As Darkness Falls-Welcome to the Old Chateau

[Plasmaniac]

Max watched as the conflict before his eyes went on. He learned vital information about what happened while he was in the TV world. It seems he had not been the only one to affront the ghastly opposition, and things had gone much worse down here. Things had got so got of control that one pokemon had perished. The sole thought of that happening to one of Max's pals sent a chill down his spine.

Just before things got over the edge, Graham jumped between Korbin and Mark somehow managing to get them separated as for now at least. Max understood both Korbin's anger and though he did not fully approve Mark's way of fighting him back, he was in his right to defend himself.

"Hello again… I'm sorry to see it has come to this." Max spoke with extreme discomfort; he could only imagine what was passing trough the big guy's head. "But I feel Graham is somewhat right, neither of you want to fight, not here in this god forgotten place. Not when we have more urgent matters to attend." He spoke not trying to encourage, he disliked this place far too much for him to be in a good mood. "Leyla is missing right? We have to find her… let's move."

That was more close to a suggestion than an order though, just seeing the remains of the charred pokemon stripped Max of any will to act. The fact that the ghosts were not playing children games had struck him hard, he would rather die than se this happen to Midori.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Midori was confused; she had a mixture of feelings going trough her self. She was sad for the poor fox like pokemon who had reached this terrible ending. Moreover, the general sadness emanating from the other pokemon and trainers made her feel even worse. On the other hand she was terribly timid, just being near so many pokemon was enough to make her feel awkward.

Deciding not to over analyze it would be the better approach, she just stood near Max, launching short timid peeks to everyone around her; Max should take the lead, she would just stand back and wait for him to move out.

 

[KillehKiwi]

Azleyla nodded slowly at Jackson's words.

"Fine,I won't make a fuss... " Leyla had become more used to having Jackson around, and wasn't as afraid as she had been.

"But if you'll do me a favor, if that chick with the song decided to sing, let me go back and die with the other REPO recruits. I'd feel too guilty living if all of them died, and I think it'll be easier for me to die alongside Korbin, and my othe Pokemon." she said, the idea of death becoming all too real by each moment that passed.

"Sooo.... we might as well talk to pass some of this time.... what's your favourite color?"
------------------------------------------------

Sakura was frightened by Korbin's sudden angry reaction, and she whimpered softly into Flare's mane.

 

[Adri-chan]

Arisa checked her wounds. While they were numerous, they were shallow and they had stopped bleeding. Good. She didn't want to add another problem to her pile of woes. She sat up slowly, wincing every now and then. That girl was there. Reni was her name? She was a cute little thing. She looked so sweet, with her hair in those adorable little pigtails. Just like...just like...

Bam! While nobody had pushed her in any way, the force of the realization hit her so hard she reeled a little. When she closed her eyes, she didn't see Reni, but rather...Akane. She felt her stomach coil itself into a knot and there was a lump forming in her throat. Reni reminded her so much of her deceased sister. But there was no time to think about that. Besides, this girl was a stranger, not a friend.

"My name is Arisa. I may appear to be in bad shape, but do not worry. I was merely careless. I had to deal with a insolent child who had a twisted idea of playtime."

Something in her mind had shifted. It felt rather strange, like someone was intruding on your innermost thoughts. She felt exposed, or like she had walked in on something indecent.

"Remember...once they know, they'll turn against you."

There was a sly chuckle and the voice was gone.

Arisa frowned. That was odd. There was no time to dwell on the matter. There was work to be done. She stood up and turned to her new companion. "I suppose it's about time we move on. We can't afford to waste time."

 

[Megaman765]

The snorlax that Graham had called out really caught Mark by surprise. As soon as he was released from his pokeball, the giant pokemon separated both Mark and Korbin. What annoyed mark was how he got into his face. "Egg him? Last time I check, I wasn't the one grabbing him by the shirt colar. I didn't have ANY intention of starting any fights buddy" He said, very upset at Graham. "I'm just sorta nervous. that's all." Mark still remembered Reina. One small stunt could cost his whole team. He felt like a dog on an extremely tight leash. Mentioning what would happen to the others would just cause more fear anyways... He continued to stay silent giving a sharp glance at Korbin.

Snype was relieved nothing bad had happened...yet. [phew... thanks big guy... ah! no offense. Heheheh...] Snype said to Lax Nervously. [Guess I'll have you to rely on if things get nasty in here eh?]

 

[Strikit]

Waves of red passed over Korbin's vision as his fury grew. As though from a great distance, he could hear voices trying to talk him down. What right did they have to speak? They could have no understanding of what had just happened. Part of him knew that his reaction was far more dramatic than the scenario called for, but he had no desire to rein himself in. This had simply been a push closer to the edge, building on everything else. As unrealistic as it was, he thought maybe taking a fist to Mark's face would remedy everything that had gone wrong.

Then Graham's Snorlax forced itself between them, pushing Korbin away. His expression contorted into a grimace of anger and he was just about to push his way past the large Pokemon when he felt Blue push his head into his hand. The simple motion caused him to look down just long enough to see the burns covering his body. With a strangled gasp, the irrational fury melted away and he knelt down next to him.

"I'm so sorry, Blue," he muttered. "I should have checked you over sooner."

From his pocket he produced a small metal canister with a black flame insignia on the top. He popped the lid and surveyed the pinkish, bitterly aromatic salve inside.

"Stand still while I do this," he commanded. "The rest of my team, if you were burned come here. Trainers if you don't have any burn healers you can use mine. Just go sparingly until we get out of here."

That said, he cleared out the top of the canister with a fragment of his shirt, then had Blue fill it with sparklingly clean water. "Be sure and wash the burns," he warned everyone else. "They could get infected if they're bad enough."

Korbin tore another piece of his shirt off, leaving it in tatters, and dipped it into the water. He started with the worst of Blue's burns. With as steady and gentle a hand as he could manage he washed them clean of dirt, dust, and ash. Then he covered the burns with the salve. As a finishing touch he produced a package of sterile gauze pads and a roll of vet tape from the same pocket. Not for the first time, he was thankful for having such deep pockets in a situation like this. Afraid of dirt getting into Blue's worst burns, he wrapped them carefully but tightly.

"You're alright," he said softly when he finished. "Iggy and Rakiri now."

The Zorua and Ivysaur stood for their examinations next. Besides some superficial burns on their sides, they appeared to be okay. Korbin's best guess was that Blue had been standing closest to the stove when the fire started. He realized that must mean Samrin had pushed him ahead. For as much as he'd always bullied him, he gambled and lost his life for Blue, too.

"Sakura, Flare," he said gently. "If either of you were burned, I would be glad to take care of it."

He wouldn't be surprised if they were too wary of him to come near after his outburst, but he hoped that was not the case. As bad as it had been, he would not harm a Pokemon.

[[After Jess's post, Korbin will choose a door. He'll go for the crying door.]]

 

[KillehKiwi]

Flare nickered to Korbin softly, pushing Sakura forward with her larger head, forcing her to get her burns checked out.

Sakura whimpered slightly, but Flare snorted sharply in warning not to try to be brave.

[You're going to get those burns checked, and you're gonna like it.] Flare said sharply, glaring at the Grass-type. Sakura, despite her saddness, glared back.

[You... you don't have to be rude, you know! It's not like I'm afraid of Mistress's mate! I just miss Mistress and I wish it wasn't my fault that.... ] Sakura stopped, not wanting to upset herself or the others anymore. She approached Korbin, purred softly, asking him in her own way to help with the burns on her flank and legs.

[I'm worried about Mistress's mate, dearie.] Flare confessed in a softer tone. [He seems so very devastated about Mistress being taken. I miss her... already.]


(OOC: I'm about to virually punch Sephyy! I want to update with Azleylaaa! D;)

 

[Strikit]

It seemed that Sakura needed extra coaxing to come close to him. Whether it was due to the overall situation or his behaviour, he wasn't sure, but Korbin didn't like that she was afraid of coming near him. He was relieved somewhat when she began to purr, though. If she'd been truly terrified she wouldn't have done that, he thought.

Slowly and gently, he cleaned her wounds with water, then covered them in the salve, just as gently and carefully as he had with his own team. Seeing as they were Leyla's Pokemon, they were just as important to him as his own. Sakura's wounds weren't as bad as they could easily have been; being of the Grass type and so far back in the room when the fire started she could have been in Samrin's place if only he hadn't...

He forced his mind away from that and began to bandage her ears. They were the most badly injured part of her body, and if she wasn't lucky they would scar. But she was lucky to even be alive. "You're finished," he said softly. "Flare, it's your turn."

He stood, seeing as the Ponyta was much taller, and began to examine her body. She seemed to be far better off than most, but she did have a few burns. Those she did have, he covered with salve, but they weren't in need of bandaging.

"I'd better call out.. hem... more Pokemon for light," he said roughly, dancing around having to say that since Samrin was gone he would need someone else to generate the light to see by. His first thought was Lynx; he called her out, blinking quickly to stave off the sudden moisture in his eyes. The litte Shinx looked up at him, obviously still terrified but waiting for orders. "Discharge," he told her, trying to keep his voice from shaking. She obeyed, her body glowing somewhat with electricity. Taking the cue Ignotus used Fire Fang to make his muzzle light up. They then stood close to Flare, using her mane and tail flames to held keep things illuminated.

"We have to go find Leyla," Korbin said loudly. "Either you're coming or you're not. Whichever is fine with me."

That said, he started out into the entrance hall, intending to go upstairs and find a way to her. At the worst possible moment the voice spoke up again.

'How could you let this happen, dear Korbi?'it taunted. 'Leyla has been taken, and Samrin is gone. And it is all your fault. You didn't try hard enough, you weren't able to protect them. In the end you're helpless. You couldn't save your own life.'

Korbin shook his head violently and pushed on, ignoring it to the best of his abilities.

***

Samrin listened carefully to the voice, since it was all that he had right now.

"I know you are frightened, but I will take care of you," it promised. "All will become clear in time. For now, I ask that you do what I request of you. Ask no questions."

Slowly Samrin began to feel himself moving. He looked down and saw that he had paws, just as they had been before he was burned. His tails were intact, as well. Everything was where it should be, and as he gave a bark of joy, he noted that he could make sound again. The catch was, everything looked as though he was seeing it through a veil. If he concentrated he could make out shapes better, but it caused an immediate drain of his energy. Instead he padded down the hallway ahead of him, trying to figure out where he was. After a few familiar twists and turns he realized that he was still in the Chateau. Or was it the Chateau? Was it the same place where...

...and he lost the train of thought. What had happened? Everything before the voice was a blur. All he remembered was excruciating pain and the smell of all-consuming flames. He cringed at the memory; obviously, something had happened. But what?

Samrin's path led him to a hallway. Down this hallway, he could see several glowing shapes. They were in the basic shape of people and Pokemon. He could tell one of them was very, very tall, probably at least six, maybe seven feet. He felt an odd tie to this one, but he brushed it away. There was too much going on right now for him to dwell on it. Another was a large Pokemon. He could tell even through the veil that it was surrounded by flame, for some reason or another. With a squeak of sudden terror he backed away, and it took him several minutes to gain the resolve to get close to them again.

One was almost entirely unfamiliar. The next, he recalled knowing, but it was like a distant dream. The final shape was elegant, curving, and glaringly female. The aura surrounding it was a gentle green and even from this distance he could smell her sweet scent. Almost mesmerized, he trotted up next to her and tried to focus on her better, his ears flat against his head. He knew these shapes, these people, these Pokemon. He knew he did. But from where? Why?

 

[KillehKiwi]

Flare and Sakura watched their Mistress's mate start to walk off. They looked at each other, at Korbin, back at each other, then started to follow him. Sakura ran to catch up to him, and rubbed her flank against his leg as she took a place beside him. She purred softly, and looked up at him.

Flare followed suit, although more reluctantly. She stopped right behind Sakura, watching for any impending danger to anyone. She nickered softly to Korbin, to let him know that she and Sakura would support him.

Sakura and Flare recognized Korbin as their Master as of now, at least until Azleyla was back, since he was, to their understanding, her mate. They would listen to him as they would listen to Azleyla until she was rescued.

Sakura felt parched, the heat of the flames dehydrating her.

[Blue? Could you spray me with some water?] she called, without looking around for the Water-type, not wanting to look him in the eyes and know that it was her fault that made him so devastated.

 

[pikakip]

The room that Azleyla was in shook violently. A small portion of Shadow grew along the wall until it became the size of a full grown man. The shadow stepped off the wall before swaying, obviously unused to its new footing. It's head craned on its neck, giving the illusion that it was looking around. A loud inhaling sound could be heard, similar to a Bloodhound sniffing on the trail. It stops suddenly and looks towards Jackson, and a panicked look comes over his eyes. He wheels towards Azleyla quickly, and throws his arms up, opening a secret entrance in the wall. A softness appears in his eyes, but it is quickly replaced by panic again.

"Run Son-Leyla! RUN! I'll hold it off as long as I can! Now go!"

Jackson shoves Azleyla through the door just as it closes. he spins around to face the thing that is now moving forward.

"tsk tsk. I thought I taught you better Jackson. It appears that I was wrong. You know that we're a family yes? family backs family up until the end. Everyone here is family in one way or another. But there is one thing that is not forgiven, and that is betrayal. Now, it's time to go the same way as your Dear Sweet Sonia."

Jackson's eyes light up, and he glares at the shadow.

"What are you talking about?! Sonia merely passed on!"

The Shadow chuckled. "Jackson, after your death it took a few weeks for your spirit to Fully materialize. you popped in here and there, but for the most part, your ethreal form was still building itself. It was during that time that I killed Sonia, and then I eliminated her spirit. I Understand that you may not believe me, but spirits CAN be destroyed. And that's why i'm here in this form. When one sins after death, their form begins to deteriorate, and their power becomes corrupted and Berserker-like. That is how I am now. That is why I control the chateau. And now, it's time to die again Jackson."

The shadow runs up to Jackson and grabs him by the throat. He lets out a strngled gurgle and the shadow pauses. He drops Jackson and shoves his hand into his lower abdomen.

"I want to hear you scream. I think Sonia does too....."

Jackson releases a primal scream, the pain becoming all that he can feel and concentrate on. Nothing else is important anymore. The pain becomes worse and worse, and so does his scream. As blackness creeps across the fringe of his mind, an image appears. Sonia. He stops screaming and the shadow looks at him curiously.

"Idiot, I'm. Not. Dying. Today."

The shadow cocks its head and sighs before clenching his fist. Jackson resumes hi screaming, and then...He explodes into a million fragments of shadow, eliminating all that remained of Jackson.

Behind the wall, Mary Ellen appears. She looks at Leyla carefully before disappearing. The stakes have risen. Everything from here on out, is no longer a game.

 

[LordSephy]

(OOC: Sorry Jess, I've been having a tiring, spirit dampening week :(, and I think I'm sick with laryngitis)

Jackson smiled when Leyla said she wouldn't fight about being in the room until someone came for her, but he his his face until he could banish the blemish, he wasn't supposed to be friendly, he couldn't let a human see him smile. "So glad to hear that......and don't worry, I would never make someone die alone, I'm a special case......Normally I would be glad I died with my family, but it was that much worse because I knew one of those people whom I loved and trusted must have put the poison in my drink." Then Jackson heard Leyla ask him the question......human conversation, it had been so long that it literally felt...good. "Me? My favorite color is....." Jackson looked down as if reliving a sad memory for a moment, the next thing he said sounded reminiscent, almost...wanting "My favorite color is Saphire blue...the same shade of blue as the most beautfiful eyes I ever saw...Sorry, what is yours?"

Graham was on the edge of smacking Mark accross the face to make him think more clearly, but then he heard Korbin talking to his own pokemon calmly and soothingly, his expression softened considerably when he turned to see Korbin taking care of his pokemon. Graham turned back to to Mark, no longer feeling much anger towards him, instead he stepped back so Mark could see Korbin for himself. "You see what happens when you handle a situation trying to make people feel better instead of worrying about not backing down?" Lax looked at the much smaller ghost type, the permanent evil looking smile plastered on it's face covering up how underlyingly intelligent and reasonable he was. [Sure, after all, if they tried to fight past me they wouldn't be able to hurt me anyways] Was all Lax answered back with, Lax was less lazy and much more serious than most Snorlaxes, but he still wasn't a big talker.

 

[Megaman765]

Mark ignored Graham's Lecture. He didn't want to continue argueing, It was wasting what little time they had to save Leyla.

"Whatever. Let's just let this whole thing pass and focus on the REAL problem at hand...Sheen, Return." Mark said returning his Zangoose to it's ball. "Snype! Comon!" Mark called out still a bit angry at Korbin's Rash behavior. Everything calmed down quite easily as Korbin was distracted by his pokemon to take care of their wounds, Along with Leyla's pokemon. Better then a punch to the face at least. Silently he followed Korbin upstairs and noticed he was acting strange Violently shaking his head. Could he....nah. Mark remembered the small hallway upstairs. It was where it all began... for him anyways.

"Before any of you get an idea of splitting up, Team shadow has already done that. I don't remember how many people went into each room but I can tell our numbers are a little smaller then when we first entered..." Mark warned everyone. As he looked around the room he noticed that two other girls from Team shadow were still upstairs. "You two are still up here?" He called out to them. "I won't bother asking what in the name of Arceus happened in that room, but If you two can still walk, some help would be nice." Mark's interest then changed to the center door. On it was an indentation of a cross... "...Hmm... So, Any ideas on how we're supposed to open this thing?"

 

[KillehKiwi]

"My favourite colour is green, like, all shades. I love the forest around this place for tha reason; all the shades of green." Azleyla said cheerfully, rocking on her feet slightly.

Suddenly, the room began to shake violently, Azleyla fell flat on her behind. She was never very steady on her feet, and the shaking reeally didn't help. She glanced around nervously and fearfully to try and find the source of the shaking, but found nothing.

Then, a dark shadow-like creature started to ooze off the wall. Azleyla's eyes widened in fear, and she scooted back against the wall, shivering. She let out a tiny shriek, but it went unnoticed by the thing.

The oozing shadow twisted and moved to start to create a man-like form, it swayed on it's new feet, seeming to be as unsteady as Leyla was. It looked around, and a sniffing sound. It's head turned, and settled it's gaze on a panicked Jackson.

Jackson put himself between Azleyla and the Shadow. She stood shakily behind him. She wasn't blind to the soft affection for Sonia, whom she looked like, that reflected in his eyes and smiled at him shakily. He opened a passage in the wall, a secret hallway to get her out of there. He told her to run, and Leyla also caught the slip in her name. She felt so much sympathy for this man, as he was killed by his own family, and lost his love.

So right before Jackson pushed her through the door, Leyla gave him a small kiss on the cheek, just as a good-bye, as she was fairly certain that he wouldn't be around any longer after this. Then she stumbled through the opening, and it closed with a 'whump'.

Azleyla could hear the hum of voices behind the sliding-up door, but couldn't make out what they were saying, then she heard screaming; most likely Jackson's. She felt a tear slide down her cheek, the thought of death overwhelming her. Then, silence.

The Mary Ellen appeared behind Leyla, and just stared at her.

"This isn't a game anymore, Azleyla." she said quietly, obviously also afraid of the Shadow.

"I know. He's dead, isn't he?" Leyla asked, and Mary Ellen half-smirked.

"He was already dead, sweetheart, but yes. In the physical sense, he is now completely gone." Mary Ellen said, and Leyla nodded absently.

"C'mon. Show me how to get outta here. I don't want that thing coming after you or me next." she said, and started to walk down the hallway. Mary Ellen shrugged, then followed.

"We'd better get you back to that group of yours. I'm all for chaos, but if that guy, Korbin, thinks about the multiple things Jackson could have done to you any longer.... yeah. If he went over the edge... I'd be glad I'm dead." Mary Ellen drawled, inspecing her fingernails.

"Then show me how to get back." Leyla hissed, then squeaked as she ducked under a cobweb.

*****************
(Can't go on until I know the layout Kip has for whatever's behind the door... Ugh.)

 

[Megaman765]

Snype took a quick look at the cross indentation on the wall. It looked extremely familar... Snype was sure that he had seen that shape somewhere. Suddenly it hit him...the necklace! The one that snype had snagged in the clean room... its shape resembled that of the door. Immediately, Snype snagged the necklace out of Mark's pants pocket. "Wha.. Hey! Snype! What are you..." Mark kept silent once he noticed the necklace resembled the door indentation. In reality, he knew that the necklace would probably work. He just wasn't up to losing something that looked so valuable. "Uh... heh... Forgot I had that with me..." He lied.

After giving a dissapointed look at Mark, Snype inserted the key into the indentation, turned it around, and suddenly, the door opened. Behind the door was a very small hallway that wasn't even large enough for two people to walk side by side. "...Looks safe enough...whatever "safe" means in this place." He said sarcastically. Faint voices could be heard at the end of the hallway... The sound of crying, and the sound of a wounded person, likely another trick by the ghosts.

"...So...Are you going to send your "Partner" in there or what?" The voice from before spoke. "Riena right? What do you take me for an idiot? Your buddys have something planned inside that room. There's no way am I taking a risk like that." Mark replied. "Your actually worried about "them"?... Hehehe... You have no idea..." The voice once again faded away leaving Mark more confused.


"...Are any of you hearing voices in your head?...Just curious." He asked the group nervously.

 

[KillehKiwi]

Azleyla walked down the hallways behind the secret door blindly. It was dark, and she had no idea where she was going. Mary Ellen wasn't even making any smart comments. Every now and again, Leyla shrieked as she felt something touch her, or she thought she saw something in the darkness.

Mary Ellen snickered at her fright every time, which was starting to tick the seventeen year old off. Leyla huffed at the younger girl, and crossed her arms against the chilly, stale air. She fell face-first onto the dusty ground as she tripped over some loose wood, and Mary Ellen burst out in laughter.

"You know, you could help me." Leyla ground out, dusting herself off as she seethed.

"Yeah, I could. But it's just so much funner watching you trying to help yourself!" Mary Ellen chuckled, and floated down the hallway to a dead end. She swore colourfully.

"Aren't you a tad young to be talking like that?" Leyla said cheekily, and leaned against one of the walls.

"No. I'm fifteen, thank you. I just choose to appear as a young girl." Mary Ellen said nonchalently, and shrugged. "Aren't you a little young to have a crush on a twenty year old?" Leyla blushed.

"Shut up." she murmured, then looked up at the concrete ceiling. "Isn't there any faster way? Or.. easier way?"

"Yeah." Mary Ellen answered, and floated down another hallway, with Azleyla trailing.

"..... Then why don't you just get me back that way?" she asked slowly, and Mary Ellen grinned back at her.

"Fine, if you insist." she said wickedly. "But remember, you asked for it." Azleyla was about to ask what she meant by that, when the floor beneath her opened into a portal-like black pit. Leyla screamed, and fell into the seemingly bottomless pit.

She landed with an 'oof!' and a cuss, then groaned in pain. She moaned something along the lines of 'I'm gonna re-kill that girl.' It took a minute for Leyla to realize that she didn't just fall on the ground. She fell on top of somebody. She looked down slowly to her right, and recongized spikey black hair.

'Oof course. Thank you, Mary Ellen! I am officially too embarassed to speak!' she thought, seriously unable to create words. The response was a little giggle, and an echo of 'And remember, you asked for it.'

(HAHA! ;D)

 

[Strikit]

Korbin was touched by Sakura and Flare's obvious declarations of trust to him. He had done nothing to earn it; in fact, he didn't at all deserve it. His explosion of emotion had been evidence of that. But they were trusting him nonetheless. To express his thanks he pet Sakura's head gently, avoiding her burns, and rested a hand on Flare's neck for just a moment. Lynx stayed close to his legs, almost so close that if he were to move unexpectedly he would trip over her. The rest of his team followed suit somewhat, traumatized by the fire.

Blue obliged Sakura silently with a gentle jet of sparkling water. Careful not to squirt her in the face, he drenched her from ears to tail. He was feeling heated as well, but he knew that water wouldn't help him. His burns ached, his head hurt, and he couldn't keep his tail from dragging the ground without hurting the burns all along it. He gave a high whine, getting Korbin's attention, begging him to recall him. Korbin got the message and returned him back to his Dive Ball, where he could rest painlessly. He heard Graham's comment to Mark and tensed. He despised being spoken about, as he would put it, like a psychotic charity case. He didn't need someone to make him feel better, he didn't want someone to shower him with understanding. He wanted to get out of the Chateau, bury Samrin, one of his best Pokemon since he had taken the Johto League, and disappear for a while. But most importantly, he wanted to find Leyla. He feared that every second he waited was a second too late, and the sooner he could get to her the better. He glanced back at Mark when he asked about voices. For a moment, he considered answering honestly. He considered admitting to the presence of the voice that had been taunting him for almost as long as they had been in the place. But what kind of sane man would admit to having a crazy voice that talked to them?

"No," he said simply. "Apart from the ones we all heard in the entrance hall, no."

Then there was a sudden crash and he was knocked off his feet. It took Korbin several seconds to realize that for whatever reason, Leyla had fallen through the ceiling. It was her that had fallen on him. When this finally dawned his eyes brightened considerably and he wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"Leyla!" he said, his voice muffled by her shoulder. "I don't know where the hell you were but you're not going back, I promise, I'll make sure."

It was then he realized that he was lying on the floor and Leyla was on top of him. He flushed visibly and cleared his throat. "Am I soft?" he asked awkwardly.

 

[KillehKiwi]

Leyla looked down sheepishly at Korbin, who she was laying on top of, his arms wrapped tightly around her lower torso. She moved her shoulder so it didn't muffle his speech.

"Korbin." she breathed softly, the shock of the fall making any real intelligent speech almost impossible at this point, and she really didn't have anything of importance to say besides his name. The name she had thought about ceaselessly since she was taken a few hours back.

She blushed along with Korbin, quite visibly, as she realized the position that they were in was quite intimate, her legs on either side of his body, basically straddling the older boy.

Leyla giggled when Korbin asked her if he was soft, and she nodded happily, answering his question with a whole-hearted, yet silent, yes. She glanced up quickly, and noticed that she fell through the ceiling, but she was on the floor below when Mary Ellen made her fall. It must have been a portal of some sort. The wooden panels above their heads weren't even broken, they looked as sturdy as before. Which wasn't sturdy at all.

Azleyla just gazed down at Korbin, not in an awkward kind of way, but just studying his features. She didn't even bother to mask her affection, or pleasure in seeing him again.

-------------------
Sakura smiled at Blue in appreciation before he went to rest in his Dive ball. The water refreshed her, helping her wounds to heal faster, although they still would take time.

Flare was about to trot over to her Mistress and her mate to break up the reunion and greet Leyla again, but Sakura stepped in front of her quickly.

[Let them have a moment! She just got reunited with her mate after being kidnapped, would you calm down and accept the fact that she has a mate now? Just for a bit?] she hissed under her breath. Flare didn't say anything, but glared at Sakura.

 

[pikakip]

The SHADOW floated in the realm between reality and darkness, pondering its next move. Now that Jackson was Degenerated, it was one step closer to becoming a Morta. So what was the next step? Taking one of the trainers' lives? It had the pokemon named Samrin in its grasp. Now it needed to plan. It closed its eyes and viewed several scenes within its mind. The two spirits preparing for the adventurers, The cluster of adventurers, and of course, Mary Ellen and that girl, Azleyla. If The SHADOW was going to destroy these adventurers, then it was going to destroy their spirits first. It was going to twist their minds into putty. When it was time, they would beg for death. Although he was referring to all of the adventurers, he had two in mind. Azleyla and Korbin. It was always fun to play mind games with lovebirds. But that was not all. They had auras like none that the SHADOW had ever seen. They were powerful, and that would make it stronger. A part of everything that it had killed or Degenerated became a part of it. The rank of Morta was so close…

(…)

The SHADOW watched, infuriated at Mary Ellen. Hadn't she learned from her brother's fate? If she wasn't careful, then she too would be Degenerated. In fact, she needed to be given a command. She was like an excited dog. If she was given too long a leash, she would run off and cause trouble. It was time to tighten the leash.

"Mary Ellen. You know who this is yes? I also presume that you know why I am contacting you. Have you not learned from your brother's punishment? I will Degenerate you, and get closer to becoming a Morta using your energy. I will spare none. Now, negate what you have done, and do it in such a way that both the girl and the man will be jarred emotionally. Why don't you rip her from his embrace or something? I don't care how you do it, just do it. Or there will be consequences…"

 

[Strikit]

How Leyla had come to be reunited with the rest of them, Korbin didn't care. What mattered was that she was back, she was safe, she was alive. He didn't even care that the floor was dusty, uncomfortable, and splintered. Nor did he care, when he followed Leyla's gaze up, that a ceiling that should be destroyed was still intact. What mattered was that Leyla was intact.

"I was so worried, I didn't know whether I'd ever see you again. I was terrified."

He looked up at her with unmasked eyes, something that didn't happen very often. It was evident that he had been through a lot of emotional trauma lately. They were still somewhat red from the loss he had just suffered, though there was a tentative happiness to them. Indeed, his emotions were somewhat like that at the moment. He was still heavily weighed down by the loss of Samrin, but having Leyla back helped considerably.

Korbin took a deep breath and rested a hand on the back of her neck. For several minutes he looked her in the eyes, his heart thudding. "I m-missed you," he said softly, his old stutter resurfacing for a moment. He didn't even notice it. What he did notice, however, is a split second where he could have sworn he leaned forward and kissed her.

 

[KillehKiwi]

Mary Ellen flinched as she heard the SHADOW's voice ring through the now-empty hallway. She grimaced at his words, and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, my lord." she said woefully, then had an idea. "I'll fix my error at this moment." And she was gone.

----------------------------------------------------
"I felt the same way." Leyla murmured, tracing small circles on Korbin's chest with one index finger slowly. Her eyes met with his, and she felt a billion pounds lighter, like she could float on thin air. His hand found the back of her neck, and slowly inched her face lower.

Azleyla's eyes widened in nervousness as she knew what was happening. Butterfree fluttered in her stomach, and her body shook a bit.

"I missed you, too...." she whispered, his stutter making her heart pound even harder, then their lips met for the first time. She eyes closed, and kissed back slowly. Then she pulled back, exactly when Korbin did. She blushed and bit her lip, embarassed yet blissful.

"K-Korbin... " she said softly, and laid her head on his chest. Then, a high-pitched cackle stung the air. Ruining Leyla and Korbin's moment. Leyla felt Mary Ellen's presence in her mind, but it was stronger than before. Leyla rolled off of Korbin, and her body started to convulse. She felt Mary Ellen trying to possess her mind. In the long run, Azleyla was just not strong enough to fight, and her mind was pushed back into her consciousness. Mary Ellen was in charge.

"Oh, teen love. They say it never lasts!" she cackled to herself, and then walked over to where Korbin still lay. Mary Ellen, in Leyla's body, leaned over the boy.

"Silly boy! You think I'd ever want you? Really? You're more of a dumb*** than I thought! Don't you realize I was leading you on? Did you really think someone like me would want someone like you? Ha! Keep dreamin' lover boy! It was all a lie! That kiss was the biggest!" Leyla was trying to break Mary Ellen's hold, but she was too strong. Mary Ellen turned to leave.

"And by the way, that's what I've wanted to tell you since I first grabbed onto you! It didn't mean anything that I latched onto you, it was just something that happened! Ick... and you really can't kiss worth crap!" she laughed, then left Korbin and the others.

As soon as Mary Ellen left the room, she exited Leyla's body. Leyla was in a faint, and Mary Ellen carried her to the SHADOW.

"My Lord, here is the girl. I have done what you have commanded." she said to him. "If I had left her with the man, your will would not have been carried out." She looked down in a form of inferiority, as a dog would look at it's master; full dominance to the master.

 

[Strikit]

For a few precious moments, Korbin was in complete and utter bliss. He closed his eyes as Leyla rested her head on his chest, his stress forgotten for the moment. Then she was gone, on the ground a few feet away convulsing. He was on his knees next to her in an instant. "Are you alright, cara mia?" he asked urgently when she stopped convulsing. He watched her with wide eyes as she stood and began to taunt him cruelly. Every word was like a shot straight through the chest. He couldn't even bring himself to stop her from leaving, even though he knew that being alone here could be dangerous. For several minutes after she disappeared from sight he remained on his knees with the same blank, lost look in his eyes. Then his entire countenance darkened. Korbin Roschel stood, a completely different man than he had been a moment before. Without a word he recalled all of the Pokemon that he had released for light, then let Helena out. She took one look at her master's expression then climbed up onto his shoulder, knowing not to question him.

He then proceeded forward into the hallway before him, ignoring the presence of everything and everyone else. There wasn't a hint of personality on his expression; his eyes were dark, cold, and unforgiving, the eyes of a man that one should not approach. He did not care what anyone else thought at the moment. He was sure that they were shaking their heads, thinking 'Poor guy, just got dumped.' But the worst thing any of them could possibly do at the moment would be to show him sympathy.

***

Samrin lurked near the group, observing carefully. Their auras seemed to change with their emotions, and suddenly the tall one's aura exploded with shoots of dark, agonized blue. The sheer magnitude of his feeling caused Samrin to shrink back. It was explosive, and somewhat painful. He would have to back off for now.

He padded off, following his instincts to the place where his master was. He sat at his feet obediently and waited for instructions. After several beats of silence he spoke.

"Now you know all you need to," the Shadow said calmly. "Your mission is to discorporate the tall one from his body. You will know what to do when the time comes."

Samrin nodded and went back off to find the tall figure. Things were still blurry, but he had a feeling if he followed the instructions he was given he would begin to understand more.