(ACE) The AMITY Team

"We need to get out of here-- if the birds don't get us, then the fire will!" Milo greeted me as I ran back to his side like a loyal mutt. I snarled in displeasure, the stress of the situation making my wrists itch. As fucking son as this shit was over, I would ditch them all, kidnap fucking Milo, and just try to calm down. That was the future plan. As the damn Manectric shot jabs at the equine, I curled my lip further, knowing I would not miss that prick. But then shit went down. Suddenly the Manectric dashed away, shooting across the lawn like a a black and gold bullet. I smirked despite myself. Like a fuckin' bumble bee.

But when he reappeared, the sadistic grin might as well have been whiped off of my face and I stiffened in horror. Molly. Milo was already yelling out, racing in pursuit, but I was frozen. With the crackling of the flames behind me, my face was darkened, covered in shadows despite the afternoon sun rising, but my lilac eyes were wide, too bright, with fear. As the group was suddenly all gathered at the gate, my gaze was skyward. I saw a figure. ANd the chills that ran down my spine reminded me of another presance. The opne from earlier. And the name on my tounge made me fight to keep back a choking sob. Bachi.

Then the flurry of motion around me stopped dead. Literally. I straightened up in complete disbeleif and utter fear as all of the undead fell around me. I snarled in fright as one landed on my body and I dashed forward until I was out of the fray. I looked at them with wide eyes, unable to comprehend. Then ha landed. I did not recognize the species, a colorful bird now covered in gore and vividly purple markings. i could not move. Even as the thing spoke, I was frozen. It questioned the group, and then all three of Molly, the dog, and the monkey attacked. The rock was merely thrown back to the newcomver, Molly's attack taken without so much as a flinch, and then the Manectric was downed as well. Watching with impossibly wide eyes, the same pebble was shot down at him.

My tails shot up in terror. What could I do?

[ooc: Sorry for supremely crappy post. At a complete loss for what to do. >.< And Xatu! ;;w;; I freaking love you. Hardcore. hands down, my favorite Harb. Feel free to mess with my baby, but nothing too life endangering and oviously do not kill him. <3]

This thing... it was no longer a Xatu, or even a pokemon at this point. The creature that stood before them, with those terrifying eyes... That was a demon. Something from another world to do naught but make others suffer. Poor Molly tried attacking it... the monkey tried, even the horrible manectric tried. They met nothing but a merciless counter, resulting in a missing eye in the electric dog's skull. His heart couldn't decide between racing in fear or simply stopping with it, causing a pain in his chest he'd never felt before. But still, even with this numbing pain, he simply stood there, wide-eyed at the horror. There was nothing he could do, or anyone. That had already been proven. There was nothing he could do... nothing he could do...

...but wait for the thing to turn to him.

((Xatu, you have permission to maim my boy. :p Just please don't kill him or destroy the violin~))

This was all too much for poor little Molly. Especially when Nokes had hit the ground, an eye bludgeoned with a stone, the Azurill began to feel faint. Her mouth gaped open, scared for her life. "M-mommy.... Mommy...." she whined, crying. "I-I want mommy and daddy... M-mommy..." her face was hidden behind her bulbous tail, hoping the avian Harbinger won't hurt her.

Suddenly she was airborn, long curved talons plucking her from the earth and dangling the blue Pokemon in front of the Xatu's face. Risking a glance, she opened her eyes only to be met by glowing red. The bird's eyes were a deep, shining crimson, striking horror into the child. "You never did give me a good enough reason... for why I should let you live." Molly began struggling as hard as she could.

"No, NO! Don't kill me, PLEASE! I beg of you, please... Please... Don't kill me, I don't want to die!" she sobbed, her futile attempts at escape only tiring her. "Let me live... Let us live... we don't deserve to die, we're only trying to live..."

[OOC: Feel free to chuck Molly around and inflict wounds all over her body. :'D]

Oliver had completely expected the Harbinger to retaliate. Hell would have frozen over if it didn't.

What the little monkey had not expected was for him to throw the stone right back at him. There had been no time to scramble out of the way, and the rock crashed into him with such force that it sent him flying backwards. He screamed in shock and pain, his head hitting the ground far harder than he would have liked as he rolled to a stop. Dizzy, disoriented, it took a moment for the ape staggering to his feet to realize the pain in his stomach had doubled thanks to the stupid piece of earth slamming into it. Unable to contain it anymore, he hid his face in the bush he'd landed next to and emptied his stomach.

Well. That had been fun. Finishing retching, he blearily pulled his head from the foliage and looked back to the others, just in time to watch the avian bring the rock that had just injured him... right into Nokes's eye.

Oliver's mouth dropped open and he gagged roughly again at the sight it left behind, never one to be able to stomach gore or even blood. Even so, the surprise was fast in passing. There was something really wrong with this one, far more wrong than the other undead, and he was proving Oliver's instincts corrects. What was so surprising about that?

If anyone had to get hurt this badly, I'm glad it was you. The bitter but satisfied thought was something he was not going to apologize for, not even to himself. I just wish the rest of us didn't have to see that.

Forcing himself to move, he stumbled forward, the bitterness dissipating in favor of fear's return as the avian turned his attention back to little Molly.

"You never did give me a good enough reason... for why I should let you live."

Molly began to scream for her mother and father, sobbing and begging the psychic type for mercy.

"St-stop! Sh-she's j-just a k-kid!" Oliver half lifted his arm, prepared to take another shaky step forward, but took one backwards instead. Yeah, that had been smart. "P-please... sh-she's just a l-little girl... sh-she h-hasn't d-done a-anything t-to y-you..." He glanced desperately at Milo and the newly arrived Caine.

Then a realization struck him, eating its way past the near deliriousness that the pain and exhaustion was forcing on him.

He... the bad feeling I get... the chills and the sick feeling... it's just like the one I got when...

A Squirtle being tossed into the side of the building, painting the side with his blood. An Umbreon melted alive and her insides slurped out of her body like a fruit smoothie. The horrible deaths... the killer...

Whatever that bug was, it was just like this bird...

Wide eyes becoming distant, Oliver began to tremble even harder than he had been just a few moments ago, tears slowly tracking their way down his face.

We're all doomed...

(Ooc: Xatu, feel free to retaliate however you want, just don't kill him or destroy the scarf~)

It had happened so quickly.

Nokes was mere inches from the undead bastard’s throat, when his body froze, mid-air. Face locked in a fearsome snarl, his limbs outstretched in preparation to pin the sinister Xatu, the canine was left hovering akin to a stuffed beast. Only his furious eyes darted about, meeting the creature’s glare as he struggled against the psychic bonds to no avail. Such power, such strength. Hadn’t Nokes been the victim, he would’ve have been salivating in awe. But alas, he was the one helpless. Rare. He could hear a chorus of cheering Mareep in the back of his mind.

Suddenly, the bird was acting. The Chimchar was knocked backwards with a pebble. One, measly pebble. Had the canine had a voice, a snarl, he would’ve scolded the ape for its weakness – the fuck can a pebble do?!. Only then, did the undead’s attention return to him. Slammed into the ground, a whine escaping him at the ungodly force, the earth practically cracked around his aching, shiny form. However nothing could have prepared him for the bird’s next move…

"Do not be so blinded by your own pitiful strength in the sight of true power next time."

That pebble, that tiny speck of earth plummeted.

Nokes couldn’t react. His body refused to obey the mind. Those damn Mareep were growing louder with their cheering, their chanting for his blood as the rock made contact. His head pinned to the ground on impact; Nokes gave a howl of agony as his right eyeball burst. On instinct, his remaining eye slammed shut, loosing himself in darkness as he felt the blood trickle down his face.

It burned.

Quickly rolling over, trotting away as his eyelids tentatively opened to reveal a single, functioning eye filled to the brim with fury. Its counterpart was no more. Framed by the jelly-like remains of the organ was that same pebble, stained red and lodged firmly within his eye socket. Nokes had met his match. This time, he didn’t advance.

Holding his ground, his usually proud stature hunched as he regarded the Xatu with an expression of the upmost loathing, Nokes looked ready to kill something. He wanted to kill something. Specifically the bird, but instinct held him back. He wasn’t going to lose the other eye too. Instead, he stood aside Caine, seething with fury as the group descended into a state of insurmountable fear, panic.

Alone and cold a frightened Ralts walks down a long, narrow road. He stopped paying attention to direction several days back and now holds no knowledge of where he is or where he has been. His Teleport, long since forgotten now, had taken he a Sammy to somewhere he had never been. It must have been something stuck in Sammy's mind right before his death...He fights back a tear as memories surface of his former friend and trainer, the one who raised him and subsequently abandoned him. While the years took the two inseparable friends further apart his heart still remembered his first true friend, and knew that in the end Sammy still loved him.

Even if he wasn't the favorite any longer.

Then something caught his attention and sent a spike of fear running down his spine. It was a little girl screaming bloody murder and begging for her mommy. Realization dawned on him like a good slap in the face as the small psychic came to see that he had stumbled right into a scene that appeared cut from a nightmare. A demon in rotted flesh stood before a group of struggling survivors just like him, only this monstrosity had them dead to rights. He watched with horror as a poor hound's eye was gouged out, the Manectric struggling to get back up and defend himself. The girl he had heard was currently in the hellion's grasp and begging for mercy while a fire type monkey pleaded for her to be let go. What could have spawned such a demon?

Under no control of his own Prince let out a terrified cry, frozen to the spot as he watched the horrors unfold.

((OOC: Back again, maybe third time's the charm? Lol. And anyone, including you Xatu, is free to notice my little man. Xatu you also have my permission to attack him as long as it is nothing permanent or life threatening, and please keep his Everstone collar in tact. Oh! And if anyone needs a pick-me-up Prince knows Heal Pulse so he can give anyone a bit of healing that needs it before or after the battle with our dear Harbinger is over. ^_^))

As he stood with fear trapping his body from moving, Milo could only whimper as even the horrible manectric stayed his ground, unable to fight against that terrible bird. "...Wh..." His craggy throat made it hard to speak. "...What... What can we do...?" The question had really been intended for the terror of a manectric, but it came out as more of a rhetorical, the fearful mutterings of a pokemon about to face its own demise. His legs shook, but that was all they could muster.

In the silent standoff between the two parties, Milo's eyes went to the first movement they found; a little white figure coming into view. From the lack of blood and the coordinated movements, the terrified girafarig could tell that this was no ally to the bird before them. He tried to warn the little guy to get away, shaking his head slowly, but it was too late. The ralts let out a bloodcurdling cry, making Milo's spindly legs flinch. "No...!" his voice shivered, not wanting another victim in this cruel situation. "Get out of here!"

[OOC: Skip. ;w; waiting for Xatu.]

(Ooc: I'll skip this round, please. OTL)

"...Wh... What... What can we do...?"

Distracted with the foul pain radiating from the epicentre of his exploded eyeball, the pebble’s rough surface continuing to irritate the fragile, bloody socket, Nokes didn’t react kindly to the question. Forcing his attention away from the monstrous psychic-creature and instead monetarily bestowing his focus to the stuttering Girafarig, the Manectric’s expression the definition of hate. Furious, Nokes had no answer. What can we do? We’re fucking helpless! The truth, the reality, of the situation was clear enough now, the arrogant canine finally accepting the role reversal. He was the weak one, the one who’s life hung in the balance, rather than possessing the familiar role of the malicious bringer of death.
“Wait,” He eventually snapped. It wasn’t much use. Nokes could only hope the bird would waste its energy and bloodlust on helpless little Molly – who’d miss a kid anyway? – and permit him, at least, opportunity to live. Nokes knew he was entitled to life. He was strong, a fighter, adaptable – no way in hell would he suffer further humiliation.

Fortunately, another child, a Ralts, stumbled onto the scene. The scream that left the tiny psychic brought back memories of the abattoir to the canine’s mind; hadn’t the agony of his eye’s brutal destruction not proven a barrier for all feelings of optimism, Nokes would’ve smiled at the reminder of a pleasant past. As Milo called out to the stranger, the Manectric snarled in response. The chanting of the Mareep locked to the confines of his twisted mind was the final push. Fangs bared whilst the pain heightened the incredible fury simmering beneath a cracking composure, Nokes couldn’t take his own advice and wait.

That bastard!

Glaring at the Xatu, the purest form of hate locked within the remaining orb, Nokes couldn’t control himself. He couldn’t let the freak get away with it! He’d brought down countless hordes of undead – why was this single, feathery monster such a challenge? No, Nokes wasn’t the weak one in this equation. The Manectric’s ego wounded as fiercely as his bloodstained face, the gore still freely trickling down his features contorted by rage, Nokes' pride forced him to act.

Moving quickly and without warning, the shiny darted forward, body sparking in preparation to paralyze the Harbinger. Sure, it’d hurt Molly dangling in its fearsome clutches, but that was a risk Nokes was willing to take. He didn’t give a shit about the bird’s victim – all he wanted was sweet revenge. When that monster was immobile, Nokes would show him the true meaning of pain.

(( Yeah, Nokes just doesn’t know when to stop, lol. Xatu has my permission to knock him out. Leaving bloody gashes and cuts on him is completely fine too. :3 ))

"No...!" Prince was brought out of his distress by a voice calling for him. "Get out of here!" Terror gripped at the small Ralts like a vice as he watched the Manectric turn the tide and go after the evil bird causing all of the harm. So many negative emotions were flying through the air that it was causing the Ralts to wither, rendering him incapable of running away. He was scared, and had no way of helping himself, so he called for the only one who had seen him. "What do I do?"

((OOC: Short post, since only Milo reacted to Prince showing up. Xatu dear, same as before. You can go after my baby if you would like just no permanent damage or death and leave his Everstone collar in tact. ^_^))

The child just would not take a hint. The crimson eyes of his were at slits, barely slivers of restrained fury. The blue pup was flailing, moving her body in futile attempts at escape, and her wails were only making the Harbinger angrier. "Be... silent." Were the hissed words pf the Xatu. But the weakling would not obey. She cried out, "Let me live... Let us live... we don't deserve to die, we're only trying to live..." Xatu sucked in a breath at those words. Don't ... DESERVE ... to die?! The duel typed bird flinched, his brow becoming ruffled with an inner turmoil. Blue. White. Feathers. A nest. Humans.

Xatu stumbled, almost losing his grip on the child as he did so, instead digging his claws deeper into the soft flesh. As his bloodied claws punctured the skin and blood flowed almost freely from the wounds, the species came to him. An ... Al...taria... The soft gaze of the sky bird was finally coming to focus, and the Harbinger saw a foreign expression within them. "Love?" Xatu snarled to himself, sounding much more furious than confused.

"St-stop! Sh-she's j-just a k-kid!" His avian eyes snapped up in time to see the monkey take a brave step forward, only to retreat again. "P-please... sh-she's just a l-little girl... sh-she h-hasn't d-done a-anything t-to y-you..." The stammered words of the ape was more than enough. All to eager to abandon the helpless feelings that threatened to overcome him, the Harbinger sucked in a breath of anger. He was not weak. He was not one to be controlled. He was to control. With a flash of his eyes, Xatu slammed the sniveling wreck to the ground, freeing his claws. Snapping one wing open, the Chimchar took the blunt of his anger as he was thrown through the air with Psychic power like a ragdoll.

Hasn't done anything to ME?! How wrong you are, nave!

As the equine called out a loud warning, the Harbinger's head snapped to their attention in a savage way, his silence to the group only becoming more unnerving as the air simmered and growed around him. Snapping his other wing out, he took to the air as another Psychic wave was shot at the two other psychic types. Unstable in his state of mind, all he did was fling the two in the same way he had the Chimchar. He would completely forget about them if they stayed down and out of his attention. Hovering a yard into the air, the child lay bleeding on the ground, Xatu turned his sight on the two left before him. The Ninetales and the Manectric. Taking no care, his eyes flashed and the canine gave a scream of pain.

Snapped as easily from his body as a twig from a branch, one of the fox's many tails was ripped off at the base. Leaving a bloody wound, Xatu ignored the canine as he threw the disembodied limb at the monkey. But the electric canine was not to be left out. The beast had made another attempt at an attack, electricity coming off of his pelt in waves. With no hesitation, the Harbinger reacted to the only one left standing. Not bothering to hault the attack, instead letting the mutt come right to him. As he was within range, Xatu shot forward with a speed unmatched. Gripping the back of the Manectric with no disregaurd for the electricity, the avian dug bloody gashes into him worse than what he had done to the child. Lunging forward, Xatu ripped a chunk of flesh from the creature's shoulder in a brutal Peck attack.

Finishing his retaliation, the Harbinger took to the air again, buckling the hound's legs beneath him so he hit the ground with a harsh sound.

"What do I do?" Horror shot through me, whipping around in time to see a... a newcomer. Violet eyes widened, and I immediately barked out, "NO! Get out of here! It's not safe! Fucking hide!" For once there was no malice in my tone, just a fearful urgency. The thing was going to kill them all, but maybe I could save one soul. Milo had the same train of thought, also crying out for the newcomer to leave. I felt dread peirce my heart. Would ANY of use survive this fucking day?

As my attention was turned back to the Harbinger, the horror I felt earlier only got worse. I washelpless to watch as the thing mauled Molly like a peice of fruit, strips of flesh showing as blood flowed. Angry tears stung my eyes at the sight. I could still remember when the little girl had firs shown up... She had hugged me... Molly was dropped to the ground roughly and the Bumblebee Douche was lunging. Again. "Are you fucking RETARDED?!" I yelled at him, furious in my fear. "You might fucking hurt Molly!" But it was too late. I could see that he was too intent on the attack to hear me.

It was only when red eyes shown on me that I realized I was alone. Suddenly struck with fear, deep in my heart, my ears dropped and my face went slack with sheer terror. The rage in the thing's eyes... There was no describing it.

Then the pain.

The fucking PAIN.

Screaming out in agony, blood was suddenly splattered all around me. Pools of it, it seemed, and I screeched animalistic sounds to the hot sun as the pain took over. It was only when I saw the furry limb dangling before me that I realized what the bitch had done.

...my...

My... tail...

MY FUCKING TAIL.

"FUCKING NO!" I roared, letting the pain cover up and hide my fear as I tried to stagger to my paws. The Manectric was already down, the hideous avian on the attack,. but I was so far gone that my eyes only saw red. "No ONE fucking touches... MY TAILS!!" Effectively having a breakdown of mayjor proportions, I snarled as my eyes glowed magenta. Sending out a Psy Shock, I immediately followed up with a Confuse Ray, the attacks heading sloppily twords the Harb.

[ooc: He has shitty aim when he's upset lol So feel free to have either hit Nokes, Snitch~]

It was all spiraling out of control. The little Raltz did nothing, only screaming another question, one Milo couldn't give an answer to. What could he do? What could he, himself do, or any of them for that matter? Their strongest, the psychotic manectric, had nothing on this demonic bird that seemed to ride on the very souls of the Damned themselves. This abomination, this monster, how could they do anything to save themselves when they couldn't even run?

Milo whimpered, his long legs trembling visibly as he witnessed brutal attack after brutal attack. The manectric would surely die at this rate, his eye already gone and now... now... Milo gave a sharp cry of terror as the electric wolf was merely tossed aside. And Molly... And... And...

He suddenly found himself airborne, flung carelessly to the side as the battle continued. He landed with a sharp grunt of pain, his shoulder taking the brunt of the force as his violin was knocked away and off of him, useless. Giving the bird a glance over, he could only watch in horror as one of Caine's tails was ripped from its base and flung at the Chimchar.

Caine...

'...Caine!'

An eye twitched, and Milo soon found him upright on his hooves, despite himself. No... He needed to end this... Screaming, he fired a Thunderbolt, the last he'd saved from the horde. The electricity ran, straight to the stoic form of the Xatu.

((Xatu, you may retaliate as you wish. Break a few bones if you want :3 Just no serious damage to either him or the violin, please.))

As the harbinger's talons gripped tightly into her flesh, she felt the sharp claws slowly puncture her skin, blood oozing from her wounds. Shaking in terror, Molly screeched in pain as her body collided forcefully with the ground, the impact bruising her. "Stop..." her voice was dying, the faint whines emitting from her throat as she sobbed. She felt her body flung again, the strength to fight no longer within her as she bled onto the cropped grass beneath her.

The sound of loud thuds vibrated through the ground, only causing the Azurill to weep more. "Don't hurt them... Please, they don't d-deserve..." her voice was stuck in her throat, her words slowly transforming into a garbled mess of wails and sniffles. Her eyes were shut tight, not wanting to see any of the broken states of her companions. 'What if this is my fault?' the thought made her silent, before cracking open one eye. "L-Leave the-them a-a-a-alone... J-Just take m-m-me..." she whimpered, pleading.

[OOC: Feel free to do some psychic mind-scarring stuff to Molly, but keep her alive so she can suffer the rest of her days with a corrupted head. :'D ]

Oliver wept quietly, brokenly, as the scene continued on. Poor Molly helpless in the monster's clutches, and everyone else having no idea of what to do. One wrong move and that could be the end of the little girl. Or any of them. Oliver didn't care if the Manetric wound up dead, but everyone else... he didn't want them to die...

He liked them. Faintly--he hadn't spent much time with them--but two of them had been kind to him, Milo didn't look like a bad person at all. And as for the Ralts... well, he'd have to wait and see about him, but really. How bad could he be?

... Well, this was assuming they all survived, anyway.

Then something within the creature seemed to snap. He dropped Molly and shot to hover higher up in the sky, flinging Milo and the newcomer the same way he'd thrown the monkey himself. Oliver's legs suddenly no longer felt like lead and he shot over to the other two. Why he did so he wasn't sure about. He just, in that moment, felt he needed to be at their side rather than standing alone off to one side.

No sooner had he reached them that Caine gave an ungodly scream of pain. The ape's head instinctively snapped over to look, and he screamed upon seeing the bloody, furry appendage hanging in the air in front of the fox.

Within seconds it was no longer hanging in the air, but instead at his feet. It took a moment for that to sink in, and as it did, Oliver shrieked in horror and leaped back, clutching the trailing parts of his scarf to his chest, staring at the tail with horrified eyes.

His tail... he just tore off his TAIL!

He looked up from the horrible sight only at a screech from the giraffe next to him. Oliver shrieked in terror at the sudden, sharp sound, a scream that only got louder as he saw what Milo was doing.

He was trying to attack the monster.

Instinct took hold and the ape scrambled to get away. Not paying attention to where he was running, he very nearly stepped on Molly.

"L-Leave the-them a-a-a-alone... J-Just take m-m-me..."

The quiet plea stopped the fire type in his tracks, and without thinking he spun around, crouching slightly in front of the Azurill to try to hide her from view. His voice shook terribly and he tried desperately to stem his own tears as he tried to comfort the little girl.

"Shhhh, d-don't c-cry; w-we'll f-find a w-way o-out of th-this..." He fumbled his scarf with trembling hands, trying to get it off so that he could press the fabric to one of Molly's worse wounds. Pressure would stop bleeding; he knew that from personal experience.

(Ooc: Sorry for not noticing the time change sooner, Ceecee. ^^; And do I have permission for Oliver to use his scarf to try to stop the bleeding? =3)

Nokes heard the Ninetale’s agonized screams, the terrible chaos flashing around him in startling quality, but his pride forced him onwards. Something in the recesses of his mind was ordering him to stop, to accept the fact he was the weak one in this equation, but Nokes chose to abruptly silence any shred of rationality touching his fragile mind. The electricity coursing through his body mounting to dangerous levels, the Manectric was inches from his target, expecting a direct hit. But then it turned.

The canine felt his stomach drop as the bird yet again met his attack, rushing forward at a blinding speed, numb to the sparks that danced off their bodies. Nokes, eyes alight with a combination of hate and a rare flicker of fear, was yet again helpless. The next thing he knew was the pain. Gashes emerging deep and gory in his neck, the canine was fearful the bird might’ve hit an artery in those few seconds from the amount of blood that began coursing from the wounds. Unable to cry out, left gasping in pain and held aloft by that ruthless psychic energy, Nokes met his attacker’s eyes.

There was nothing in those orbs. They were nought but the epitome of death.

Brought out of his trance, the split second seeming like an eternity through his remaining eye, Nokes gave a howl of pain as a generous chunk of flesh was ripped from his shoulder. Xatu’s beak was bloodied, the canine still unwilling to admit the obvious. No doubt, he was going to die. His arrogance, his lust for power seemed intent on killing him.

Thrown to the ground with a strength only the psychic demon could possess, Nokes fell limp. Breathing harshly, his upper half caked in his own, endlessly flowing blood, the Manectric felt light headed. As the carnage continued around him, a ringing loudening in his ears to accompany the voices of all his victims as they relished in the treatment of a monstrous hound, Nokes had met his match. He was the victim. The ‘meat’ for slaughter.

"FUCKING NO! No ONE fucking touches... MY TAILS!!"

Caine’s cries seeped into the agonizing concoction of shouting, screeching and sirens of the hound’s mind rendering the Manectric weak. His vision was blurring, the world beginning to spin. But he wasn’t finished.
“No…” Snarling beneath his breath, though the fatigue was apt to overwhelm the fury, Nokes refused to give up. The bastard would have to kill him first. Rising shakily to his feet, stumbling more than once as the blood loss sought to vanquish him before the bird had another chance, Nokes prepared one final attack.

He never did use it.

A poorly aimed Psy Shock hit him first. Knocked flying backwards, the intensity of the psychic attack launching him a good few metres from the scene and into a nearby tree, Nokes couldn’t breathe. His body refused to act, the sirens in his head now deafening as he lay broken at the trunk. No… I won’t… Vainly fighting against the enclosing darkness, Noke’s remaining eye locked onto the chaotic scene. Sprawled limp, decorated in a thick, gushing layer of blood that slowly pooled around the once proud canine, Nokes was plunged into a state of unconsciousness; finally defeated.

Prince flinched as the psychic blast hit him, flinging him backwards towards a small ape-like creature. When he righted himself he looked on in horror as the small blue mouse was horribly slashed from the gripping talons before being tossed mercilessly onto the ground. The waves of fear and desperation threatened to overwhelm the young Ralts, but it was not over yet. The worst part was yet to come as he could not look away from the brutal amputation of one of the Ninetales's luxuries appendages. The screams that followed brought the Feelings Pokemon to his knees.

The Girafarig who had tried to warn him blasted at the bird with electricity, screaming out for his friend 'Caine'. He was followed soon by the gold and black wolf, but the attack never unleashed as the Manectric then lost the fight against his wounds and fainted dead away. He looked like the strongest creature there, the only one who looked like he stood a chance against the demon plaguing this group. He had to help...he had to...

Gathering all the courage he could Prince stepped forward, ignoring the throbbing pain that so many negative emotions caused. He could feel himself starting to wither, horn starting to go soft and bend as his body began to grow sluggish, but he pushed forward. He waited until he was at the side of the injured canine and summoned one of his only true talents, his Heal Pulse, and a soft pink glow began to wrap around the pair. The light pulsed forwards again and again as the injured hounds wounds slowly started to heal. 'Just a little bit longer...'

((Edited to add on healing Nokes, permission given by Snitch. Xatu, feel free to cut into my boy healing Nokes since Snitch didn't want him fully repaired. Just no permanent damage and his collar has to stay in tact. ^_^))

The loud cry of the Ninetales that no longer had nine tails was like music to the Harbinger's ears, his beak pulling back with the ghost of a sadistic smile. "FUCKING NO! No ONE fucking touches... MY TAILS!!" A deep cackle of laughter, the sound almost alein on Xatu's throat as the sign of pleasure drifted through the air. "Now, now... that doesn't appear to be true, does it?" The beast retaliated as best he could prove to, an aura of violet coming across his body. The first attack he used did not even make the avian blink, flicking one wing, the Harbinger literally brushed off the beam bent to confue his senses. "Feeling bold, are we?" Uncharacteristicly talkative, his eyes gleamed with an inner light, shining from the black pit that the Xatu called a heart. It was at that time that both the Ninetales as well as the Girafarig, whom had made its recover swifter than he would have liked, unintentially doubled

The equine psychic type cried out, the sound only making the Xatu smirk wider, as both the Thunderbolt and Psy Shock flew right at the Harbinger in unison. The Manectric below him had already given up, his simple utterance of the word to the fire type more than enough to make it clear to the duel typed avian. The Harbinger's eyes flashing alight with his own Psychic energy, the attack lashed out mercilessly  with his favorite attack. THe special move sent the Ninetales flying, slamming into a nearby tree. Embers floated down around his tan fur while Xatu took a different approach with the Girafarig. Deflecting both attacks effortlessly, he was becoming irritated. With a flick of his head, there was a snap. The knees on both left legs of the psychic type gave way simultaneously, showing the damage done was much more concentrated than with the fox.

Ignoring the sure cries of pain from the equine as two of four legs were broken, the Xatu flickered his gaze to the Ninetales. His grin widening, almost to a maddening level, he took two more prizes. A second and third tail were ripped from the fox's body and tossed to the fires in the treetops, the scent of burning fur and flesh in the air. Thoroughly enjoying the screams or agony from both victims, Xatu then realized that the one he had ignored earlier had proven more annoying that originally thought. His face warped into a mask or restrained rage instantaneously as he faced the Raltz. Landing onto the ground, his massive taloned feet roughly shoved the small psychic from the Manectric. "And who said that you could do that?" The Harbinger hissed, tone deadly. "...because I did not."

Feeling ruthless, Xatu snatched the Azurill viciously back into his grip. Ripping her away from the ape and into his gaze, it was then Xau noticed the state of the Raltz. He was shaking. It clicked within the Harbinger instantly. "You are afffected by those around you." Looking into the child's eyes, he knew just what to do. An almost hypnotic glow began to form within the Xatu's gaze as he stared into the normal type's head. "Enjoy this." The Harbinger did not want to kill his prey- no, he felt the inner tug telling him that she would much rather be miserable living out the rest of her hours in painful agony.... her mind her worst foe. He flicked open her memories, deep wthin the depths of her mind. He plucked one at randm and began to unfold it, tear it apart, and play it over again for the mouse, even if she had already lived it.

It was her mother's death that he had chosen, the vines of the incredibly powerful grass type attack tearing apart the water type before the child's mind. Xatu lengthened it, having her forced to watch the scene unfold in her mind. The Azumarill screamed, her cries of agony that of an animalistic pain. She begged for her daughter to help her. "Molly.... Molly...! Molly, please - HELP ME!!" Her stomach was torn off then, red staining the rest of her fur and she broke off with a straingled cry. The crimson flowed, her body slowly but surely being torn, peice by peice. The Azumarill sobbed, crying tears even as her body was nothing but gore laying around her. "Molly.... why...?"

I stared right down at the avian, my eyes so wide and full of pain and anger, I felt livid. But the fear in the pit of my stomach would not leave, either. I felt my gut clentch, knowing that the mixture of fury and terror swirling within my gut would make me feel ill later. Always fuckin' did before. But I couldn't concentrate on that. More important matters were obviously at hand and I damn well wasn't going to be distracted. My life might have depended on it.

"Now, now... that doesn't appear to be true, does it?"

Oh. Oh fuck no. My eye twitched. Oh no, he didn't.

"Feeling bold, are we?"

Yes he fucking did.

Blood still pooled behind me in a generous amount, the warm sticky crimson sure to be attracting the nearby undead in the area, and the throbbing of where membrane and bone was viciously ripped was one of the worst pains I could possibly recall. It was like with each and every heart beat, more blood, more pain, more numb. Beat, heart, pain, numb. Funny how the numb came along with the pain. I couldn't help but considr if I was going to die from blood loss at that point, but the red staining the back of my hind legs was quickly shoved to the back of my head. For the Xatu was acting.

It happened so fast, I couldn't react until my body was slammed against the thick trunk of the tree, gasping from the pain and suprise. I heard a very distinct snapping sound break through the air and all I could think was how many ribs I had broken and praying to someone that I would not die. The flames falling around my body snipped and bit at my pelt, but the golden miracle was that I had the ability of my species to absorb all outside flames. My body naturally taking in the power of the embers and making myself stronger, I almost felt as if I could regain strength and take on the Harbinger yet.

But then the pain got worse.

And I had thought that the gony of losing a single tail was bad. But arceus -That prick - had given me nine. Nine fucking tails for that monster to choose from. I heard a peircing cry rip through the air as suddenly I saw two more of my beloved before me. Unattached. Surreal, as if it were some sick dream. It was only then that I realized I had been the one scream. The agony left me exhausted, collapsing to the ground, writhing in the searing, ripping sensation that continued long after both limbs were seperated.

I sobbed into the dirt, eyes slammed shut as I burried my muzzel into the earth. "Wh.... WHY?" Just fucking put a bullet in my head now....

Milo's attack flew, but like the others, his last resort attack did little good. The Xatu merely flung the attack away, as if it were simple cheap tricks, and sent one of his own, aimed at the girafarig's legs. Milo's heart stuttered as a terrible crack went through his body, and he soon found himself collapsing shoulder first into the ground. Looking down, he saw both his left legs twisted in unnatural directions, the pain not registering over the shock. ...My... My legs...

No sound came from his mouth. He simply stared as his left hooves twitched and hung, completely useless. Would... Would he even be able to walk again? As the fears of what would become of him began to flood and overwhelm his mind, more screams called for his attention, causing him to turn. More tails were being ripped from Caine, the fox's screaming overpowering any other noise. Milo could only stare in a catatonic horror as everyone was slowly but surely destroyed by a single bird.

They... Were they going to die here?

"Shhhh, d-don't c-cry; w-we'll f-find a w-way o-out of th-this..." The toddler looked up to the Chimchar, her tear-stained face sniffling as she whimpered. "Wh-Why d-does this... h-have to h-happen t-t-to us?" she hiccuped, trembling. Little Molly made a futile attempt to crawl closer to Oliver, but was swiftly interrupted as her body was suspended once again, in the talons of the harbinger. "You are afffected by those around you." The normal-type hesitantly cast a quick glance at the Xatu's face, but soon found that her gaze couldn't be pried away.

"Enjoy this." His eyes were hypnotic, the child's own orbs growing almost double their size as she stared into the avian's, before falling limp. Her head was pounding, her mind screeching for her to get away as quickly as possible, but his eyes, his eyes, she couldn't pull away. In a flicker, a memory reanimated behind the Azurill's mind, the rotting, crooked vines bursting from the earth and swiftly overpowering her mother, consuming her in a see of dead green. "No..." The screams. The screeches of her Azumarill parent was blasting into her ears. "Molly.... Molly...! Molly, please - HELP ME!!"

"MOM!" she cried out, writhing in a futile attempt to break free from the bird's grasp. "NO! NO!! Mom I'll save you! I promise I'll save you, I can save you this time!" thrashing around wildly, before slowing down when she watched her mother torn apart, a mess of blood and gore upon the dirt. "Molly.... why...?" The child stopped for a moment, limp without emotion before biting her lip and drawing blood, overwhelming agony and guilt rising from the pits of her stomachs in a wave of anguish.

"I wanted to save you..." she wailed, her throat burning with a deep sorrow that clouded her eyes. It wasn't long before those round orbs lit up again, the memory replaying in her mind. "I-I'll save you! I-I'll... I'll s-save everyone!" she screamed, writhing as if she was running. "I can do it... I c-can do it..." her expression fell, grinding her teeth as her body went stiff with shock. "I-I c-c-can't... do... i-it..."

As the memory replayed once more, this time, the toddler was different. Instead of her pathetic attempts to save her mother, instead she emitted long wails from her throat, unable to stop the landslide of emotions within her. "Mommy..." she cried, eyes half-lidded and dim, strained from the amount of tears she had cried. "I'm sorry..." she whimpered, choking and gagging before she hiccuped some more. "I-I'm s-s-so..." her body shuddered and shook with every breath, her eyes almost completely closed.

"...p-pathetic..."

Just when he thought he’d found a moments peace, the pain entirely blocked in his unconscious state, Nokes was prematurely being plunged back into reality. His eyelids opening slowly, a hiss of agony escaping him as the pain hit him with the force of an enraged Aggron, it took every fibre in his broken body not to scream. Nokes was above that.

He could hear the terror around him as vividly as ever, the ringing in his ears finally dispelled as he turned his head limply to catch glimpse of his saviour. His focus off, not used to having one eye pulverised by a pebble, Nokes stare lingered slightly to the side of where the Ralts stood. The kid looked exhausted and yet he persevered to help, a pink glow enveloping the wounds as the frenzied bleeding was gradually stemmed. His face still caked with his own rich blood, the look of gratitude was barely conceivable past the horror that the hound’s face had become.

Then, the bird was back.

"And who said that you could do that? …because I did not."

The small psychic disappeared from Nokes’ vision, bloodied talons in his periphery for a moment – no guessing who was responsible. But as soon as the Ralts was launched away, the pain descended on him like lead. Gritting his teeth, his head feeling as if it were on fire, the flame staring about the ripped eye socket, the Manectric lay writhing in silent agony for a moment. Never had he felt so helpless, so vulnerable. He hated it. Holding his breath, biting back a whimper, the electric-type used whatever reaming energy he had to stumble shakily to his feet. His body was stained entirely red, only flashes of yellow and black giving insight into the proud, powerful canine he’d been known as. Nokes was unrecognisable, a mess – the victim.

Leaning against the trunk for support, not trusting his fatigued muscles, the canine stared out across, assessing the damage. Xatu hadn’t wasted his time. The Ninetales was missing another portion of its tails, the canine lying almost opposite, sobbing feebly into the dirt; the Girafarig’s legs were splayed at awkward angles, leaving him essentially useless. There was no hope. Molly was latched in the psychotic bird’s grip, screaming uncontrollably about family, and the monkey had been no use to begin with. Nokes himself was too exhausted to fight, soon realizing that there was only one possibility of survival. Head snapping to the Ralts, the intensity of his glare lessened by the fatigue, Nokes stumbled to stand almost protectively before it.
“Stay out of this,” He hissed, enunciating each word to ensure his demand hit home. They couldn’t lose that psychic. The creature had some sort of healing abilities and they were most definitely going to need it when this was over.

Prince was so focused on trying to heal the Manectric he never heard the Xatu approach. He did, however, feel the taloned foot roughly shove his tiny frame away. "And who said that you could do that?" Prince visibly paled as the wicked voice emanated from above him, waves of negative energy rolling off of the Harbinger in waves. "...because I did not." His eyes widened in terror as the bird snatched the young water type once again, a horrifying realization coming upon him.

"You are afffected by those around you."

He knew. He KNEW! With his wilting horn and drooping posture it was only obvious that the Ralts was suffering from the negative emotions swirling around him, fear being the most prominent. "Enjoy this." As the small Azurill screamed and begged, some horror only she could see playing through her mind, Prince began to sob. His body was shriveling, curling in on itself at the onslaught of terrible emotions radiating from the child. He couldn't take it...he couldn't...

“Stay out of this.” The voice of the Manectric he had tried to heal was not something he had expected, nor was the protective way he was standing in front of him. Was he defending him? Why? He was just some nobody who had stopped to try and help. He was too small and too weak to worry about, already likely a goner just from the way this area was affecting his body. But he didn't argue, he merely nodded and allowed the electric hound to do as he would. After all, it was the very reason he had tried to save him, wasn't it?

The chaos he had been causing was absolutely delectable to the Harbinger. His eyes were glowing brightly, alight with the knowlegde of what he was causing. What he was completely responsible for. Not the Master, but him. The Xatu was finally showing just how much of a God he could be, prove to be, in the dog-eat-dog world. The Harbinger's gaze shone with a sinister light. "...Pathetic fools," he spat at the living. When he had made his appearance to the pitiful mixture of species, they had all leaped into action. The group had not been one to work together, but they had at least made the effort to try and defend themselves.

To which the Xatu could... respect, even.

But now?

The Harbinger's beak curled in disgust. They were pitiful. Not worthy of his effort. Not worthy of his time! He was above them! Nothing but filthy naves, begging for attention from their superior. In the corrupted mind of the great avian, they were his worshipers, yearning to please him. Forgetting he was holding the child, Xatu dropped her to the ground without realizing it. She was just a mess of deep gouges, bleeding her life away, and a fractured mind. The Ninetales was nothing but a limp body, spirit broken all too easily and draped on the ground. The Manectric and the Girafarig none the better, and the Ralts proving to no longer grate on the Harbinger's nerves.

But in his mind they were all bowing. Showing their appreciation, their love. As the egotistical beleifs clouded the Xatu's mind and eyes, his expression changed. Unlike the bored fury he displayed earlier, the devilish smile creeping upon his face was that of a killer, mad with power. "...A god."

[I will be haulting in my stay on this team in a post or so... Any other requests, make them now, as I shall be making my leave if nothing else. I was not called on for a kill, so I use my discretion in when I have stayed long enough.]