Null Village

[Namohysip]

"Hey, Diyem, can you check on Mia? She do anything stupid?"

"By the way, Dave... Mia is fine. She seems agitated, but that is all for now. She tried to kill Joule but, predictably, it did not work well."

"So... Does this mean we were already... Dead when we came to Veritas? Or that w had already been connected to you?"

"Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be dead to visit certain spirit realms. There are many circumstances that can lead to your arrival here. You are not 'dead' in your world, for now."

"Er... I'm guessing there's no way for Diyem to give us some of those quick-travel abilities as well?"

"Nah, not unless you guys want to be tied here for longer," Garro said, shrugging. "And you guys don't seem like totally lost souls just yet. I stick around to make sure the other Voids can handle themselves, so I guess I'm kind of their guardian. You guys don't really need guarding, though." He glanced at Vix. "Much."

"Well," Owen said, standing, "if we aren't really going to be leaving for a while, we may as well try to get comfortable here, right? I think I'm going to go exploring the forest and stuff. It's... safe, right? The Void Shadows aren't hostile?"

"So long as you don't attack them, they won't attack you. Do not spar with Void Shadows. It will confuse and frighten them."

"Right, okay." Owen nodded. "Anybody want to come with?"

"No, they don't." Wishkeeper insisted, walking ahead for Owen. "We can explore on our own. They don't need to be with you."

"Come on, that's the Shadows talking," Owen replied, sighing.

"They already got you killed. Do you want them to hurt you more?"

"That's not how it is, and you know it."

"I am your Shadow. The truth. You know they got you killed."

"It's not..." Owen sighed, then glanced back apologetically. "I'll be back." Though he didn't tell them to stay away... even if Wishkeeper glared at anyone who tried.

 

[Fusion]

"You guys don't really need guarding, though." He glanced at Vix. "Much."

"What? If you got something to say I'm right here," Vix crossed her arms. If looks could kill, Garro would've been dead twice over.

"They already got you killed. Do you want them to hurt you more?"

"If you had ears I'd bet they would be burnin' right about now," Vix's shadow hummed. "You're not gonna sit there and let that joke of a guardian talk shit about you, right?"

"You..." The hell was Wishkeeper on about? They didn't get themselves killed, it was Joule. It was very obviously Joule. Was every shadow here meant to piss her off? That's obviously what her own shadow wanted, and she'd be damned before she gave it any form of satisfaction. "Be quiet."

"It'd be so easy to shut it up too, I bet. You might even be doin' Owen a favor, like a Hero would do." The Shadow chuckled, causing more wisps and tendrils of shadow to wriggle beneath Vix. "You'd be proving just how strong you are, and helpin' out a friend beat some sense into himself. Sounds like the perfect hero opportunity, don't it?"

"It's not..." Owen sighed, then glanced back apologetically. "I'll be back." Though he didn't tell them to stay away... even if Wishkeeper glared at anyone who tried.

Now would be a good time to go and do exactly that... beat some sense into Wishkeeper, help Owen... be strong...

"...He's not my friend," Vix muttered and shook her head. She floated to follow Owen; she might've missed the chance to help Cynthian, but she's not going to let another one of them get fucked over by their shadows. "I'm not helping him for whatever piss-poor pride you think I have, I'm doing it because another one of us bitching and moaning is another thing to annoy me with here."

Her shadow laughed. "Sure, sure, whatever you say, little miss heroine. I'll be sure to brag to the others for you when you're done, just so you don't have to do it yourself."

 

[Dragonfree]

"By the way, Dave... Mia is fine. She seems agitated, but that is all for now. She tried to kill Joule but, predictably, it did not work well."

A pang of dread jabbed at his stomach. Fuck. What?

A memory floated into his head: If they killed you, I'd hunt them down. Her voice coolly firm in a way it rarely was. Him sitting there and knowing he should talk to her about revenge and instead just telling her-- fuck. But she was fine, Diyem said she was fine, she hadn't--

"Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be dead to visit certain spirit realms. There are many circumstances that can lead to your arrival here. You are not 'dead' in your world, for now."

"Hold on, for now?"

Owen was asking if someone wanted to come with him to explore the forest. He wasn't going to say yes, but then Wishkeeper was spouting nonsense, and oh, Christ. "Look, I don't know what kind of logic pretzel you've got going on where we got him killed but it's a real fucking reach," he said, glaring at Wishkeeper as he caught up with them. "Is this what you're dealing with all the fucking time, Owen? I thought you said you got along."

He threw a glare at Shadow, who flinched under his gaze, following timidly.

 

[Namohysip]

"Is this what you're dealing with all the fucking time, Owen? I thought you said you got along."

"We do! It's just, he's gotten more agitated ever since we died, that's all." And maybe he talked like this in occasional mutterings now and then, but... "I think we just need some air. Come on, Wishkeeper."

"I'm watching you all."

"Wishkeeper, now." And for once, Owen's voice was firmer, and Wishkeeper grudgingly complied.

"Hold on, for now?"

"Yes, for now. Everyone dies eventually. Perhaps I could have been more clear."

 

[Fusion]

"Yes, for now. Everyone dies eventually. Perhaps I could have been more clear."

"How are you so bad at speaking that simply stating a fact sounds like an open threat?" Vix deadpanned.

"It's a fuckin' miracle he managed to get everyone to trust him..."

 

[Namohysip]

"Hmph. You're the one who 'fell for it.'"

 

[Fusion]

"Vix here has a thing for edgy, broodin' types. Sure hope you ain't single, otherwise Vix might try somethin' you'll regret."

Vix winced. They had two goddamn seconds of being in agreement on something. She didn't even say anything to jinx it! "Diyem is there a way to murder a Shadow, and if so, gimme the roughest, messiest way to do it."

 

[Namohysip]

"...No. I am not available. Deal with your Shadows on your own."

 

[Fusion]

Vix growled lowly, continuing on to follow Owen. "Lazy edgy bastard..."

Her shadow got wispier again, chuckling. "I think you mean, 'Fuck I wish he turned me down more!'"

"The moment you manifest I am going to kill you."

"I'm surprised no one talked about the 'rough and messy' comment, honestly. So brave, going public with this kinda thing! I'm so proud you can be true to yourself!"

"IN A BOX. OFF A CLIFF."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

The fatigue wasn't physical. It was baked in, a part of her deeper than tiredness, something in her soul itself.

There were people around her. Owen. Dave. Voices. Arguments. Diyem himself, talking about . . . everyone on Cibus. This wasn't Cibus, nor home, but the realm of Diyem, of Veritas City? There could be a way back. She could...

She could see them again.

She could go back to working herself to the point of collapse. She'd find out how Astrid took that fucking love confession, if she even heard it at all. She'd have to look Starr in the eye after promising she'd look after herself and then getting herself killed.

The thoughts went on, clearer and stronger and more oppressive than they ever were while she'd been alive. It lasted as long as she lay sprawled there, barely aware of having a body, barely cognisant of the bickering around her...

Did she need to be? She could just wait like this until she could see her friends again.

Her friends? They wouldn't trust her anymore. They wouldn't respect her any more. They wouldn't love her (if they ever did) and that made sense because she was a goddamn–

Her friends. They weren't okay. Owen was snapping at Wishkeeper. Vix was shouting at herself. Her friends needed her to be strong.

She groaned, and forced herself to her feet. It hurt. It hurt to think. It hurt to exist.

So be it. You endure. You fight through it. You do the right goddamn thing no matter what.

"What needs doin'?" asked Brisa. "I'm ready."

 

[Virgil134]

"Oh, hey, you're finally awake, Brisa."

Cabot went over to her, giving a worried glance at what initially appeared to be shackles around her ankles, before speaking back up.

"We don't need to do anything right now," he explained. "We just have to wait here for a while as Diyem tries to revive us."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"There must be somethin'," growled Brisa. There was always something. "I gotta make myself useful."

She looked around at her surroundings, taking them in through bleary eyes and a mind aching from thrashing, tightly-bound negativity.

"You aren't shadowed," she remarked. "Why?"

Neither was she, she realised, not seeing that fucking thing anywhere around her, absent ever since it first appeared in Shaymin Village. Still, her voice reverberated with the bass of raised shadows. Maybe it was a matter of time.

What did it matter? All it was going to do was make her uncomfortable and why the fuck did that matter?

 

[windskull]

Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to be dead to visit certain spirit realms. There are many circumstances that can lead to your arrival here. You are not 'dead' in your world, for now.

""That is... Only slightly reassuring," Nip grumbled with a shake of his head.

Well," Owen said, standing, "if we aren't really going to be leaving for a while, we may as well try to get comfortable here, right? I think I'm going to go exploring the forest and stuff. It's... safe, right? The Void Shadows aren't hostile?"

"I'll come with," Nip decided, climbing back to his feet. "Maybe I'll feel... Slightly more at ease in the woods."

"What are you thinking?" The shadowy sneasel gestured urgently towards wishkeeper. "What if he attacks you? You should know how dangerous a charizard is!"

Nip seemed to realize this, at least, was irrational. "Relax. He's part of Owen, right? And Owen wouldn't attack unprovoked. You're welcome to stay behind, though."

 

[Virgil134]

"You aren't shadowed," she remarked. "Why?"

"Er... it's kind of a long story, but I sort of got split into two?" Cabot said with a sheepish grin. "The part of me with all the shadows left the village earlier."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Already, the group is falling apart. You haven't done enough.

"Hmm. At least if you an' yer shadow are separate, that means no goddamn conflict between ya. You'll have to wait, Cabot. I gotta find the most vulnerable of us an' lend a paw."

Brisa cast about for the scent of Cynthian, and though the harsh acridity of the void filled her nose, she detected the distinct smell of a terrified roselia. Strong waves of mint, with a hint of lemon.

"Look after yerself, Cabot," she growled, as she loped off towards the forest depths. "We all gotta keep our shit t'gether."

 

[Virgil134]

"But he's not even my-"

Cabot trailed off as Brisa was already running away towards the forest west of the village.

"... shadow."

The Cranidos stood there for a moment when he looked around, noticing that besides Garro, everyone had left.

"I guess it's just you and me now, huh?"

He shifted a bit, trying to think of something to talk about with the Gengar.

"So... who used to live here anyway?"

 

[Namohysip]

Garro looked around. "No idea," he said. "Been this way since before I came here. Abandoned, I mean. Chances are this place used to be a settlement for people who had been taken into the Voidlands during whatever Dark Matter crisis he started. There were a lot of them. Whatever happened to the inhabitants could have been anything. Hmmm... They could have escaped. When Dark Matter was defeated, the spirits imprisoned in the Voidlands were released. Or they could have moved to a different location. After all, this place used to be a lot more treacherous, and if more powerful Void Shadows started appearing here..."

Garro hummed. "And, well, of course, the last possibility is that some of them might have been so lost and consumed by their own darkness that they became Void Shadows themselves. Oh, by the way, don't get too consumed by your own darkness, or that'll happen to you, too." He tapped his chin. "Probably should have mentioned that to the others. Ah, well. They'll figure it out."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot let out a nervous laugh. "I guess it's a good thing I don't have any darkness left in me, huh?"

He looked off nervously at the direction his counterpart has gone off to, before turning back to Garro.

"Though does that mean all Void Shadows used to be Pokémon? I always thought Diyem created you guys."

 

[Namohysip]

"Well, some are sort of extensions of his being, sure, but Diyem also kind of... took on a bunch of lost souls, too." Garro's eternal grin widened, and he turned his gaze down the road where a few shapeless blobs moved across the streets. "It's kind of a long story, but you could say that a lot of them had been wandering for a while because of their own problems, and wound up here. They threw away who they were and became this. And it's kinda my job to help them re-learn who they are. And Diyem's, but, he doesn't really talk about it that much."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot tilted his head. "Oh, really? That's very nice of Diyem to help out others like that," he said, putting a claw to his mouth. "I wonder why he doesn't like to talk about it..."

The Cranidos shook his head. "Though what about you? Did you used to be a regular Gengar af some point?"