The CORONET Team

(OoC: I have nothing to post without Benton. ^^; Since Vortex has little idea who Aria is either, she can't really say much.)

(OoC: skip)

Benton sometimes felt like living a thousand years gave him the privilege of leaving behind a legacy. Something that others could live up to, or something left behind for others to fulfill in his place. He understood that he wasn't exactly awake for about four-fifths of that time, but really, it was all in technicalities, right? BT loved being happy, but he could be mature. And he was mature enough to understand more than what was said.

Like, he understood that Vortex had suffered a lot -- he saw through the facade, realized she was going through emotional turmoil that equally needed the emotional support. He was more than happy to be that support. Or, he noticed that behind the "cool bro" that Osmund was, there was an emotional wall set up. The Cacturne pushed others away by indifference (or something like that!). BT couldn't really wrap his mind around the greatest of concepts, but one thing he knew was emotions. And... The Shieldon gave a bright smile as he heard Eadion ramble about hearing about them from... "Ariel? ... Aria! That's it, her name was Aria." He cocked his head as he began to comprehend her words, and tried his best to keep his brightest smile.

But something about hearing about Aria made him crack.

It was like a knife to his heart, and then twisting that knife slowly. Benton forced himself to continue smiling, but he turned away from the Glaceon, knowing that she was not at fault. No one was at fault. No one was in trouble, no one was injured or was threatening others. The problem herein lies within the words. There was no one, and that fact pierced him sharply. The little Pokemon didn't really understand before what this feeling was, but it occurred to him -- he felt betrayed. The latent negative emotion had been shoved to the back of his mind because hey, he was too optimistic to think of how much it really hurt him! But BT had watched as, one by one, his friends died, ran away, or left with no explanation.

BT felt betrayed, and he didn't know what to do about it.

Of course, Ozzy had come back, and new people had come, but it was like Benton had put on a new pair of eyes. "Aria was a good friend, yes." He managed to say in a distant voice as his smile faded, until the smile wasn't there at all. The Shieldon's thoughts betrayed him; he felt sullen and dark, like a ruined child robbed of innocence. Was it reality catching it up to him? Or the epidemic showing its true face? Or was it merely him facing up to the obvious?

BT coughed to get all of their attention. "I'm leaving. I need to find a reason again." He tried to be as vague as possible, although he swept his poignant gaze over all of them. Sadness engulfed the little Shieldon, and he set up a Rock Polish before sprinting through Mount Coronet. He continued to run away.

He didn't leave behind a legacy. He just left without a goodbye.

(OoC: I'm unsure of what to do. Please skip me, just say that Vortex watched him leave with a shocked expression.)

No one left of any value, nothing left, gone, those he had managed to bond to were gone, all that was left was him and the Charmeleon. Erect and rigid in posture, eyeing down the fire gecko coldly and giving a slight thought to the well being of Benton, he knew what his conclusion was for the next course of actions here in the inky black labyrinth of Mt. Coronet.

" Survival belongs to the pragmatic and the regretless. Take this advice to mind. " The green humanoid said in a dark exasperated voice to the Fire-type as he began to trudge down one of the many adjacent corridors of the unholy tunnel system. And with this, like the others, Osmund vanished.

(OoC: leaving post)

GAH!!! There has to be something- no someone! there has to be someone around..." The glowing white gemstone eyes of something resembling a sableye with patchwork skin could vaguely be seen in the darkness of the caves. It was furiously scurrying across through the tunnels, razor sharp teeth showing in it's fury. He wanted- no needed something to cure his boredom. The very thing had led him from this place, his old home, but the bright light of the outside forced him to return and trapped him here. He stopped as a small growl escaped his stomache. How long had it been since he last killed something that wasn't infected? "Too long. MUCH to long..." Ickbarr answered himself, His mouth watering as he looked at his special tooth. He found himself about to chomp down on it before forcing himself to stop. " No, no, Ick. This is your special tooth, remember?"He mutters before turning a corner in the maze- like tunnel systems inside the mountain. This time, something caught his eye. A small pinprick of light. Fire. "Yes! yes!! Finally!!Ickbar smiles widely to himself before quickly crawling on all fours towards the source. He hoped his boredom would cease with the new thing.

As he nears, Ickbarr slows and walks on his long hind legs, and makes sure to stay in the shadows. His sinister glowing eyes, the only part of him visible in the darkness, watch the female fire lizard closely.

(i'm so glad to be on the team!!!
Also: He is following the fire on vortex's tail :3)

((>.< sorry! I'll delete this if i need to and repost later))

Glass looked around the empty cavern, her eyes scanning over every rock, every grain of dust and every stalagmite for anything strange. She glanced at a strange flickering red light of in the distance. " Another fucking undead? No. I cleared this place out. No fucking way another one turned up. This one could be a living..." Glass said, watching the flickering red light with interest as it came closer.

Glass jumped down from the ledge she was on and down to where she could see the flickering light. She quietly crept towards the light, her eyes noting that it looked like it was coming closer. "I do hope that you realize your walking around my territory? I bet you came running up here to find Arceus? Well, you ain't gonna get past me. I highly doubt that you will find anything up on Spear Pillar though. It's a fucking barren wasteland up there." She said, keeping hidden from view. She didn't know who these pokemon were, and she wasn't about to waltz into a trap.

Ickbarr continued to follow the female fire lizard, hoping that it may be the key to keeping his boredom at bay. But, to his disappointment, it didn't do anything that he found interesting. He was about to just leap out to attack the creature when a different livings voice could be heard.
"I do hope that you realize your walking around my territory? I bet you came running up here to find Arceus? Well, you ain't gonna get past me. I highly doubt that you will find anything up on Spear Pillar though. It's a fucking barren wasteland up there." The voice spoke somewhere near him. He felt his hopes rise once more and bounced in excitement.

((For now i'd like Ick to go mostly unnoticed since he is simply observing, but if you want you can notice his eyes :3))

Glass peered through the darkness. Growling, she readied a Razor wind, the white glow casting a light around the area. As Glass looked around, she saw a sparkling glint nearby. She let the Razor Wind fade. Hmm... I wonder.... She thought, taking a small step towards where she saw the glint. She still hadn't noticed the Charmeleon though.

((srry, but skip me plz >.< Ick is just following vortex and keeping mostly out of sight. If you want, you can spot his eyes or try to talk to him now.))

Glass immediately became aware that something was definitely there. That wasn't a normal glint, no. It had been the glint off a Pokemon achingly familiar to her. Sableye. "Identify yourself. I know your there. The eyes of a sableye are near impossible to miss." Glass said, a hint of hostility in her voice. She didn't exactly like sableyes, but she'd put up with them if she had to.

"Identify yourself. I know your there. The eyes of a sableye are near impossible to miss."

Ick's excitement only grew when the absol spoke to him, but his hunger clawed at his stomach, making him unsure of what to do next. I could kill it for food. Yes, it has beautiful teeth. But then, I may get bored!!! He scurried around and around the absol, tying to decide what to do, when it hit him. He slips the human tooth he has into one of his striped sleeves, then, with a shrill chuckle, he speaks to the other dark type.
"hehehe- I'm so glad to have found you dear!!" He begins, then starts charging up a strong power gem attack to make his presence more known. The gems on his body begin to glow, the yellows and greens illuminating his seemingly patchwork body, and causing his sinister white eyes to glow brighter than ever in the darkness. Now that he can be seen better, he bows low to the absol, the wide grin he has still plastered on his face. "It was getting awfully boring my dear, but I have found you." He continues as he straitens up.
"I am here to offer you protection, you see."

Vortex glanced around quickly, noticing that she was now alone. Suddenly, talking deeper in the caves came to her ears. Jumping out of her skin, she made a mad dash for the outside. Her mind was in a wild haze as she sprinted out on all four feet, whispering to herself that she wasn't going to get hurt. It was too much for her, now left alone without the only pokemon she was familiar with. And then to hear other, maybe hostile pokemon. Her wits were fried. She made a sharp turn, suddenly flying out into the open, late dusk on the sky. Night threatened to swallow her as she ran down the steep cliffside.

-----
(OoC: Sorry guys, I can't do this. I'm overly stressed and J would have liked to stay, but I can't. Have some fun without me.)

Okay, this sableye, was hands down, fucking creepy. Glass was just about to say a smart assed reply, but she stopped. If it talks, it's either a very intelligent undead, or a living. No way it's an undead, so it's a living. Maybe I could use this to my advantage. Glass thought, spinning around to face the sableeye. Fuck! This thing was even creepier than it sounded! "Protection you say? Sounds interesting. I've heard about sableyes before. They say they have no weakness. That will come in handy up here." Glass said as sweetly as she could Damn. I didn't know I could speak that fucking nicely. The dark type thought, a sweet smile on her face, even though her mind was screaming at her to just kill it and be on her way.

Yes, yes, this may just work!!! Ick thought to himself as his grin only grew. "Yes, yes my dear. I have no weakness~ I come in handy when you need protection. I am strong, and will not let you down!" He says, before letting his power gem attack fade, causing his sinister gemstone eyes to be the only part of him visible. "However... There is a price. Nothing big, no, just something small... You see, us sableye aren't as good at hunting as, say an absol like yourself. I just need something small, a zubat or ratata will do.~ As long as they are not infected or undead... And as long as you at least bring me their skulls." Ickbarr starts to power up his power gem attack once more to illuminate the area as he holds a claw out to the other dark type. "so, what do you say my dear? Is it a deal?"

((D: bye faux! I hope to see yah around ^-^))

Fucking Arceus, skulls?! The crap is with this sableye?! Why do I always end up finding the fucking psychos? Glass thought, fighting the urge to hit the sableye. "Fine. I'll go find you some skulls." Glass sighed, fighting the urge to just downright say no. She certainly felt like it. Charging a razor wind, she illuminated the area greatly with the white glow that was cast off her head scythe. When it was fully charged, she let it loose, the white wind scythe illuminating a path that gave off small glints of eye shine from other creatures. "I guess I'll be back when I find a skull. Wait here."

Bounding towards where she saw the eye shine, Glass's eyes scanned the darkness. She locked eyes with a dark shape. A Zubat. Perfect. Leaping up, she used Bite on the bat, grabbing it by the wing. Landing, Glass used Future Sight, storing up the psychic energy, Glass ripped at the Zubat's wing, hindering it's flight useless. Finally, she unleased the psychic power onto the doomed Zubat, killing it quickly as the super effective attack liquified it's brain. using her claws, Glass tore the skin off the dead Bat pokemon's skull, setting the bone aside while she buried the body. No use letting a good meal go to waste. Buried, it would last her a good few days. Cleaning the blood off her fur, Glass took the skull back to the sableye. "There. May I ask, what's your name. I can't call you sableye the whole time can I now? I'm Glass." Glass said, placing the skull in font of the sableye. Maybe they could be friends. Maybe.

"Fine. I'll go find you some skulls."
Yes, Yes!!! It's working!! Ick nearly screamed aloud while bouncing happily. His plan seemed to be working, and was going better than he could have hoped! Ickbarr watched the female throw a razor wind through the cave, then rush into the hunt. He let his power gem attack fade once more, but just couldn't sit still. Ick scurried forward a bit before hearing the struggling zubat. This brought him to laugh joyously as he bounced and jumped in place. Oh how wonderful that sound was to him. The screeches of something destined to die. It did not last long though, as soon The other dark-type had finished it off. Ick stepped back a bit, as to make it seem more like he stayed put as the female had asked. Once he saw her coming back he stopped his jumping and slowed his laughing.

"There. May I ask, what's your name. I can't call you sableye the whole time can I now? I'm Glass."
He would have answered immediately, but the skull that now lay before him was too much of a temptation because of his hunger. He lept at it, digging and breaking the teeth of the zubat out of the skull with his sharp digging claws and throwing them into his mouth. He stopped to savor the teeth. they were small, and there weren't many, but they still were so delicious to him. After eating half of them, he remembered the absol's question. He Turns to her, and again, charging a powergem attack to illuminate himself, he bows low to her. "I am so sorry my dear, hehehe I was so hungry hehehehe You may call me, Mister Ickbarr Bigelsteine. Or Ick for short!" He then straightens up, and with a slight tilt of the head continues. "So, Is it a deal?" Once finished, he continues to eat the teeth of the deceased Zubat, his razor sharp teeth breaking them up with ease.

Glass nearly hands down declared she was outta there when the sableye started eating the Zubat's teeth. Fucking Arceus! That is fucking creepy as crap! The dark type thought, stifling a scream of disgust with a sigh. "So, Ickbarr was it? Shall we go up towards Spear Pillar?" Glass said, pushing away thoughts of what Ickbarr would do if he managed to get her teeth. "Yea, I guess the protection is a deal." Glass said with a sigh, powering up a Razor Wind to illuminate the area much brighter than with Ickbarr's Power gem.

"So, Ickbarr was it? Shall we go up towards Spear Pillar?"
"Spear pillar?" Ickbarr asks through a mouthful of chewed up teeth from the zubat. "Sounds interesting! I've hear of it before! yes! But we never went to see it. No,never." He thought out loud while finishing off the zubat's teeth. As the Absols razor wind lights their area better, he lets his power gem attack fade, leaving his white eyes the only part of him glowing.

"Yea, I guess the protection is a deal."
Ickbarr started to leap with joy, laughing insanely once those words were said.
It worked!! It worked!! It worked!!! yes! yes! yes!!!! He thought happily to himself before leaping up high and landing on Glass's back, sitting.
"Hehehehe!! You wouldn't mind if I sat up here my dear glass?-Hehehehehehe. I've been soo very tired lately- hehehehehehehhe~ Let's get going!!"

((permission to jump onto glass's back given by Duma via pm.))
((tell me if i need to edit anything, kay? :3))

Glass nearly bucked Ickbarr off her back when he jumped up. Relax Glass. It'll make things easier. She thought. "All right then, shall we be off?" She said, looking back at Ickbarr. "Hold on!" She added, taking a leap up to a ledge, and bouncing off that one to jump up to the next floor. Looking around, she spotted the stairway up. Wasn't long to spear pillar now. Lets just hope they didn't find a dead Arceus or something.

"Hold on!"
Ickbarr held onto Glass's thick neck fur as she leaped, and laughed merrily. He didn't know riding something could be so, so fun.
I think this one will be good, yes, and of course if it stops feeding me or getting out of hand, it has wonderful teeth.{/i] At that last bit of thought he found his grinning mouth drooling. The zubat's teeth from earlier would be enough for now... But not for long. [i] Next time, maybe I can demand two. Yes, that will be good!!!but no, wait Ick, WAIT. First, yes first, she needs to trust. Yes, she needs to learn to trust you, even if it's just a little, but HOW Ick, HOW?! How is the question... To answer this he began to pay closer attention to the gloom around them as he slowed his laughter to a silent, wide grin. His gemstone eyes were able to see well in the familiar darkness, and gazing near the stairs he recognizes his chance. Leaning close to Glass's ear, he whispers in an oddly gleeful, haunting tone. "Ohhh deeeaaarrr Ggglllaaaaassssss~ I thought you may want to know something-hehehe-Those boulders by the stairs aren't boulders~" He had lived here all of his life. This mountain was familiar to him, and so were the looks of it's inhabitants. With a little chuckle he stands on up on her back and holds a claw in the air. almost immediately, a faint, purple energy surrounds it, and he swiftly pulls his arm back. This action forms a whip like string of energy which he then swats savagely at two apparent boulders.

With a moan and a roar, the two boulders shift and move, becoming large Graveler before their eyes. Both show signs of infection, and rush at Glass and Ickbarr hungrily. With a chuckle, Ickbarr leaps off of Glass's back and runs at one. He uses a sucker punch attack, Kicking one Graveler Back into the cave wall before it could strike at him.

((tell me if i need to edit ))

Glass skidded to a halt when Ickbarr mentioned something about boulders. She growled when the 'boulders' were actually Graveler. Undead Graveler. Letting the razor wind she was using for light fly at one of the Graveler, she used Future Sight, stoing up the psychic energy. The Graveler came at Glass, and she jumped, landing on it's back and unleashing the psychic energy at the thing. It stumbled, but didn't fall. Thrashing around, Glass was thrown off the undead's back. It whirled around and charged her, using the move rollout. Glass used Quick attack to get out of the way, before charging behind it, building up another Razor wind.

"You know what you fucking freak? Fuck! You!" Glass said, unleashing the Razor Wind at it's back, just as it turned to face her. The white wind scythe hit the thing square in the face, revealing the ugly ass skull beneath it. As it charged her again, Glass spun on her front legs, giving the thing a kick to the face, sending it into the wall, right next to where Ickbarr sent his.

The graveler Ick was fighting wasn't exactly happy with him slamming it against the cave wall. It got up and used a strong roll out attack, which Ickbarr, giggling, dodged with ease. Once the rock pokemon moves to use the move smack down, picking up a large rock. Ick leaps in with the move shadow claw, striking at the undead's side. This causes the graveler to cry out as large as deep gashes appear on its back. It hurls the stone at Ick, who get's struck on one of his arms. The attack didn't do much damage, but, at this moment, Ick frowns and grows angry. "How much... How much do you love me?" He asks the graveler, which, after using defence curl, is now spinning towards him with a rollout attack. Ickbarr grows angrier when he is unanswered and jumps out of the way of the attack. His voice is now a deeper hiss as he screams. " NO! NO!! WRONG ANSWER!!! His screams grow fiercer as he charges another punishment attack, the same purple whip of energy forming brighter than before, fueled by rage. He uses it savagely on the graveler before him, ripping bits of it's skin off with every hit. Eventually, he moves in with a shadow claw attack and breaks it's skull with ease, using his sharp digging claws. After this he begins laughing again and a huge grin returns to his face. Ick turns on the Graveler Glass has been fighting , now using his punishment move cheerily. He told her that he would protect her if she supplied him with food, so protect her he would. He uses sucker punch to dispose of this one, and turns back to Glass giggling and covered in splatters of blood. " All better~" He laughs.

((I thought Ick could go ahead and kill them because he wants to get Glass to trust him, but tell me if I need edit.))

Glass watched as Ickbarr attacked the Graveler in a furious frenzy. I'll keep that in mind... She thought, storing the information away for later. Watching the fight with an inspecting eye, the dark type took in Ickbarr's fighting style. she stood calmly when Ickbarr came back, but inside her mind was swirling. Just what the hell is going on inside this sableye's mind? Fury is never the best way to win a fight, and yet he uses his fury to turn the tides of a battle. She thought, narrowing her eyes at the dead graveler. She knew Ickbarr was trying to gain her trust. Why else would he tell her about the graveler and then kill both, just to protect her? Well Ickbarr'll soon learn that it's harder than you think to gain my trust.

"Thanks for the help. Shall we continue?" Glass said, tearing her eyes away from the dead graveler, and over to the stairwell. Her eyes swept over the stone, taking in each detail. She scanned for any other 'strange' abnormalities. None that she could pick out. Good. She could faintly make out the silhouettes of other Pokemon, but she couldn't find any scent of decay. A good food source. We should stay here, but you never know long the peace will last.