Into the Misremembered [Private]

[Felypsa]

It seemed like Keroberos was coming out to the deserts of Akeru a lot more often. There was usually not much that the Hiagaru Wastelands had to offer, but ever since a chance encounter with a particular she-wolf who could speak to rocks…among other things…Kero had found himself drawn there more and more. Perhaps she had opened his eyes to the beauty and wonder of even the most simplistic of inanimate objects. Perhaps their conversation about the stars caused him to gaze at them longingly again, hoping to find answers in their cold, distant depths.

Or maybe it was even as simple as the wish to run into Sésuga again.

Whatever the reason was, the mighty Mutatio was getting used to his shaggy golden fur soaking up sand with these late-night visits. He rather enjoyed them—they were contemplative and relaxing. The sister packs of Akeru and Shinkou were still wound up tightly in tension following the war against Giaku, and Kero found it necessary to escape the stifling atmosphere. There was still so much in disarray…Akeru’s former alphess, Fyramist, had returned, apparently cured of her madness, but she had not yet taken back her rightful position as Akeru’s leader…instead she lurked in the shadows, like a guardian angel. Wyndbain’s scars from the conflict were emotional as well as physical.

Then there was still the mystery that surrounded his person. When he had fallen from the sky into Giaku territory, he had unwittingly nudged the conflict to happen. Yes, they discovered it had been orchestrated brilliantly by some outsider puppetmaster, but Kero was still a pawn in how it all came to be. It nagged at him that he could not explain how it was he had ended up in Giaku in the first place. More and more, every day, he wished he could access those memories, which seemed to be locked away from the rest of his conscious mind. The key to it all seemed just beyond his reach…it was maddening.

Even though these frequent trips to the area where he had met Sésuga by the boulder did not yield any such key, Kero still found them more comforting than frustrating. As he gazed about the dusty, open land, bathed by the dancing starlight, he only felt the swell of hope. The answers were out there. He would discover them. It was only a matter of time.

[Le Mad]

The balmy blanket of the wasteland night was thick, pierced overhead by the twinkle of oh-so-distant stars. Its heat crept into the skin and warmed in a way that was not so unpleasant. Paws pressed upon familiar sands as they sought a route taken months before. The footfalls were silent, soft grains of mineral absorbing each movement.

The shadow of Shinkou had returned to the wastelands of Akeru, finally having given in to whatever pulled her back. She had no intent, as per usual. The dark fae meandered at a pace one may find lagging. She was slightly on edge, which was out of the ordinary for the gentle giant. Whatever Akeru held for her wasn't giving her good vibes. She disregarded these negative feelings, however, and pressed on.

Her charcoal fur was brushed gently by a breeze as she moved, and her mind drifted to the catlike wolf that she had spoken to in this very wasteland. Sésuga looked up at the stars that he had descended from once upon a time and thought. Her eyes were drawn to the full moon, which looked engorged and orange in the early hours of the night. Her nostrils flared as she took in the scents of yet another breeze that drifted across the deserts.

Her senses were greeted by a familiar smell. Briefly, she second guessed herself. Perhaps she had imagined it, but as she walked the scent got thicker.

"Keroberos?" She murmured to herself, pace quickening. Her emerald eyes found an obstruction on the horizon, or rather the silhouette of an obstruction. Large and round, the boulder by which she had befriended the Shinkou packwolf seemed to draw her closer. She asked his name louder this time.

His scent was everywhere, and she knew that it had been too long for the scent to have remained. But would he have stayed in Akeru? The chances were slim enough for the two of them to meet the first time. Was it really possible for them to have met a second time, and at the very same spot at that? It couldn't have been.

Could it?

[Felypsa]

The sound of his name reached his ears, which perked up, and the great lion-wolf turned in the direction of the call—though deep down he had already recognized the voice. A gentle smile graced his maw as he spotted the unique form of Sésuga, deep golden eyes sweeping over her figure. She seemed surprised, he noted. She had probably not expected to run into him again here, whereas he had silently hoped for it.

It was sign, perhaps, that his time was coming.

“Sésuga,” Kero greeted smoothly, taking a few paces toward her so they would meet in the middle. “It’s pleasant to see you again.” He had to chuckle at the shock still evident in her eyes. “Akeru is as much my home as Shinkou,” he told her, anticipating her question. “Though currently it is an escape from the burdens of home.” He nodded, a leathery golden wing reaching out to gesture at the wastelands. “Hiagaru especially,” he added.

His gaze was warm and welcoming as he looked back on her. “How have you fared since we last met? Did you decide to linger in Akeru, or are you moving on?” It would be a shame to see her go, Kero would have to admit, but she had to do what was best for her.

[Le Mad]

Her eyes widened when her suspicions were confirmed. She thought she could spy a smile on the beast's face, but she could not be certain. Her own features had softened into a warm smile as she uttered a soft hello to her friend. Her paws carried her a bit further, nearly matching his pace as they approached. Words evaded her for a moment, and when she had gathered herself, Kero had already answered her first question, and went on with his own. She paused for a moment, pondering his questions.

"I have fared well. Shinkou is changing, Keroberos. There is still so much to see, so much to learn. But I had planned to stay in Akeru for a few days, at the least. It's nice this time of year." Her favorite season, Autumn, was approaching. This was not the real reason that she'd come, but the charcoal beast didn't feel as though her odd, almost preternatural feelings that she'd been having recently.

"How are you and your pack, Kero?" Sésuga was genuinely interested in Shinkou's wellbeing after the war. She'd seen how Giaku and Akeru had coped with their losses and damages done, but she hadn't been to the Shinkou packlands in nearly a year. Perhaps that's where she would go after she was done in Akeru. At that moment, however, she really just wanted to know how her friend had been doing. It was a pleasure just to see him again, as she wasn't sure whether they would after she left.

[Felypsa]

It was good to hear that she was doing well, though she had not been blind to this time of transition in the Allied Packs. Keroberos nodded in agreement, but was pleased that she had found it in her wanderer’s heart to stay for a little while in Akeru to enjoy the fair weather. Then she inquired after him and, of course, his pack, and the Mutatio gave a weary smile.

“I am well enough,” he told her, “but I honestly cannot say the same for Shinkou, or even for Akeru. There were so many lives lost, and even with this tentative truce between us and Giaku, no one is quite sure what the future will bring. Wyndbain heals still.

“It could be worse,” he allowed, “and for what peace we have now, I am grateful. But this desert now…” He looked around him with something akin to fondness in his eyes for the wasteland, “it is like an uncomplicated break from all that.”

He looked upward again at the night sky. “And the stars’ light can reach it unhindered.” That was soothing too. Once more his gaze rested upon her. “It is good to see you again,” he said, with more of a smile in his eyes.

[Le Mad]

The news of his persona was good, but his pack was not doing well. The fae nodded; she had assumed as much. The grim news caused her looks to grow solemn for a moment, but Keroberos spoke on. He had made a good point, in saying that it could have been worse. Hell, their alpha was still kicking. She wasn't as well as she could be, but she was on her way to recovery and that was a good thing.

He was right about the wastelands. She was rather fond of them, mostly because of the seemingly ageless quality of the area. Nothing grew, so nothing could die, and though the sands covered much death, one wouldn't see that at first glance. Her eyes followed his to the night sky, to see the stars smiling, ever-mysterious, down upon Shinkou. And then the great beast lowered her head, smiling in return at his statement.

"The feeling is mutual. To tell you the truth, Keroberos.. I've been feeling off lately." She felt her ears droop a bit. An odd feeling was welling up in her stomach, twisting and fluttering like a caught bird. It was as though she could feel the earth's pulse in her paws, and she didn't exactly enjoy the feeling.

"And to be honest, I don't like the feeling at all." She sat on her haunches, a shiver running down her spine. The feeling was amplifying now. She didn't exactly know what it was though, or why it had her so anxious. Sésuga heaved a sigh, exhaling her worry with her breath. Certainly it was nothing to worry about.

[Felypsa]

That smile of his faded somewhat as Sésuga told him the truth. It was good that she was not lying to him, but all the same, concern filled his eyes as he watched her ears sag, emphasizing that she was not feeling well. Keroberos took a step closer to her, peering closely at her as if he could see what was wrong. A frown crossed his maw at her final words. “What feeling?” he asked softly, feeling apprehension grip his chest.

A breeze blew past his ear, whispering of sand and lifelessness in the wastelands, causing Kero’s frown to deepen. Was there no other sentient being in Hiagaru now? The heat folded around him, encasing him in what was usually a bubble of comforting warmth, but now, he could feel the air tightening, as if trying to suffocate him.

His rational mind argued against the sensation. It was a trick, like a mirage, he told himself. Yet the atmosphere had seemed to change with Sésuga’s words. Improbably, the starlight itself seemed chilly, and the mixture of hot and cold was disturbing.

Kero focused on her, on what she had to say, trying to ignore the outer feelings of unease that had clamped down on him so suddenly.

oOc| ugggh, I suck at being on time x.x Sorry for the long delay.

[Le Mad]

The great fae watched as the oppressive atmosphere closed over Keroberos. She nodded to herself, understanding his new outward appearance. She didn't like being anything less than happy, but she felt herself growing more and more concerned. Scared, almost.

"I don't know how to describe it. Lately, I feel as though..." She flexed her paws in frustration. Words escaped her and she looked up toward the heavens.

"As though something is going to happen. Something big." Everything was electric. She could feel the particles of sand touch the loosely packed earth from a meter away. The dark femme shifted her weight and sat on her haunches. Why was she so unnerved? Sésuga was normally level headed and wise. Now she felt like a pup fearing the shadows outside her den.

"Perhaps I am just feeling the oncoming change in season." She shook her head, smiling half-heartedly. That wasn't it. No, that definitely was not what she was feeling.

OoC: I. Am. So. Sorry. I've been grounded, sick, and swamped with school. I have had absolutely no time to reply to this, or be active at all. I'm so awful. :c

[Felypsa]

They were on the brink of it.

Keroberos could feel it too, even as Sésuga haltingly described the vague but disturbing sensation she’d been having. She tried to pass it off with a simple explanation—the shift in seasons, the cold that was approaching—but the Mutatio shook his shaggy head. “No. No, you are right, something is going to happen…”

He looked up at the stars. The wind increased in his ears, and this time they howled of horrors, a sharp keening calling him, calling him. Where? he asked silently, his heart feeling like it was about to burst. Where must I go, and why must I bring Sésuga…?

An answer came—not the answer. I am NOT finished with you yet, Keroberos the Lion-Wolf. The traitor to the world.

It came as a cold blast of wind in his ear, much too chilling to originate in this dry desert. Kero growled and moved over to Sésuga, standing in front of her protectively. “We should go. This…this is not the right place to be.” Had it been hidden here this whole time? he wondered. A wasteland was a perfect place to hide dark secrets.

The world tore open before he could get Sésuga away.

It was a split from star to sand, right before their eyes—thin as a single hair, but the cold from the other side burst through like a blizzard. A snarl left Kero as tendrils of icy air wrapped around him, solid as chains, whipping him into the nigh-invisible crack. Wrong, it felt wrong. “Sésuga! Run!” he bellowed.

The light that engulfed him was blinding, the cold so deep that it seemed to freeze his bones.

When he awoke, he was no longer in the wasteland. The world around him was grey, but more than just grey…it seemed like it was actively draining color away. Kero’s smooth golden pelt appeared dulled in comparison. The cold was no longer numbing, but neither was it comfortably temperate either. When Kero breathed, his breath misted in the air before him.

It took him a long moment to realize that he was surrounded by shady forms, ghosts, who did not breathe, who did not have foggy clouds in front of their faces every few seconds. Dead, he realized. I am in the world of the dead, but I am alive. How did that happen? And, the question needling him most…why?

Kero remembered something. “Sésuga,” he gasped, turning to look around. Had Akunikai claimed him alone, or was she dragged along too?

oOc| hope you don't mind that I sped things up xD thought we might as well get things goin' fo srs -nod-

[Le Mad]

He felt it too. In that moment, the charcoal fae's ears flattened. She felt the pulse of the earth and heavens in her paws and she did did not like it. There was a nameless feeling bubbling up inside of her, one that seemed both ancient and new. She watched as her friend looked upward, her eyes inquisitive as his expression changed.

Her back legs extended as she stood up, taking a step backward as the male stepped in front of her. She lowered her muzzle and cocked her head to the side as he spoke of getting out of the wasteland. Sésuga was on edge then, feeling the static in the air. Her skin prickled. And then Keroberos was yanked away. His voice rang in her ears, commanding her to run.

Run she did. Without thinking, the beast had run straight toward Keroberos. Her legs were like powerful springs, launching her forward. Her forepaws stretched forward and her eyes closed as she leapt. As she leapt, she felt the icy force before her. An intense, throbbing pain in her eyes made her forget about the situation. It felt like her blood had been replaced with cold, harsh steel. Sésuga lost consciousness.

It seemed like only a fraction of a second when she opened her eyes. When she woke up, Akunikai's chilled air quickly filled her lungs. The vapors of her breath rose in front of her muzzle. She was laying on her right side, green eyes adjusting to the dull scenery. Her greyscale surroundings harbored more than she thought. She could feel the eyes of the dead on her.

The crossbreed did not move for a substantial amount of time. She knew where she was then and she felt no fear or worry, only confusion. The deceased dappling the vicinity did not breathe, nor did they move. They watched, ever patient. Their intent was unknown by the living female.

Her left ear twitched. Sésuga thought she heard her name called by a familiar voice. She peeled herself stiffly off of the ground. For a few moments, she thought she would be sick. She stood and shook herself.

"Keroberos? Are you here?" She called calmly. She felt odd. Serene, almost. The only thing on her mind was finding the male that she had followed, without realizing it, into Akunikai.

OoC: It's all good. :D

[Felypsa]

He heard her response, faint though it was, and immediately turned to orient on her. Despite the dimness, he could still make out the form, the air fogging in front of her maw proof that she was alive. Keroberos made several large strides over to her, and once he stood before her, his dark eyes scanned her figure, making sure that there were no injuries that she suffered.

When he could see that she was unhurt, Kero sagged somewhat. “I told you to run,” he murmured, glancing away and around him. “I have no idea how we’re going to get back.” His eyes darkened further, becoming almost black pits. “I have a feeling that the last time I got out of here, I fell from the sky and broke my wings…I would not recommend doing that again.”

The problem was, he still didn’t completely remember what his last visit here had been like. There were snatches of recollections, nothing concrete, nothing he could latch onto. Kero stayed near Sésuga as the dead trailed around them. His eyes gradually adjusted to the unusual atmosphere of the place, and he was able to see that they were standing upon sandy terrain…not unlike the wastelands they had just left.

“We should walk,” he said quietly. “I don’t know how we can get back…but I have a feeling that we won’t do so by standing here.” Kero glanced around warily. So far, none of these dead spirits had attacked or indeed showed much interest in them beyond the occasional glance over. But they were dead—in soul as well as in body. Like as not, they couldn’t care about anything. Not even two living beings in their midst.

“We’re going to go this way. There’s…an oasis in this desert, I know it.” The words came out awkwardly, but Kero felt the certainty in his bones. It was frustrating having this mental wall preventing him from accessing all the information he needed. But he was grateful that he knew enough not to panic. And hopefully Sésuga was not prone to panic either. “I will get us home,” he murmured, his voice quiet but with all sincerity of that promise.

[Le Mad]

Though the dead merely lingered around her without showing any sign of hostility or curiosity, Sésuga found herself growing more and more creeped out by the Akunikai's inhabitants. She was glad that Keroberos approached her; the company of another always seemed to calm her. She became sheepish when he pointed out that he told her to run and in her defense, she had followed orders. She had just gone in the wrong direction.

Her eyes widened briefly as he spoke of his being there before. She remembered his story of the spirit lions and having fallen from the sky. She looked at him, her ears drooping slightly. Would they get home? And she began to think then. The fae didn't really have a home. There was no place to call her own, and very few knew she even existed.

She was brought back to reality by him suggesting they walk. She nodded, previous thoughts nagging at her subconscious. The nub of her tail twitched and she began to move with him. Her paws created soft dents in the sands below them. Sésuga noted the determination in Kero's voice, and she believed and trusted him. She would go wherever he thought they should.

She glanced around at the souls around them. Could they think? Did they even realize that the two living Mutatios were invading their afterlife? She shivered, gravitating slightly closer to Keroberos as they walked.

"Is this how we all end up?" The entranced beast asked quietly, eyes darting between ghostly forms. She certainly didn't hope so.

[Felypsa]

Keroberos put on a show for Sésuga’s sake, but the truth was that he was just as uneasy as she was. Perhaps more; he had been summoned here for a reason, and he did not exactly like to think of what that might be. His lack of control over the situation was unnerving him more than he cared to admit.

All the same, he was now responsible for Sésuga as well as himself; he vowed to see his promise through, and furthermore, he mentally added that he would do so without seeing any harm come to her.

For her part, Sésuga did not pester him with questions about his times here before, nor did she lash out and blame him for any of this. That was a small comfort, but a comfort nonetheless. Instead, she spoke with wonder and fear as she beheld the spirits around them. Kero exhaled. “I can’t say for sure…I believe this is a kind of limbo, not quite their final resting place.” But his voice was filled with uncertainty. He hated how little he knew, how ill prepared he was.

He fell silent then, trying to concentrate, trying to come up with something that would be useful now. There was a soft whispering wind in his ear, but there was nothing but silence all around them, which could not be good. After traveling for several minutes, the fog around them seemed to clear, just enough for Kero to be able to make out a distant set of trees. “The oasis,” he said, heart quickening. “As I thought—it looks quite far. But at least it is there.”

Unless Akunikai’s deserts liked to play tricks with their minds and eyes as much as the world of the living did. But Kero felt it in his gut: that was no mirage.

He turned to give Sésuga a hopeful, optimistic smile, but it came out more of a brave sort of grimace. The large Mutatio took another step, and suddenly, his paw sank into the sand halfway up his leg. Kero let out a startled snarl, but he pulled himself out—just as a snake, its girth as thick as Kero’s leg, came slithering out.

The serpent beheld Kero, and there seemed to be wide surprise in those tricksome yellow eyes. Then the forked tongue came out in a hiss, as if the reptile were laughing. “Returned, returned. Look who hassss returned. Again. How long will he stay thisss time, before he sssscrews up again?”

“What do you mean?” Keroberos demanded, lashing out with a paw to try to catch the slinky snake. But the serpent dodged him easily and, laughing in that hissing way of his, plunged back under the sand. Kero’s life-breath puffed out in an angry misty cloud as he dug at the spot where the antagonizer disappeared, growling in frustration.

[Le Mad]

His words, though unsure, consoled the charcoal beast. Yes, this was limbo. Purgatory. The in between. She nodded quietly to herself and they pressed on. Soon enough, though, Keroberos spotted the Oasis. At last they were there, and she was glad. It had seemed like an eternity of walking, though it really hadn't been that long. She returned his smile and began to speed up her pace, the uneasy feeling beginning to recede.

And she was met with a wriggling, scaly form. The female jumped and took a few steps backward as the snake rose from the sand and spoke of her friend. Sésuga- level headed, happy, sweet Sésuga- felt her lips curling and a growl rumbling in her throat. She didn't like this beast one bit. And the way he spoke to Kero only made it worse. She was half tempted to do the same thing he did when he went to strike the reptile, but in a flash it was gone.

Uncomfortably, the fae watched her friend grow frustrated, looking for the snake. She lifted her head to glance at the oasis before she moved closer to him.

"It knows you've been here?" She questioned in solemn curiosity, looking at where the snake had dissappeared. Her ears flattened slightly. She didn't like the vibe she got from the creature. Nor did she like the things it talked about.

OoC: Short post is short. Sorry. D:

[Felypsa]

When his efforts came to naught, Keroberos lifted his gaze and let out one last huff of anger. Then Sésuga spoke, her voice low and serious, and he looked over at her, the look in his eyes softening somewhat. He had lost; the snake was no more than a physical representation of his mental struggle. There was some deep secret that rested in the bowels of his mind, and every time he got close, it slithered away and disappeared.

“Apparently,” he said grimly, and shook his great shaggy head. “Let’s just go onward. Perhaps at that oasis is where we can find some answers.” Or perhaps more questions. With that, he fell silent. He did not mean to be unsociable, but the recent event set him brooding.

They traveled a little while longer and then Kero noticed they were drawing near to a boulder similar to the one in the real Hiagaru. Similar—only there were faint wisps of spirits clinging to it, their souls curling around it like it was somehow sustaining them. When Kero and Sésuga approached, however, they let out soft hisses and withdrew, like a receding fog. Kero stared at them with a small frown. He somehow knew it would be useless to ask them anything. They could hardly speak, in this stage.

Instead he turned to his companion. “Do you think your ability would work here?” he asked. His own magic did, the wind still carrying empty whispers into his ear. But was he special somehow? Kero nodded to the boulder, which was now mostly clear, though the dead ones stared at it with stony, resentful eyes.

|oOc|

no worries n.n you can make up whatever you want too, if you have any ideas, go for it :3 I only have a vague overarching idea of what to do xD