bravenewworld | Descent into Darkness

Descent into Darkness

As the characters arrive, they will find what appears to be a rather deep cavern. Upon entering, the caverns are quite narrow, with twists and turns everywhere and different tunnels that all seem to be interconnected. As characters travel deeper within the caverns, reality around them will start to warp, they will start to see and hear things that aren’t necessarily there - images of old enemies, past failures, voices of condemnation, visions that strike at the soul and core of the characters. Once this begins, it will only increase in power and volume, demanding it be confronted, lest they be trapped within these caves forever.

[OOC: This event will run for a week. All characters who enter the caves will be subject to some of their deepest fears, darkest demons, and most abject failures. To overcome them, characters must help each other out, finding their purpose through strength of character and resolve to move forward. In general, these visions should require characters to come to grips with themselves. Illusory images and voices can and will appear and can take any number of forms, depending on what is most appropriate to a character. Additionally, characters may thread with each other and are encouraged to help each other out to overcome these personal demons. For those who wish to take part, they are able and encouraged to narrate their own personal demons, which will be on display for everyone who enters their thread. IC threads may be made in this post.]

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[That's okay. They aren't very fast. So maybe you should and they can guard.]

Catch...

[Yuuna's words die in her throat as she hears that voice, looking around.]

W-Who's there?!

{{ It's your fight, and you can't even manage it. }}

[ Right, definitely a hallucination. Haruka bends her knees, one hand going to her own sword. She looks around too, choosing to address the deserted cityscape at large. ] Probing where you aren't wanted's rude.

[ World Shaking moves to guard Haruka's back, and Rushing Wind heads down the street with a nod for the dragons. She's off to see what's in this direction.

Only to discover the path is blocked by fallen buildings. Back she flaps, squawking a warning. ]

[Yuuna relaxes against Kyo as the Tyranitar plods up, hugging her close and protectively. He's always been like this, and he's going to stand tight beside World Shaking.]

So is talking without showing yourself. Who are you? and what are you?

I don't think it's responsive.

[ Not to what they're saying, anyway. The next whisper sounds like the speaker is very close to Yuuna's head - or is it Haruka's? ]

{{ Everything you've done will be for nothing. }}

[ Rushing Wind gives an indignant squeak at that, pulling herself up and joining the outward-facing circle of humans and Pokémon. Excuse you, mystery voice! Whoever you're speaking to, their Trainers have taken them in! She likes herself now thanks to Trainer! So that voice can just go bother someone else!!

If it's possible to stew in a huff and flap in place at the same time, well, she'll do her best. But that also means she misses the cold wind beginning to waft along everyone's ankles... ]

That doesn’t mean I can’t talk back to it.

[Yuuna’s voice is low, almost scratchy, and full of anger. She cannot abide statements like that. A fatalistic attitude? Emotional battering ram? No, thank you. Drawing herself up straight, she focuses on Haruka now, one hand dropping onto her shoulder solidly.]

It’s just trying to scare you, Haruka. Whatever it is, it’s not real, and none of what it’s saying is true.

[Failure is not an option. And as much as she feels Haruka probably should focus on the threats of the world…this was probably divine, and therefore a manifestation of her fears. Something Yuuna doesn’t think is likely, that the gods really want another war.]

[ Haruka nods, her own voice little more than a whisper. She'd be lying if she claimed these weren't the sorts of things she refuses to even think about, but that's not just a defense mechanism. Nothing will be gained by standing in place. That's how she lives. Being (potentially) peeled open like this is more annoying just because it's happening than for the content. ] I know.

[ The images shift. A shadow rises up over what's left of Union - a wall of water and a glimmering behemoth riding it, controlling it. The waves threaten to sweep everything away, so nothing is left of Union. Nothing marks anything once lived here.

The voice insists: ] {{You don't matter.}}

[ World Shaking shrinks against Haruka. Water. He thinks. Is that. Water. He doesn't like water. But blatantly borrowing her memories was all Haruka needed to confirm that whatever's pulling the strings is targeting her specifically, so she laughs. Once. Seeing the first fall of humanity really did affect her that much, didn't it? It really had shaken her confidence. Maybe even Yuuna'd sensed it - she's a good judge of character.

But Haruka's appreciative of others' support more than she knows, and she's a pain in the ass when people she doesn't like doubt her. "Nothing stops her" from talking back, huh? ] I'll be the judge of that.

[ Too bad there's still a wall of phantom water headed right for them. ]

[Oh…holy heck. What is this thing?! Yuuna’s eyes go wide at the sight of the primordial titan. It’s a massive thing, that beast, and it’s coming for them. Is this what Haruka’s afraid of? Is this what the fearless one is really scared of? It seems like it, the way she’s acting. It’s not easy to read Haruka Tenoh, but it isn’t impossible. Yuuna’s good at that, she knows, and she’s spent a lot of time with the blonde racer. It helps that she’d seen her upset before, when she’d been caught out on the Divine Defense Force.]

It’s just some trumped up Wailord, Haruka. Aren’t you some sort of guardian against the gods? This isn’t going to happen, not we have anything to say about it.

[Yes, we. As much as she’s afraid of Gigas and that looming conflict, Yuuna’s pretty certain that if the gods came a calling she’d fight back too. She snorts and gives Kyo an appreciative look before tapping her warp band. Sorry buddy, you’re the wrong choice here and you’ll get hurt. World-Shaking knows the score. The Tyranitar nods in understanding and with a flick of a button the kaiju vanishes, replaced by Susume. The Dragonite doesn’t even hesitate. She steps in front of her trainer, flanked by the two young dragons.

Both of whom begin to glow.

Yuuna’d known that Kamui was close to evolving, but Kuina? The little Shelgon was definitely a pupal form of something, like a Pupitar. But it was a new species, so she had no real idea about when it’d evolve. Just that if it did, it would evolve slowly, like all dragons. Her eyes go wide for a moment as she takes in the sight, though that’s a short lived instant as the Garchomp and Salamence join the Dragonite in a defensive wall for the humans. Mouths open, blasts of energy tear across the space to combat whatever that god phantom was trying.]

May as well go down fighting! Because we do matter. We can make a difference!

[With a leap, she’s on top of Salamence’s back, sword out and hurling lightning bolts from the tip. Because heck, what else could she do?]

[ .....Yuuna took the cool part.

That's all Haruka has time to think, instinctively recalling World Shaking even as Rushing Wind swoops down for her, before the water hits. Ripping chunks off buildings like so much tissue, it flattens their surroundings, swallowing it all in wave upon wave of some creature's primordial fury. Haruka watches it swirl with an almost absent interest before noticing that Yuuna's not content with merely refusing to be swept away, illusion or no. Yuuna's going to stare down nature itself and refuse to accept there's no way to beat...that. Even if all this is just in their heads, she's still going to fight instead of standing there waiting for it to stop.

How Union.

Spray from the waves splatters Rushing Wind's wings, causing the Pidgeot to stagger in midair, and Haruka finds herself shrugging. ] Well, not mattering might not be so bad, either.

[ And with that, she urges the Pidgeot towards the behemoth. Yuuna's approaching this from the idea of whether or not their existence has value. That's never been in doubt for Haruka. But if everything Haruka's trying to do was doomed in the first place, then she also isn't failing if she can't save the world. She has nothing to lose, because there were never stakes.

And if refusing to confront the illusion hasn't defeated it, she might as well back up somebody who's decided to do the opposite. So in she flies, gathering energy in one hand. This move has never failed her before, so... ] Cover me.

[ The water keeps surging forward as well, almost as if grasping for the fleet of dragons. The shadowy "Wailord" isn't letting them get close without effort. ]

[In her little island, a bubble held up only by her dragon's breaths, Yuuna taps her warp band, calling out even more Pokemon.]

Sabaku, cover Haruka! Zedd! Blast that thing with Operation Zeta Omega! Gouken, go with Sabaku! And Kyo? Dark Pulse! Don't let that thing make you afraid! Take it down!

[Because she's faced gods before, maybe, she's not afraid. She refuses to let this one get to her. Real or not, she's here and she's not going to give up without a fight. That's all there is to it!

The Pokemon's attacks flare up, a Zap Cannon ripping through the waves towards the illusory god, while the Hitmonchan and Flygon zip up to join Haruka on the Pidgeot.]

Go make sure he knows we're not backing down without a fight. If there's nothing left to fight for, then we may as well make sure he remembers what he did!

[ The creature makes no attempts to dodge the onslaught from Yuuna's Pokémon - or even to fight back, preferring to ride the wave and remain unperturbed. Haruka flies up even higher, legs gripping tight on Rushing Wind's back. She can sense her escort, nodding to the Hitmonchan before her Pidgeot abruptly swerves and dive-bombs the behemoth.

A wall of water rises up to meet them; Haruka and Rushing Wind plunge right through, Haruka beginning to rise off the Pidgeot's back, arm extended. She still doesn't have Yuuna's faith that they can take this down. But maybe that's okay. Maybe all she needs to do is just live in a way that will satisfy herself. That's what saving the world had been about to begin with, hadn't it? Doing something only she can do. But it's more than that. It's living the only way possible for Haruka Tenoh, no matter the costs - to herself or anything else. It's following her way. Even when that's cold. Even when that's futile. Even if she falters in the last spurt, she'll do those things so people like Yuuna can reach the goal.

Mouth open in a silent yell, Haruka feels herself falling off Rushing Wind as they reach their destination, her hand meeting what feels like solid flesh just before she detonates Earthquake directly into the creature's forehead.

It's a not very effective move, but the ocean rises up to engulf the entire cavern just the same. ]

Keep it up guys!

[Yuuna thrusts out her sword, electricity joining with Zedd's cutting beam, the energy scything through the water and slamming into the monster. From above, Gouken drops from the sky, leading with a Thunder Punch, while Sabaku unleashes a Hyper Beam. Scintillating colors join the purple Dragonfire and the black of Kyo's energy shot...]

Take him down!

[ The monster roars. More water than should be possible floods the cave - and it is a cave again, at least halfway, buildings washing away, a ceiling revealing itself just to fill to the brim with water. Even the flying Pokémon will find nowhere to run from the sea. Whether or not they've successfully wounded the creature is unclear, but it's definitely decided they shouldn't be around anymore. That even the ruins of the city shouldn't be around anymore...

Haruka closes her eyes as she's swept off the monster's head by the rising tide. There are worse ways to go, even in illusions, than the ocean. Being embraced by the ocean is okay.

And then, as she settles to the bottom of the "sea", it vanishes. A single drop of water falls onto Haruka's perfectly-dry shoulder.

She opens her eyes to find herself staring at the dripping stalactites of a perfecly normal cave. ]

[The great wave crashes over Yuuna and her companions, the horde of dragons turning around to scoop her up defensively, crushing her against them in a tight embrace. Over and over they tumble, ready to be slammed against rocks and dashed to pieces…until they just suddenly aren’t’.

They’re standing in a cave, hugging tight to one another, not a drop of water on any of them.]

I’m getting sick of these tests. Really sick of them.

[ Haruka exhales: she feels the same way, but Yuuna's put that so well she doesn't feel inclined to add onto it. Rushing Wind flaps back to check on her, unharmed but confused, and that makes her think to re-summon her Rhyperior. It bothers World Shaking when he can tell they both aren't serene. He deserves to know she's all right.

Only then does she stand up, using World Shaking's leg for leverage. ] Did you know confrontation would beat it?

[ That's the only explanation she can think of for why they'd been let go. She'd avoided interacting with the illusion, trying not to let it get to her: Yuuna hadn't. It's as good a theory as any. ]

[Yuuna, extricating herself from the mass of claws and scales enough to pop a head out...laughs.]

Heh, no. I had no idea. We just...didn't wanna let it have it's way without at least giving it a piece of our minds.

[The beasts all nod, starting to separate. So much for that theory...]

[ Haruka looks over at the dragon cluster, then laughs herself. That's almost a better answer than knowing it had been a plan. ] Congratulations.

[ And not just for a successful gambit. Everyone is so large and impressive now. Just in time for more cave.

But at least it's only caves, this time. Whatever'd been out there seems to have had its say. ]

Thanks.

[The two big dragons, the newcomers? Lower their heads and necks to receive pats.]

Now, what are you, big guy? I've seen a Garchomp before, but you...

[The newly evolved Salamence? Opens it's mouth wide...]

SALAMENCE!!!!

[ Haruka keeps laughing to herself silently, even as Rushing Wind flutters around her to make sure nothing bad happened to Trainer after she'd fallen off. World Shaking stomps over and sneezes dust in the Garchomp and Salamence's general direction. He's not quite sure what happened, but everyone is happy, so that's enough for him. Hi.

Haruka assuages her Pidgeot and nods towards the cave still stretching before them. ] Let's finish this up so they can go fly.

Yeah. Let's get this over and done with.

[Yuuna slips up onto the back of the new dragon, and it starts stomping on ahead, towards the next series of caves, and hopefully an exit.]

((ooc: Seem like a good place to stop? On a high note?))

[ Haruka hums her assent in the back of her throat and keeps on walking, her Pokémon on either side of her. It's dumb that she feels better after what just happened. None of it was real, after all.

But maybe that just means she's dumb. She can live with that. Perhaps. ]

[[ ooc: works for me! go team dragons... ]]

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Descent into Darkness

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