(ACE) The UNDER Team

The forest was never ending. She had been running for what felt like forever but could not escape, the skies only grew darker and darker as the great shadow slowly caught up to her. Ardere's heart was pounding in her ears, legs pumping as hard and fast as they could to get her away, but it didn't matter. Within a matter of minutes the dark shadow leapt overhead and landed in front of her, revealing the dark grey and red fur of the one who had haunted her dreams for the last several nights. But now his body was covered in bloody gashes, his eyes were brilliant red and his pelt thoroughly tainted with purple. He was one of them now...

Hadrian...no! But all of her cries were for naught, as the Zoroark descended upon her. His fangs tore into her neck once more and she screamed in pain, but this time he flipped her over and dug his claws deep into her gut. She cried, tears flowing freely as the man she loved dug into her abdomen and started pulling out organs. He laughed at her pain, the same rich laugh that used to bring her so much joy now leaving her in a state of utter terror. Hadrian was her best friend, she had loved him...but now he was her Reaper. He seemed to be searching for something within her but it took him removing nearly all of her innards before he found it. With a flash of claws and blood he tore from the Houndoom an egg, seemingly perfect against the tainted created and blood that covered her.

Her egg...

The undead fox reached down and slowly traced one of his claws down her cheek and muzzle, caressing her even as he drew a thin line of blood. He held the egg close to him, an almost serene look on his face as he held the unborn child. He knew. He knew that the pup within was his, and he was telling Ardere that he was going to take it from her. In pain and in panic the fire hound yelped and struggled, using her back legs to kick at the fox atop her and send him flying into a nearby tree. She forced herself to her feet and snarled, getting into a fighting stance despite her injuries. Hadrian came at her once more and this time she didn't run, she fought back. As her fangs went for his throat he moved, causing her to clamp down on his arm, resulting in him dropping the egg. Battle forgotten Ardere dove for her pup but it was too late, the egg hit the ground with tremendous force and shattered.

"NO!"

Hadrian stepped back as Ardere rushed for her baby, but what she saw caused her eyes to widen in terror. What lay in the remains of albumin and fluids was not a Houndour. Well...not exactly. The child was still embryonic in form. It limbs were still fused to its body, its eyes were still sealed over, it lacked any sort of fur, she could see through its pinkish skin to see its barely formed organs and it made her sick. But despite its underdeveloped state it still wasn't a Houndour. It was some bastardized version of a Houndour and a Zorua...features of both their kinds highly present in the youth. She began to retch from the sight of the horror before her and Hadrian backed up into the shadows, laughing. His laughter echoed through the trees as he vanished from sight.

But when the embryo before her started to twitch and cry like a newborn pup...Ardere's screams where what overpowered the echo of laughter.

((Skip again. :x Tai's still asleep.))

[ooc: Skip me.]

[ooc: skip]

It was hard to tell the time in this dark, bleak place, though it had to have been a few hours since the others lay down to rest. He placed a hand on the egg's that lay next to him, wondering what would appear out of them.
He felt rather sad for them though. They where going to hatch into a world of death and sickness, they wouldn't know the beauty this world really has, or once had. If only he could take them to a place free of this poison, then maybe they can know what a nice place this world really is.

The Krookodile turned his gaze to the now dead fire. All that remained was the little red sparks that would ignite again if given a good enough breeze, though there was none in here. Oh now Sai longed to see the sky one more, how he wished he could feel the sun on his scales and the cool wind. Just the thought made him grin.
He figured it was time for everyone to wake up. Getting to his feet, he walked over to the Jolteon, Judas, or something like that, and patted his shoulder. "Hey, wake up." Said said. He figured he should wake him up first, cause he seemed better suited to waking Ardere and the green Jolteon.
"Koin, time to get up." He said as we went over to the other Jolteon. "We need to start moving." He added as he turned to the Absol.
He really did wish he knew what time it was, but until they got outside, they wouldn't really know for sure. He couldn't even remember what time it was when they first got here, was it day, night? It was hard to say.

((Derp! Sorry guys, I haven't been online recently so I didn't realize it was my turn. Skip for now, but I give Sil or Ciana to wake Ardere from her terrible nightmare. She would be crying and screaming in her sleep so it would be obvious))

Nightmares plagued Tai as he slumbered, pursuing him relentlessly as he merely sought rest. But his inner demons would not allow it, Demi's voice calling him out constantly, her claws turning into the Aggron's that ended her life and his brother's. The claws that sought blood and vengeance. They chased him, points seeking his flesh and pelt, wanting to rip him asunder as he had allowed before. He had let them die... And now, his guilt made tangible by these claws, he wasn't sure if he would actually be spared.

Eyes open in a half-sleep daze, he nearly jumped three feet in the air when claws reached for him, his body sparking with electricity, needled fur on end. When his groggy mind caught up, however, he soon realized it was just Sai, who'd shaken him awake and was going around the fire, rousing the others. His heart still beating in his throat, he swallowed and breathed so to calm his racing heart down. Nothing was wrong. They were simply waking up.

A scream then cut through the silence, Tai's wild eyes going immediately to their source, the new mother houndoom. Looks like he wasn't the only one who had trouble sleeping. Bounding over Koin to Ardere, he nosed the fire dog's neck and shoulder, pushing her to wake her. "Hey, hey-- wake up!" he spoke, nearly pleading for her to wake so the screaming would stop. "You're all right, just wake up and stop screaming. You're in the Under, remember?" Hopefully, she'd stop soon...

It was one of those dreams again, where the Jolteon was faced with his own terrible thoughts. Here he cowered, defenseless and powerless. There she stood, heart in hand and grin on face. There she lay, broken and defeated. Koin watched in horror in slow motion as dream Delia ate Blaze's heart, and he was forced to witness the grueling moment. His heartbreak was fresh, the blood seeping so horrifically. Here, in his dream, he was the slave to his own subconscious. Koin felt himself withdraw into seclusion again, feeling the haunting claws of depression pull him deeper into himself -- he could shut down at this very moment, cut off all emotions and forget himself. Yet, as he felt the dark brush up next to him, the scene had shifted on itself. There stood a green Jolteon with a nervous smile; a Houndoom with an cower; a Krookodile with an egg; another Jolteon with a grimace; an Absol with a disconnected look. Those faces -- Sal, Ardere, Sai, Jude, Absinthe -- slowly brought him outward once more, albeit slowly and even reluctantly.

"Koin, time to get up." His eventual awakening was calming, as if he had risen gracefully from beneath the depths of a pool. Koin allowed himself a few moments of peace before he was pushed yet again into a fast current of events. He wouldn't know what was to come; what was more dangerous, their own thoughts, or the opponents of unknown strength? Screaming brought Koin to his full senses -- the other Jolteon had jumped over him easily to get to the screaming -- and he sprung upward in surprise. He yelped in mild pain when his injured leg reminded him of its presence, but the Jolteon forgot about it immediately upon seeking the source of the noise. Adere was shouting, scream, crying in pain. Judas had gone to wake her up, reminding that she was in the Under, they were resting, there was no need to shout.

Feeling like he should help out also, Koin limped quickly until he was on the other side of the Houndoom, whispering his own words of comfort. "Hey, Miss Ardere... Shhh, you're okay. You're not alone anymore, okay?"

((Sorry, but please skip, Sai isn't really doing anything at the moment other then waiting for the rest to wake up.))

Ardere was terrified. Her nightmares were spilling into the real world in the form of horrific screams that rubbed her throat raw and thrashes that nearly kicked the defenseless egg resting by her bosom into the fire. She couldn't feel the tears in her throat as she screamed, the only thing in her mind the monster that lay inside the dream egg. Something was wrong with he baby...it had to be. Why else would her mind be screaming at her to let it die.

"Hey, Miss Ardere... Shhh, you're okay. You're not alone anymore, okay?" She felt a nose in her neck and immediately thought of Hadrian, fear gripped the Houndoom but he voice that accompanied it soon helped to soothe. Cracking her eyes open carefully the Houndoom awoke to see her egg rolling towards the small fire and she quickly jumped up to stop it. While she wasn't sure whether or not this child should live or not, it wasn't her choice to make. She could see through the dying embers of the fire the child that lay within the egg, how it pulsed and moved with the heat. Whatever hatched from this egg, it was alive, and it deserved the chance to live.

Looking over to Judas she gave him a small smile, scooping the egg into its sling. "Thank you..." It wasn't much, but it was the best she could offer. In those simple words she felt the raw exposure of her throat and realized that she had probably woken them with her screaming. Guilt gripped at her and she had to be thankful that she hadn't attracted anymore Undead to their location with her hysterics. But...something was wrong. "Salama? Where...?" Her dear little green fox was missing. Her eyes went wide and she looked around frantically, sniffing everything she could get to for any trace of the young girl. But she was nowhere to be found. Sobbing slightly, she returned to the fire, mentally exhausted and broken-hearted. She looked to the others with a forlorn expression before returning her gaze to the fire, certain that she would never see her little friend again.

As the two jolteon stood above Ardere, trying to calm her down, Judas nearly got hit by a stray limb or two. They all had nightmares; any pokemon still alive was plagued by them. But what chilling event had grasped the houndoom's mind so that she was so hysterical in her nightmares? Swallowing, letting Koin's words slowly rouse her, he had to flinch away when her egg nearly hit his paw and rolled into the fire.

Her maternal instinct must have finally kicked in, for she quickly brought it back to her. However, as she thanked them both for waking her, she looked arond, anxious. Quickly piecing together just whom she was looking for, Judas soon found the green jolteon missing. "Salama? Where...?" she called weakly, only to give up and quietly sobb to herself. She was just not up to looking around for her, and Judas was almost of the same mindset. Whatever had happened to make the skittish green mirror of himself vanish, he didn't want to know.

"We should really get moving," Judas muttered, padding his way to the edge of camp. "Ardere said something about the trains, right? The tracks that lead out. We can make our way down to them and finally get out of this messhole of a city..." It was not just a suggestion, but a small quippet of hope. There could be ways out.

"Salama? Where...?" Alarm pierced through his frail heart when Koin realized that the green Jolteon was missing in their little group. Had he been too rough, too coarse with the female? Though he had not connected to her in the way that Ardere had, Koin felt sorrow rip through him as he realized that he had lost a potential friend. It was odd that not so long ago, he wouldn't have known these Pokemon -- wouldn't have cared for their past, troubles, and anything in between. They were nobodies that could have changed his life, and he would never know about it. The difference is that I do know them now. Even if all he had was their names, their present was intertwined, and possibly their near futures. Whatever was going to happen, it was going to be thrown at all of them as a whole.

"We should really get moving. Ardere said something about the trains, right? The tracks that lead out. We can make our way down to them and finally get out of this messhole of a city..." Koin was about to say that they should recuperate more, gather their senses before padding into the unknown, but he held his tongue. His first instinct was to prepare and have all areas covered -- second thoughts told him it was best to move while they were still unscathed. The Jolteon closed his eyes in deep reverie, mentally psyching himself for what was to come. Finally getting out of these ruins? Finding out where they truly are? Finding how far away from home he was? On top of that, was he ready to leave behind what happened in this dark abyss? Koin gave a deep sigh, and when he opened his eyes there was a certain hardness about them. Y-yeah, I'm ready.

It was like a scab that had healed. It was like a weight that had been lifted. It was like seeing sunlight after being in the dark for so long. That one, single moment when you're able to let go of the past allowed Koin the life that he had felt had been sucked out of him. No, he was certainly not completely healed of the events -- no one can escape their old haunts -- but Koin was ready to move towards the future. Towards a new beginning. Huffing in determination, Koin stayed at Ardere's side in comfort. I may not be the best counselor right now... Doubt clouded his head for a moment, but the electric type knew that it was better for the mother to have someone with her. He was ready; Delia would no longer hold reign over his life. Koin suggested to Judas in a (surprisingly) strong voice, "Maybe if we backtrack we can find her old scent trail and go on from there."

Everyone was waking up without much trouble, though it seemed a lot of them had a restless sleep, plagued by nightmares no less. He had nightmares whenever he closed his eyes as well, ones of his home and what mite have happened to it. How he wished he could go back, but he was positive there was nothing left there now.
“We should really get moving,” Judas said, and Sai nodded at that. They really shouldn’t stay here any longer then they needed to. “Ardere said something about the trains, right? The tracks that lead out. We can make our way down to them and finally get out of this messhole of a city…”
Sai knew what he was talking about. The tracks also seemed to be there only way out, as any other means seemed impossible. He hoped they could avoid the place where they had there battle. He really didn’t wish to stir those memories.

“That’s sounds like the best idea.” Sai said as he turned to Judas, then to Ardere. “Do you remember where the tracks are?” He asked, not expecting a right away answer as she was probably still scared from her dream.
“Maybe if we backtrack we can find her old scent trail and go on from there.” Koin suggested, and that was probably a better idea. The Houndoom probably didn’t want to remember what happened there, with Delia.
Sai didn’t trust the Zoroark when he had first met her, and he was right to. She was just plain evil. He hoped she met her end out there, though there was that chance where she was still alive. But where did she go? That was a question he would probably never find an answer to.

Absinthe grumbled as he opened his eyes, the commotion proving too loud of a sound to sleep through as he lazily sat up, licking filth away from his pelt. Although the voices and screaming were bothersome, the Absol wanted no part in their little talk as he waited for them to finish. "We should really get moving," Slowly turning his head, the dark-type's gaze rested on the dim flames for a moment before shifting closer to the conversation.

"Maybe if we backtrack we can find her old scent trail and go on from there." The wounded Jolteon said, and Absinthe quietly listened. The group seemed to agree with the idea of finding the tracks again, and finding a way out from there. Slowly standing up, he dusted his fur a couple more times. "Train tracks... I wonder where they'll lead," he mumbled, frowning a bit as he spoke. "Would the tracks be leading up to Pyrite? Or somewhere else?"

((Skip please, I am at the wall of a terrible block. Just say Ardere agreed to show them where the train tracks were because she left a significant blood trail near there to follow.))

((Skip-- got nothing. :< He's just following))

It was an everlasting nightmare.

Karlos was literally dragged kicking and screaming down into the Under, in which he didn't know by whom. All he knew, is that some idiotic pokemon had grabbed him while he was sleeping and yanked him all the way here. It was hard to believe he was still alive. It was most likely a non-infected, but Karlos didn't give any fucks. He was still alive, right? Well, he hoped so. Though, this definitely wasn't heaven. Maybe it was hell? Well, Karlos, don't worry 'bout it this time. You're free! Chucklig to himself, he padded on forward. The Mightyena's tail swayed as he walked, he didn't feel in danger. Well, not for long.

With a bit a surprise, mixed in with the sense of anxiety, the Mightyena could hear the sound of voices, not to far away. That surprise quickly turns into laughter. "Heh, I bet they are Hellhounds comin to get me!" He says rather loudly, quickly shutting his snout and moving a bit backwards. Did they here me? Well, shit. Karlos decided to take a risk, and slowly walked closer. The sound was coming from a building, probably echoing down. The Bite Pokemon inches closer, taking a peek inside. Nothing. Maybe they were higher up? He could check, but that would be dangerous. What if they were infected? Karlos' sense of safety was washed away and replaced with the sudden feeling of fear.

Well, I'm certainly alive now.

Koin had confirmed that yes, he wanted to recover from his trauma and become stronger, but no, he wasn't expecting the process to be so difficult. It was like plunging out of deep waters to take in a breath of fresh air, only to realize that you're nowhere near any form of land. It was like trying to be solid member within a team, only to find that your shortcomings were becoming apparent. The Jolteon wasn't strong, smart, or sneaky -- Koin only really knew how to run, and even that was out of his league considering his bad leg. Sai had thankfully agreed that their next plan of action should be to the train tracks, but with a quiet mumble Absinthe wondered where the tracks would lead. Pyrite? What region are we in? He flicked his ears in confusion, raking his mind over what region a town called 'Pyrite' would reside within. Nothing coherent came to mind that would give a straight answer.

"Absinthe, do you know what region we're in?" Koin questioned on the side, continuing to limp through the dark ruins of this wretched place. A lot of... unpleasant memories had formed themselves in these shadows, in the flickering red of the embers. He would be quick to say that getting out of there was a top priority, more so that they find their bearings than to escape old haunts. His attention was brought to the smell of blood -- it must have been the blood Ardere mentioned she spilt -- and he tried not to flinch away. Koin figured that he was a veteran when it came to blood; he obviously figured wrong. He tried to focus on anything other than the scent, bringing himself back to Absinthe. "Truthfully, even if I knew the region, I don't know anything outside of Johto..."

He found that there was nothing more to say, so he looked towards the rest of the group with unsure eyes. How will we make it...?

Pyrite? Would the tracks they where about to go for lead to this town called Pyrite? He knew little to nothing about Orre, or it’s cities, he only knew the name of this one from that old sign he had read a while back when they first arrived here, it was mouldy, and covered in human blood, but he was still able to make out those five letters. Under.
No one else seemed to be talking, but Ardere thankfully agreed to take them to the tracks. He nodded and let her lead the way, hoping no one would object to letting the Houndoom lead for a little while, even though this group didn’t have a solid leader. But he for some reason saw Koin as the groups leader, he had been with it the longest, so it was only natural that he would be the one fit for the job.

“Absinthe, do you know what region we're in?” Koin asked the Absol, though Sai could easily answer that for him, he chose not too in case he was wrong. He rather keep his big mouth shut on things like this, though he didn’t talk all that often, his mouth was naturally big, we was a Krookodile after all.
Turning his attention away from Koin and Absinthe, he walked back over to the dead fire and the two eggs wrapped up in a warm blanket.
Sai bent down and picked up Ardere and his egg before turning to the Houndoom. “Do you want to carry yours, or would you prefer me to?” He asked, she seemed to be a little stressed from her last dream, though he dared not argue with her if she chose to carry herself.

When first encountering the large reptile Ardere had been nervous of him. Even with his egg he looked like a fierce fighter and it made her nervous when she found herself alone with him. But only for a moment. “Do you want to carry yours, or would you prefer me to?” Ardere looked at the Krookodile with new eyes at the kind offer and gave him a gentle smile. "It is very sweet of you to ask, but I think I can handle it." She struggled to her feet but managed to finally get steady. After a few tries she managed to roll her egg back into its sling and her eyes lit up at the small triumph. "I should get used to carrying it around...some pups do take a longer time to hatch." She gave Sai another bright smile and turned to look at the others in their little group.

They had already started moving and the hound quickly trotted to catch up to them, her nose seeking out the scent of her own blood. She had been badly damaged when first getting here, the bite on the back of her neck still fresh and oozing before Salama fetched that Max Potion. Salama...the poor child. Ardere hoped wherever she was she was safe. That girl was a good soul and deserved to be safe and happy. Finally picking up her own scent the Houndoom changed direction suddenly, moving off to he others left. Looking around she spotted a small puddle of blood where she had collapsed and first met the spritely green Jolteon. "This way gentlemen, I remember the way from here."

It wasn't long before she came across the tunnel that head led her to this realm of darkness. The scent of the she-devil fox was long gone so it was fairly safe to assume she didn't linger here and certainly never came back. But there was another scent...had it been following them? Turning her nose up she tried to track it but the smell of rust was affecting her, the harsh chemical break down of metal particularly poor for a hounds nose. "Gentlemen...do you smell something? I think its been following us..."

Tai followed along, keeping somewhat close to his wounded kin. While he bore no special feelings for the other jolteon, he didn't want to see the poor kid get hurt any more than he already was... Their likeness possibly more than skin deep, Tai felt almost obliged to see after Koin. "Absinthe, do you know what region we're in?" Koin asked, piquing Tai's interest as well. Being magically transported to the dark abyss they currently trekked through, he wasn't all that sure himself. He'd only known sands above and the tropical weather of Hoenn. But the absol remained quiet.

"Wish I knew," Tai grumbled, hopping down a small mound of debris. "Then I could call this hell by its proper name." He was only half-joking, but his growling tone didn't lighten his words.

"This way gentlemen, I remember the way from here." Ardere called, moving the group in a definite direction. Finally, it seemed they were going to get out of this bullshit. He glanced to Koin, wondering if he felt any sort of relief at all. Maybe he'd perk up once they were out of the dark and into the sun? He hoped so; he didn't want to see the poor guy keep moping...

A noise then caught his ear, causing him to pause and turn. What had that been? "Heh, I b... ey ...re Hell...s ...omin ...t me!" A voice? Certainly not one he recognized. Frowning, he turned fully to try and hear more of the stranger's voice, wanting to catch anything else. Thank Legends for his giant ears. At least they were useful for something other than catching flies.

"Gentlemen...do you smell something? I think its been following us..." Ardere announced, her voice soft with concern. Tai nodded, but didn't turn back to the others, instead keeping his gaze in the direction the voice had come from. "Yeah," he replied, keeping still. "I heard something, that way," Nodding in the direction, he turned back to the others, unsure of what to do next. "...Do we try to find what it was?"

"... Do we try to find what it was?" Koin gaped quietly as the others murmured about hearing some unknown presence -- he had admittedly been too preoccupied with his own thoughts to hear the sounds. His first instinct was that Delia had returned, and was slinking through the darkness as if she were darkness itself. At that train of thought, the Jolteon thought he would flinch away, but instead he felt his throat constrict uneasily. ... That's improvement in my standards. He pawed the ground with his good paw, mulling over the options in his mind quickly. If by some chance it was Delia, he wanted no part in her cruel mind games. If by any other percentage it was a possible comrade- well, Koin wasn't too sure if there were any more friendly fires to be sought after. The rest of the unknown factors would be that it was the undead. Negatives to all of those.

"It's a fifty-fifty chance that it's either a friend, which is nice," he added earnestly, looking at all of them individually. "or that it's a foe, which we should avoid." Koin allowed all of them (including himself) to think over the possibilities, before coughing awkwardly. He was truthfully anxious to get out of the suffocating darkness and into some form of sunlight, to feel the warmth on himself and fresh air. Everything about this dank environment sucked the life out of it, dragging his morale down slowly. Eventually, he'd fall in on himself, and break down completely... Yeah, I have to get out of here.

"I personally vote that we continue on, and let whatever is following us follow us until we're free to retaliate." He cocked his head thoughtfully, trying to not let the fear of that whatever becoming a whoever, and that becoming she-who-will-not-be-named. Koin took in a small breath, troubled eyes trying to keep calm. There's no way they can fall so easily -- right?

Ardere shifted uncomfortably as both Jolteons confirmed her suspicion. Something else was there, and from the faint voice they didn't sound all that old. A young one...alone in the dark...she didn't like it. "...Do we try to find what it was?" She was about to suggest that they at least try when she spotted Koin's gaping mouth. He began to paw at the ground nervously and once again Ardere felt guilty. 'The poor dear...' He voiced an opinion before the group fell silent again and the awkward weight settled on the Houndoom.

"I personally vote that we continue on, and let whatever is following us follow us until we're free to retaliate." Well that was...an idea. "I am unsure 'retaliate' should be the best word, young Koin, but I do feel your option best." She looked around to see if maybe the child from before had caught up to them yet. "But we musn't forget that whoever they are may be trapped down here just as we. Remember to keep an open mind. After all, if we hadn't before none of us would have met dear." Giving Koin a soft smile she gave an affectionate nudge to the youth before moving past him. "Let us get out into the open sky once more, yes?"

((Let me know if you want me to edit Ally))

"I am unsure 'retaliate' should be the best word, young Koin, but I do feel your option best." A part of Koin felt better as the Houndoom said his name in such a warm tone, as if she were guiding him like a mother toting to her child. It was gentle, and she was kind -- the Jolteon hadn't experienced kindness in a very long time. Everyone was some sort negative emotion, and Koin honestly didn't think others allowed themselves to open up anymore. Yet here was Ardere, reminding him that they had met under the fact that they kept an open mind. He returned her smile. That's one way to put it. The electric type nodded firmly as the Houndoom nudged him and began on her way.

He was ready, he thought, taking a few steps forward. Once they were out of here, they'd find their bearings, and be able to find some place to survive. His fur bristled with anticipation, though he soon found himself deflating with defeat. He halted, eyes staring into the ground. Koin really wanted to believe that all of them would live, possibly thrive together, but that belief he once had? The Jolteon searched within himself, and he found it lacking -- he could say it all he wanted it to, but the confidence was no longer there. I... I really don't think we'll make it. It cast a bleak color on the future he had painted. His eyes grazed his injured leg, and reminded him of what kind of reality this twisted world was.

Koin looked at Ardere, his heart almost heaving when he realized what he was going to do. He was letting her down. I'm letting everyone down. Judas had been a silent support of sorts, and Koin's throat constricted uneasily; he had felt an odd brotherly bond, and he was severing the bond. He blinked rapidly, and prayed to the distant Arceus -- he apologized to Sai and to Absinthe. "I'm sorry." Koin said in a tight voice, not wanting to reveal how emotional he was becoming. He had to be strong, and in the least pretend that he knew what he was doing. "I'm not going with you." He spoke to all of them as a whole, although he didn't make eye contact as he turned around and began a quick limp further into the darkness. He was leaving with no explanation, nor any words of consolation.

Tears were blinding him at this point, but Koin pressed forward silently. This is weird, he thought idly, it was so long since he had truly walked by himself. There was no Rin the Glaceon, smiling and being optimistic at his side. No Blaze, gruff and protective, overlooking his shoulder. No Chivalry the Gallade, being a proud leader upfront. Least of all there was no Delia, sneaking within the shadows and being sweetly poisonous... Koin was simply alone as he turned an unknown corner and limped an unknown distance, further and further away from the others.

Koin was gone.

Judas' mind was flitting about with possibilities of just what was behind them. It couldn't have been the little green version of himself and Koin... he would have recognized her scent and voice. Neither was it the demented fox; she would have made herself known by now anyway. As the others conversed among themselves, their words meshed together in a haze of echoes in his mind, until Koin caught his attention by stopping.

"I'm sorry," he began, his wounded kin's voice tight with emotion. Tai turned, facing Koin more. No... He knew that look... His face fell into one of concern, of a yearning for what was about to come next to be a lie... a jest, something, something other than the truth. "I'm not going with you." Without another pause, without another word or a chance for any protest, he limped back into the darkness. Tai flinched, watching a mirror of himself recede into the shadows.

"NO!" Tai cried, the images of him running from his mate's and his brother's corpses the only thing he could see now. To watch Koin give up, to watch him surrender to the dark instead of going back to the light... especially when they were so close... "Koin!" He felt a part of himself crumble, a mirror of himself showing him what he feared. To withdraw into the shadows and never come back out. Finding himself panting, trembling, he tried collecting himself; he'd barely known the jolteon, but he saw so much of himself in him... He gritted his teeth, then turned back to the others.

"We need to get out of this fucking void before it takes the rest of us!" he snapped, catching up with the lead. His fur on end, pointed in spikes, he paused and gave one last look into the shadows. He could no longer see his twin's form, nor hear or smell him. It was as if the jolteon had simply vanished... He swallowed hard, then tore his gaze away. No. He was gone.... and that was all there was to it.