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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"Poor Yukiko..." her shadow clucks, tapping her finger against the dark haired girl's cheek.

"Let...let me go! Fuuka, ignore them! They're just trying to rattle you..."

She struggles, pushing her hands against her shade and stepping clear finally, rubbing her jaw. But then, what was this Fuuka talking about...it didn't make any sense. Tohil hisses angrily, hopping up onto Yukiko's shoulder.

"You don't want to hurt me, I know that."

Fuuka didn't respond at first. She simply stared at her other half with wide eyes along with her Pokemon. Was that really her? No, it wasn't, she wouldn't ever harm her friend....would she?

"O-Of course, I don't. Why would you say that? You're just trying to scare me and uh...it's not working!"

Being who Fuuka was, it wasn't really helping. Instead, her shadow chuckled before pointing to what was happening before her.

"Are you sure? It seems like you're enjoying the show right now! You want to see her suffer, you want to hurt people just like they always hurt you!"

"Don't listen to her, Fuuka!" Yukiko practically snarls now, getting genuinely angry. "I've had it with both of you!"

And just like that? Tohil leaps onto Yukiko's shadow, snapping and biting with a Thunder Fang, sending the double staggering backwards.

"I trust you. I believe in you. You have to fight back and we have to get out of here."

Just like that, Yukiko's words suddenly snapped Fuuka back into reality. That's right, they needed to get out of here, how could she have forgotten? Trying her best to ignore her shadow's comments, she immediately pointed at her other half before her Espurr glared at it.

"E-Espurr, use Confusion! Maybe we can distract her when we run!"

It wasn't the best idea but it'll work for now. When her pokemon used that attack, it momentarily made her other half scream in pain before she grabbed Yukiko's hand and fled.

"Tohil! Electroweb! Bind them up!"

The little lizard snarled and leaped backwards, kicking off of the shadowy Yukiko. As he flew back, his mouth opened and a net of electricity sprayed out behind him, catching both shadows and binding them up. Deftly, Yukiko catches the lizard and grabs Fuuka's hand as they run, squeezing tight so her friend doesn't get left behind.

"Go! Go!"

Behind them, there are sounds of struggling, the buzzing pop of electrical discharges...

As they continued to run, Fuuka knew she couldn't look back. The moment she did, there was a chance that the both of them would get caught. And after what happened? She didn't want to even think about her shadow. But still, despite how fast she was running, she knew she couldn't keep it up forever.

When she finally get go to Yukiko, she placed both of her hands on her knees as she started panting.

"You....you think we lost them...? Can they break through that net...?" Perhaps but does she even want to go back and check?

"Lost us" A voice answers back with a cruel chuckle. Yukiko's shadow, arm wrapped lazily around Fuuka's double, steps out of a nearby tunnel and the pair practically swagger forward until they're looking down at the two girls.

"You can't lose yourself. It's ridiculous to think you can even try. But then...I guess you'd know that, wouldn't you? You can't run from yourself. From your failings, and from your weakness."

This is beginning to infuriate Yukiko, especially seeing how Fuuka's body was reacting. Her jaw clenches and she steps forward.

"Shut. Up."

Fuuka wanted to say something but she needed her body to keep up with her. And seeing her shadow smirking down at her only made it worse. Seeing that condescending look and how much better she was, she couldn't say anything. If only she wasn't so weak...

Although, when Yukiko finally said something, her shadow gave a chuckle.

"What's this? Did you see that? Looks like our little princess here can talk unlike someone here who can't! So what are you going to about it? Cry?"

However, it seemed like it was directing more at Fuuka than her friend.

"Shut. Up."

Yukiko practically snarls, her hand coming raising upwards, a glowing ball of sunfire forming on her palm. Her free hand snaps down, offered out to Fuuka.

"Fuuka. Stand with me. I need your strength too. I know you can do it." She looks pointedly at her own shadow. "I know we can do it, together."

The younger woman just stared at her friend's hand before looking up her. She didn't need a confirmation, she just simply took her hand before giving a small nod.

"R-Right!" She shouted before standing along side with Yukiko. Although, she had to wince her eyes from the sudden glow on her other hand. She wasn't sure what she was planning on doing but...

She trusts her.

The air around them rippled and flower petals kicked up, a blizzard of suddenly conjured white and pink blossoms swirling around them. The flame in her hand grew and grew, casting back the Shadows...and the very illusions that gave them power.

"Fuuka, deny them. Stand up to them with me! Together, okay!"

Yukiko took a deep breath, and just shouted:

"You're wrong! We're not like that! Go! Go back whereever you came from! We reject you!"

Fuuka didn't know how Yukiko suddenly got so brave. Her eyes widen as the petals moved around them while their shadows immediately took a couple of steps back away from them. Were they scared? Most definitely.

As she stood there shaking, she quickly took in a deep breath.

"Y-Yes, we are nothing like you! We don't want you here, just...go away!" Of course, she had no idea will they have go or not.

Yukiko was being brave because...well...they needed it.

She steps forward, knuckles white against Fuuka's hand, and her fingers flick out, calling a ball of sunfire and casting it slowly that way. It drifts towards them, radiating light.

"Leave. Now."

Speechless, the two shadows retreat further away, creeping back into the tunnels from where they came.

"Begone!"

Unlike Yukiko, Fuuka wasn't quite there just yet. She was shaking just a bit. She could feel how tightly her friend's grips were around her hand and despite Fuuka giving an equal tug?

It was clear to see that she lacked the confidence.

As she shouted right back, her voice falters a little. "I...I don't need you, I'm not anything like you! You can just....go!"

And if Yukiko turned to her friend, she could see that she was starting to tear up. Just a tad bit.

Yukiko does turn as the shadows start sliding away, and when she sees those tears? She can't help it. She steps forward, enveloping Fuuka into a full-body hug, holding her close.

"Fuuka, I'm sorry. They're gone now, though. You...you don't have to cry. It's okay, don't worry! I'm here for you."

Once Yukiko gave Fuuka a hug, she had to chuckle a little. It was strange really. To see the shadows moving away from them, confronting all her fears, trying to overcome all those things? She wasn't even sure how she was suppose to be feeling.

"I-I know, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you worry. It's just a lot for me! I think I'm both happy and sad really!"

"Hey, it's a step! You confronted something bad...and you helped me too. I wouldn't have been able to do that alone." She means it, she really does.

A hand comes up to stroke Fuuka's hair a bit, moving some of it out of her face before she brushes aside a tear.

"How are you feeling, physically? Any problems?"

"N-No, I don't think so. I think I can walk just fine." She giggled a little as Yukiko wiped away a tear. Although, it didn't stop the occasional hiccuping here and there.

"But thank you I know I wouldn't be able to confront them without your help too! But you're not feeling ill yourself right?"

"I'm just fine, Fuuka." Yukiko smiles softly and gives her friend another hug before pulling away.

"Let's get out of here, ne? I think I've seen all I care to see with this cave."

"Yes, we better leave before they might come back..." She mumbled to herself before pointing to a certain direction. Although, the problem was if said direction was even the right way to begin with. Well, now what?

"Um...do you remember how we got here? Do you think that's the direction to get out of this cave?"

"They won't come back." Yukiko sounded fairly certain of that, and she was in fact sure of it. The trial was over.

"I don't specifically, but Cassandra does. She can smell our our tracks."

The Absol's already zipping ahead, snuffling them out with Odor Sleuth.

"And you know? I'm sure that was a divine test. And I think we passed."

Fuuka didn't know which way they were going but she gave a sigh of relief either way. "Then that's good! I think we'll be able to leave here in no time! And the sooner we leave, the better! This place is scaring me..."

Of course, it wasn't long before she stared at Yukiko with big eyes.

"What test? I thought...I thought that was the cave trying to weaken us. That's what it was, wasn't it?"

She wasn't even sure what was going on but if her friend said so....

"No...it was like the last one. Some test from the gods."

Yukiko just keeps going, taking care not to let go of Fuuka's hand.

"You'll see soon enough."

And...the? Diancie turned up...

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Descent into Darkness

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