(( The following is a work of fiction based off of some roleplay you can find here. As refers back to a long running series of IC events all the way back in 2005.
WARNING: ANGST!
))
***********************************************
Regrets
The morning was cold, the ground covered with the frost of early morning, and a thick mist lay like a blanket on the ground, dampening the sounds of this late winter morning. A pair of blackbirds hopped along the ground amongst the headstones of Kings Row Memorial Cemetery, searching for early worms.
The silence of the early morning was suddenly broken by the protesting squeal of the old iron gates to the cemetery as they were slowly pushed open, and the two blackbirds took flight with a startled squawk as a cloaked figure slipped through the partially open gates.
The cloaked figure glided slowly into the cemetery, and started to move amongst the various headstone; the mist twisting around it. As it moved from one grave to the next, it paused at each for moment, obviously searching for something, and from time to time a slender hand slipped out from the dark cloak to brush the names on the stones clean.
After almost 10 minutes of slow searching, the cloaked figure stopped before a group of 20 small marble headstones, their surfaces still polished from their relative newness in comparison to the rest of the graveyard. The graves themselves appeared to be well looked after, and fresh flowers adorned each, along with a small collection of stuffed animals and other toys; weathered from their exposure to the elements.
Slowly, the cloaked figure knelt on the ground before the graves, and a hand appeared from beneath the cloak, clutching a small bunch of white lilies. Gently, the hand lay the lilies on one of the graves, and another hand appeared; clutching a small white envelope. The hand laid the envelope with the lilies, and disappeared back into the cloak.
The soft scrape of a shoe on the ground caused the cloaked figure to whirl around suddenly, rising to her feet, and the hood fell to its shoulders to reveal the thin face of a young woman with short white hair and a pair of cat ears on her head. Her face carried a startled expression and her eyes widened as she saw the purple clad figure of someone she hadnt seen in a very long time, and had hoped to never see again.
You! she exclaimed in a harsh whisper, her breath condensing in the cold morning air.
The purple clad figure watched her silently for a moment before replying. Its been a long time, child. The figures voice was deep and cold, and as he spoke, no breath was visible.
What are you doing back? The woman asked; her voice sharp and angry. You said youd never come back!
The purple clad figure chuckled, the sound almost like the growling of some large beast. Ive always been with you child, watching and listening, since the very beginning.
The woman glared up at the figure before her, and backed away a single step. What do you mean? Why are you here? Havent you done enough to me? She asked, her voice rising from its former whisper.
I have done nothing child, that you didnt want me to do As to why Im here now, why You called me here, child. Your very presence in this place called out to me; your heart and soul have yearned for my return for a long time. Again, Im merely doing what you wish of me
Liar! the young woman snarled. You destroyed my life! You forced me to do to this. She gestured towards the small graves behind her. This is all YOUR fault! Why the hell would I want you back!?
The figure chuckled once more, unimpressed by the womans ire. You have it all wrong child. Look within yourself and youll see. Youll see that all your excuses are just that Excuses to hide from yourself what you truly are. Youve seen the truth before, but you denied it. You saw it during your fight with Requiems soldiers, and revelled in what you did that day, just as you revelled in the carnage you wrought with these little ones... He nodded towards the graves. All I did was grant you the means to realise your potential. Accept it child, and youll find true joy.
The woman shook her head, and her expression changed to one of fear and doubt. No Thats not true.. Youre the monster here, not me!
Me, child? A monster? Come now, what do the lives of such beings as live on this small world matter to one such as me? They cannot harm, or barely even perceive me; so what does it matter to me that they live? No It was you child. Your anger at the way people treat you, the way they look at you. That is what did this; not I.
He held out his hand towards her, palm beckoning. I offered you once before child, to come with me and become what you truly are. I offer it again. Come with me. There is little for you here but an eventual repeat of what you have wrought before. Come with me and become what you are destined to be, you know I speak the truth.
The woman shook her head again, her entire body trembling with both anger and fear. NO! It was you! Not me! I didnt do this! Its a lie! She started to sob as her emotions whirled in turmoil. I didnt do this! I couldnt do this!
But you DID do this, child. The blood is on your hands, the taint is on your soul. You did this, and you revelled in it; see? He waved his hand, and the scene around them changed. The temperature rose as walls closed in around them, and the sound of rushing water reached Ellies ears, along with the rank and musty smell of the sewers beneath the city.
A cry came from the tunnel that appeared around them both, and the slender form of a young hero ran past them; wearing what the woman recognized as her old uniform. The scene moved around them as the image of the young heroine ran down the tunnel, which opened out into a chamber the woman would never ever forget.
It was a large chamber, half full of old pumping machinery. To one side, a makeshift table was setup, and a bench covered in bloody instruments. Several Vahzilok surgeons, along with a group of their zombies, were clustered around a group of young children, most of which were sobbing in terror.
The woman watched in horror as the young heroine tore into the Vahzilok. At first the fight was as expected; with the heroine using her powers to disable the criminals, but then she was hit from behind and fell to the ground. A growl came from the heroine as she started to get to her feet; and bright claws if shining energy slid from her fingers as the growl grew louder. The remaining Vahzilok backed away, but for them it was far too late.
Minutes later, the last of the criminals had fallen, ripped apart by the heroine, and then she turned towards the children, her eyes filled with bloodlust. With a roar more akin to an animal than a human, the heroine transformed into the energy beast known as Kurukt; and charged.
The woman turned away from the scene before her, her hands over her eyes as they flooded with tears. NO!!! She screamed, Stop it! Take it away!
The man laughed, and once again waved his hand; causing the images to dissolve back to the graveyard. You see child? It was your own rage, your own bloodlust which did this; not I. Only you can bare the blame for your actions.
The woman had fallen to her knees as the purple figure spoke, and she sobbed heavily into her hands. No No Im not a monster Im not That wasnt me!
He took a few steps forwards and knelt down to place a hand on the womans shoulder. Accept it child. Accept the truth, and come with me; lest you wrought more horror on the others around you.
At the figures touch, information flooded her mind from within. Images of the true nature of this creature before her, fed to her by the symbionte which dwelt within her mind and body. She tensed and her head snapped up to look at him. Deep within her eyes, a bright light began to glow and with a defiant scream of NOOOOO!, she threw his hand from her shoulder and pushes him away from her.
No! She screamed again. Youre LYING! I know the truth now It WAS you all along! Youre just trying to do it to me again! Trying to control me, make me do what you want! Thats what you wanted last time, for me to go with you!
She backpedalled from her, and raised her hands; a glow of blue/white energy surrounding them. YOURE the monster here, not me! Im innocent, innocent! I could NEVER have hurt those children. And I could never hurt Jess! Youre wrong, monster. Wrong!
Energy burst forth from her eyes and hands; and ripped in to the dark figure before her. More power than she had ever felt before coursed through her body and slammed the creature back. With a final scream of effort, even more power surged from her hands and eyes, and ripped straight through the figures body and out the other side; melting the walls of a nearby crypt into a puddle of molten stone.
The light in her eyes winked out with the beams of energy; and she dropped back to her knees, sobbing.
A voice, and a soft touch on her shoulder. Excuse me? Are you alright?
The womans head snapped up and saw the concerned face of an older woman looking in to her eyes. She looked around and saw that she was still knelt before one of the small graves, by the flowers and card she had laid there. All around her looked completely normal; even the crypt that she had melted seconds before
Confused, she looked back up at the older woman. What? Where?
The older woman smiled, You were shouting, miss. Are you sure youre OK?
I... I think so.. she replied as she started to get up. As she did, the hood from her cloak fell from her head; where it had seemingly been all this time.
As her tear streaked face was revealed, the older womans eyes widened, and she backed away hurriedly. Its you!
Her face forming a deep scowl, she glared at the young woman in the cloak. What right do you have to be here? This is my little boys resting place, not somewhere for his murderer to gloat over what she did!
The young woman put her hands up, palms outward. Please You dont understand Im not here to do that... I dont mean any disrespect!
Putting her hands on her hips, the older woman glared angrily. You should get out of here, You dont belong here.
The young woman bowed her head, and a tear dropped to the ground, landing on the card shed laid. I Im sorry Ill Ill just go then
She turned and starting to walk away whilst behind her, the older woman bend down to pick up the card that lay there. Opening the envelope, she quickly read the card and called out. Wait.
The younger woman stopped, and her breath caught in her throat as she turned back to face the older woman.
You mean this? The older woman asked, You really want to meet with us to try to explain why this happened?
The younger woman nodded, not trusting her voice to not break.
The older womans scowl eased a little, as the poor emotional state of the younger woman finally started to register with her. Saying sorry isnt good enough It can never be good enough But perhaps a WHY might help us understand. She glanced back down at the card, reading the ornate handwriting once more. Ill talk to the others, see what they say. Dont expect them to be ready to listen though.
The younger woman shook her head, and spoke in a quiet voice. I just want to to explain Were all victims of this
The older woman nodded. Well see what the others say. Meet me here tomorrow at 10am No, not here at the entrance. If the others are willing; well listen to what you have to say. For now though, youd better get out of here; theyll be here soon.
The younger woman nodded and turned away once more, then with a heavy sigh, she went home.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
(( The following is a work of fiction based off of some roleplay you can find here. As refers back to a long running series of IC events all the way back in 2005.
WARNING: ANGST!
))
***********************************************
Regrets
The morning was cold, the ground covered with the frost of early morning, and a thick mist lay like a blanket on the ground, dampening the sounds of this late winter morning. A pair of blackbirds hopped along the ground amongst the headstones of Kings Row Memorial Cemetery, searching for early worms.
The silence of the early morning was suddenly broken by the protesting squeal of the old iron gates to the cemetery as they were slowly pushed open, and the two blackbirds took flight with a startled squawk as a cloaked figure slipped through the partially open gates.
The cloaked figure glided slowly into the cemetery, and started to move amongst the various headstone; the mist twisting around it. As it moved from one grave to the next, it paused at each for moment, obviously searching for something, and from time to time a slender hand slipped out from the dark cloak to brush the names on the stones clean.
After almost 10 minutes of slow searching, the cloaked figure stopped before a group of 20 small marble headstones, their surfaces still polished from their relative newness in comparison to the rest of the graveyard. The graves themselves appeared to be well looked after, and fresh flowers adorned each, along with a small collection of stuffed animals and other toys; weathered from their exposure to the elements.
Slowly, the cloaked figure knelt on the ground before the graves, and a hand appeared from beneath the cloak, clutching a small bunch of white lilies. Gently, the hand lay the lilies on one of the graves, and another hand appeared; clutching a small white envelope. The hand laid the envelope with the lilies, and disappeared back into the cloak.
The soft scrape of a shoe on the ground caused the cloaked figure to whirl around suddenly, rising to her feet, and the hood fell to its shoulders to reveal the thin face of a young woman with short white hair and a pair of cat ears on her head. Her face carried a startled expression and her eyes widened as she saw the purple clad figure of someone she hadnt seen in a very long time, and had hoped to never see again.
You! she exclaimed in a harsh whisper, her breath condensing in the cold morning air.
The purple clad figure watched her silently for a moment before replying. Its been a long time, child. The figures voice was deep and cold, and as he spoke, no breath was visible.
What are you doing back? The woman asked; her voice sharp and angry. You said youd never come back!
The purple clad figure chuckled, the sound almost like the growling of some large beast. Ive always been with you child, watching and listening, since the very beginning.
The woman glared up at the figure before her, and backed away a single step. What do you mean? Why are you here? Havent you done enough to me? She asked, her voice rising from its former whisper.
I have done nothing child, that you didnt want me to do As to why Im here now, why You called me here, child. Your very presence in this place called out to me; your heart and soul have yearned for my return for a long time. Again, Im merely doing what you wish of me
Liar! the young woman snarled. You destroyed my life! You forced me to do to this. She gestured towards the small graves behind her. This is all YOUR fault! Why the hell would I want you back!?
The figure chuckled once more, unimpressed by the womans ire. You have it all wrong child. Look within yourself and youll see. Youll see that all your excuses are just that Excuses to hide from yourself what you truly are. Youve seen the truth before, but you denied it. You saw it during your fight with Requiems soldiers, and revelled in what you did that day, just as you revelled in the carnage you wrought with these little ones... He nodded towards the graves. All I did was grant you the means to realise your potential. Accept it child, and youll find true joy.
The woman shook her head, and her expression changed to one of fear and doubt. No Thats not true.. Youre the monster here, not me!
Me, child? A monster? Come now, what do the lives of such beings as live on this small world matter to one such as me? They cannot harm, or barely even perceive me; so what does it matter to me that they live? No It was you child. Your anger at the way people treat you, the way they look at you. That is what did this; not I.
He held out his hand towards her, palm beckoning. I offered you once before child, to come with me and become what you truly are. I offer it again. Come with me. There is little for you here but an eventual repeat of what you have wrought before. Come with me and become what you are destined to be, you know I speak the truth.
The woman shook her head again, her entire body trembling with both anger and fear. NO! It was you! Not me! I didnt do this! Its a lie! She started to sob as her emotions whirled in turmoil. I didnt do this! I couldnt do this!
But you DID do this, child. The blood is on your hands, the taint is on your soul. You did this, and you revelled in it; see? He waved his hand, and the scene around them changed. The temperature rose as walls closed in around them, and the sound of rushing water reached Ellies ears, along with the rank and musty smell of the sewers beneath the city.
A cry came from the tunnel that appeared around them both, and the slender form of a young hero ran past them; wearing what the woman recognized as her old uniform. The scene moved around them as the image of the young heroine ran down the tunnel, which opened out into a chamber the woman would never ever forget.
It was a large chamber, half full of old pumping machinery. To one side, a makeshift table was setup, and a bench covered in bloody instruments. Several Vahzilok surgeons, along with a group of their zombies, were clustered around a group of young children, most of which were sobbing in terror.
The woman watched in horror as the young heroine tore into the Vahzilok. At first the fight was as expected; with the heroine using her powers to disable the criminals, but then she was hit from behind and fell to the ground. A growl came from the heroine as she started to get to her feet; and bright claws if shining energy slid from her fingers as the growl grew louder. The remaining Vahzilok backed away, but for them it was far too late.
Minutes later, the last of the criminals had fallen, ripped apart by the heroine, and then she turned towards the children, her eyes filled with bloodlust. With a roar more akin to an animal than a human, the heroine transformed into the energy beast known as Kurukt; and charged.
The woman turned away from the scene before her, her hands over her eyes as they flooded with tears. NO!!! She screamed, Stop it! Take it away!
The man laughed, and once again waved his hand; causing the images to dissolve back to the graveyard. You see child? It was your own rage, your own bloodlust which did this; not I. Only you can bare the blame for your actions.
The woman had fallen to her knees as the purple figure spoke, and she sobbed heavily into her hands. No No Im not a monster Im not That wasnt me!
He took a few steps forwards and knelt down to place a hand on the womans shoulder. Accept it child. Accept the truth, and come with me; lest you wrought more horror on the others around you.
At the figures touch, information flooded her mind from within. Images of the true nature of this creature before her, fed to her by the symbionte which dwelt within her mind and body. She tensed and her head snapped up to look at him. Deep within her eyes, a bright light began to glow and with a defiant scream of NOOOOO!, she threw his hand from her shoulder and pushes him away from her.
No! She screamed again. Youre LYING! I know the truth now It WAS you all along! Youre just trying to do it to me again! Trying to control me, make me do what you want! Thats what you wanted last time, for me to go with you!
She backpedalled from her, and raised her hands; a glow of blue/white energy surrounding them. YOURE the monster here, not me! Im innocent, innocent! I could NEVER have hurt those children. And I could never hurt Jess! Youre wrong, monster. Wrong!
Energy burst forth from her eyes and hands; and ripped in to the dark figure before her. More power than she had ever felt before coursed through her body and slammed the creature back. With a final scream of effort, even more power surged from her hands and eyes, and ripped straight through the figures body and out the other side; melting the walls of a nearby crypt into a puddle of molten stone.
The light in her eyes winked out with the beams of energy; and she dropped back to her knees, sobbing.
A voice, and a soft touch on her shoulder. Excuse me? Are you alright?
The womans head snapped up and saw the concerned face of an older woman looking in to her eyes. She looked around and saw that she was still knelt before one of the small graves, by the flowers and card she had laid there. All around her looked completely normal; even the crypt that she had melted seconds before
Confused, she looked back up at the older woman. What? Where?
The older woman smiled, You were shouting, miss. Are you sure youre OK?
I... I think so.. she replied as she started to get up. As she did, the hood from her cloak fell from her head; where it had seemingly been all this time.
As her tear streaked face was revealed, the older womans eyes widened, and she backed away hurriedly. Its you!
Her face forming a deep scowl, she glared at the young woman in the cloak. What right do you have to be here? This is my little boys resting place, not somewhere for his murderer to gloat over what she did!
The young woman put her hands up, palms outward. Please You dont understand Im not here to do that... I dont mean any disrespect!
Putting her hands on her hips, the older woman glared angrily. You should get out of here, You dont belong here.
The young woman bowed her head, and a tear dropped to the ground, landing on the card shed laid. I Im sorry Ill Ill just go then
She turned and starting to walk away whilst behind her, the older woman bend down to pick up the card that lay there. Opening the envelope, she quickly read the card and called out. Wait.
The younger woman stopped, and her breath caught in her throat as she turned back to face the older woman.
You mean this? The older woman asked, You really want to meet with us to try to explain why this happened?
The younger woman nodded, not trusting her voice to not break.
The older womans scowl eased a little, as the poor emotional state of the younger woman finally started to register with her. Saying sorry isnt good enough It can never be good enough But perhaps a WHY might help us understand. She glanced back down at the card, reading the ornate handwriting once more. Ill talk to the others, see what they say. Dont expect them to be ready to listen though.
The younger woman shook her head, and spoke in a quiet voice. I just want to to explain Were all victims of this
The older woman nodded. Well see what the others say. Meet me here tomorrow at 10am No, not here at the entrance. If the others are willing; well listen to what you have to say. For now though, youd better get out of here; theyll be here soon.
The younger woman nodded and turned away once more, then with a heavy sigh, she went home.
@FloatingFatMan
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.