Destiny Tower

[unrepentantAuthor]

Vix was wrong, she was fucking wrong, damnit, this was just some shadowing bullshit. Her insecurities fucking with her good sense and reason. But it'd be an uphill struggle, persuading a badly shadowed Spectrum fighter to feel some other way. Fight or flight kicked in.

Brisa chose to fight.

She always chose to fight.

"Is that what you think, Vix?" said Brisa, raising her voice. "That none of us are worth havin' faith in? Well, y'ain't thinkin' straight! The team'll stand by you, and y'oughta stand by them!"

 

[Fusion]

Darkness; Vix knew it was getting to her, but it was the only way she could try and make sense of her thoughts. It felt backwards to think that the shadows helped, but it did, and Vix didn't care to know why...

She didn't want to know why...

Pain and anger melded on Vix's face, and long strands of shadows rose off her body. This would be a fight, wasn't it? Vix had yet to beat Brisa, or anyone for that matter, but Vix didn't give a shit anymore. "I had a family before, Brisa! A family that left me for dead! A family that I poured my heart and soul out to, and in the end they ripped both out of me and tossed them aside!" she cried out, furious, terrified...

"I-I... I won't let that happen again! I can't let that happen again!"

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"It ain't gonna happen again!" insisted Brisa. "Get ahold of yerself, Vix. Isolation from anyone as cares about ya ain't no way to be!"

She cast her gaze about, wondering if there was anyone who could come to her aid in time. Luz, maybe?

I need you.

...No response. Fuck.

"Vix, I need ya t'believe I ain't gonna do ya harm! That I give a damn about you! 'Cause goddamnit, Vix, I sure as hell do!"

 

[Fusion]

"Bull. Shit. You people only cared about me because of the power I brought, and I know none of you would actually give a damn about me without it," Vix spat, clenching her fists and shutting her eyes, aching.

"The second I'm obsolete on this team, I'll be thrown away, Brisa! Why do you want me to go through that hurt again?" Vix's voice wavered, and her body shook, melting faster. The anger and sorrow on her face grew, as did the shadows that lashed off her body, and the tears streaming down her face.

"If... if I..." Vix bit her lip, trying to calm herself. "If I never tried to care about any of you, none of this would have happened. You wouldn't be out here wasting time for something as stupid as this, and I... I would've been fine." Vix let out a breath of shadows, glaring at Brisa, although her stance was anything but aggressive. "So whatever the hell you want to do... make it quick. You have actual friends to get back to.”

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa was used to the idea that her own power was what gave her value. Vix, though...? Brisa had never wanted Vix's companionship for the sake of strength. If anything, it was that earnest appreciation of strength other than her own that made Vix good company. 'Actual' friends? What even was that concept? After years alone, every friend was precious.

"'Course I give a damn about you, Vix," growled Brisa, electric tension filling her head. "And I ain't givin' up on ya, even when yer like this."

The chandelure's face was barely recognisable as her own save for that it couldn't possibly be anyone else's. It was literally melting with pain and grief. Vix wouldn't listen. To anything. Brisa was running out of reasonable options. Time to try an unreasonable one.

"If you won't believe a word I'm sayin', maybe you'll believe what I'm feelin'!" she cried. Radiance flared in her eyes and at her paws, shining tethers lashed Vix's body, and feelings spilled unbidden from Brisa's heart to Vix's.

I've spent too much time in too much pain t'leave you like this. When y'talk about bein' a hero, I see a kindred spirit. It don't matter none t'me whether you'll lend me yer strength, only that you'll spend it in a way worth bein' proud of. You're my friend, Vix. I'm yours.

 

[Fusion]

"And I ain't givin' up on ya, even when yer like this."

"It would be so much better for you if you did," Vix hissed. She stood her ground, waiting for some kind of attack to counter, or at least try to. Then, the Whiplash came. She tried to avoid it at first, simply out of instinct, but those radiant tethers were far faster than she was.

Hearing Brisa's words, or rather feeling her feelings, stopped Vix for a moment. Of anything she heard, those were supposed to be true, right? It's not like Vix ever asked how it worked, but... those words felt true.

Vix grimaced, and her body stopped melting, slowly solidifying again. The shadowy wisps flying off her body started to calm. "...Brisa," she muttered. Her mouth was open, she wanted to say something, but nothing came out at first.

"Brisa, I'm not..." Vix shook her head, sighing. She fell to the ground, turning away to hide her face. "Is that really what you see us as? Friends? Kindred spirits?" she asked, her voice softer than before. Sadder.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

The tethers held, sparking where they met Vix's shadow, doing no serious damage, though she might wince at the burn.

"Yeah," said Brisa. "Fer sure. Ain't you always wanted to be a hero? T'be strong, and fer folks to admire and respect that strength, 'cause you use it t'protect others? And ain't you been cast away by folks? Y'might not see it 'cause things really are different fer me on Cibus than back home, but I was a lonesome soul fer many long years. I know what it is t'have an achin' heart, Vix."

 

[Fusion]

More silence, drawn out until Vix let out a chuckle. Her shadows faded further and further, but never fully left. "You're only mostly right, I never wanted to be a hero to be admired, I just... I dunno. Trying to remember yourself from a lifetime ago kinda leads to a lot of confusion, doesn't it? Frankly, I can barely remember why wanted any part of any of this."

"I'm... sorry you were alone for so long, but look at you now. Everyone looks up to you, cares about you, they love you... Yeah, I'm doing better here than I was back home too, but..." Vix sighed, setting herself down on the ground. "Even if I wanted to be admired, that'd just make me more jealous of you. You're pretty much everything I would have wanted to be; strong, heroic, selfless..."

She paused, looking at herself again. "...A real Pokemon, and a wonderful friend."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Still connected by the whiplash tethers, Vix would feel Brisa's emotions rock and sway, from sympathy, to confusion, to mixed sorrow and embarrassment.

"I ain't all that," murmured Brisa. "But it's a fine thing t'hear ya say so."

She drew closer to Vix, still burning the shadows away with her light as best she could.

"If we both call each other 'friend', that's all that's needed fer us t'stay friends," she added, gently. "Rest yer heart, Vix. You're as real a 'mon and friend as matters."

 

[Fusion]

"...I wish," Vix muttered. "I might be lucky enough to have you as a friend, but as far as being a Pokemon? I dunno..."

She took a deep breath, sighing. "Nothing about me makes sense, right? As far as being a ghost goes, I only recently learned to phase through things and float things around. And for being a Chandelure... just look at me. I did some research and, low and behold, I'm not supposed to melt like I do. Or look like this. And I shadow just... way too easily."

"Maybe I've just been overthinking myself, and everything... maybe I'm actually tired, since I don't think I've even tried to sleep since I left the voidlands," she chuckled weakly, distantly remembering resting beside Brisa. She might not have slept then, but it was still nice. "And I felt... good there... I just, I dunno. Coming to Cibus kinda made everything weird and strange and... confusing."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa held the restrained whiplash in place, shedding Vix's shadow at the rate it built up. There'd be no shadowing on her watch.

"Have ya asked Diyem why y'ain't the way ya expect t'be? Maybe that's yer next step, once you've taken a goddamn break. Ask fer help. You'll get it, if ya only ask."

 

[Fusion]

Vix shrugged, falling onto her back and letting out an exhausted breath of shadows. Her body stopped melting, and her shadows almost entirely faded, leaving her only a few shades darker than usual. It didn't look like she was getting any less shadowed than that.

"I... think I'm scared to find out the answer. It might be the part of me I've been trying to hide from myself all these years," Vix muttered, shuddering. "But I'm gonna have to face it, sooner or later... can't leave any trauma untreated with this blacklight shit, you know? Last thing we need is me actually becoming a liability because of it."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"Y'gotta know what yer problem is afore y'can do somethin' about it," replied Brisa, coming to sit next to Vix. _"It makes sense that you'd be scared. But it's time t'find yer courage and face whatever this is. And whatever it is, I promise, I'll stick with ya."

 

[Fusion]

Vix looked up at Brisa, managing to crack a smile for once. "You say all that like brushing off your own death will be easy. But... maybe it is, I sure as hell wouldn't know."

Another bit of silence, followed by Vix sighing as she stared into space. "...Thanks, Brisa. For what it's worth, I'd be more than happy to lend you my strength, just like I've always been, inside and out of battle. Like... like friends do."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

She hadn't brushed off her death . . . right? She'd played it down, sure, 'cause people would freak out. And she tried not to think about it. That was only natural. She'd fucking died, you didn't just...

That wasn't important. Not right now.

"I surely appreciate that, Vix," said Brisa, seriously. "And I'll stand by you in turn."

She let the tethers fade, sizzling as they went. "Say, Vix. I'm a proponent of the notion that the best way to learn who someone really is an' make a connection to them is t'fight against 'em or at their side. Starr and I are lookin' fer a teammate t'help take on a trio at the Colosseum real soon. The spot's yers, if'n y'want it. Could be good fer ya. Hearin' a crowd call yer name. At least think about it, yeah?"

 

[Fusion]

"That might do me some good... maybe," Vix nodded, humming. "One of my mentors has that same line of thinking, too. Plus, it's been a while since I've fought for fun. I'll take you up on that, then."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

"You're on, then," said Brisa, smiling warmly. "It's a date."

This was good. Good for her, and good for her friend. Come time for the battle, win or lose, Brisa was rooting for Vix to find her courage.

<><><><><>​

 

[Ambyssin]

At least this time Bahamut was upright when he got yoinked across the world. So, there was no faceplanting to be had when he showed up in Destiny Tower's hall. Though the colors still oscillated in his eyes like static waves on an electronic screen. Maybe Maple had hit him harder than he thought. Could necrozma even have concussions?

... no, his prism didn't feel cracked. Whatever. It would have to wait.

"Thank you for the prompt response." Bahamut nodded. At the same time, though, he was using some of that energy to scan the room for any signs of any interlopers, be they Cola or one of Soda's blasted substitutes or something else entirely. This needed to be a private conversation, after all.

 

[Namohysip]

Instead, Bahamut received another message on his badge. The Tower itself was still empty.

[Pop > S0urdough]: What was it that you needed? We are still hiding in a secure location. We can bring you there instead if that is needed. Is everyone safe?

 

[Ambyssin]

[S0urdough > Pop]: Everyone is safe except Eternatus, which is why I need to see you in person. Only you.

He was still keeping his ESP peeled, along with looking for any subtle changes in the room's light to suggest he had a stalker.