Darkness Takes it's Own

#1

((This started as a personal thing between me and CP, however since we've had a cameo we'd love for her and the rest of you to take part

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I'm going to copy and paste all the messages so far and then, well, we'll see what happens))

The woman known as Swix walked into the forests of Ana, slowly but surely drawing ever closer to the tainted area of forest.

The area she'd tainted under the orders of the entity.

In the epicentre stood the dark doorway between the Collectors realm, and this one. But that wasn't why she was here. She'd come here specifically to take one last, long look at what she'd done to this world, and she'd come alone. She didn't want Furnace or Fade here, nor Nym's pity, and CP... she'd left him a note to say her final goodbyes. Their relationship was too complex for her to say anything to him in person, so a note would have to do.

So she walked as day turned to night, deeper into the changed forest, absorbed in her own thoughts and not really paying much attention to where she was going.

She wandered deeper into the tainted forest, then paused as a thought struck her. She stopped, and raised her head to yell "TETSU-KO! I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE! I KNOW YOU'RE PROBABLY TRACKING ME ALREADY! I'm tired of running away from you, SO COME AND GET ME!"

She continued walking, but braced for whatever the Dragon thought to throw at her first.

#2

Swix!s note to CP, found pushed under his door:

Dear Coolpikaaa,

Rat, Rodent, thorn in my side... CP.

You and I, we've always had a strange relationship. You, a member of the Guardians. Me, a member of The Evil Council. We probably shouldn't associate as much as we do-and yet, there it is, we do. From the times we've ended up in hospital together and you poured itching powder on me-which I haven't forgotten, by the way, I hope you've been enjoying your bedsheets since you got back from where you went.-to the times you stopped those parasites from taking over us, we've been... acquaintances. Closer than acquaintances, but not quite friends. I've tricked and manipulated you, and you've annoyed and foiled me. You've also tried to be my friend, don't think I haven't noticed. I just didn't know if or how I could reciprocate the sentiment.

Uhh, this note's getting longer than I thought it would, but there we go. I guess what I'm trying to say is... What I'm trying to say, is, CP, do you remember when I told you The Collector was going to come for me in time? Well, the time has come, at least it will by the time you get this note tonight. By the time you get this note, it will either be too late or it will be soon.

I guess, what I'm really trying to say, what this note boils down to is this.

Goodbye, CP.

I don't know how I'd react in person, our relationship is too complicated. I'd probably just stare at you and then walk away, and never say what I want to. So I sent you this note, that way I know you'll get the full message.

Goodbye, CP.

PTO:

On the other side, there's a hastily written scrawl along with another sheet of official looking black and red paper.

I'm attaching this because, well, because you of all people would know what to make of it. I was at least clear enough to ask for the agreement I made with C in writing. But I won't expect anything.

The attachment reads:

I'll let you free in your own dimension for the next 13 years so long as you do what I ask, when I ask. You will become my agent, since you came here looking for power I will grant you some of mine, a part of me will live within you which you can call upon at will, and I can keep an eye on you. I own you now.

Do not fight or turn against me, or your soul will be forfeit. That is my golden rule.

When your time as my agent is over, I will bring you back into my realm to live out the rest of your days with me. When you die there, I will keep your body but your soul will be free.

Underneath that, there's another hasty scrawl. This one says.

But before I go, I have to see a Dragon about a murder.

#3

Coolpikaaa wrote:

CP lowered the note, rubbing his eyes. He knew it was coming one day. He couldn't have expected it so soon though, the electric mouse had thought he would be an old grey woodland creature by then.

That didn't mean he hadn't planned for it, though. He wouldn't be much of a hero if he let friends be taken away by the personification of darkness.

So .that's why he had to keep getting Nym to change the sheets...

---

A breeze whistled through the trees as a blue Dragon flapped to the ground in front of Swix. Black vines, similar to the woman's own tendrils wagged in excitement upon seeing the unexpected visitor.

"You're seeking me out?"

#4

"Yes" Swix said, rolling her eyes at the Dragons question "obviously".

The woman started pacing left to right, as her own tendrils on her back grew "See, I figured that this would be the best way to resolve things. Either I die tonight" she looked up at the Dragon dramatically when she stopped pacing "or you do. But I won't go down so easily this time. This time we fight properly"

She brought her arms up, gestusing for Tetsu to come at her. Then immediately dived to the side...

#5

Coolpikaaa wrote:

Tetsu stared at Swix, an odd look on her face. This was very odd.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed, Swix?" The Dragon asked, watching as Swix jumped to the side despite the reptile not making any moves toward her. "You are!"

The Dragon seemed almost excited.

"Oh, I would LOVE to have a final throwdown with you Swix, but we really should get you back to the Encampment, shouldn't we?"

#6

The woman stopped short at the dragons last sentence, and she turned around to stare at Tetsu. Of all the things that she'd expected the blue dragon to say or do, suggesting that they should go back to The Encampment wasn't one of them... Annnnd why was she looking so excited at the suggestion of going back to the settlement?

Swix's eye twitched as she stared at Tetsu, with her expression a mixture of confusion, incomprehension and a small but growing sense of urgency. Plus she didn't really want to go back to The Encampment. CP and Nym were there. They would see.

"Why?" she asked eventually, baffled.

#7

Coolpikaaa wrote

"CP said he would want you back there..." The Dragon mused, apparently thinking about something. "Though he didn't specify how. I mean... I could totally grab you by the leg and fly you back upside down. I, of course, couldn't be held responsible if you accidentally clipped the top of a tree or something..."

The Blue Dragon got a dreamy smile on her face, then eventually snapped out of it when she realized Swix was staring at her.

"What? Why are you staring? You apparently know more about what is going on than me. All I agreed to was getting you back to him, should you do something dumb like this. He had to really sweeten the deal for even that though..."

The Dragon lowered herself, waited, then became frustrated.

"Seriously? I'm sparing your life here. Get on before I really do grab your leg."

"With my teeth."

#8

Swix opened her mouth to say something that was probably stupid and going to get her into trouble, then closed it again when she decided she really didn't want the Dragon to have a 'free' go at her leg. She considered running away, but she remembered how Tetsu had exploded through the tree before and that would just end up with her with added splinters. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a half resigned smile. "He knows me too well". She opened them and started walking towards the beast.

She wondered how long the electric mouse had known that she'd probably try something like this, as she not necessarily awkwardly but nervously clambered onto the blue Dragons back. She didn't put her tendrils away though, they stayed out, reflecting her nervousness with their stiff, sudden twitching.

#9

Coolpikaaa wrote:

Tetsu took off a second before Swix could get comfortable on the dragon, likely freaking her out as much as she could short of dropping the lady. The ride back to town was mostly uneventful - The blue Dragon didn't shed any further clues on what exactly was going on. She didn't speak at all, probably to prevent an awkward half- conversation over the wind.

Soon they landed in front of the Horn and Halo, and Tetsu propped the door open to check inside. The bar was strangely empty, except for two individuals gathered around a table well stocked with several cans of coffee, and a few bottles of various other drink.

"Alright, I have an idea." CP said, sitting back in his chair.

"Oh?"

"We blow up her realm. Detonate a warp portal or something. Scatter every last atom of her existence.... to plenty other somewhere elses."

"How would we do that?" The Demoness of The Evil Council, Raven asked.

"Well, you carry a warp stone up into her realm. Hopefully not die, get stuffed with tendrils and literally become a puppet. Then bang on it until it breaks."

"... Where are you on this?"

"A safe distance." CP laughed, taking a big drink of his beverage. They had apparently been going at this some time. "So, what have we got? We've blown up the universe a few times, and also have plenty of situations where you, me, or Swix are dead." CP pauses, pouring himself some more drink. "How do we get rid of something that needs to exist?"

"I still think it would be our best bet to throw her brother at her."

"Mm."

#10

Swix flattened herself on the top of Tetsus back when the blue dragon took off without her being completely ready, trembling slightly against the reptiles scales. Her tendrils streamed out behind her in the dark, in the sly, and when she eventually got stable enough to sit upright on the Dragons back she spent a good amount of time looking over the side and thinking about jumping off. She didn't mind that Tetsu didn't want to talk to her, she wasn't sure what, if anything, she would be able to say back to the baby dragon.

Once they landed, and Tetsu propped open the door to inside The Horn and Halo, she at first was too dumbstruck by the coversation to go inside-not enough that she forgot to get off the Dragons back though. She stood outside staring in, until they got to the part about what was obviously C's brother.

Then she walked through the door, turned towards the bar, vaulted over it, grabbed a bottle of Dragonsfire before she vaulted back to the right side, pulled the top off and took a very large swig of the evaporating, burning liquid.

"Good to see you Raven" she said, tipping the stolen bottle and her head towards the Demoness as she walked to a neighbouring table, then proceeded to lean against it whilst facing them. "I see you got my note CP" she said, took another swig and then frowned at the electric mouse "and you've brought Raven into it"

She wasn't displeased at this turn of events, she really liked Raven after all, more surprised-and not in a bad way either.

"You know, I don't think throwing her brother at her will do very much, if you even manage to get him out of his realm and to agree with you in the first place, but the warp idea on the other hand..." she offered thoughtfully, then took another gulp of the bottle and seemed to have to concentrate to focus afterwards "Oh, by the way, what on Pax have you done to Tetsu? Only you could pull off foiling a plan without even being there. Suddenly she goes from wanting to kill me on sight to bringing me back here when I seek her out for a final showdown on my very last day anywhere? What gives?"

"Raven, I'm sorry I didn't come to see you to say goodbye properly. I left you a note as well. I didn't want you to see-although I'm sure you'd be less disturbed than most. I didn't want any of you to see-well except for her" she jerked her head at the Dragon, managing somehow to look thoroughly confused, morose and relieved all at the same time. To compensate for this, she drank some more. Her stomach and throat burned and the vapour streamed back out of her mouth since that particular drink wasn't supposed to be drunk like that, but the humanoid didn't care anymore. The tendrils had become ever more animated the more she consumed, going from stiff, nervous twitching through gentle undulation to excited waving.

#11

Coolpikaaa wrote:

CP gave a quizzical glance at Swix's.... hoarding of a alcohol bottle. He was fairly certain it wasn't meant to be consumed with such gusto. Oh well, to each their own.

"I see you made it, Swix. It was actually somewhat of a happy coincidence that I got your note and you approached Tetsu on the same night. We made our little deal a ways back after I returned, but I wasn't sure you would ever actually do anything. " The electric mouse relaxed in his chair, not sure how to proceed. "I'm sure you figured out what we are doing here. C needs to go, and yes, I decided to call in backup. We'll need it."

"So... you think a warp explosion just might do it? Anything else you might suggest? We're here to plan, nothing else at the moment. This will be a massive undertaking."

#12

"A happy coincidence!" Swix repeated the Pikachu's odd choice of words and stared at him with furrowed brows. "How is that a happy coincidence, exactly?"

She frowned, took another gulp of the super strong liquid, and then placed the bottle on the table next to her.

She closed her eyes, sighed, and then looked up at them both. "If you're planning against C, then you know that I can't help you, and you know why now. But I will say that the warpstone idea would work if I hadn't let a large part of her through that door I made"

She closed her eyes once more, then picked up the bottle and started to drink the whole thing down with even more gusto than before.

((And that's as far as we've got. We hope you enjoyed the read and partipate in the rest to come

))

#13

Markus sighed.

He was want to do this a lot these days. Bad job after bad job had cropped up, but he needed the money, food and equipment. They ranged from the dullest hunting jobs to one that nearly killed him. Some tussle with a strange robot. Bloody thing wouldn't stay down, and it's gun had a nasty bite to it as well, vaporised half the poor sod sent with him.

So Markus had decided a holiday was in order, find a nice little pub all quiet like and lay low for a while. Take in the various cultures brought to this world, meet new people. Try to avoid the small but growing mob presence. You know, normal holiday activities. So Markus, sat alone in his room, let out a sigh when the sound of something... large could be heard just outside the inn, and soon followed by a familiar voice. A voice he had hoped to avoid. A voice from way back when he first opened his eyes on this world.

To be completely fair however, she had taken being shot fairly well.

"Screw it." He muttered to himself. "Just... screw it."

And with that he grabbed his coat, his hat, his goggles and finally the new rifle slung on his back, and headed downstairs.

#14

"It's a happy coincidence, Swix, that I went and talked to Tetsu before you ran off and did something stupid." The mouse said, his tone becoming peircingly serious. He knew, and now she knew he knew. That's the only point he needed to make.

When she changed the subject back to the matter at hand though, CP visibly relaxed.

"It might work huh..." he mused, obviously thinking a few scenarios over. "Her body could be a problem though, and yes, it is a rather large one at that in her current form... What if we got her "home"? Close to the blast?"

Swix closed her eyes. The woman was different. On the edge. She then began to drink, dangerously so, and the Electric mouse only gave her a few seconds before hopping up on the table and pressing the bottle down with his paw.

"Swix. Stop." He looked at her with sadness. He must have gotten the note. "Please."

The tense moment was broken by the arrival of someone new on the stairs. Markus? Not someone CP really new about. He looked away from Swix to inspect the man. Had he been staying upstairs? Cp lived up there and hadn't seen him at all recently.

Then again, other things had been preoccupying his mind recently.

#15

Swix stopped drinking to stare down the bottle at CP when he pressed his paw down on it, her eyes narrowed, but she sighed and lowered the bottle anyway after deliberately swallowing what she'd had left in her mouth. The deliberately exaggerated gesture that was meant to annoy the rodent was wasted however when CP turned to look at the man who'd come down the stairs, maybe roused by the voices down here.

"Alright, I'll stop" she said to the electric mouse, then turned to look at the man. Her eyes narrowed when she realised that she recognised him from a while ago. Markus, the mercenary, who'd been around the one time she'd been trying to be friendly and had taken one of their group's requests for her to show them what lived within her to shoot her with a crossbow bolt, then she'd had to try and fight off C from taking over her when he'd tried to fix his mistake.

Funny how that sort of thing came full circle, he'd been there when she'd entered this world and he'd be there when she left it.

Swix stared at the mercenary, unsure of if she wanted to say anything to him-until she realised she did, and it was important too. Swix pointed at him with her free left hand.

"Oi, you" she said, maybe a bit rudely "Markus. You see any thick oily liquid, black tendrils or a woman with glowing red eyes who seems to be half humanoid, half wyvern with skinless wings made out of the same stuff, do us all a favour and don't shoot at it". Her point apparently made, she started rummaging around in her red bag before pulling out a small black pouch and tossing it at the mercenary.

"Your payment for doing as I ask" she explained "it contains about oh, five or six black diamonds. I'd pay you after you've demonstrated you can restrain yourself but I won't be here after the show so that'll have to do"

She pulled herself up onto the table so that she could sit on it and swing her legs at that point, the drink it seemed was working to relax her-maybe a bit too successfully as one of her excited extra limbs gripped the top of a chair, picked it up off the floor for a minute then abruptly let go and dropped it with a bang.

"I told you I can't help you plan anything againrt her" Swix eventually returned to the topic that the little hero seemed so determined to pursue, resolutely refusing to answer "By the way, the knife I threw at you? I killed a unicorn with it, the blade's soaked with it's blood. You brought it back to life when you returned it's horn to it. You turned an evil thing good, you understand?"

Swix didn't have much time left, she knew, she could feel it. The woman looked from the little hero, to the dragon at the door, to Markus, to Raven and then back to CP. "In the next few minutes it'll be the time" she directed to all of them "if you have anything you need to say to me you better do it now"