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Spirits' Edge

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Flyg0n

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  9. porygon
So Icetales mother lived. That thought alone was.... a lot. He couldn't begin to imagine how that would feel. To have believed for his whole life no doubt that she was gone. His father mnipulating things and pulling the strings.

It made his blood boil. Pressing down his anger, he listened carefully to Seventh's words. Icetales couldn't go home now but Seventh could leave herself a message.

"So what else are you going to do with this information? I hope more than just leave yourself a message," Koa said. he regarded him with a look somewhere between suspicion and disdain. As bad as she seemed to feel about what happened, it didn't make any difference if she didn't take action.
 

Namohysip

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At least she was listening, but Owen still remembered his initial impressions. It seems that their father's cruelty was still inherited. Unfortunately, this was far beyond anything Owen would be able to keep an eye on, so he instead focused on the present and awaited whatever response Seventh would give. Their time left was probably short. Buffet, too, seemed unsure how much more they could do.
 

Cresselia92

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“What I shall do with this information…” Seventh turned toward the Twilight, with long wisps of ghost fire burning from the tips of her tails. “I shall investigate the castle. Find any clue that could lead to her whereabouts. If there is something hidden inside the castle’s walls,” her voice became icy, “I shall find it.”

“Knowing Father, he probably found some way to send Mother to Chaos, so that she cannot be found through normal means,” said Icetales, shaking his head in disdain. “That is the kind of ‘mon he is.”

“Chaos…” Seventh turned to her brother. “I fetched a lost soul from there once. If I have to do that again, I shall.”

Icetales blinked and tilted his head, wondering who that lost soul was. Seventh seemed very focused on him, almost as if she was staring at him with her pale eyes.

A soul… Wait. Who was his rescuer again? His memories were corrupted and hazy due to being affected by madness, but… he recalled some purple flames, then he saw a Vulpix. But that was Fifth… wasn’t it? No. There were two Vulpix… in Chaos…

Icetales’ eyes widened. “Seventh, thou…”

The vixen snorted and looked away. “…I was just doing a favor. Nothing else.”

Icetales could tell that there was more than just a ‘favor’ in play there, but before he could ask more about that, the Twilight around them vibrated.

“…You must depart. The Twilight is shifting.” Seventh waved her tails. “It is making extra place for new departed souls, and I must attend to the shift.”

“…All right.” Icetales took a deep breath. “Thanks for thy time.”

“Do not mention it. Really. Do not.” The vixen took a step back, while her spiritual body became more transparent. “Best of luck with thy world-saving quest or whatever that is, Tenth.”

Icetales gave a quick nod, but he didn’t know what else to say. So, he merely watched Seventh’s body disintegrate and return to her center. But then, a bright light shone from within Seventh.

“…One last thing that I must say before I leave. There is something I detected in Father’s soul when I told him about thy nature as a daemon.”

Hearing that didn’t really make Icetales feel good. Of course she would be a snitch and tell their father about his daemon blood. But… no. He wanted to go. He was tired of directing more hatred toward his sister and of that place. So, he took a deep breath and asked, “What was it?”

“…Fear. Of thy power. Of thy darkness.”

Now that information surprised him. He frowned. “Huh?”

“Dark sorcery… What he did not want others to know is that dark sorcery is more than just darkness, black matter and forbidden arts. It is…” her voice and fire faded away, “cosmos…”

And then, Seventh was gone, just a wandering spirit returned to the Twilight. Icetales stared in stunned silence at the empty space, with more questions forming inside his head. But there was nothing more he could do — the shift was coming. They had to go.

“Let us… depart…”
 

Flyg0n

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  9. porygon
Koa stared at her, his gaze unreadable. Inside, a degree of suspicion and surprise swirled inside him. He almost wanted to believe she was lying to garner sympathy, but he knew that wasn't true. Not only could he sense for himself that she seemed truthful now, but Owen would have said something.

He despised Seventh from the very instant she opened her prentious mouth. Yet... he had her to thank for saving Icetales. If she hadn't he never would have known him. Even if she had done it selfishly. Still, he didn't intend to thank her for doing the bare minimum any decent living being ought to.

Gaze stony, he watched her depart. Somewhere inside thought, he said a mental thanks, although he put as much spite into that gratitute as he could. Maybe if she'd been better Icetales never would have had to experience that awful place.

“Let us… depart…”

Koa nodded solemnly, his anger abating slightly now that Seventh was gone. He turned to Icetales, a miriad of thoughts on the tip of his tongue. 'are you ok' seemed like such a weak response. But what else could he say?

"How are you doing?"

Did it feel good to know? Did knowing ease the pain, or was it better never to know?
 

Namohysip

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A being of both darkness and light--a demon and a savior--is of course something to be feared. It was the Blacklight powers they'd been imbued with; it was the ability to see and harness both sides of a power, and counter either one freely? If Owen had to guess, his father was of one element... and Icetales had two. One to resist the father, and another to counter.

The Charizard didn't know if he was right, but it was no place to speculate openly. "Good luck," Owen said. "Icetales, it looks like when you get back home, you'll have a new fight to enter." He nodded at Buffet, who turned around. "Alright, one of you get on," he said. "Time to go back."

"I'm glad we were able to help in whatever way we could," Buffet said.
 

Cresselia92

Gym Leader
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  1. ho-oh
  2. sneasel-nyula
  3. rayquaza-cress
  4. celebi-shiny
Without uttering a word, Icetales positioned himself on Owen’s back. Not even his fear of heights was enough to sway his mind, all too busy processing everything.

Just… how much did his family hide from him? What else didn’t he know? Where was Mother? What did Father do to her?

He massaged his forehead with a forepaw. By the stars! Why were things so much complicated, no matter the universe? He couldn’t really catch a break anywhere, could he?

"How are you doing?"

“…I am not sure, to be fair,” said Icetales, lowering his paw. He gazed absentmindedly at the nebulas around them, while his tails twitched and coiled. “Knackered. Emotionally drained. Befuddled. Somewhat furious, too.”

He let his mind drift for a while, before shaking his head.

“Not exactly was I was looking for and not exactly pleased to have crossed paths with my sister, but… I am somewhat glad to know something more now.”

"Icetales, it looks like when you get back home, you'll have a new fight to enter." He nodded at Buffet, who turned around. "Alright, one of you get on," he said. "Time to go back."

At hearing that, Icetales groaned. “Yes. Not exactly looking forward to that, but… I shall do what I shall do.”

The nebulas around them swirled and churned, while the wandering souls floated hurriedly toward the center of the storm. He gazed once more at the Twilight, while his heart became heavier with that knowledge.

“…But we have another fight. In Cibus.” His eyes gleamed with determination. “And now I am more motivated to do my best to help that world, in any way I can.” His eyes narrowed further. “So, count on me for anything!”

"I'm glad we were able to help in whatever way we could," Buffet said.

Icetales nodded at Buffet and flashed a small smile. “Many thanks for thy assistance with this spiritual journey, Sir Buffet. That was much appreciated.” He glanced at Koamaru perched on Buffet, then at Owen. His eyes full of appreciation. “Really. Thanks, everyone. Your help and support… means everything for me. I… do not know how to repay you enough for your help…”
 

Flyg0n

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  8. tyrantrum
  9. porygon
"Of course," Koa murmured quietly. There was so much more he wanted to express in those words, but he couldn't quite bring himself to.

His throat tightened but he smiled anyway, the expression still genuine. Being able to help, even in some small way, made him happy. He felt as if he would do anything for Icetales, after what Icetales had done for him. The Ninetales was like an unwavering light. In spite of all that he'd suffered, he chosen kindness and goodness.

If only he had... someone like that-

Perhaps in a way, that was what it meant to be a hero.

For a moment, Koa looked away, gazing about as the landscape began to fade. Whatever it took. No matter what, he would do what was needed for the team, especially those he considered his friends.

No matter what it takes.
 

Namohysip

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"I think," Owen said halfway through their travel, "I'm going to mention some of this to Bean and see what he has to say. With any luck, maybe even the Overseers would be able to help out with some of these. After all... this Chaos place sounds like just the thing they'd want to know about."

"Always the heroes, you three..." Buffet hummed, though he was smiling. "Ah, our home is ahead..."

And so, back to Cibus they went, where their current affairs were waiting.

<><><>​
 
R13 ~ The Prime Suspect

Namohysip

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"Now, are you sure about this?" said Buffet, starry as usual across the astral plane, as his main head glanced back at Dave on his back. "I think I'll be able to find him, but... there's no telling if he'll respond. Or if he'll react well to what you're saying at all..."

Something about this portion of Spirits' Edge seemed... sinister. Like they were getting close to something that wasn't supposed to be...
 

Dragonfree

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"Yeah, I'm sure," Dave growled. His heart had been hammering sickeningly the entire way there, and something about this place seemed to make every hair on his body stand on end in anticipation of something, and why the fuck was his body doing anything at all in fucking Spirits' Edge, that didn't even make any goddamn sense. "You fucking people keep acting like I'm about to waltz in there and taunt him."
 
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Namohysip

Dragon Enthusiast
Staff
Partners
  1. flygon
  2. charizard
  3. milotic
  4. zoroark-soda
  5. sceptile
  6. marowak
  7. jirachi
  8. meganium
"Mm, it isn't that I'm worried about what you'll do, or if you're unpredictable or things like that," Buffet explained as he drifted forward. "It's him that I'm worried about..."

Closer and closer, in relative silence, and Buffet seemed to grow more and more nervous. "I see something ahead," he announced. "I think... it knows we're here."

They did.

Buffet stopped. "Did... did you hear that?" he asked.
 

Dragonfree

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Dave's ears stood up pin-straight. "Hear what?" He stared into the void.

"Soda?"
 

Namohysip

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Soda wasn't very interested in talking to them.

Buffet winced, looking left and right. "No, I definitely heard that..." He looked toward Dave. "It's... it's not like anything I'd heard before..."

What did the newcomers want to see Soda for?

"Um!" Buffet spoke up. "We... are just trying to see if he is okay. That's all. And you are...?"

The Unown were speaking to them.

"A-ah... that explains it. In groups... they have a very strange way of communicating."
 

Dragonfree

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This was incredibly fucking trippy. The Unown weren't speaking so much as creating a silent mental impression, a thought that wasn't his own just present in his head. "Is he there? Alive?"
 

Namohysip

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Buffet nervously fidgeted, drifting forward a little more. There was something ahead that resembled countless glimmering lights... Unown, perhaps?

Soda was alive, of course. But he was also busy.

"Um... So, we can't see him? It's not just me. It's Dave. Are you... aligned with Soda?"

No response. One of the lights up ahead was getting brighter... Was someone coming closer?
 

Dragonfree

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Dave squinted at the lights ahead. "Busy with what?"
 

Dragonfree

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Well, that sure didn't sound like any part of Soda's plan. Dave's pulse pounded uncomfortably in his technically immaterial throat. "Creating what? He doing that for you?"
 

Namohysip

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Buffet fidgeted nervously again. The Unown weren't replying, but that light was getting closer.

"Alright, alright, scram."

"Ah!" Buffet recognized that voice.

The light had a shape to it--a Zoroark... vaguely. The features were hazy and there seemed to be something that might have been a ring around him, but it was too hard to see. But that was him--that was Soda. The voice alone gave it away.

"...So you're all the way here, huh?" Soda asked. "Talk about going to the edge of the world. I feel so loved." He smirked at Dave.
 

Dragonfree

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  1. butterfree
  2. mightyena
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  6. slugma
  7. chinchou
It was him. He was there. And not... some kind of Unown puppet, or whatever the hell he'd been starting to imagine.

He let out a breath. "Hey. You all right? What's the deal with the Unown?"
 
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