we burn the brightest

in the dark

"Don't worry about it." Aries grunted as he rose to his hooves. "It's just my sore leg." He wished it was just sore. Valeria said he had broken it, and after all these cycles, it still hurt to put weight on it. The vampire bat told him that it would take time, but time has passed and nothing improved. Aries wondered if it had something to do with cracking his gem, or that plague Khloros gave to him.

Aries limped towards the wall Pippy had pointed to. He pushed himself, trying to hide how much his leg hampered him. What good would it do Pippy if she knew her rescuer was suffering too? No, the pain wouldn't hold him back from saving her. No broken leg was going to hold him back. He needed to show Pippy-- himself, that he was strong and reliable, that it was just a sore leg. It was a shame that his labored snorts betrayed him.

As he approached the wall, his leg had become very aggravated. Valeria wouldn't be happy about this, but he didn't care. He had gotten Pippy home. "Is this your den?" He asked her as he moved his muzzle towards the tiny hole he thought smelled like her.

"Listen to me."
Thoughts...

TAG: @Pippy // OOC:

"W-Wel-Well... O-O-OK t-th-then" Pippy didn't believe his words much, seems like it was a lot worse than being sore to her, more like he is in such agony like she is, which makes her sympathise with him considering her state right now. But he wants to brush it off, so Pippy may not try to mention otherwise, but she does hold onto his face a bit tighter while giving his head a little pat too with her wingtip to maybe comfort his pain also. Risking some extra pain from tensing her muscles so much now but she represses an expression which would indicate agony. Instead, her eyes had such compassion to them as she rested on Aries' muzzle, her heart going out for him.

How Aries walked a little awkwardly towards her home only confirms her suspicions more, which made her worry more for Aries, which makes Pippy almost forgot about her torturous agony entirely, though she gets some brief reminders when some pain sears at random bouts. She continues to give him pats on his head, but she also tries to keep an expression filled with sympathy for Aries suppressed too, only providing a kind one. Aries wants to try his best, so it may help, Aries hopefully will perceive her patting him is like her attempts at distracting herself or giving gratitude, while both could apply there but she is trying to comfort him too in any way she can.

So with all this in mind, it was relieving for Pippy when Aries managed to pull off reaching her little home in such a small time. Thus both of them can rest and hopefully allow both their pains to ease a bit.

"Y-Yeah t-t-th-that's i-it r--ri-ri-right th-th-there! T-T-Th-Thank yo-you s-s-s-so mu-mu-much A-Ar-Aries!" she held onto him a bit tighter as some way to hug him for doing this for her, whispering her grateful words. But this hug was brief as her muscles finally had enough and gave her a particular stabbing pain to her wings which makes her quietly yelp, only a little, so it was more like she hiccuped.

With how close Aries moved his head to her home, more proximate than what small space there is between an arrived train and its boarding platform. So Pippy had no problem carefully crawling little steps from his head to her home's entrance where she safely returned to into with ease despite how much it is hurting again for moving. She moves further back into her home and soon carefully turns herself, her face now directed to her den's exit where Aries' is, who she gave a kind smile.

"C-C-Co-Could y-you m-m-m-may-maybe s-s-s-st-stay a-a-ar-around f-f-f-for a b-b-bit...? I-I d-d-don't wa-wa-want t-t-to b-b-be a-alone a-ah-and, m-m-m-m-maybe y-y-your f-fr-friend w-w-wi-will f-find u-us wh-wh-while y-you a-ar-are h-h-here...?" she's a little scared to be alone, and she wants to try her best to give some hope to this situation.


@Aries
(OOC Note: I'm most likely going to have her go into her chrysalis in her next post.)

we burn the brightest

in the dark

Aries gave Pippy a sad smile and nodded. "Of course, I'll stay with you." He grimaced as he carefully laid down beside her den. His leg may have been aggravated but his heart ached more for Pippy. He had not known her very long and the entire time she had been suffering, yet the little bat was very kind. He did not want to her to die. It wasn't fair!

I can still save her!

Aries tried to think back on Valeria's curative methods. They're was so many of them. He wanted to panic, but had to remain calm for Pippy's sake. Aries took a deep breath. I can save her, I can still save her. But where would he start?

Aries laid his head at the entrance of her den"Pippy," He said. "Stay with me, okay?" Valeria told him the exact same thing when she found him. It encouraged him to fight, he hoped it would do the same for Pippy."Stay with me, you've got to fight this."

Valeria also used magick, he did not know what kind, but it made him feel better. Aries was not spell savvy, but even he knew he did not possess such magick. Perhaps Valeria couldn't see him, that's why she was taking so long. "Hey, Pippy, I'm going to light myself up so Valeria can see us better, don't be alarmed." Aries lifted his head from her den and called upon his stone's magicka to light his insides aflame, but nothing happened. He grunted in frustration and tried again and again, but he could not kindle the spell.

"Listen to me."
Thoughts...

TAG: @Pippy // OOC:

Pippy gave Aries a smile as bright as she can make it without accidentally hurting herself further.

"Ohhhh thank you so much! Aries this means so much," Pippy does wish things weren't what they are right now, wish she wasn't in such pain and having an uncertainty on whether things are going to turn out OK for her; also Aries wouldn't be so sad right now from all this if things were different. Pippy doesn't blame Aries on how all this saddens them, but Pippy still is saddened how he is sad and worrying about her, she wished she could do something about all this herself which can help things all work out; help herself feel better and help cheer Aries up.

Still, with how Aries doesn't seem freaked out about it like Pippy herself is, it's in some way, in fact, being helpful for Pippy in how she's having a sensation how despite things like she is completely safe and will be OK, it's helping her to be more at ease to some extent. Though with on how Aries took a deep breath there, it got Pippy to speculate as to what indeed is going on in his mind; is he scared or sad? Or both? Pippy wants to ask, but she doubts it'll be a good idea to try and pry them about it.

"Y-Yeah...?" Pippy poked her head out her den when Aries called for her name her eyes and ears attentive. What Aries told Pippy to do was a little bit confusing for her as her ears seem to tremble a bit, like some subtle gesture for her confusion with how her body and mind want to limit how much movements she makes. Pippy right now for sure doesn't have any plans to leave right now, nor want to be alone, so she's confused as to why Aries told her this specific thing but even if she's staying anyway, she'll do what she's asked to do if it'll help in some way.

"O-Oh O-OK? I-I'm n-not g-going t-to g-go a-anywhere, d-don't w-worry a-about t-that A-A-Aries..." Pippy did not quite get what Aries meant what they told her there; Pippy right now does have some awareness with things, on how her current condition may be a lot more worse off than she initially thought, she wouldn't have an idea as to what brought on such a plead though. Pippy was about to tell Aries how there was no need to worry about her genuinely, Pippy to some extent wishes they wouldn't worry, she is aware something like not fretting is a bit too much to ask for right now with how she's a little worried about herself also.

"F-Fight...? W-Will f-fighting i-it h-help m-make i-it g-go a-away?" in this case it might be a little hard if so, Pippy is so tired right now her eyes are drooping. Right now it's so tempting to Pippy, to lay down now and rest, to allow herself to sleep through it all and hopefully wake up with this pain all gone like it was never there.

"O-Oh! Y-You're s-so s-smart! Y-Yes th-that c-could h-help!" Pippy doesn't quite have any idea how in these caves is Aries is going to light himself up exactly. All Pippy can best guess is with Magick or something like it, she has witnessed some Magick used to light things up but never has she discovered a Spell which can light a Magick user up like a lamp, but it's a sound plan to Pippy either way. Still, nothing seemed to happen, unless it is happening and she can't spot things very well as something like black glitter is coming around her vision now.

Pippy attempted to move a bit more so she can watch what's happening outside a bit easier, but she's finding her wings shaking and getting numb.

"You're-- Gonna do great--" Pippy thought to give some pep talk to Aries, may help even if their plan is working or not. Pippy was now taking note how she couldn't find nary much breath to speak now, not even to whisper with her small voice and some part to herself loathed herself for it, though she was a little glad how she seemed to have stopped her stuttering it appears.

Pippy got a sensation her head was dipping now and was about to fall out her den so she mustered all energy she could to slip her tiny head back inside her shelter. With how weak the little bat is now Pippy did yelp when she ended up knocking her chin against a small jagged edge around her den's hole. It scared Pippy on how small this yelp was even to her tiny ears, which now sound to them like there is water in her ears from how muffled her hearing has gotten, as more aware Pippy is getting, nausea and disorientation crept on her too. After accidentally whacking her chin was one thing which was the last straw to her limited time in not experiencing much pain as it was now getting blinding as she sobbed a little from this fresh agony, like something sharp sliced her and shapeshifted into something which gnawed at her nerves. But in a beat this pain, strangely enough, ebbed away replacing it for growing tiredness and numbness; she wants to sleep, only a little nap to pass her time and wait, but she may scare Aries even more from doing so, she doesn't want to cause such a thing. However her body seems to make these decisions for her as it was now challenging even to lift her head or keep balance, darkness covering her vision entirely, she needs to sleep but...

Pippy tried her best to drag her eyes back open and shift her teensy body a bit so her blurred vision can locate Aries better, determined to remain awake for only a little bit longer, she needs to say something to Aries right now no matter how terrible her state is now she wants to tell them something.

"A-A-Ar-Arie-s-s-s..." her stuttering is back as she tried to force her voice to be loud enough for Aries' ears to catch with ease.

"I-I-I j-j-just-t-t w-want t-t-to s-s-say n-no ma-matter wh-what ha-ha-hap-hap-happens f-f-fr-from h-h-he-here o-on-on..." she needs to tell them, whether their friend does come or doesn't what she'll say to them here will always stand true for Pippy and hopes Aries will take them to heart no matter what happens.

"I-I j-just w-w-want t-to s-say I-I a-am s-so s-so s-soooo g-gra-grateful-ful f-for h-h-help-ping m-me, f-f-for h-h-help-ing g-get b-back t-to m-my h-home f-f-fine, f-f-for k-k-keep-p-ing m-m-me c-c-company and s-s-s-safe... t-thank y-y-you, t-thank you... s-s-so m-much... t-thank y-you A-Aries... m-my n-new and a-a-amazing b-big f-friend... yo-you're t-th-the b-b-best y-y-you k-know..." Pippy's voice got quieter each second as her teeth chattered at times from her forcing her voice to work for her, her eyelids were falling again too unable to take any more. Pippy wishes she could work some Magick up right now to gift them maybe something like a flower to show her eternal gratitude, or even reach out and cuddle Aries but her body is too weak now from even something like a hug.

Pippy before long fought a good fight, but her consciousness extinguished at last as her eyes closed entirely with her tiny body still as a stone, her breathing getting so quiet it might be non-existent now, yet she appears so peaceful now. After her final supposed breath, something like a crackling ice sound broke this silence as something like multi-coloured ice came from her pip sized Gem and grew around her till it cocooned around her tiny form entirely.

Pippy's small body, frozen inside this chrysalis like some tomb or grave granted to her in respect to protecting her now lifeless body, this chrysalis wasn't transparent, so it was impossible to find Pippy's tiny form within it but within her peaceful expression is still there like something awful didn't happen to her.

Pippy is gone now.


-Exit Pippy-
OOC: Pippy's Reformation will now commence, she'll reemerge in 2 weeks. (Don't worry she's not truly dead < : ' C)


@Aries

we burn the brightest

in the dark

Aries grunted with frustration at his failed spell. "Hang on, Pippy, I can do this. " Aries summoned his heat again. He wasn't going to give up now, not like this, even if it killed him. He had to prove that he could still make a difference, that he was still relevant. That he did not lose to Khloros in vain.

Rage swelled within him when the diseased horse entered his thoughts, even as Pippy delivered her heart-felt speech. He had not stopped thinking about him since he limped back to Orion, half dead. It made him sick to think that this monstrous horse still walked free while he was stuck in this cavern, rendered lame and could barely save this injured bat, a bat who believed him him and called him her friend. Yet, here he was, failing her. Pain burned deep with his heart, and it took a moment for Aries to realize that it wasn't just his feelings, but his spell as well.

Shit!


The rancid stench of burnt flesh filled the air as smoke billowed out of Aries' lungs. The ram immediately sat up in a panic, coughing and He sputtering as the pain spread within him like a wildfire. Wheezing, Aries bent down to peer into Pippy's den. "Oh! Don't worry," He got interrupted by a bout of coughing. "I-I uh, meant to do that, Val will see the smoke from here!" He paused, noticing her silence was uncharacteristic. "Pippy?" Aries called into the dark hole. He his heart winced when she did not answer back.

There was a faint cracking sound coming from within. Aries lowered his head and looked deeper. Pippy laid deathly still, and crystals had begun encasing her body. Aries had not witnessed a gembound's death before, nor had he seen one enter a chrysalis. To him, the crystals were eating her alive. She was dying before his eyes. "No-no-no-no-no!" He gasped, shaking his head in disbelief. Tears swelled within the ram's eyes. "No--Pippy don't do that! Stay with me! You've got to fight!" But the crystals did not stop, not matter how much he pleaded, until they swallowed the little bat whole, and left Aries in silence.

She's.. gone... I failed her.

He sat by the bat's den for a long a time, in shock of what he had just witness. Her "death" replayed again and again in his mind. He wondered what he could have done differently, how he could have saved her, what mistakes he could have made. He was no hero. Heros never failed. Finally, thirst pulled him from his state of regret, and he remembered why he came down her in the first place. Reluctantly, Aries stood up. Drooping with grief, he limped pitifully to the small pond up ahead, crestfallen and desolate.

-Exit Aries-

"Listen to me."
Thoughts...

TAG: // OOC: