bravenewworld | 2nd Phantasm [Nightmare]

[Those who find their way into Kyoko's dreams will find that they're not pleasant at all. In this particular nightmare, there's an imposing shadowy figure with a large, crooked grin looking down at three bodies, each one with a terrified expression frozen on their faces. They're not alone, though. There's a younger Kyoko on her knees, trembling and unsure what to do.]

Are you ready to die, child?

[Kyoko's gaze shifts to her family. They couldn't fight...she couldn't protect them...]

Mom...dad...Momo...I'm sorry...

[Her words are little more than a whisper, nearly drowned out by the cackling of the Spiritomb shifter as he steps closer, she shows one final act of defiance. She grabs a tent stake and holds it out like a weapon to face the nightmarish creature before her, tears streaming down her cheeks and clearly terrified. It lunges at her, and she stumbles backwards, but flames seem to burst from her body, enough to distract the monster and giving the girl a chance to run through the trees.]

or

[The second dream isn't much better. Kyoko looks as she does now, however she's once again standing before the Spiritomb shifter that killed her family. And once again, she looks...powerless. Even with her spear in hand and cloaked in fire, she's trembling.]

...pathetic. All this time, and you're still weak.

No...I'm not weak...I can't be.

Weak and all alone. How tragic. Now it's time to join your family.

[The shifter cackles maniacally as it continues approaching her.]

((ooc: Cut for deaths/mention of deaths.))

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[ So far, all the dreams Maki has found herself in, have been pretty...tame. A girl fighting a dragon to save her, another one singing to a captive audience. But this...this is too painful.

But Maki can't call out and stop it, she's too scared, scared for the little girl who seems like she's going to fight. It sounds like her family's already dead, and she's fighting for just herself now. This...this can't be really what happened. ]

[A monster standing over the remains of the dead... A child facing it alone...

He knew this scene. He knew this scene very well, because it was the same one that still played in his own nightmares, three years after it had happened. He hadn't been brave enough to save his mother or his brother then... He hadn't been strong enough to stop his father from chasing after... But maybe here, at least, he could be strong. Strong enough for someone else who had known the same fear...]

Freeze.

[The dreamscape ripples as Lucas exerts his will, and the movements of the Spiritomb suddenly seem to come to a screeching halt. Not something he could ever do in reality, but how many times had he desperately wished he could have frozen reality in the moments leading up to when it had happened?]

...Wait.

[This is spoken to the girl now.]

Don't run.

[Welcome to Kyoko's world, Maki. This is not the first time she's relived this nightmare. If she hadn't been so weak, maybe she could have stopped it.

She only glances back once at her fallen family before she escapes into the trees, and she's not going to stop running anytime soon.]

[This is the one and only moment Kyoko wishes she could change. The moment she had everything taken from her.

Even as the twisted creature stops moving, as if it were frozen in time, she didn't stop, although she did glance over the boy's way.]

Get...out of here! Or it'll get you too!

H-Hey, wait a second!

[ Despite how much Maki wanted not to talk to Kyoko before, she can't let this just go. She needs to say something, anything to the other girl. THis can't be real right?!

And so Maki is running, but she's not as fast, but she is as nimble as a cat! ]

...Wait.

[He calls again, his voice a little softer. If she doesn't stop running, he'll begin to follow as well as he can.]

It... can't hurt you anymore. It's over now. ...It's going to go away.

[There's a short while before she stops, and that's only because she trips and stumbles, before hitting the ground. Tired and now sore, she really doesn't have the energy to keep running.]

They're...gone.

[Maki may be catlike, but Kyoko is blessed with the speed of the wind. Unfortunately, she doesn't get far before tripping and falling, obtaining a few scrapes in the process.]

[He walks forward a little bit and reaches down to try and help her up.]

...Yeah.

[His eyes close briefly as he shakes his head.]

The worst part is wondering... if it could have been... different somehow.

[She doesn't take the offered hand. She chooses to struggle and push herself up on her own. Where was the help when she'd needed it?]

I wasn't strong enough...

[He doesn't seem offended, backing up a few steps.]

No... Not against something like that.

[He wonders briefly if she's realized yet that she's dreaming.]

And that's why... you have to become stronger. You can't ever let anything like this happen again...

Is that right?

[ Unfair!! There's no way she can keep, she realizes quickly, until she sees the other girl fall up ahead. Dream or not Maki is still worried about her, even if she doesn't even like Kyoko at all.

A few moments later she's caught up with the other girl, trying to help her from the ground. ]

A-Are you alright?

[Life isn't fair! As Maki just witnessed.

She ignores the girl's help, determined that she doesn't need it.]

Do I look like I'm alright?

[She's relived this moment so many times. It's something she can't let go of.]

I will be stronger.

[That's why she's trained so hard by herself. To try and push herself past her limits to grow stronger.]

I'll destroy it.

Hey! Leave her alone!

[Chie doesn't know Kyoko well, but what she does know is the girl likes a good meal and trains just as hard as she does. And that's enough for her. Appearing next to her as the dream continues, she strikes a fighting pose as she stares down the shifter.]

[ Life has been more than fair to Maki so far, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have empathy for other people. And it's clear Kyoko is in pain. ]

No... you don't.

[ Maki tries her best to ignore Kyoko ignoring her help, still reaching out to pull her up. ]

What was that...thing back there?

A monster.

[She continues to ignore the offered help, pushing herself up from the ground shakily.]

[The shifter doesn't even spare a glance at Chie. Its prey is right in front of it. Kyoko looks over for a moment though.]

What're you doing? Get away from here!

No way! I dunno what this thing is, but I'm gonna help you kick the crap out of it!

This is my fight!

[Anyone who's met Kyoko before has likely noticed that she doesn't take much seriously. This on the other hand, she's dead serious about.]

I won't let it kill any more.

Right! And I'm gonna help.

[Chie can do the stubborn thing too.]

You'll only get in the way.

Stop being stubborn! This guy's really strong, isn't he?

[Lucas just nods in response, a soft smile on his face.]

I'm sure you will.

[His own thoughts hadn't turned to revenge... but he could understand that same drive.]

...I have this dream sometimes, too. I always ask myself... if there's anything else I could have done.

And I'm never sure which answer is better...

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2nd Phantasm [Nightmare]

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