Null Village

[Namohysip]

"Yep. But I guess over time I lost myself, regained myself, and now I hang around to help other Void Shadows through the same thing. A lot of them are this way because they don't want to be who they used to be... which is kind of complicated."

 

[Virgil134]

"Right, that does sound pretty complicated," Cabot mused. He thought it over for a moment, before shooting Garro a warm smile. "Though it's good that there's someone looking out for them at least. I'm sure that you can help them, since you're really nice, and you do have all the time in the world around here!"

He looked around again, noticing that his teammates still hadn't returned. If he was gonna have to wait around here until Diyem could revive them he supposed he might as well try to make the most of things.

"Though... what do you guys usually do for fun around here, anyway?"

 

[Namohysip]

"Well..." Garro's grin became a little wider. "There's always a little truth or dare."

<><><>​

 

[Cresselia92]

After many minutes of travel, Cabot and the two Ninetales had reached the village.

Icetales felt his spirit squeeze as he surveyed the area, his tails flicking erratically. Sober and hellish, with a lake brimming with water looking like blood…

“Tempted to dive into for a good bath,” declared Magnificent, marveling at the crimson lake.

“Do not,” hissed Icetales, turning sharply to his Shadow. “The last thing everyone needs here it’s for thee to spoil their supply of… water.”

“It is rotten already. There would be no difference.”

“No!” repeated Icetales, starting to gather shadows into his jaws. “Do not make me Roar at thee again.”

Magnificent snarled at Icetales, baring his razor-sharp fangs at his host. However, upon not getting any reaction outside of a snort, the Shadow huffed in annoyance and strode toward some nearby claw-like trees. The red mist of his tails waved with each gust, masking whatever emotion he was feeling from the others. Though, the fox-in-flesh had no doubt that he was showing once more his appreciation toward the darkness.

And, for some reason, Icetales was starting to feel… better? He wondered if it was because the village had a vague semblance of stability and order, or perhaps because his inner darkness was resonating with that place devoid of living souls.

At least they are in a better situation that what I had endured in Chaos. They can have some solace with each other, while I had… no one and no place.

Icetales blinked in surprise when he noticed Magnificent glaring at him. Was he still mad at him for the treatment he received in the plateaus and mere seconds ago, or something else? Well, the Shadow didn’t respond nor give any hint, and just went to gaze at his reflection by the lake.

“This is… some small comfort,” commented Icetales at last, before taking a careful look of his surroundings. He blinked when he noticed the other Cabot, who had the typical scales of a typical Cranidos, and a… Gengar, apparently.

But where were the others? Were they alright?

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian sat alone in the corner while prodding at the ground with a twig she'd picked up on her way back from the forest.

With the anxious dread that overcame her before gone, boredom took its place. She wondered how Brisa and Owen were doing, or where the others were. There were also those waiting for them back on Cibus.

Cynthian sighed. She'd absent-mindedly drawn a ninetales in the soil. How was Icetales doing? Ivy should be with him right?

"Is there really no way to get out of here on our own? I want to see Icetales again," Cynthian said to herself with lowered eyes.

 

[Virgil134]

"Hm, well I'm glad that you like it at least," Dark Cabot murmured. "Wouldn't have mind getting dropped off in Veritas though."

He paused a moment. "... Right, guess I forgot to mention that. Veritas is actually inside the Void Lands, so in theory we can go there if we travel far enough."

Meanwhile, Cabot had looked up from his game of truth and dare when he heard the two approach, and promptly got up in startled surprise as he noticed Icetales.

"H-Huh, Icetales?! What are you-"

"Diyem sent him over here temporarily," Dark Cabot interrupted. "He volunteered to come here so he could check up on us, so no, he's not dead."

Cabot blinked at his counterpart's explanation, looking over at Icetales as he waited for him to continue.

 

[Cresselia92]

"Hm, well I'm glad that you like it at least," Dark Cabot murmured. "Wouldn't have mind getting dropped off in Veritas though."

Icetales tilted his head. “‘Like it’ is a bit of a strong affirmation, but it is adequate, at the very least.”

"H-Huh, Icetales?! What are you-"

"Diyem sent him over here temporarily," Dark Cabot interrupted. "He volunteered to come here so he could check up on us, so no, he's not dead."

Cabot blinked at his counterpart's explanation, looking over at Icetales as he waited for him to continue.

Icetales nodded. “Indeed. Greetings, Sir Light Cabot. This here is just a visit by yours truly. I desired to make sure you were doing swell enough in this twisted dimension.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, this is all I can do. I wish I could bring you back with me, but… I can’t.”

He flashed a determined stare. “But as soon as I return to the living world, I will do my darndest to rescue you all, I promise. We have a plan already, but we need some time and resources first.”

As Icetales conversed with the two Cabot, Magnificent kept staring at his reflection, distorted by the waves and movements of underwater creatures. He lowered his muzzle toward the water and sniffed it. Foul. Rotten. Delightful.

However, his attention returned to his own image. The glowing red eyes. The spectral red flames on his mane. The charred-looking pelt. Something about that appearance was… sickening, and it wasn’t the kind of enjoyable sickening. It was plain horrible sickening.

With a snarl, Magnificent pawed at the water, distorting the reflection until it was unrecognizable. He didn’t care about having a redder paw, he wanted that sight gone.

“This is all thy fault, foolish lad…” grumbled the Shadow to himself, his fur standing on end and the fire of his mane burning more vividly. Though, there was nothing he could do about it until he changed his way of thinking.

But perhaps… dropping to hell was exactly what Magnificent was waiting for?

Tired of looking at the lake, he decided to be of ‘help’, for once. So, he strolled around the place while the foolish lad was interacting with the dumb dinosaurs, when he spotted the Roselia standing on the corner of the village. He cocked an imaginary eyebrow, then walked toward the lone Grass-type, the silhouette of his shadow shielding her from the red light.

“Thou! Art thou the transvestite fiancé of the foolish lad?” he grumbled, before huffing. “Thou might wish to go greet him, while thou can…”

 

[Adamhuarts]

Cynthian was unaware of her surroundings in her distraction, which made her stiffen as soon as a shadow loomed over her. When she turned around, she widened her eyes at first while her mind raced.

“Thou! Art thou the transvestite fiancé of the foolish lad?” he grumbled, before huffing. “Thou might wish to go greet him, while thou can…”

"Trans... what?" What even was that term? Did he mean Transynoecious? But more importantly, "Fi—fiancé?! Whose... What are you talking about?!"

Cynthian's face reddened like a tomato, and her confusion only ballooned from there.

 

[Virgil134]

"Ah, well it's really nice to see you again, Icetales!" Cabot cheered. "I know the place looks a bit dreary, but it's really not that bad! We got ways to pass the time, like how I was just playing truth or dare with Ga-"

The Cranidos paused, realizing that Icetales likely didn't know who Garro was. He remembered the Ninetales had told him that he hadn't been to Veritas before any of this, so the chance he had run into Garro before was very low.

"Oh, right! This is Garro," he said, pointing at the Gengar. "He's a Void Shadow and normally helps everyone out at Veritas' Colosseum."

 

[Cresselia92]

"Trans... what?" What even was that term? Did he mean Transynoecious? But more importantly, "Fi—fiancé?! Whose... What are you talking about?!"

Cynthian's face reddened like a tomato, and her confusion only ballooned from there.

Magnificent narrowed his eyes, somewhat annoyed that he had to explain. By Chaos, he didn’t have the patience for that!

“As flattering as it is that thou art trying to mirror my magnificent appearance by replicating my colours, halt at once,” he grumbled irately, shaking his spectral tails. “I am talking about that… ‘friend’. The foolish lad who loves to shout ‘Golly!’ or “Heavens!” and to drink tea.” He chuckled. “Pity that there is no tea here. I have the feeling you could use it…”

"Ah, well it's really nice to see you again, Icetales!" Cabot cheered. "I know the place looks a bit dreary, but it's really not that bad! We got ways to pass the time, like how I was just playing truth or dare with Ga-"

[…]

"Oh, right! This is Garro," he said, pointing at the Gengar. "He's a Void Shadow and normally helps everyone out at Veritas' Colosseum."

Icetales stared at Garro and beamed a friendly smile. “Greetings there, Sir Garro. Lovely to make thy acquaintance,” he said, bowing at the Void Shadow. He recalled what Diyem said about not attacking Void Shadows, but it’s not like he felt any reason to do that. The Gengar seemed friendly enough. “A Void Shadow, hm? Well, thou surely know the workings of this world, so I hope thou will help my comrades here during their… um, stay, we could say.”

He glanced at the two Cabot. “Well, then, so there are no issues for now, I see. This lifts a big weight off my heart, thou have no idea. I pray things will keep going smoothly while we work on the revival process for you all.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

“I am talking about that… ‘friend’. The foolish lad who loves to shout ‘Golly!’ or “Heavens!” and to drink tea.” He chuckled. “Pity that there is no tea here. I have the feeling you could use it…”

It didn't take a lot of thinking for Cynthian to piece those clues together and know who the strange Ninetales was talking about.

"Icetales is here?" How was that even possible? Shouldn't he still be on Cibus? No, that wasn't important. What mattered was that Cynthian could see Icetales again!

"Where is he?! Tell me where he is!" Cynthian demanded, an impatient longing in her voice.

 

[Cresselia92]

"Where is he?! Tell me where he is!" Cynthian demanded, an impatient longing in her voice.

Magnificent grumbled, the flames of his mane and tails burning more vividly. Such shows of attachment disgusted him.

“…Unless he did something imbecilic and he got himself absorbed by the darkness, he should be by the other edge of the village with that weird ghost and the two reptilian whelps,” he replied, before rolling his eyes. “I suppose I could… accompany thee there, and in the meantime thou could tell me if something happened before we arrived here.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Icetales would never do anything 'imbecilic' or get absorbed by the darkness. He's much stronger than that," Cynthian said with a frown.

"And if you're asking what happened since we got here, I don't really know much. Diyem dropped us here and then I..." Cynthian hesitated. She wasn't about to tell this odd ninetales that she broke down, fled into a forest and almost got killed by the manifestation of her own self loathing.

"Wait, I remember you. You look a bit different from last time I saw you in the lab, but you're Icetales' shadow, aren't you?" Cynthian shuffled cautiously. She knew from her own shadow that whoever the ninetales was, they were either a part of Icetales deep down, or a phantom of someone he knew.

 

[Cresselia92]

"Icetales would never do anything 'imbecilic' or get absorbed by the darkness. He's much stronger than that," Cynthian said with a frown.

Magnificent smirked deviously. “He would not? Because volunteering to be sent into this forsaken world is not imbecilic, indeed. Not that I mind the decision too much — I fancy this place. All this darkness energizes me!”

"Wait, I remember you. You look a bit different from last time I saw you in the lab, but you're Icetales' shadow, aren't you?" Cynthian shuffled cautiously.

Magnificent frowned, his tails swishing uneasily. “Shadow. Appropriate term. I am a… shadow.” The Ninetales averted his gaze, glaring at some dot in the distance. “A shadow of what I used to be. An unremembered relic of a time that is long past. I used to be so powerful back then, capable of smiting whoever got in my path.” The spectral flames started shining more brightly, while his eyes glowed with red fury. “And then he tossed me aside! Turned me into a nightmare, a boogeymon! And I… loathe that…”

 

[Namohysip]

“A Void Shadow, hm? Well, thou surely know the workings of this world, so I hope thou will help my comrades here during their… um, stay, we could say.”

After thanking Cabot for the introduction, Garro gave a little nod and listened to their exchange with his usual grin. "Well, hey. Pleasure to meet you, and all that. We're kind of allergic to pleasure, but that's part of the therapy, I guess."

“A shadow of what I used to be. An unremembered relic of a time that is long past. I used to be so powerful back then, capable of smiting whoever got in my path.”

"And hey, short, dark and handsome, Diyem feels the same way a lot of the time. Fallen eldritch abominations have to stick together, yaknow?"

 

[Adamhuarts]

Magnificent frowned, his tails swishing uneasily. “Shadow. Appropriate term. I am a… shadow.” The Ninetales averted his gaze, glaring at some dot in the distance. “A shadow of what I used to be. An unremembered relic of a time that is long past. I used to be so powerful back then, capable of smiting whoever got in my path.” The spectral flames started shining more brightly, while his eyes glowed with red fury. “And then he tossed me aside! Turned me into a nightmare, a boogeymon! And I… loathe that…”

"What part of Icetales... do you represent?" Cynthian asked with narrowed eyes, then she softened her expression. "Is it the fear of being seen as a monster? That's okay, because I don't think you're one, even if you say you are."

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot smiled. "Would you two like to join us for truth or dare? We might as well have some fun while you're here Icetales, and I'm sure the others will be back soon anyway!"

Dark Cabot let out a sigh. A game that kids played at school was probably the last thing he was in the mood for right now, yet at the same time he didn't feel like going off on us own yet again.

"I guess."

 

[Cresselia92]

After thanking Cabot for the introduction, Garro gave a little nod and listened to their exchange with his usual grin. "Well, hey. Pleasure to meet you, and all that. We're kind of allergic to pleasure, but that's part of the therapy, I guess."

Icetales stared at Garro for a few seconds, before smirking with mirth. “Allergy to pleasure? Heh. I am confident that ‘Father’ sympathizes with thee.” He shrugged. “Assuming he is aware of what sympathy is, this is it.”

Cabot smiled. "Would you two like to join us for truth or dare? We might as well have some fun while you're here Icetales, and I'm sure the others will be back soon anyway!"

Dark Cabot let out a sigh. A game that kids played at school was probably the last thing he was in the mood for right now, yet at the same time he didn't feel like going off on us own yet again.

"I guess."

Icetales tilted his head. Truth or Dare? Huh, that did not sound like a bad idea. He could wait for the others to return, then arrange for the retrieval from Diyem. The last thing he wanted was to concern the living comrades, and he needed to get as much information as he could.

After contemplating for a few seconds, he nodded. “I do not mind that. Howbeit, I am not sure if ‘Father’ would agree. He has a unique… concept of fun, you see.”

Speaking of Magnificent…

"What part of Icetales... do you represent?" Cynthian asked with narrowed eyes, then she softened her expression. "Is it the fear of being seen as a monster? That's okay, because I don't think you're one, even if you say you are."

Magnificent froze, the mane and tails sputtering some spectral embers. He seemed conflicted about something, and dug his claws into the floor.

“…We are a monster. My Daemon half — myself — does not lie. It is just that he refuses to admit it. We want to be a true ‘mon and to know what we really are, damn it!”

The flames intensified in strength and fervor, taking a purplish shade. Even his voice changed, resembling more a mix between Magnificent’s original voice and Icetales’s.

“Thou can believe whatever thou desire, but we are marred! We are fragmented! We are a freaky jigsaw! We… I…”

He gnashed his fangs and his eyes glowed even more brightly. “I do not want to look or behave like that… that beast that gave us so much grief! Neither does that foolish lad! But he sees me that way! He seems me as something that must be expunged, not as… as…”

By then, the duo had reached the others. Icetales glanced in their direction, his tails twitching. The Shadow felt the rage surging once more, then he smirked deviously.

“Foolish lad! Think fast!”

Then, the Shadow sent Cynthian flying forward with one of his tails, and Icetales gasped in alarm.

“Miss Cynthian!” yelled the black Ninetales, before bolting forward and catching her on the mane of his head. His tails quivered, both in relief for being fast enough and in concern. “A-art thou swell?”

Icetales shot an unamused glare at the Shadow, who merely cackled as he walked toward Garro.

"And hey, short, dark and handsome, Diyem feels the same way a lot of the time. Fallen eldritch abominations have to stick together, yaknow?"

The Shadow wondered how the Gengar heard what he was talking about, but smirked nonetheless. That was probably a feeling that dark creatures had in common.

“Ah, well, it is good to hear that there is someone who understands Daemons and their plight.” He sat on his haunches, wagging his red tails. “Staying around ‘mons for too long can be aggravating, especially when they do not understand thee nor give thee a chance.”

 

[Adamhuarts]

“Thou can believe whatever thou desire, but we are marred! We are fragmented! We are a freaky jigsaw! We… I…”

He gnashed his fangs and his eyes glowed even more brightly. “I do not want to look or behave like that… that beast that gave us so much grief! Neither does that foolish lad! But he sees me that way! He seems me as something that must be expunged, not as… as…”

Cynthian parted her lips to speak, but the shadow kept talking before she could. She decided to listen, to understand the pain at Icetales' core even more, so she could lend a rose better. In her attentiveness to his words, she got caught off guard by what happened next.

“Foolish lad! Think fast!”

Then, the Shadow sent Cynthian flying forward with one of his tails, and Icetales gasped in alarm.

“Miss Cynthian!” yelled the black Ninetales, before bolting forward and catching her on the mane of his head.

Cynthian groaned in irritation after being chucked through the air like that. It didn't help that she still had lingering dizziness from the event at the forest depths.

However, the bed of silky clouds she found herself on soothed her nerves shortly after.

"Icetales? Icetales!" Cynthian blinked twice, and then she gasped and hurriedly slid off his mane and landed on the ground before him.

Cynthian almost couldn't believe her eyes. It really was him, in all his pristine and gentle presence. Several thoughts raced in Cynthian's mind. Her heart raced and she struggled to figure out what to say first. Should she apologize for breaking their promise? Should she ask him how he got to the void lands? Should she tell him she was doing fine and he didn't need to worry.

"I... I missed you," Cynthian said, letting her heart speak for her.

 

[Virgil134]

Cabot tilted his head slightly, putting a claw to his mouth as he gave a puzzled look.

"Miss...?" he muttered quietly.

Dark Cabot on the other hand frowned as Magnificent threw Cynthian forward. The Cranidos turned his gaze towards Icetales and Cynthian and shifted a bit, his foot 'accidently' landing on one of Magnificent's tails in the process.