Null Village

[Fusion]

Vix rested her not-hand on Owen's claw, taking a quick breath and exhaling. "Yeah, thanks..." She looked up to her Shadow, who's expression actually changed. It went from having a permanent glare to only looking slightly pissed off. Seeing more of its eyes was kinda comforting, in a "so it didn't have just half circles for eyes," kinda way. That, and its vague shapelessness started to form actual shapes. Nothing resembling a body, but it was easier to tell what was the head at least.

"Guess that means I gotta do my thing," it said, shrinking down to be about Owens' height, then looked back to WIshkeeper. "If anythin' happens, I'm givin' you full permission to knock Vix out, aight?"

"M-Maybe don't plan a way to take me down while I'm still on edge about doing this?" Vix squeaked.

"Just bein' cautious," her Shadow shrugged.

"Thanks..." That didn't really make Vix feel any better. She floated down to the ground, then looked up at Owen. Being this short compared to someone was gonna take some getting used to. "Could you show me how to start?"

 

[Namohysip]

Owen nodded and stepped toward the building, settling in. He started by trying to convert some posture changes he knew of for himself into something for Vix. Then, when enough equivalents were made, he went over some calming exercises, praying Vix had some form of breathing, and then started.

"Now... start thinking about a small memory. Maybe of someone, or something..." Owen trailed off. "Try neutral memories first. Not happy or sad, just something you... used to do. Think of things you've done, and how that might correspond to things you used to do..."

 

[Fusion]

While Owen and Vix tried to get her meditating form down, her Shadow loomed over her in silence. As they went over their exercises, it followed along with them, breathing in when she did, and out just the same. Both Vix and her Shadow shut their eyes, taking in Owen's words.

In, then out.

Neutral emotions. Just think of what she's done, and how that might align with things she used to do. Think back on her life, and focus on it. That should be the easy part.

In... Out...

"I've... I've been trying to be a hero, I have been for a few years at this point. Trying to find that something that would make me into a hero. I'm still searching for that something, even here..." Vix spoke, her eyes still shut. "Thinking about it now, I got pulled into this dream of mine so fast... If anything was connected to my past life, it'd have to be that, right?"

"I hope you ain't askin' me..." her Shadow grumbled, getting a pebble tossed into its mass. The pebble went inside of it, but didn't come back out. "Might be worth a shot though, try thinkin' back with that in mind?"

Yet, no matter how long she dwelled on that, nothing happened. Nothing except some... faint, chilling, and growing buzz Even her Shadow seemed to have felt it, since its body started to writhe and twitch ever so slightly. Before the buzz grew too much, Vix took another deep breath to dispel it.

In... Out...

Vix pushed further back into her memory, to before her first mission, before Castiss and Eera. Back when being a hero was something she was yet to dream. "...Exploring. Before I wanted to be a hero, that's what me and Ace did all the time. We played and explored in the dungeon beside our village practically everyday. I've always felt more at home in the wild than in my actual home, funnily enough."

"Growin' up in the literal sticks would do that for ya, huh?" Another pebble was thrown at the Shadow, which also got stuck in its body. "You gettin' anythin' from it? Bein' outside all the time or whatever?"

That buzzing hadn't come back yet, so maybe they actually did find something this time? It wouldn't hurt to try at least. Exploring a dungeon, being with her friend, enjoying the forest... maybe she was some sort of environmentalist in her past? She'd had to have been a pretty devoted one, considering how violent she could get.

In... Out...

At first nothing came up, not memories but no buzzing either. So Vix pushed even harder. Dungeons, forest, her friend... She repeated those things over and over in her head.

In... Out...

Dungeons, forest, friend.

In... Out...

Dungeons... nature, friend.

In... Out...

Dungeons, nature... friends?

"...All I'm getting is that I used to have friends," Vix muttered, shutting her eyes tighter. There was something there, wasn't there? "I had friends, we explored dungeons, and... and..." She tried to push even further, knowing that she was right at something, even if she had no idea what that something was. Dungeons... friends... and what? What else was there? It was right on the tip of her tongue! Or would have been!

After a moment or two of nothing, Vix let out a defeated sigh. "I... can't. I can't remember past that. I had friends, and we explored dungeons. That's hardly any different than when Ace and I go to the beach, so unless my past life is the same as this life..." Vix felt something staring at her, then turned to see her Shadow's eyes widened. "...What?"

 

[Namohysip]

Owen tilted his head. "Well, in one, you have Ace. You're always talking about Ace, but... friends, so, plural. Are you forgetting someone else?" He moved his tail, pondering over what Vix was talking about. "...What about this beach?" Owen asked, sensing an odd reaction from the Shadow when Vix had brought it up.

 

[Fusion]

"Well, yeah, of course I'd always talk about Ace, he's one of my only friends," Vix crossed her arms and raised a brow. "And what do you mean what about this beach? It's just a beach; long sandy shores, crystal blue waves, salty air, sea... shells..." The longer Vix talked, the more her Shadow leaned in, its eyes getting wider and wider. "What is this, what's happening?"

"You ain't never been to a beach before," her Shadow grumbled. "And you're a loner kid, you didn't know anyone other than Ace before Castiss and Eera."

Vix pouted and huffed. "What do you mean I haven't been to a beach before, I basically live on one! Or, really close to it at least. And even if I was some loner, I have, like... at least two friends! And another two that only kinda dislike me, I think."

A jagged, red grin cracked along her Shadow's face. "Vix you live in the woods, next to a mountain."

"Yeah, and next to a beach."

"No there fuckin' isn't a beach." The Shadow's grin cracked further along its face, and it started chuckling. Then laughing.

Vix turned to Owen, confused. "Is this supposed to happen when I'm trying to remember stuff?"

 

[Namohysip]

"I don't usually have someone laughing at me for it," Owen admitted, frowning. "But usually I sort of freak out on my own and then, you know, look over... what I'm supposed to be feeling. Meditate, think it through... It's in the past. I can choose what to do with it. That, uh, that empowering feeling is what helps me... work through it. Keep going--let's keep seeing."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Hello, Owen and Vix." Cynthian said, walking towards with a faint smile and her flowers held together.

"Couldn't help but notice you two here, so I decided to see how you two were doing." She glanced briefly at the formless shadow next to Vix and the colossal charizard with Owen. Her gaze lingered a bit longer on Wishkeeper, but she turned back to Owen without saying much about it.

"I congratulate you on evolving too, Owen!" Cynthian ran up beside him and patted his shoulder with her flower. The barbs hidden in then poked against Owen, but none punctured him. "You're delightfully blazing now! I heard you had some trouble earlier when Nip came to us in the forest. It's reassuring to see you okay now."

"How about you, Vix?" she asked, turning her attention to her. Cynthian hadn't seen Vix since they died, so she especially had a concerned look on her face while speaking to her.

 

[Fusion]

"She seriously doesn't get it?" her Shadow snickered, then cleared its throat and exhaled. "Alright, let's keep goin'."

"I don't get what I'm not getting," Vix rolled her eyes.

"Just focus on the beach, trust me." The grin on its face cracked along even further.

Vix turned and shuddered. Her Shadow was a lot easier to look at without that creepy grin. "You're making it a bit difficult to do that, honestly, but sure."

She shut her eyes, taking in a few breaths. At first there was nothing, followed by a bit more nothing, with a side of nothi-- no... no there was salt. Then the familiar graininess of sand, and the calming sound of waves lapping at a shoreline. It was scary how much Vix could feel, actually. If she didn't know any better, she'd have thought she was still back home.

"Back... home?" Vix muttered, her body tensing up for a moment. Something... something wasn't right...

"I think she's gettin' it," her Shadow hummed, it's body shrinking down beside her. "About damn time."

Flashes of color appeared in Vix's mind, blues and whites dancing before her eyes, the ocean and sea foam washing onto the shore maybe? Everything was blurry and out of focus, even looking down at herself, all she could see was an incoherent mess of color. Lavender and deep purple, or was it white and black? No... yellow? Orange? Every time she thought she was making her own self out, it shifted to another color.

Vix wasn't alone on that beach either, but all she could make out were the vague colors and shapes of those around her. A fuzzy blue and yellow giving off an innocent feeling, something tall with red and black that just looked like a dumbass, a shorter white and pink that Vix realized she was staring at a bit too long, a blinding silver sheen coming off of the demanding presence of another mess black and red, and a white speck with a bit of gold that radiated anger...

Vix couldn't tell much else other than that, and really that didn't help in the slightest. She had no idea who or what any of those color schemes belonged to, aside from the red and black ones being vaguely familiar. Why this had come into her mind baffled her...

And yet, Vix sniffled. Tears formed in her eyes, rolling down her cheeks. Her chest started to ache, and her body shook from a ghastly chill. She wiped her eyes, looking down at the lavender tear on her hands, er, arms. "Wh-What? Why...? Why am I..?"

The sound of something sniffling behind drew her attention. Sitting beside Vix was her Shadow, taking on a similar shape to a bipedal Pokemon, holding its head down and gently sobbing. "I-It's--"

"How about you, Vix?" she asked, turning her attention to her. Cynthian hadn't seen Vix since they died, so she especially had a concerned look on her face while speaking to her.

Vix jumped slightly, her gaze snapping to the plant. She held a hand over her chest, panting. "O-Oh, hey... I'm... uh..."

"...We're fine," her Shadow spoke, suddenly back to its stoic, glaring self. Vix stared at it for a moment, but said nothing more about that.

"What are you doing here? I mean, other than... you know..." Vix rubbed the back of her head. "It looks like you got your Shadow problem dealt with, huh? I'm glad you're alright!"

 

[Adamhuarts]

"...We're fine," her Shadow spoke, suddenly back to its stoic, glaring self. Vix stared at it for a moment, but said nothing more about that.

"No, you're not." Cynthian sat down next to Vix, flavoring the air around her with the scent of apples.

"What are you doing here? I mean, other than... you know..." Vix rubbed the back of her head. "It looks like you got your Shadow problem dealt with, huh? I'm glad you're alright!"

"Thanks, it's a long story. I'll tell you all about it later. For now..." Cynthian smiled faintly, and it was at that point she started to wonder if she'd intruded on something important going on.

"What's going on here? I hope i didn't interrupt on something major. Pardon me," she said with a nervous chuckle.

 

[Namohysip]

Owen was by Vix's side, making sure that she could keep it together. "It's alright. Take breaks if you need, but it sounds like you found something that you're looking for. Keep it together; we're here for you, alright?" The Charizard nodded, then said to Cynthian, "Right now, Vix is meditating to look through some memories she might have lost. That's all. I kinda have experience with that, so..."

 

[Adamhuarts]

"Oh..." Cynthian lowered her eyes for a silent moment, letting her mind wander back to a few weeks prior.

"You know, I also experienced something like that. Had to do with Mama Rosa. Turned out that I'd somehow forced myself to forget what really happened back then, but it all came back to me at once and that's why I hibernated early last winter..." Cynthian rubbed her other arm and sighed.

"The memories were painful, but one cannot start to move on unless they have the full picture I suppose..."

 

[Fusion]

"No, you're not." Cynthian sat down next to Vix, flavoring the air around her with the scent of apples.

Looked like not having a proper face didn't mean people couldn't read your emotions. Luckily, Owen gave an explanation so Vix didn't have to. Seeing how she was stumbling on words anyway and wasn't going to say anything at first.

"The memories were painful, but one cannot start to move on unless they have the full picture I suppose..."

"That's why we're doin' this, Vix can't get much stronger thinkin' wrong about herself," her Shadow said, backing a bit away from the three. "Feels like it ain't much longer 'till she got that full picture. Safely though, can't have her shuttin' down now can we?"

"I didn't realize losing memories was so common..." Vix said, soft. She put on a smile and nodded. "But thank gods you didn't stay in hibernation forever."

Her Shadow cleared its throat, sounding like ear-grating static. "You should probably get back to meditatin' then, before you forget them again." Vix nodded, shutting her eyes.

 

[Adamhuarts]

"I didn't realize losing memories was so common..." Vix said, soft. She put on a smile and nodded. "But thank gods you didn't stay in hibernation forever."

Her Shadow cleared its throat, sounding like ear-grating static. "You should probably get back to meditatin' then, before you forget them again." Vix nodded, shutting her eyes.

Cynthian laughed a little. "I'm glad I didn't either. Might've beat you all in ending up here weeks earlier had that been the case."

She cleared her throat and sat crossed legged next to Vix with a smile. "Take it easy though, Vix. We're here to help you pull through should anything happen."

 

[Namohysip]

"Right here with you," Owen assured, and then looked to Wishkeeper, who gave a noncommittal shrug. That was the most they'd ever gotten out of him.

"Let's get back to meditating."

<><><>​

 

[Cresselia92]

Icetales grumbled as he exited from one of the houses of the village, feeling somewhat fatigued. Between keeping his evergrowing darkness in check and the cognition-miasma affecting his mind, he felt mentally exhausted.

He was glad he had got the chance to spend time with his friends and to help them feel better in that desolate hellscape, at least. Even though, what he heard happened some time ago shocked him. Did some of them get affected by madness? Already?

“That was… precisely what I was afraid of…” mumbled Icetales to himself, before shaking his head. “I’ve got to aid them. I’ve got—”

The Ninetales winced and sat down on the floor, panting heavily. From his body radiated an intense dark aura, which made him almost look like a phantom fox. His Shadow walked after him and looked all over him in concern.

“…Our darkness is growing,” commented the darker Ninetales, before sitting by his host’s side. “We cannot stay here any longer. We must depart at once. Thou art… blending too much with the darkness. Enjoying it far too much. We must go.”

“B-but… my friends!” hissed Icetales, glaring at his Shadow.

“Thou hast friends out there, too. And while I cannot tell how long it has passed due to these timeless days, they must be worried about thee. We cannot simply… leave them behind.”

Icetales stared hard at his Shadow, then lowered his gaze. What he was saying was true. There were his other friends out there that needed his help. That needed his strength to help to find the way to help their currently dead comrades. He couldn’t just abandon them, but… he was torn, as he didn’t want to abandon his dead friends, either.

“I wish I could have done more to help…” admitted Icetales, shuddering violently. “I… I wish I had the power to… to help them…”

The Shadow walked toward his host and started nuzzling him on his cheek. He could clearly feel that Icetales wasn’t afraid for himself, but for his friends. He was afraid… that they would go through the same hellish experience he had gone through as a pup. An experience with madness and years and years of recovery.

“They shall be fine. They are strong, and thou got to believe in them,” said the Shadow, his wisps taking a black hue. “Unlike us, they are not alone. They will support each other and keep each other’s morale up until we can free them from this hell. We ought to have faith. Can we… have faith?”

Icetales rubbed against his Shadow, suppressing any tear that was about to fall from his eyes. Once more he felt the darkness crawling, which meant he had to take an important decision: leave his friends behind so that he could rescue them later.

“I shall… have faith.”

Icetales and his Shadow turned toward the house. Something was bothering the fox-in-flesh somewhat, but he knew already what to do. His body glowed with an intense Radiant energy and waves of hope raced inside the house, coating them in a golden powder.

Fear not, my dear comrades. While I must leave now, this is no farewell. This is… a see you soon.

Somewhat heartened by his final gesture, he turned to the sky with a determined expression.

“Sir Diyem. Time for me to march once more among the living. I am ready.”

 

[Namohysip]

Of course. I am sure the others will be happy to see you in bodily form again, rather than as a statue.

But before Icetales could question just what Diyem meant, a bolt of black lightning struck him where he stood, followed by a brief outpouring of light. And then, he was gone.

<><><>​

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa stirred in one of the Null Village huts. How... How long had she been asleep? Had she overslept?

"Don't get up. You're still recoverin'."

Brisa groaned, as her Shadow put a paw to her shoulder and pressed her down into the bedding again. Sombra's voice was still that wearied wind-like sound, but it was a little stronger now. A little easier.

"Nothin' needs doin' so badly that it merits you rushin' out. Be patient with yerself fer once."

Brisa nodded, and half-closed her eyes again. Fine.

"Wouldn't mind company besides my own Shadow," she mumbled.

"Someone might be along. I smell lavender."

Lavender? ...Vix?

 

[Fusion]

Meditation, surprisingly, was taking a toll on Vix. Or maybe it was all the remembering she was doing. She remembered sleeping in trees, and the backaches that would cause. She could recall a fair few fights, and all the bruises and beatings that came with them. Apparently her past self was a fan of sweets, to the point that she could remember the taste of countless desserts... and all the times she had sugar highs and crashed afterwards.

"Uhg..." Vix groaned, floating aimlessly into the village. With all those nights she remembered sleeping in the woods, sleeping on a bed of anything but leaves would probably feel like heaven. Ironic, considering where she was.

"Pretty sure this one's empty," her Shadow said, nudging her towards a building. It had a more definable shape this time around; a rounded head, a lean body, and some sort of flowing frill on its head. "You've been doin' well, I should say. A rest might do you some good."

"You think..?" Vix muttered, floating inside. She didn't notice anyone at first, falling onto the floor and letting out a long sigh. "Fucking hell..."

"Oh, I was wrong," her shadow tittered, shooting Brisa and Sombra a wave. "'Sup Brisa."

Vix raised an arm to wave, but it fell to her side in a semi-solid mess. "Heeeey... sorry if I'm intruding but I can't float another step... I feel like my legs are about to fall off..."

 

[unrepentantAuthor]

Brisa smiled weakly. "Howdy, Vix. Pretty sure y'don't have legs, partner. I hope, ah... Hope you're doin' alright."

Her speech turned into a yawn at the end. How tired was she?

"It's good t'see you well," said Sombra, quietly. "Y'all were mighty troubled last time we saw ya."

 

[Fusion]

"Oh, right, I don't have legs now but I sure did," Vix sighed. "And by Arceus did I fucking walk."

Her Shadow sat down beside her, nodding towards Sombra. "It wasn't somethin' neither of us are proud of, but we're workin' through it. She's gotten used to that shadow bullshit or whatever about as fast as I thought."

"Yep, who would have thought that mediation and remembering how tired you were was the key to not losing yourself in blind rage?" Vix chuckled. "But what's up with you, Brisa? I haven't been able to really check on anyone else, and with how everyone was getting overwhelmed by their shadows... I was getting kinda worried about you."