[PKMN FULL] Darker than it Seems... [IC]

[Rain T.]

No response from my Pokemon. That means he's following. Val didn't even glance back as he began to speak. "Oh, I think I'll be fine. I'll have my ways of knowing if anyone else tries to enter the fight. And I'll have my ways of getting away." She chuckled. "Besides, I could say the same to you. How do you know you can trust me? You don't even know for sure if I'm a hybrid. I could be leading you right into a trap. I could stop suddenly and you could be jumped." Her dark eyes remained focused on the road in front of her as the northern entrance to the Goldenrod Tunnel came into view. "We'll go down there. People fight down there all the time, so it wouldn't really be considered odd. No one would see it as an amazing spectacle, like they would up here. Down there, it'll be just another fight. Except..." She glanced back to flash an eager grin. "A more intense one than any of the pathetic humans that inhabit this place could ever know."

 

[Groc]

Rex

Rex doesn't back down, even after Val sheathes her sword. Her nickname goes over his head, but he's been called worse before. To his surprise, Gray actually goes along with her, leaving everyone behind as he casually follows the warrior woman. Rex lowers his hands on surprise, watching Gray leave. Then he clenches his fidts in frustration, speaking through gritted teeth.

"What the hell is he thinking?! He's barely recovered from his last fight, and he goes looking for another? ...actually, that's not too surprising. This is Gray we're talking about."

He lets out a breath, the effects of Bulk Up fading. "I think one of us should follow them. In fact, I intend to. If he loses, I'll bring him back. If he wins, I'll kill him myself, then bring him back." He follows after Gray and Val, hurrying before they disappear from sight.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Shadow:

Shadow watches as Val and Gray leave, smiling at what Gray said about him having to worry about his on death.

Oh Gray. You are sadly mistaken if you ever think you are going to kill me. I have something that you don't have and that is the will to protect others. including you. I could have just killed you and let you kill Jason and that would be two less people to worry about, but that is not who I am. I care for others unlike you. I thought you cared about Arryn, but I am not to sure now. Shadow thought as Rex now followed after the other two.

"Um, so...." Shadow said, looking over at Arryn. This was the first time he had been alone with her. Everyone was always around her so he never had a real chance to talk. He was now also comfortable risking to talk to her a bit more.

"I know it has been a few days Arryn, but why exactly did you go to Silph Co. that night? Why did you not ask for help?" He asked, taking a seat on the porch or steps... or ground... whatever this house had. He was a bit to tired to even notice.

He wished everything would just settle down where everyone could actually sleep, but that was too convenient and he was pretty sure the night was just getting started. He took his eyes off Arryn and looked up.

"Such a beautiful moon tonight. Then again... I guess I think that because of my dark typed nature. I wish that one day this darkness would leave my body." He wished.

 

[ElBurrito]

Darren

"Woah, hold on there. I'm not here to fight you. I'm a hybrid too, see?" the man said before raising his arm and shooting a Dark Pulse followed by a Dragon Pulse into the air. So he's a hybrid, a dark hybrid at that. Team rocket must love dark types considering there seems to be more of us than other types. "Your Houndoom looks pretty hurt. I'm afraid if it doesn't get some medical attention soon it will be in serious trouble. To prove that I'm not here to fight, let me help your friend." The man said as he stepped closer to Darren and Houndoom. Darren drew his sword and held the tip of the blade at the man's face, lightly touching his nose. "That's close enough. I don't need your help. I can take care of Houndoom myself."

The man took a few steps back then spoke, "To be honest, I only asked where you were going because you looked on edge and I was worried. You look live you've been in a fight. ... I want to go to a place where I can feel valued. Somewhere where there's other hybrids. I was surprised when you showed me your power just now because I've never seen another hybrid apart from myself in the past. You look pretty hurt, and I would feel of great value if you would let me accompany you. You won't get much farther if you plan on going the rest of the way on your own to wherever you're going." This guy does not know when to walk away... Darren rolled his eyes and sheathed his sword. Although if he did want to attack me, surely he would have done so by now. There's not even anybody here to see him kill me. "We'll be fine on our own. We've been through worse." Darren shifted Houndoom so that the pokemon could be carried with both arms. "By the way, what's your name? My name is Deacon. Deacon Masterson." the man said as he held his hand out. Darren looked down at Deacon's hand then back to his face. As much as I want to just leave this guy and run, the other's would probably want to meet him. Darren sighed and turned around. "Name's Darren. I'm on my way to meet up with more hybrids if you want to tag along." Darren said as he began walking down the streets again. Darren glanced over as he saw Gray and a woman walking down the street. Guess they're not all at the house then...

​

 

[VillageofDragons]

Deacon Masterson

Deacon was walking up to the man to help his Houndoom out, but stopped midway as the man held the tip of his sword at Deacon's nose. So I'm guessing this guy doesn't want my help for him or his Pokemon... Deacon thought to himself. He looked back as the man introduced himself as Darren. "That's interesting. Our names both start with the letter D." Deacon said. Why did I say that? That sounded stupid!" Deacon thought as he regretted saying that. "Sure! I'd love to meet some other hybrids!" Deacon said as he was replying to Darren's tag along statement. Deacon watched as Darren began to walk down the streets. Deacon followed behind him en route, making sure not to be too close or too far away. Deacon waited as Darren stopped to look over in another direction. "What is he looking at?" Deacon thought to himself. He looked in the direction of where Darren was looking and let his eyes adjust to the moonlight shining on a man and a girl walking down the street. Something seemed quite familiar about the man, but Deacon couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Do you know who those two are?" Deacon asked Darren as he continued to follow him down the street.

 

[shatteredxfrost]

Arryn; Ice & Dark

---

Gray leaves with the new girl, Rex following soon behind. Arryn narrows her eyes at the retreating figures heading down the street to Arceus knows where.

"Um, so...." Shadow breaks the silence. "I know it has been a few days Arryn, but why exactly did you go to Silph Co. that night? Why did you not ask for help?" He sits on the porch steps and she lowers herself next to him, feeling a little exhausted.

"Such a beautiful moon tonight. Then again... I guess I think that because of my dark typed nature. I wish that one day this darkness would leave my body."

She glances at him and then at the night sky, tilting her head at the nice breeze. "I don't... the darkness has just become a welcome part of me. Maybe I'm finally accepting what I am." Being a Hybrid was no walk in the park, but if given the chance, Arryn isn't so sure if she would give up this side of her.

"I left that night because I'm tired of waiting. Giovanni is out there, plotting some stupid scheme and I just want to end this. Or, at least hit him where it hurts." While her actions that night was definitely impulsive, thanks to her and Shadow's help, they took down quite a few grunts.

"The night I met Gray, he was sent by Giovanni to... capture me? Kill me? I'm not that sure, still. He had my picture so he must have all of yours, too."

She looks over at Shadow as she ties her hair up. "I just didn't want anyone else getting caught in the crossfire. Speaking of, why did you come after me? We just met a few hours earlier."

 

[Zatanna]

Orchid​

Orchid walked along the road following the coordinates she was given. She was holding a whip swinging it.

Why do I feel so wrong... I have a full life... I have memorys... I was a kid, I grew up helping Team Rocket and now Im helping out... But my life feels so... so short... Like its fake... Like this is all a lie... who even am I... No... I cant worry about that right now. I have a mission.

She looked at the device with all the information. Swiping through the files thinking. Until she looked up and saw she was at the house. The house was pretty nice for a group of hybrids. The house had a huge fence, it looks like it could hide a giant. She looked around to see a window in the upstairs. She decided that would be her point of entry.

She ran to the side of the house and nimbly jumped to the top of the fence. She heard voices, people were in the back yard. There was a tree next to her so she decided to use that to her advantage. She used her grass powers to grow one of the branches over the yard onto the roof. She crossed the branch onto the roof and climbed up to the window. She tried to open it but it was locked, so she punched a whole in the window and unlocked it, and slid inside. It was a bedroom. She quietly crept around the room and opened the door to a hallway. She silently walked down to the end of the hallway and opened a door, she rummaged through some things and found nothing so she walked to the end of the hallway and peered at Shadow and Arryn on the porch. She smirked, at the plan she just thought of.

"Ianuae Magicae domus intrinsecus." She said as the spell took affect and teleported Shadow and Arryn inside the house.

"Duratus sicut statua lapidea." She said quietly. The spell took its toll and Shadow and Arryn were both unable to move. She smiled standing up and walking down the stairs.

"CANDLES! CIRCLE!" She screamed and watched a ring of about 10 candles circled Arryn and lit themselves on fire.

"Trap eam in caveam ignis!" she said watching as the fire from the candles grew entrapping Arryn in a cage on flames.

"Well hello everyone... Sorry to interrupt!" she said seductively.

"Finis." she said and the first spell stopped. The two could move freely again, except Arryn who couldn't move out of her cage of flames.

"Who's ready to play?" She purred letting out a cruel laugh.

​

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Shadow:

"I just didn't want anyone else getting caught in the crossfire. Speaking of, why did you come after me? We just met a few hours earlier." Arryn asked.

Shadow smirked, but before he could reply, both him and Arryn were suddenly teleported inside the house.

"What the..." Shadow said.

He tried to move with all his power, but he couldn't. On the corner of his eye, he saw Arryn in the same trap as he was in.

"CANDLES! CIRCLE!" A woman who didn't look even his age yelled. A large amount of cleavage showed as her purple armor didn't cover much at all.

10 candles caught fire and formed a cage around Arryn.

"Well hello everyone... Sorry to interrupt!" The purple woman said in a seductive voice.

Shadow glared at the woman who he had trapped them and suddenly he was free to move. His first movement was to the fire cage which he tried to break, but the heat was too much, even for him. He knew Arrym must be suffering as an ice type. "Hold on Arryn."

"Who's ready to play?" She purred letting out a cruel laugh.

"Let her go! Let her go now!" Shadow yelled glaring at the purple female again.

He looked her in the eyes, and suddenly he was hit by familiarization, but he wasn't sure who it was at all. The eyes were totally different color than his sister's.

"Let.... her..... go..... now." Shadow commanded as he let some of his Pure Power create a cloak around his body.

 

[Zatanna]

Orchid​

"Let.... her..... go..... now." Shadow said letting his pure power take over.

"No no no. I wouldn't. I mean what would your sister think?" She said with a dark smile creeping across her lips.

"B-Big brother no!" A voice said from behind Shadow but nothing was there.

Orchid pointed her finger at Shadow and from her dark purple finger nail a stream of toxic liquid came hitting Shadow.

"You said I reminded you of your sister... Do I still remind you of her?" She asked walking down the stairs and stopping at the bottom.

"Aneurisma Cerebral." She said smirking lifting her hand in the air and squeezing something invisible in her hand. Suddenly Shadow felt a pain stronger than 15 Migraines.

"Fall to your knees. You are no match for me." She said getting closer to him, the strength on the migraines increased the closer she got.

"My name is Orchid. I am one of Giovanni's friends, and I've heard you've been causing him a lot of trouble... Why is that?" she asked her smile fading.

​

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Shadow:

Shadow watched the female closely as he got ready to attack.

"No no no. I wouldn't. I mean what would your sister think?" She said with a dark smile creeping across her lips.

His eyes widened, "W...what..."

He wasn't sure how this female knew his sister. He had never even met this female before.

"B-Big brother no!" Sara's voice sounded from behind him.

His guard dropped as he looked back behind him to see nothing.

"How...? How did you know about her!?" Shadow yelled as tears started to stream down his cheeks.

He turned back to the purple woman. A stream of purple liquid shot toward him. And hit hard, making him cringe in main as poison entered his system.

"You said I reminded you of your sister... Do I still remind you of her?" Shadow heard the woman talk, but he couldn't see straight. He could hear her footsteps walking down the steps.

"Wh...what... How... I don't even know who you are." He said lower.

He heard her mutter something that he didn't understand. Pain surged through his head as he yelled in agony from the immense pain. He held his arms against his head. He collapsed to his knees in pain. His pure power faltered as his power started to drain.

As the woman got closer, the pain intensified. He fell to his arms, his head on the ground as he cried in pain.

"Fall to your knees. You are no match for me." The woman said.

"My name is Orchid. I am one of Giovanni's friends, and I've heard you've been causing him a lot of trouble... Why is that?" She asked.

Something clicked as she mentioned the name Giovanni. His dreams rushed back to him as he remembered the latest one with him laughing.. He fought against the pain as he slowly rised. Pure Power reactivated on its on and his sister's pendant cracked more. His eyes turned no purple, but void as he got to his feet. He glared at the purple woman name Orchid.

"Why... you already know why. And that was the wrong thing to say!" He charged forward, not using any attacks and grabbed the woman by the neck and raised her into the hair, nearly crushing her throat. He slammed her into the wall, creating a dent in the wall. He then pushed her further in to choke her more. And then he lifted her again and choked slammed her into the floor, causing the floor to splinter. But as he looked at her eyes he stopped. His power faded and he began to allow tears to flow down his face.

"I... I can't... Something doesn't feel right." Shadow said as he lifted the woman up.

"I can't kill you... If you want to kill me, fine. But leave everyone else out of it. If it is me they won't dead, then kill me instead. Let Arryn go. Please..." Shadow said as he fell to his knees, arms at his sides.

He wasn't sure what she would do, but something felt familiar. He had reached his limit anyways. His eyes returned to normal and pure power went away. There was nothing more he could do.

 

[Zatanna]

Orchid​

Orchid took the damage pretty well as she was choked. She had hit a vein when she brought up Giovanni.

She smirked as she noticed Shadow's pure power went away. Then she took her shot she kicked him in the groin and dropped to her feet.

"You asshole. That really hurt... You don't know me... That's cute. You'll figure it out." She said kicking him in his nose.

"I would kill you but that would be too easy. You hurt me. So im going to fuck you up emotionally." she said with a twisted smirk.

"Introducere hominem in suum sequuntur somnia!" She chanted.

"Let me fill you in. You're going to black out... and when you wake up, you're going to be in your worst nightmare... maybe you'll end up killing little Sara with your bare hands... I don't know. But you're going to stay in your nightmares for at least 12 hours. When the 12 hours are up you can wake up." She purred.

"Goodnight sugar." she said biting Shadows bottom lip softly then harder, making it bleed. She stood back up walking over to Arryn.

"How ya feelin? Not to hot? Oh wait!" she said and started laughing.

"Damn im funny." she said wiping a few tears from her eyes.
​

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Shadow:

Shadow allowed her to kick him around. He could no longer fight her. Not now.

"Arryn.... I....... I'm sorry." Shadow said. As he was hit a few more times.

"Let me fill you in. You're going to black out... and win you wake up, you're going to be in your worst nightmare... maybe you'll end up killing little Sara with your bare hands... I don't know. But you're going to stay in your nightmares for at least 12 hours. When the 12 hours are up you can wake up." She purred.

Shadow glared at her as his vision started to blur and he could feel the iron from his blood in his mouth from the lip she bit.

"This is a mistake on y... your part... I was only at 50% of my power not to mention I didn't use any attacks..... That is why.... that is why you won, this time. I will remember you and when I... wake... I will pay you back. Your nightmare has no effect on me because I have it every night. Every time I sleep I see it. What is 12 more hours going to do, but piss me off more? When I return from darkness... I will hunt you down.... I will find you and I will force you to answer me. And if it comes to it, I will end you... Especially.... especially if you hurt anyone in this group. You have been warned." Shadow said.

He felt his power completely train. There was nothing left. His eyes closed and he fell to the ground. And everything turned dark.

 

[Stingray]

Lydia's meditation state was not broken by the raised emotions and voices at the door, however when Orchid attacked she could no longer maintain her serene form. Her eyes popped open and her feet quickly found the soft grass below her. Looking around carefully, she carefully approached then opened the door and stepped lightly inside. She could feel something terrible was going on and she had to be careful. Peeking around a corner she spotted that one hybrid she had first encountered laying on the floor and some poorly dressed woman approaching the other female she had seen earlier.

Her mind began to spin on what action to take as she hid behind the wall again. She had to do something to at least halt the woman and buy time for the others. Suddenly a plan formed and she forced energy into her hands she quickly began to form two spheres. The woman was moving menacingly toward her next victim and her focus was locked on this new victim a she rattled off about how funny she was. Swiftly and silently Lydia darted up behind the woman and reached out with the larger orb in her right hand. The energy in that hand flashed as Lydia engulfed herself and the woman in a bright light. Instantly their bodies were transported far into the forest in a particular area that was both far from the house and nowhere close to Lydia's own hidden home.

Instantly on arrival, Lydia enveloped herself in the second orb's energy and teleported away instantly before the other woman could even turn around. Leaving the evil hybrid deep within the forest would buy the group time. It should take her several hours at least to find her way back to the others. Granted Lydia just made herself a powerful enemy, but her mind was too focused on helping the others right now to consider this possibility.

Lydia reappeared where she had been standing in the house seconds after disappearing with Orchid. She was breathing heavily and she dropped to her knees from fatigue. She had no time to rest as others were in pain slowly she crawled over to Shadow and sat cross legged in front of his body. Reaching out with her right hand she gently placed it on the man's forehead as she spoke to him, "Can I come in? I can help you if you let me." She then closed her eyes and tried to mentally soothe the man's mind and help him through the nightmares. If he would open his mind she might be able to share in the nightmares and help him face the darkness.

 

[shatteredxfrost]

Arryn; Ice & Dark

---

Before Shadow has a chance to respond, they are teleported back inside the house. Arryn spins around on the spot, confused.

"Duratus sicut statua lapidea."

The voice sounds eerily familiar, but Arryn can't quite place it. A figure walks into view, a woman that has quite a lot of confidence in herself to wear so little. Honestly, what was the point of armour?

The woman shouts another command and circles around Arryn, the flames lifting much too high to be considered natural. The heat is overwhelming, uncomfortably so.

"Well hello everyone... Sorry to interrupt!"

Arryn quickly removes her jacket as the flames lick at her skin. Her eyes don't leave the woman's until Shadow speaks, "Hold on Arryn." Fire was something Arryn feared, it wasn't just weakness to her - it was something uncontrollable, unpredictable; something she remembers on the night of her escape from Team Rocket.

"Who's ready to play?"

"Let her go! Let her go now!"

She crumbles to her knees, the flames getting too close to her face. Beads of sweat were trickling their way down her face and neck.

"Let.... her..... go..... now."

Arryn isn't sure what Shadow is doing, but hopes it helps soon. She blows into her hands, expecting the cold mist of air but it doesn't come. I'm too weak, and Arryn just wants to scream out at the frustration of being so helpless.

Most of what their conversation is gets drowned out by the steady throbbing in Arryn's head until one name in particular breaks through - "My name is Orchid. I am one of Giovanni's friends, and I've heard you've been causing him a lot of trouble... Why is that?"

Why? Do these mindless idiots even begin to question Giovanni's damn plans? Shadow charges forward, hands wrapped around Orchid's neck and Arryn drops her head into her palms, hoping to chase away the fever from spreading further.

"Introducere hominem in suum sequuntur somnia!"

A loud thud follows her chant. Arryn struggles to look up and sees Shadow's body a few feet away from her cage.

"Let me fill you in. You're going to black out... and when you wake up, you're going to be in your worst nightmare... maybe you'll end up killing little Sara with your bare hands... I don't know. But you're going to stay in your nightmares for at least 12 hours. When the 12 hours are up you can wake up."

Orchid bites his lip, too hard and blood is coating his bottom lip when she releases him. Her attention finds Arryn.

"How ya feelin? Not to hot? Oh wait!" Orchid giggles, amused at her own pathetic joke. "Damn im funny."

"Just wait until I get out of here," Arryn winces. Talking is too much of a struggle, I can't even verbally assault the bitch.

The Hybrid from outside appears suddenly, rushing towards Orchid with palms outstretched, an orb at the ready. The orb throbs and flashes, blinding, and the two are gone. The flames die and the heat rushes out so fast that Arryn chokes, bracing her palms on the ground.

When the coughs subside, she tries to crawl towards Shadow, her hand just grabbing onto his arm when the Hybrid reappears, collapsing to her knees. The girl reaches out, her fingers resting gently on Shadow's forehead.

"Don't hurt him," it's an automatic response. Even though she just saved them, Arryn feels protective enough to issue a warning, even in her weakened state.

 

[Stingray]

Lydia​

Lydia's telepathic voice was weak as she was trying to focus her remaining strength into Shadow as she replied to Arryn, "I will not… I do not seek to harm others. I sensed his suffering, it's so strong. I am trying to help... trying to soothe him if he allows me." What did that woman do to the man? Usually emotions were not this strong when someone slept. She knew if he let her in, she would likely have to take some of the curse upon herself. In her mind, two could break the curse much quicker than one. She did not consider what the curse might do to her.

Focusing harder her echoing voice entered Arryn's mind once again, "The woman who did this will return. I only teleported her away from us. It will take her some time, but I know she will return. I do not have the strength to both help this one and teleport us all away. We are not safe…" Lydia's voice suddenly stopped communicating with the woman as she focused on Shadow. "Let me in, I mean you no harm… I want to help. You do not have to fight this torment alone. Allow me to help you so you can help the others," said the calm soothing voice of Lydia, as she tried to get through to Shadow.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Shadow:

There was nothing, just darkness. Shadow knew exactly what was coming in his dream that this Orchid girl promised. He knew it too well, but this time he couldn't wake up from it. The dream replayed over and over again, showing what could happen and possibly what would happen. Arryn had said she enjoyed the dark nature of her hybrid self. Shadow did as well, but he knew that there was something more to his darkness. A monster caged within that only the darkness lifting would take it away.

On the third loop through the dream, he heard something... something familiar that was never in his dream. A voice filled the darkness...

"Let me in, I mean you no harm… I want to help. You do not have to fight this torment alone. Allow me to help you so you can help the others."

"...Lydia? But why...." His mind asked back.

He feared what the nightmare would do to someone so peaceful as he knew her, "N.." Shadow stopped. He relaxed and opened up his mind to Lydia, allowing her to enter.

The nightmare loop started to falter somewhat.

 

[Stingray]

Lydia​

"I want to help," came her reply as she slipped into a trance in order to help the other Hybrid. She could feel the curse starting to grab at her mind, but she was ready for it. She had already faced her own demons, and while she still bore scars from them, their hold over her was weak.

Darkness surrounded her vision as she slipped into the man's nightmare. Shadow had allowed her inside, but was holding her back. Reaching out in the dream she touched the hybrid's right shoulder as she spoke, "You do not have to try in protect me from your inner darkness. My physical form may appear frail, but it holds a strong spirit. This darkness cannot harm me… I understand many prefer to face their demons alone, and keep them hidden from the world. If you are one of those, I can lend you strength here so you can battle the nightmare yourself. However I can better help you if I am allowed to walk beside you in this torment, but that would require you to expose the darkness you fear to me."

Her hand slipped from his shoulder and she then held it out to him. In it, a small orb of light formed. "Take the orb and the strength it contains, or take my hand and I will walk with you until we are out of the darkness," said the echoing voice of Lydia. She needed to know if she should pull away and just give him strength, or fully dive into the nightmare with him. She ran the risk of being cursed herself, and being unable to help effectively if he continued to try to protect her and prevented her from seeing the very nightmare he was living.

 

[Iceshadow3317]

Shadow:

"Take the orb and the strength it contains, or take my hand and I will walk with you until we are out of the darkness." Lydia said.

Shadow wasn't sure what to do at that moment in time. There were somethings he had to face alone for him to be completely over his fear. He wasn't sure how to respond to the help either. No one had ever really asked to help before. He sighed.

"I will show you some things. However, some things must be done by oneself alone. Because there are some things that a person must accept and move on from alone." Shadow said.

He thought about taken the orb or her hand. He didn't desire power or strength for his nightmare shows what power leads to. So he took her hand instead.

As he did, he let everything return to his mind.


The darkness they were standing in, turned to a city that was burning in a massive fire. Terrified screams and crying filled the city streets as complete chaos had taken over humanity. In the center of the city, a shadow monster with horns, like a satyr's, were created by dark energy. The body had a dark aura swirling around it like a cloak. The shadow monster madly laughed as it launched a massive pulse of dark power toward them. Right before it hit, the view changed and they were now looking in the place where they were just at, they were the shadow monster now.

Images of everyone in the group formed around the two hybrids, the images slowly burning to ashes and then fading. Then a frame was Giovanni who had a grin on his face and then started to laugh in the same way as the shadow monster did. Finally a memory of his sister smiling occurred and slowly faded to darkness.

"That is all." He said.

He had not showed everything, as there were things he had to overcome himself. In time he might reveal more, but for the moment, he would not. He didn't know Lydia very well and although he had no doubt that she was good, he still didn't trust her 100%.

 

[Stingray]

Lydia​

Lydia watched the nightmare unfold in front of her quietly, as she allowed the curse to take her. Her body slowly slumped over as she fell asleep into the same nightmare as Shadow. With her mind in the nightmare fully, she took in everything that happened and tried to understand its meaning. As she did this she fought back her own reservations and fears of dark types so she could help this hybrid. After the dark hybrid announced the end of the nightmare, the fairy/physic hybrid thought about what to say as she stepped around to block the view of Giovanni. Looking the man in the eyes she said, "Darkness does not equate evil. One can be dark but good… the darkness you harbor in your body is not the same as the darkness that he harbors in his soul." She motioned toward Giovanni with her hand.

"I speak of darkness but when I do I refer to the darkness he holds. Actual darkness is not evil. In fact the darkness of night is a protector. Think of the weak pokemon whose survival is owed to the darkness that hides them from the searching eyes of a predator. The darkness that cools off a desert after the sun's light has tried to burn the life from its inhabitants. The choice of what type of darkness is yours and is decided every day in your heart," said the female hybrid as she repeated the words of her former mentor. She poked the man in the chest when she mentioned the heart then turned around.

"Considering this is what you fear… it is clear your heart has the protective darkness in it," Finished the Hybrid as suddenly the curse tore at her mind.

She wanted to resist it, but if the nightmares shifted to hers perhaps his burden would begin to lighten and he would be able to break the curse if she held it for a moment. The images began to twist as Lydia brought them into her own dark memories. Her voice was solemn as she spoke, "We have all suffered, and many of us have done horrible things." Considering how tied her emotions were to her memories, she had no doubt Shadow felt her anger, sorrow, horror, and love twisted by betrayal as the image focused. They stood standing over a boy several years younger than Shadow. His body had several stab wounds including a fatal one to his heart where the murder weapon, a pocket knife with a red R on its the handle, still rested. The person looking down was breathing heavily and was covered in the victim's blood. The boy's face showed shock, pain, and fear as his grey eyes stared up at the two.
Lydia spoke in a solemn voice, "He betrayed me… I loved and trusted him. He was the only who made me feel valued at that time and did not disregard me because of my disability. I was able to endure the torment associated with becoming a hybrid because of him. However his heart was turned dark by our oppressors, and he turned on me. That betrayal twisted my heart into hate. I finally snapped and took his life in the savage manner you see here."

Letting the nightmare shift to darkness Lydia turned around and looked Shadow in the eyes as she spoke, "I am not a monster. I did a horrible thing years ago and it left me with many of the same fears you have shown me. However I found help, and I was able to recover. Now that darkness is nothing more than a painful memory because in my heart I picked a different path."

 

[shatteredxfrost]

Arryn; Ice & Dark

---

"I will not… I do not seek to harm others. I sensed his suffering, it's so strong. I am trying to help... trying to soothe him if he allows me." The voice sounded in her head and Arryn narrows her eyes, wary but nods for her to continue.

"The woman who did this will return. I only teleported her away from us. It will take her some time, but I know she will return. I do not have the strength to both help this one and teleport us all away. We are not safe…"

We are not safe...

Arryn gathers the remaining strength she has and pushes herself up onto her wobbling legs. "We can't even last one damn day without something hitting the fan," she taps her C Gear on, sending a mass text to all on her contact list: don't come back to the house. It's not safe. Meet back at the fountain.

"Where the hell is Tulip?" Arryn presses her name, the Xtransceiver sparking to life.