star light, star bright [open]

[Alexius Geminus]

Peace was all that Lex ever really wanted. He hadn't joined the Maidens for glory, though he loved his job and wished to serve his Goddess- no, he had only ever wanted to escape the clutches of his ambitious mother. Even now that he was a Maiden, safe, privileged, he was hesitant among crowds. Partly because discovery could get him killed or worse- that was always on his mind, there was simply no mistaking it- but honestly, he was just a laid-back sort of person. Even the hustle and bustle of the Temple, lively and cheerful as it was, could get to him. Sometimes he just needed some time alone- completely alone, save for his companion, his other half, Sarra. Even she in her infinite kindness was capable of getting exasperated, though that was more often with his paranoia than with the vices of humankind as a whole. And thus he had come out here to Triviis, one of the least visited of the islands, to meditate in the stillness and the peace, as the sun began to set and the air turned from pleasant warmth to crisp, refreshing coolness. 

Though they were capable of conversing telepathically and therefore silently, neither spoke a word as they made their way down the beach. There was something serene, almost holy in the quiet, nothing to be heard but his own footsteps and the soft lap of the waves upon the shore. They were content to simply be, gazing up at the sky as the sun's dying rays stained the ocean a bloody red and the first of the stars appeared above the horizon. It almost felt as if they were the last beings on the planet...

[Deleted]

Like usual, Machina had to keep herself from the crowds or rather any part of a flow where people would be. Now usually that was an original fact of life for her, it got far too noisy whenever she got near. Far, far too noisy. But there was another reason this time as well. She had, well; shrunk - or rather changed completely is more like it. From human to fox. Braixen. Normal looking if one were to look past the overcoat she wore, much better to get that dirty than her ceremonial clothing. The priestesses could be so naggy and noisy when they found she had ruined yet another set. It wasn't like it was her fault that she had to stay away from humanity! It was the voices... Always the voices...

They were unusually rowdy today though. Enough to even have Duran stick to her side unlike the usual. The Gengar would hover in the air and just stare at her, sometimes shifting from a sitting to standing then back again. It was odd to see her shadow move about so fidgety (and yes this amount of movement was very unnatural for him). But even he would be worried if his other half was gripping her head hard enough to crack it, on top of that while mumbling to herself.

It felt like her head was splitting, churning with the voices to make a split between the chaos. "Stop it, stop it, stop it..." The girl would hiss under her breath, her Braixen body completely fluffed up so that she looked like a ball of fluff sitting on the beach. There were hopes that perhaps the waves rhythm could calm her aching headache. It wasn't working though. Why did it never work? Why?

In her pain, Machina hadn't noticed the other being that inhabited what was supposed to be an empty island currently. Duran noticed, took only one glimpse, but otherwise said absolutely nothing.

[Alexius Geminus]

The two healers turned as one as a noise made its way to them on the still, cool air. It wasn't a loud noise- more of a gentle hiss, almost blending with the sound of the surf- but it was enough to make the pair alert. They didn't even need to share a glance, perfectly in sync as they took a few slow steps toward the sound before coming to a halt. Would it happen again...? Yes, there it was. It sounded almost like a Pokemon in pain. Alexius frowned, his emerald gaze landing on what appeared to be a Braixen- and not in too good of a condition, either. That was no good. His eyes flickered to Sarra, who hummed softly and spoke in his mind. "She says to 'stop it'." Though her voice was usually calm and relatively free of distress, even she sounded somewhat upset at the chaos going on in the creature's mind. "She hurts." And, well, that was all he needed. Partly to do some of the Goddess's good work, yes, but mostly because he couldn't stand to see the poor thing hurting so. "Hush, child. It is alright." Moving slowly and speaking softly, he lowered his omnipresent ax to the ground, before extending a hand to his soul-bond.

He hummed softly in pleasure as the two of them merged into one, taking a deep, refreshing breath before opening their red eyes. "Shh, shh. Let us help." They all but floated forward, unnaturally graceful, coming to kneel in front of the seemingly injured fire-type. They sensed the Gengar there, but felt no malicious intent, and as such let it be for now. Instead, their right hand extended outward, coming within a hair's breadth of resting upon the fox's forehead. "Do you mind?" It was only polite to ask permission, after all, though why the stranger would refuse the help was beyond them. Even before she spoke up, their mind was expanding, spreading outward in hopes of tracing what ailed the stranger so.

[Deleted]

Little paw-hands swiped at the girl's ears, smoothing them down against her head like some sort of massage. It helped somewhat, being able to hear her own pulse along with the shore waves. It sounded like waves until they suddenly got louder and... heavier? Footsteps. A silent warning in her soul told her that another two pieces of a whole had come to her. They sought to aid her, this voice that was too muffled to hear correctly.

Quickly the fox girl ruffled her ears over her head, smoothing them back as she tried to turn and see who was to be her rescuer. A familiar sight met her. She didn't greet the fellow family member immediately, oh no; her head hurt far too much for that but after recognizing a fellow maiden, the one of Health at that; was rather reassuring. A slow smile lit her features and her tail could manage a slow thump against the ground.

Let them help her... Would they be alright? The voices screamed and hollered like drunks in a bar combined with a mass of voices one might hear from the Arena. Not like she'd ever been there, it was unbecoming of a holy lady no? Still, she had heard stories along with imaginations to fill in the gaps. Bloody place it sounded like. A den for blood seekers no doubt. Yes, they would be fine. Perfectly fine - It was Sister after all! She had always been so reliable to them, what a wonderful Heart Rose.

"Don't fall asleep. The bad dreams will come, they'll come and eat your life away they will. Don't follow asleep." The girl warned anyway, speaking in her creature language. Her fellow maiden might have recognized her by her speech, if Duran hadn't already gave her away. Speaking of the other half of her soul, the creature still hovered over her like an unblinking ball of ghostly shadow. "It splits and aches, they all talk too fast and loud. I can't make sense of it... They wish to rip my mind to pieces... Help me Sister?"

Now it was probably really creepy that not only was she talking the way she always did but the fact that she called her Sister, if Alex hadn't noticed by now then the maiden was either: A, majorly creeped out or B, a little bit curious. Either way the girl could manage a quick friendly, "Hello, pretty rose." with a smiled, crooked, but a smile on her face nonetheless.

[Alexius Geminus]

Was it just a headache? No, they didn't think so. There was too much... noise, going on in the Pokemon's soul, to be just a headache. It was as if a hundred voices called out from within the same being, a bloody chorus not unlike the one's they had heard from their time as healers among the battle hungry. Was it Darkrai's doing? They did not think so, either, for the Braixen was clearly waking and that, at least, did not fall under the dark god's powers. What ailed the poor child, then? But as the stranger spoke up for the first time it all clicked into place. It was not usually in the Pokemon tongue, of course, but the speech patterns were unmistakable. The Spirit Maiden, Machina. They wasted a few moments seeking out the Gengar's gaze- Duran, it was foolish of them not to recognize him-but seeing no immediate answer in the ghost's eyes, they turned their attention back to the one they were trying to help. "Corrupted dreams are the Dark Lord's curse, Sister. You have naught to fear from nightmares- the Goddess will protect us." It was a default response, telling a child not to fear the monsters beneath the bed. But they were positive that this was not Darkrai's doing, as easy as it would be to blame him.

They brushed their long green hair away from their face, that they might rest one unearthly pale hand upon the Braixen's forehead. They matched the greeting with a "Hello, Sister" and a soft smile of their own, but it was a tense expression, forced. They knew that the Spirit Maiden had always been slightly off- it had not been in their power to heal that which was within her own mind, though they sympathized deeply with her plight of an unbalanced and power-hungry mother. But... maybe they could be of some assistance here. For no matter how scarred her mind may have been, it would not have caused such a dramatic transformation in form. They didn't know what could have done this... and they were hesitant to introduce magic to her system without knowing what form of curse they might be interfering with. "Sister... What form of curse is this? It does not reek of Da- of the Dark One." It was bad luck to say the god's name aloud, even if his presence was absent. "We cannot return you to yourself until we know what manner of magic we are combating." Their thumb brushed soothingly along Machina's fur, their brow crinkled slightly despite their attempts to hide their concern. At the very least, they could calm her inner voices- that should not present too much of a danger. Their eyes flickered shut, focusing on the turmoil within their Sister's mind and letting their own inner serenity sweep over it like a wave. "Just breathe, child. Focus on the sound."

Cresselia, help them.

[Deleted]

It never occurred to her that hiding her identity might have been a better idea. Even now she still did not gather a single thought on such a lie. But who lie to what was their only family in this wonderful dreamland edged with black thorny vines, not everything was shining in this wonderland after all. The dark pollution sought to absorb them after all, that darkness known as Darkrai. As her fellow 'sister' spoke, Machina's smile widened. "Yes, the Goddess keeps the pollution away. Nasty defilers, dark oil that burns all it touches. Like fudge. Just not so yummy." It was the usual thing to tell one who was afraid of the darkness but then again... No one really knew the sort of magic the maiden of spirits could really use. She didn't like her own spells after all.

The flower of health had tried to comfort her, even forcing her own smile toward the pokemon turned woman. But Machina knew, she had always known, that there was nearly nothing the flower could do - there was nothing anyone could do to halt the fragments which split her mind. It didn't matter to her, she'd always manage to get through the pain when there was no one around. Maybe Cresselia had fated this meeting to fix that lonely way of repairs.

That was a warming thought. She may have been a little... strange to say the least, but the female definitely liked the company of others. Lola in particular since the girl's songs were silent to her ears, instead soothing her with her quiet ways. Alex was also a favorite for although she could make noise, her's was soft and gentle like the flowers the maiden would always refer them too. "Tis no curse dear flower but a wish! Magnificence and malevolence; didn't think it was an offer true. But look! See how fluffy I am? Duran says nothing, the voices all cram but agree... or disagree. Whichever - whatever. But see? I like it! How fun to see through the eyes of a doll." the girl managed to go on despite the pain that hammered her brain. The voices all cheered and booed with her excitement, some reprimanding while others cried cheers of joy. They were becoming clearer, that was definite. Perhaps thanks to the presence of a friendly spirit?

Alex's magic worked its wonders and Machina followed what had been asked of her. Thinking of the voices like a bell, swinging in a frenzied motion. The ocean threatened to disturb her, the winds that brushed the leaves and sands hissed in her ears but still the girl concentrated. Soon enough the voices could be heard in their created splits, signaling their disharmony. They would not return to how they were, they were too angry - too agonized. What had caused such disharmony? Perhaps the decrease in her body size echoed on her mind? Something to consider. Her sister's warming presence filled the cracks of her mind - soothing some while being ignored by others.

"It won't be quiet but now they just threaten, perhaps a cookie might settle their madness." She mused, poking at her own forehead before turning to the other. "You fill the cracks like green paste, I shall reward you with a show of thanks!" She placed one pawed hand to touch the forehead of the other, then hopped to her feet. Well sort of... she kind of wobbled a bit thanks to her headache. At least that's all it was now, a headache. A funny, ticklish headache... Oh well, pain could be solved later. "Come! Come! See what I found!" The girl chirped, beginning to climb up the beach toward the hard land. Dragging her walking stick in one hand while beckoning with the other. Duran had disappeared once more, not sure when though. A sign that she was better now, or he was just bored. What a funny bunny.

[Ginger]

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