Nihil River

[windskull]

Both Nip and his shadow stood stunned, staring at the gigantic charizard. But while Nip's shadow shrank back from the confrontation, having no interest in putting itself in danger, Nip crouched with his claws poised to strike. His heart fluttered with fear and anxiety. But he held his ground.

"You can stay out there until you learn your place."

Nip slowly climbed to his paws, wincing as residual fairy energy burned at his flesh. He turned back to the den - his den - but fear and pain kept him from attempting to enter a second time.

"Pathetic. You can't even take a hit.We wouldn't have to do this if you'd just listened to everyone and stayed in your place."

Nip shook his head. This was no time to think about her. He could deal with his inner demons later. Right now, he was more concerned about Owen. He let out a low, feral growl and stared defiantly at Wishkeeper. "Owen doesn't have to go anywhere he doesn't want to go."

 

[Namohysip]

"That's what you think," said Wishkeeper, taking one final step before lunging at Owen. He spat a quick plume of fire in retaliation, but Wishkeeper not only powered through it, but grabbed Owen by the arm and yanked him into the air. Owen roared and thrashed, spitting fire randomly, most of it missing Wishkeeper before a single, good Flame Burst loosened his grip enough for Owen to fall to the ground. He crossed his arms after that, a golden barrier parrying Wishkeeper's advance.

Anybody who tried to interfere would have Wishkeeper's hulking frame to deal with--he was a powerhouse, nothing like Owen's more lithe body. Even the strongest attacks from the others didn't make him flinch.

"I've had enough of this nonsense!" Wishkeeper roared, and then leapt in the air, wings outstretched, ready to grab him. He opened his mouth wide and roared to intimidate. But all Owen saw was an opportunity. He balled up his fist and punched forward, surprising Wishkeeper, who couldn't alter his course thanks to his momentum. The fist went right down his throat, and there, Owen's flame blackened. Two Fire Blasts channeled into Wishkeeper's throat, and then Owen pulled out and spun away.

Wishkeeper choked and wheezed, staggering up, but Owen tossed another Flame Burst on Wishkeeper's back. And then it exploded, Wishkeeper's upper half burst like the top of a shadowy volcano--when the smoke cleared, his head was gone, and something heavy splashed in the water.

 

[windskull]

Though Nip tried to help, it was hard to get close when the random volleys of fire missed their mark. And when he was able to get close enough to strike, his attacks seemed to have little effect. He let out a frustrated growl, springing backwards. But before he could regroup and try again, Owen finished the fight. Staring at the aftermath, he found himself lost for words.

"...Brutal," his shadow commented.

 

[Fusion]

Vix threw Hex after Hex at Wishkeeper, but the bastard was just built different. Everything she did basically bounced right off. Again and again she attacked the shadowzard but nothing was working. Frustration added fire to her already burning rage, and even though seeing Wishkeeper get blown in half should have been cathartic, not being able to damage it herself was beyond infuriating.

"The one chance you had to beat that fucker down, tsk tsk tsk. What a fuckin' shame."

"Goddamnit..." Vix hissed, shaking slightly.

"And look, Owen's in once piece. He didn't even need help from the looks of it, especially not yours."

"If you don't shut the fuck up..." Her body turned a deep purplish-black.

"What? If you couldn't hurt Wishkeeper, what are the odds some weak thing like you could hurt me?"

That had done it, despite how hard Vix tried to not let her shadow under her skin. "You fucking want to see something weak? Fine! First I'll finish off Wishkeeper, then I'll blast you to pieces!" Black and red sparks crackled around her body as she fired a shockwave of malice at Wishkeeper. Then another, and another! She didn't let up, even if it wasn't doing anything. She didn't care.

Eventually Vix exhausted herself and fell to the ground, parts of her beginning to melt. In spite of her vision being blurred from the exhaustion, Vix still glared at whatever was left of Wishkeeper. Wailing on that shadow fuckhead wasn't as... relieving as she had hoped. "How's that... for weak..?"

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave hesitated as Wishkeeper attacked, Poochyena brain recoiling. He almost ran in there just to spite it, but would Owen want them to intervene? Was this like a thing where he had to defeat his inner demons to be free of them, or something? He waited, tense, and prepared to jump in as Wishkeeper yanked Owen upward, only to see the Charmeleon successfully fighting his way out of his grip. Okay. Okay, yeah, he was winning. It was fine—

“Owen, Owen, holy shit—“

He’d blown Wishkeeper’s head clean off his body. Dave stared at it, nausea roiling in his stomach. What the fuck was that.

Beside him, Shadow shuddered violently, his ears pinned to the back of his head.

 

[Namohysip]

The Charmeleon stood there for a while longer, gaze aimless but vaguely toward where Wishkeeper stood. Vix's attacks did little against his body, which remained standing upright even then. The legs buckled and it slumped over, Shadows oozing from the upper shoulders.

Slowly, Owen turned his attention to Dave and the others. That vacant look in his eyes didn't go away, but he was smiling. "Ha..." His tail burned bright, even as Wishkeeper's golden flame died down. Owen's smile remained, and it stretched a little, showing some of his teeth. There was something wrong about it. That gleam in Owen's eyes didn't look normal. It was... bloody, hungry, primal.

Owen laughed a little more, taking sharp, eager breaths. Short, manic giggles from Owen danced in the air.

 

[Fusion]

That gleam in Owen's eyes didn't look normal. It was... bloody, hungry, primal.

Owen laughed a little more, taking sharp, eager breaths. Short, manic giggles from Owen danced in the air.

"Owen? The hell's so funny?" Vix asked, slowly rising off the ground. Her first thought was to approach him, but... something told her that would not end well.

"I see I don't need to tell you this, but do not get near him."

"And why should I at all listen to you?"

"Because deep down you know for a fact you shouldn't either. I know you do, so don't fuckin' try shit."

Vix winced slightly, wanting to retort despite her shadow, for once, being right. "...Then what the fuck should I do? Run?"

"That is your best bet, believe it or not."

Yeah, no, there was no way Vix would just up and leave Owen like this, nor leave the others with him. "Fuck that," she huffed, floating over to the manic Charmeleon. "Hey, Owen, I know this place might loosen a few screws, but you should at least fucking try to keep those screws in, alright? Don't make me have to put you down."

"Not only have you never beaten him before, but you ain't beatin' him like this, and you fucked yourself over by lashing out at Wishkeeper."

"...Hell if I care, if Owen needs to get his shit rocked, then so be it."

 

[Dragonfree]

Dave stared at the psychotic grin on Owen's face, the naked hunger in his eyes, and the blood froze in his veins.

--it wasn't a memory, not a real memory, but an image burned into his mind anyway, since Jack's halting account of what'd happened: Mia's face stretched into a wild grin, splattered with blood, eyes glinting with a predatory gleam as a dying man twitched helplessly in her arms--

He took a step back, automatically, heart hammering, stomach twisting. His brain screamed at him to run. "Owen?" he said, his voice shaking. "You all right?"

Vix was squabbling back and forth with her Shadow, and he tuned it out, all the way until one sentence rang out of the noise.

Don't make me have to put you down.

"Fuck you!" Dave snarled. The nausea was overwhelming, his head full of static. "You try and I will fucking end you."

A buzz of Radiance emerged in the back of his brain, ready to protect Owen if he had to. Protect him. Even if he...

 

[Namohysip]

"Owen?" he said, his voice shaking. "You all right?"

There was a brief flash of self-awareness. Owen blinked, and his smile wavered, and he looked toward Wishkeeper's body again. Realization washed over him, but then he winced and looked like he was trying to hold back a pounding headache.

"Please," Owen said, and at first it was hard to tell who he was talking to. "Please, run."

Owen's body became enveloped in a white light.

 

[Fusion]

"Fuck you!" Dave snarled. The nausea was overwhelming, his head full of static. "You try and I will fucking end you."

Dave was there, yeah. That asshole from way back when they first showed up, and as it turned out, he was still and asshole. And Vix had considered apologizing to him at some point. "You have to be fucking kidding me... Don't you have better shit to do than be a prick twenty-four-seven?"

"Aaaaaaand you're startin' to turn everyone against you. I didn't even have to do anythin' neither. Truly a shinin' example of heroism."

"Please," Owen said, and at first it was hard to tell who he was talking to. "Please, run."

Owen's body became enveloped in a white light.

Vix froze for a moment, hearing Owen's plea for someone to run. Then that flash of light... He was evolving?

"It's not too late to get the fuck outta here."

"Like hell I'm leaving. If he's dangerous then all I have to do is beat the shit out of him and get him back to normal," Vix huffed, shadows rising off of her in wisps and strands.

 

[Dragonfree]

"Please," Owen said, and at first it was hard to tell who he was talking to. "Please, run."

A shiver went down Dave's spine at the pleading in his voice. Every Poochyena braincell in his head wanted to obey and get out of here as he began to glow. He was evolving.

"Owen, hey, Owen!"

He braced himself, legs shaking, called on that little buzz in his head, and summoned a Radiant Guard around himself and Owen's growing form. He kept his gaze on Owen, waiting to see if the Radiance did anything.

Beside him, Shadow whimpered miserably, shivering with terror. "There's nothing we can do. He's losing control. He's going to attack."

"So fucking what?" he growled.

"You saw what he did to Wishkeeper."

Dave swallowed, without taking his eyes off Owen, and held his ground. "Yeah, well, I already fucking died once."

 

[windskull]

"We should run. Have you ever seen a rampaging charizard?"

Nip let out a huff, but he did take a few steps back. A memory of incoming fire danced in his mind. "We should... Back up, at least. If something does happen... I don't know if any of us could win in a fight. Not right now at least."

What was he so afraid of? It was just Owen. The same Owen that absolutely destroyed him in the colleseum, but...

 

[Namohysip]

The light disappeared after the shape within grew substantially. Certainly nowhere near the size of Wishkeeper, but still a large Charizard that had been expected. He was a little slimmer, and his horns cured upward a little into fine points.

Owen stood upright, staring blankly skyward. His eyes darted left and right in fear. He could feel it. It was too much. He could sense so many beating hearts nearby, so many living bodies, so many targets. His claws twitched and he crouched down. The Charizard's tail thrashed and orange embers danced in the air behind him--orange.

Owen wasn't Shadowed. He wasn't Radiant, either. And yet, as he crouched down, his body unnervingly accustomed to both two- and four-legged travel, the flame at the end of his tail gave away it all.

And as Wishkeeper's head drifted to the shore, wriggling out and trying to roll back to his main body, a thin trail of smoke poured from Owen's nostrils. This was not Owen under the influence of the Blacklight, and this was not the Owen they knew who would look to read books or talk about friends and feelings. Something switched. It was Owen, but it wasn't his eyes. And yet...

Spoiler: That's just who he was.

The Charizard roared, shooting a Fire Blast randomly forward, turning a gnarled tree into ashen splinters.

 

[Fusion]

Vix ducked out of the way of the Fire Blast, wincing slightly as it managed to tinge the side of her cheek. Face. Head. Whatever. The point is... that was powerful. Those eyes, that feeling radiating off of Owen in waves... It was very much familiar to Vix, although she thought she had forgotten about it.

She had... forgotten...

Vix shook her head, glaring at Owen. "...I need to stop him before he goes fully berserk." The one way to fix this was to beat him senseless, Vix knew that. But if her only teammates were Dave and Nip, and she was still a bit worn down from before, then that was easier said than done.

"Oh so you do remember what the Berserk is? Good, then you know you need to fuckin' keep yourself alive, dipshit."

"I have never run from a fucking fight before, and I'm not fucking starting now," Vix growled, a dark malice crackling around her. She fired a Night Daze at Owen's feet. A warning shot. "Hey, big guy, you fire another one of those goddamn Fire Blasts you'll really regret it. Don't say I didn't warn you."

 

[windskull]

That look in Owen's eyes. It wasn't the friendly gaze of the charmeleon he'd known. No, it was more like that of a territorial mon, ready to strike down anything that dared cross his path. Nip stood frozen. Normally, he was the predator, the swift and precise hunter that that killed with precise strikes. But right now, with only a poochyena and a lampent to ally himself with? They were all the prey.

He stayed perfectly still as Vix fired a warning shot. Did she really think that would deter him? That he could be reasoned with?

... If anyone could talk him down right now, it would be Dave, right? Or perhaps... perhaps Brisa? If nothing else, she stood a better chance of stopping him in a fight than anyone else here. Maybe Cabot as well.

"Listen," Nip began slowly, keeping his voice as steady as possible. "I'm going try and find they others. They might be able to help. If... If I'm lucky, he'll chase after a moving target and leave the rest of you alone." Not that he wanted to be a target for Owen, of course. But if anyone could outrun Owen, it was him. He suppressed a shudder, picturing burning flames, and teeth sinking into his neck.... No, he had to focus.

He gave Dave and Vix only a few seconds to consider his words, then bolted back in the direction of Null Village.

 

[Dragonfree]

Shit. Shit, what was happening. “Owen? You in there? Come on!”

His body was coiled like a spring, hackles up, ready to bolt. The Radiance wasn’t doing anything. Maybe they did have to knock him out. Maybe that was the only way to snap him out of it. Just so long as Vix didn’t fucking try to kill him.

 

[Namohysip]

Vix growled, a dark malice crackling around her. She fired a Night Daze at Owen's feet. A warning shot. "Hey, big guy, you fire another one of those goddamn Fire Blasts you'll really regret it. Don't say I didn't warn you."

He gave Dave and Vix only a few seconds to consider his words, then bolted back in the direction of Null Village.

“Owen? You in there? Come on!”

His body was coiled like a spring, hackles up, ready to bolt.

Owen hissed at the darkness that struck the ground by him, hopping back on reflex. Nip was therefore too far away to pursue, but that it mattered. His eyes did not dart in any particular direction; he no longer needed to, after all. Even Wishkeeper, who had stuck his head back onto his shoulders, was not undetected by Owen.

Wishkeeper fired a quick beam of Shadows at Owen, but a deft movement made it strike a tree instead.

"Get away!" Wishkeeper said. "He knows you too well. His Perceive will let him predict all of your attacks!"

A mindless roar drowned out the rest of what Wishkeeper had to say. He lunged for Dave first--but their Protect shields collided instead. When the light faded, though, all Dave could see was that wide, hungry grin and his bright, eager eyes. This was like a game to him, but his body language suggested he was going for the kill. Fire glowed in the back of his throat just as the shields faded out completely.

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

She didn't drill them often, but Brisa knew the techniques of Agility and Quick Attack. She raced damn near as fast as she ever had to get from the forest's edge to the river before things got worse.

"Owen!" she shouted, as she closed the distance. Maybe she could Arrest him—?

He'll kill Dave. Take the hit.

No thoughts. No breath. Brisa tackled Dave out of the way of the incoming attack. Her eyes blazed with radiance.

 

[Fusion]

"Get away!" Wishkeeper said. "He knows you too well. His Perceive will let him predict all of your attacks!"

"Don't you fucking tell me what to do," Vix growled, sending two Night Dazes at the Berserk Charizard as she attempted to close the distance. Of fucking course he went for Dave, and of course that dumbass just stood there. At least Nip was smart enough to turn tail and get out of the fight.

"Do you have any fuckin' plan on how to win?"

"Beat Owen."

"That's not a goddamn plan."

"Owen!" she shouted, as she closed the distance. Maybe she could Arrest him—?

Thank fuck, someone that could actually help her fight! Even if Vix was drained, Brisa could probably take Owen down herself since he evolved!

No thoughts. No breath. Brisa tackled Dave out of the way of the incoming attack. Her eyes blazed with radiance.

Oh for the love of... "FUCKING MOVE!!!" Vix shouted, readying another Night Daze to fire the moment Owen dodge the first two. Was the Voidlands making everyone but Vix act fucky? Holy fucking hell!

 

[Dragonfree]

A mindless roar drowned out the rest of what Wishkeeper had to say. He lunged for Dave first--but their Protect shields collided instead. When the light faded, though, all Dave could see was that wide, hungry grin and his bright, eager eyes. This was like a game to him, but his body language suggested he was going for the kill. Fire glowed in the back of his throat just as the shields faded out completely.

Dave froze, eyes wide, his insides liquefying as the Protects shattered. Owen, no, he wouldn't--

--and then something tackled him, and he tumbled across the ground. He sprang back to his feet, disoriented -- Brisa, no--

Another burst of Radiance and two barriers shimmered into existence around him and Brisa, a golden glow oozing strength into her body. "Hey! Over here!" he yelled.