It held itself inside the body of the canine, the largest body, but not a familiar body. The dog—Black—claimed to be darkness, the void, and the energy knew this was not true. Something it knew was this and Black was not what he claimed to be. But maybe the Gembound was a guardian, it did not care about what titles they gave themselves.

The wolf pup was speaking, and the canine's hearing was a strange sensation. "Vat-rah-heen!" it barked back to her, unable to fully communicate what it wanted. And it wasn't trying to hit things! Perhaps her body was correct? It bubbled within the canine, gathering itself together in preparation to make another jump.

Mixed with images of Black's memories, Winter sees flashes of ice and snow—Tunnel M if she has been there and recognizes it—and a snow leopard kitten crawling from a diamond chrysalis. Sister. It has a chunk of diamond between its shoulders. Cycles pass between flashes. Glimpses of the viewer can be seen passing icy walls: it is a king cheetah. Flashes. "Vahi!" a voice calls—the snow leopard has baubled something for you and is displaying visuals with Lightplay on an iced over wall, but the memory fades as a voice says, "Beautiful, isn't it?" Flashes. Snow leopard gazing into Orion. Flashes. Snow leopard stopped creating light. Flashes. Darkness. Orion. Flashes. Darkness. Sister? Flashes. Monoceros. Sister? Pain. Darkness.

The energy sensed the use of magic from the cobra and with a crackling discharge, thundered from the canine's body and into the snake's. It only pulsed uncomfortably inside this small, young body for a moment before finding it unsatisfactory. With another crackling discharge, it jumped to the young wolf next, a shrieking cry piercing the air. Static charged the empty space around them. But the wolf's body was not right either.

"Vat-rah-ha—" it began to growl from Kera's throat, but a new voice interrupted it.

"Vathrahi." It was firm, solemn. Despite the lights having been returned to normal, a thick shadow had pooled nearby. A large, naked wildcat-like body stepped up and out of it, eyeless and shimmering with a coat of shadow-like miasma. A single eye formed in the center of her head.

The energy was stilled in Kera's body for a moment, silent. Lightning began crackling along her back, as if it were thinking, but began to grow more and more dense until the energy collected itself and shot skyward and into the storm's eye with a deafening kreeack! The storm condensed itself before fixating on Senka, then chose her body next, shooting down and into the shadow-void creature with a boom.

It was a strange mix of light and shadow, but at least this body was most familiar.

"He did this on purpose," Senka said softly. "You have to figure your body out." She remembered the terrible eternity she spent in darkness, and she paid for it. She did not learn in time. Now her sister was going through the same thing and it was her fault—or, something close to the same thing. Senka had not been this... energy, this magicka without a home.

After some time, the storm stepped out of Senka's body, trying to maintain an unstable quadrupedal shape. Lightning raced across its features wildly, clouds rumbling within its form. It was staring at its shadow counterpart, as if trying to mimic the shape it had worn.

"Sissterr.." the thunder rolled, lightning arcing across the storm-cat's body.

"I'm here, Vahi," Senka confirmed, though she was unsure what kind of senses Vahi had. She primarily seemed to just be unstable lightning, energy, magicka—life that did not a place. But Senka had the gem still. Could Vahi house within it and use it as a vessel? Maybe something to experiment with Bartos later. Right now, Senka was oblivious to the others, trying to calm the unstable force that was the botched rebirth of her sister.

Winter's mind hurt as the flashes of vision poured into her brain. She hated this, she hated magic, but it was, at least, useful in this situation. She knew more...or, at least, she had more information to work with. She didn't understand, but perhaps she would later.

But then her entire body shuddered violently as the storm jumped into her. Everything was alight within her, as if she would burst and lightning crackled across her skin. She curled with fear and pain and her hood flared with surprise. However, it was over in just a moment and, before she knew it, there were two creature before them.

She listened to their interaction with a gaping mouth, still reeling from having the storm within her small body. She tried to figure out what was going on. Was the shadow the snow leopard? They were sisters? Why were they here? And why was the cheetah now a thunderstorm?

She wanted to know, but she greatly feared the two creatures. She had to remind herself, however, that she still had her venom if things got bad. Slowly, she slunk forward until she was closer to the two sisters.

"Um, excuse me, but what is going on? Who are you?"

When I speak.

When I think.

@Kera @Black

Black nearly collapsed as he felt the being rush out of him, the sensation dizzying, staggering. For a moment he stood, regaining himself, legs splayed--then slowly stood again, watching past his solemnly wrinkled face.

Sisters.

Allies.

He watched, and listened--but as far as he was concerned, their job--for now--was done. The lights were on. The generator was running, and the storm was calmed. The latter had concerned him most; but he had known it to be sentient.

He waited, for a time, silent and polite, and then stepped forward, voice rumbling out a quiet question.

"Do either of them require the Dog's aid?" he asked, and tilted his head. His pendulous ears dangled.

If they didn't need him further, well, he would move on--leave them to their privacy. But perhaps there was more purpose to be found... more aid to be given.

________________

((ooc--Kera is fairly inactive atm/needs a break, so I GM requested!))

As the snake approached and asked what was happening and who they were, the unstable lightning body of the other feline shifted and arced erratically, as if trying to dissipate but hold firm at the same time—unsure of what it wanted, it expressed this as a rumble of thunder.

Senka stepped forward toward it—toward her—and lashed her naked tail upward. "Ho, Vahi; we will return home." She searched desperately for any sign that her sister might be able to see her, but even Senka had to manipulate magic to see. The storm body calmed at the mention of home.

The void creature turned her head toward the others, the eye in the middle of her face flicking between them. She did not feel the need to be particularly friendly toward them, but she was grateful that they tried to help her sister even if they did not know that is what they had done. Her shadows curled around her body as he considered what to say, regarding them and their questions neutrally.

"I am Senka, and this is my sister, Vathrahi," she introduced with a firm voice. "I was foolish in His name and she suffers for it now." Her answer to the snake was vague at best. "We do not need any further aid. We will be heading home. Whether you realize you have helped her or not... thank you."

Shadows consumed her as she melted into the ground, slipping into the scenery and disappearing into Polaris; the storm body of the other vibrated and sparked before shooting after her sister like a bolt of lightning, and just as fast, with a boom of thunder echoing in her wake.

The clouds overhead swirled and dissipated, clearing away.

Winter listened, her mind whirling. She had no idea who 'He' was and their names were bizarre. And the mere fact that such creatures were even speaking to her - speaking and not attacking or killing her - was incredible just in itself. Fear was pulsing through her and she desperately wanted to flee, but she watched until the very end when the two disappeared.

And, suddenly, it was quiet, save for the flowing river. The storm was gone, its rumble and crackling still like an echo in her mind. But it was gone now. Polaris was quiet.

An emotion unlike any other surged through her small body. Was she feeling...sad? For the storm leaving? She had hatched in Polaris and it seemed almost alien now without the constant presence of the strange magical storm. Would she ever get used to this?

She needed time to think about all of this, time away from Polaris. This was too much for her so early in life. She had helped turn the lights back on and had witnessed...whatever the heck that was. She remembered the two canines standing nearby and turned to them, dipping her head, though still shaken.

"Thanks again for saving my life." Without another word, she turned and slid off, desperate to put as much distance between herself and the generator. She'd rather not have this much terror in her life for a while at least.

*exit Winter

When I speak.

When I think.

Black listened intently, motionless and silent at first, ears pricked and face wrinkled up.

Of course I know we aided. The Dog guided the storm, did he not..? And now they are--but who is He? And where is, 'home?'

Before he could ask these questions, however, one of the creatures had faded into shadows--the Senka-cat--and the other, into storm.

He had much he wished to discuss--to ask--but the white snake was already leaving, and the wolf seemed lost in her own world after her brief... possession. Black stood with furrowed brow, silent in the new glow of Polaris's re-lit orbs, for a long while.

He wasn't sure why, but something about the creature's words unsettled him.

'I was foolish in His name and she suffers for it now.' There is more to this. Victims, hiding in the dark.

At length, with a short, sharp huff, the dog turned to Kera.

"There is more to this. It is not over, and it must be watched," he declared in his loud and rumbling voice. "If the white wolf wishes to speak, the black dog may be found."

With this, and little other explanation, Black turned at a slow and loping pace, sniffing along after the cats. Unfortunately, shadow and storm left little scent behind--but he had to try.

________________

exit Black

Warily, Kera kept herself coiled around the topaz, watching Black with wide eyes. She flicked an ear, parroting the word Vat-rah-heen under her breath, watching in silence, otherwise. She did not expect the energy to spill from Black and enter her instead.

With a strangled yelp Kera went very, vey still. The words involuntarily spilling from her own mouth sent raw, cold fear down her spine. There were no real thoughts going through her head now-- she only thought to keep herself firmly around the topaz to protect whatever was inside of it.

She tried not to look at the blackness pooling nearby and she tried to forget Giggle's words ringing through her ears-- of the Darkness and the Eyes. What would Giggle do if she told her that the Eyes could move and torment others, and that it was still here? Was this thing the Eyes?

Kera did not know. It certainly had two of them, which was plural.

Thinking was hard with this thing inside her. As it begin crackling again, the wolf could only stammer out a soft "please stop that--" before it had moved on again.

It was a strange feeling-- Kera was immediately overcome with dizziness. Words were lost upon her ears as she tried to regain her composure with some difficulty-- or, at the very least, hold back the rising bile in her throat least she vomits all over the topaz.

She was aware of the... things, the Darkness and the Storm speaking to each other, but she only lifted her head when a third voice came. It took her a moment to register it as the snake. "You're-- welcome," she said shakily, eyes wide, then flicked her gaze to Black.

"... okay?" She offered in response, watching Black only for a moment as he began to pace away. When he went out of sight, Kera turned her gaze back to the topaz, thoughtful.

Who was in there? How could she get him out? Black had explained but she didn't fully understand-- hell, she didn't fully understand the events that had just transpired in the first place. She could speak to the Dog later, but for now--

The lights were on.

Kera pushed herself up and lifted the topaz into her mouth, beginning to walk out of Polaris. Her walk quickly turned into a loping sprint as excitement replaced the fear in her gut. She had to tell Giggle, but first she'd have to get the topaz to a safe place.

exit