops, looking intently through the canopy for the ghost Pokémon.

She had to be there somewhere. If she wasn't in this section... Well, she would keep looking. Hopefully Vix would give a sign or something. She had to be here somewhere...