Musharna - the Drowsing pokemon
Continuing from Munna
As I opened my crimson eyes, I couldn't see anything but glowing brightly, but still dark pink around me. I started floating upwards and turning in circles, but still everything looked the same.
"Welcome Mara - the cursed - Musharna," three female voices spoke changing which one was talking every few words. But I still couldn't see anything.
And did they call me a Musharna? Did I miss my evolving?
"Who are you?" I inquired and floated down to the pink ground...or at least it was something like ground.
"We are - the guardians - of the Darkness flower," they continued talking strangely. "You - have been - sacrificed."
"Yes. I know," I lowered my head. Sacrificed for the life of that Zorua.
Suddenly, the pinkness started shaking and I heard noises similar to pounding, echoing through the whole emptiness. It quickly made my head hurt and I floated up, so I wouldn't feel the shaking.
"The saved one - is hurting - the flower," the females seemed a little angry. "But do not worry, - he won't - get you out."
"That world seems better without me anyways," I noted and got back down on the surface, for the pounding stopped.
Suddenly, in the spot just before my eyes, the pinkness started receding and opened a window to the world that I came from. It looked like the dreams I project. But who's dream was it then?
When the view became clear, I saw a dark grey ball trapped in spiky vines. It was obviously Loki, who struggled because of the spikes scratching and piercing his skin. The spikes seemed to get bigger to hurt him more.
"Why are you showing me this?" I ask the voices.
"You are the ruler - of this space - now. You can - command the - outer world."
"I can?" these seemed like the powers only a god should get, but why did I get them? Never mind, I decided I can't look at Loki in this situation, so I commanded. "Release the Zorua."
Immediately, Loki fell to the ground and began breathing the air he couldn't get while he was being squeezed. Haemon came to him and seemed to think everything was alright. They started talking, but I couldn't hear them. I just saw how Loki kept glancing, well, at me, or so it seemed. But he was probably looking at the bud.
Soon they left my sight and I was alone...well not alone - with the voices. The view also closed.
"So why am I the ruler of this world?" I asked the voices. It's not like I have anything better to do.
"You - are marked - by darkness. Every flower - like this awaits - its master. But it is - strange to see - a psychic type here," they noted.
"Well I didn't ask for this," I said. "So why can I control the outer world?"
"Well, it's not - the whole world - to be precise. You can control - anything that has - enough darkness."
...But everyone has darkness. I wonder how much is the "enough" part.
"...So what can I do now?" I ask. Somehow I just couldn't understand what can I do here.
"You can travel - as far as - the flower reaches. You can control - anything with - enough darkness," they kind of repeated themselves.
"So how can I leave this forest and go further?"
"Just do it," they spoke in a unison.
...That didn't really help, but I started imagining how I started getting away from me. Suddenly, a pink ball, just a little bit visible, covered me and made me appear inside it. From then it just floated out of the pinkness and to the forest. I looked back and only saw the glowing flower bud. It didn't seem like the voices came with me, so I was alone in a noiseless world.
I tried popping the bubble, but it just stretched from my paw. But then my arm piqued my interest. It was longer than before and had a dark purple color whereas the tip of my arm was dark pink. Did I really evolve? But when? I didn't feel any change. Even the pink world felt kind of normal.
As I floated through the dark forest. I felt like I knew the whole forest like the back of my hand...Not that it was hard to know the back of my hand when it is just a stubby limb.
And somehow I knew where a little lake was in this Dark forest, I knew where the exit was, I knew how many pokemon where in the forest... two. It was just amazing. I guess the Dark forest is like my domain and I bet I can completely control it.
But suddenly my amazement burst. I knew it didn't matter. No one will be amazed by the powers of a darkness ruler.
I floated towards the little lake, to check out my appearance. I immediately saw how big I got and that the pentagrams on my sides were missing and only dark purple was covering my whole body, except my face. But now I had one bigger pentagram around the hole that projected dreams.
So how did I evolve? Weren't Munnas supposed to evolve when exposed to Moon Stones? I looked up, just to see if the moon was shining there. Even through the pink that the bubble provided, I clearly saw the shining full moon in the black sky... though now nothing had the same colors.
As I saw my change, I figured I had nothing else to do, but see the limits of my powers, so I headed to the village, through the tunnels. I found Haemon sleeping already, though very restlessly. As I floated closer to him, he seemed to be even more restless. Can he feel me? I somehow thought I was invisible to anyone in this world.
"Haemon. Can you hear me?" I ask, but he doesn't even tilt his ears. And he always did that from the slightest sound, even when he was sleeping.
I guess I can't be sure about the fact that no one can see me, so I headed to town. There wasn't anyone in the town square, where I left Loki after he slept a day near the tunnel, but I felt dark pokemon around me. I knew who they were and where they lived... But I couldn't find Loki... How can he not be dark.
His father was one of the darkest I felt here and his mother was a little less than half of that. I floated to their house through the wall. I was glad I could do that, because I always wanted to try that. The house was a two story building. On the bottom floor I saw the large black creature, who now I knew to be a Zoroark, yelling at the a little smaller in size female Zoroark. I couldn't hear their voices, nor could I understand what the male one was yelling about to the cowering female, but I just saw that it darkened the male little by little. He was already dark purple, while the mother Zoroark was dark pink. I guessed black was the final color... I wondered what happens to a pokemon engulfed in a black aura.
Since I still couldn't understand anything, I flew upstairs and quickly found Loki's room. As I floated closer to the grey fur ball, that was curled up in his bed and with a pillow on his ears, I saw tears running down his face. I guessed it was because of the fight his parents were having.
I decided to float so close to him that I was literally in his face and spoke.
"Do you see me?"
But the Zorua engulfed in a red aura didn't move. I just saw fear and sadness flickering in his eyes...
I floated straight down, through the ground of the second floor and the ceiling of the first one and made the father shut up. I saw the female flinching from the silence and raising her head. I commanded the male to stop fighting and he did. It seemed he even said sorry. And then he simply went upstairs to sleep. I saw how everyone was tired. It was nearly morning after all. The mother could finally go to sleep as well.
I floated back to Loki. The pillow was finally under his head and the tears stopped. He seemed happier.
Suddenly I heard screeching and it made me close my eyes, as if it would get the horrible sound away. When I opened them, I was back in the pink space.
"You cannot - make pokemon - act better!" the three voices were furious, but also sounded weak. "We need - every bit - of darkness. You can't - just go and - turn it bright!"
"I thought I was the ruler. I can do whatever I want," I decided, but honestly, they told me that themselves.
"But it - weakens you - too!" they screeched to me. Honestly, I didn't feel any different. They seemed like drama queens to me.
"Fine. Then you mean to tell me I can only do bad things with bad people?" I asked with simple words.
"Yes. And wait until - others become - bad as well. The village - is still - pretty good. Not many - are ruled by - darkness. Not many - can be controlled - by you."
I stayed quiet. Everything sounded simple. But I never was the pokemon, that was very bad. Of course, I was further from goodness, but still. I was... neutral. I did what I wanted and I'm not about to listen to these three just for the sake of increasing my powers.
I was about to go back to town, but somehow I couldn't do it anymore.
"Hey, what gives?" I asked irritated.
"The sun - has - risen. You can't leave - until it - goes down again."
...What a drag.
There was literally nothing to do there during the day. I couldn't see anything but pink, I couldn't imagine anything. I wanted to at least see those three voices as beings, but that didn't happen either. Though I still wouldn't have wanted to talk to them. They sounded like mothers or something, simply saying what to do... Not that I would know.
When I thought this, I remembered that my parents should still be in that village, but I didn't pay much attention to other pokemon when I was there in the pink bubble, so I couldn't even try to understand the things I knew then. They were simply out of my concentration zone. Should I go visit them? It's not like they'll see me and understand... that they were right and that I am cursed. Cursed to be darkness.
Well, never mind.
Because of this free time I can go deep into my mind, though I don't really want that. I don't want to know what I really think... Or that I'm really able to normally feel.
But finally, the sun retreated and I could see the rising, pinkish moon. I didn't waste any time and jumped out of this pink and into the pinkish bubble. But something felt strange... Everything seemed blurry.
As I floated to the village, I looked at Loki's house. The darkness was decreasing there and somehow the decreasing spread to other homes. As if the father of Loki was the source of darkness here... I think I had to fix that... But I didn't want that Zoroark to be dark again... I just somehow didn't.
I drifted to one of the houses and saw a Poochyena napping on a pillow all alone. It was a boy and seemed about my age... At least if I was still a Munna he would be... Maybe a little older. Alright - I could have known his age if he was darker, but he was only pink and that's not enough.
But then it hit me... This was my brother.
I looked around. So that was my house. Not a big one, really - only one floor. Big pillows for everyone to sleep on and a small kitchen. There were four pillows. I wonder if they got a third child after me.
Suddenly I felt darker energy behind me and turned around. It was obvious who gave off that energy... Should I make them do something horrible and get satisfaction?
...No, I don't even want to see them. I floated up, straight through the roof and flew to a different house.
A female Delphox and a female Braixen. A mother and a daughter. The daughter was darker. Liked mischief, as I checked. I wanted to try and increase the darkness so I used the Braixen with dark pink, almost purple aura and made her smash one of the dishes in their house.
Almost immediately, the mother's aura darkened as she started yelling at her daughter, or so it seemed. I made Braixen not regret it and seem totally neutral. That made Delphox even angrier and even Braixen started darkening.
The blurriness in this night's journey started vanishing. It's very easy to get back the powers. Almost too easy really. But as I looked at the shouting of the females after I let go of Braixen, I started to feel strange. I just didn't want to see that and floated off.
I suddenly felt weird. I didn't want to stay there anymore. I did feel stronger, but I just didn't want to feel this gloomy mood so I went back to the forest, without even looking back. But I didn't enter the pink bud, I just flew to the lake and landed on the calm shore. Too bad I couldn't feel the sand and the little, probably cold, waves. They just passed me and my pink bubble like I wasn't there. So insignificant even water doesn't think of me as an obstacle.
I notice the moon will soon reach the horizon and start hiding, so I float up and fly towards the bud. Another day, trapped inside the pink space awaits me. But it doesn't seem I can do something to prevent it.
When I got back, the voices praised me.
"Wonderful - work - Mara. Keep it up - and you will be - promoted," they were happy I made that mother and daughter fight and brought out more darkness.
"Promoted? To what?" I actually didn't even know this was a job.
"To control - bigger places that need - to get darker," they explained still happy.
"...Yeah...Whatever..."
I didn't know, if I wanted that darkness to spread, but I guess I didn't want light to win either. I was neutral. But I still caused mischief in the night, when I was free from that pink space.
Usually it was only arguments brought out in the families. I was kind of surprised how such small things bring such darkness, but my increasing powers and darkening auras proved it.
One cold night, I left the pink space and headed towards the village, but then I felt a group of dark ones. And...a red one.
I quickly turned to the direction I felt them and found a group of six pokemon surrounding Loki in the Dark forest, well at the edge of it. They were all the ones I had made to do bad things, so that their darkness would grow... What are they doing here?
Suddenly, they started attacking Loki. Physical and special attacks kept slashing at him. Why are they doing this?
Maybe...Maybe they blame Loki for the darkness I brought them, for the fights and arguments?
But there was no time to think and no way to understand for sure. I just stopped all the dark ones in their tracks and they looked like statues, going in to hurt Loki.
He carefully raised his head that was already bleeding from the forehead. One of his legs was broken and lumps of his fur were missing. Just a few seconds of this fight and he was so messed up... It must have hurt.
He looked around with his scared, aqua eyes and breathed heavily, closing his eyes tightly sometimes, probably from the pain.
And I just floated in midair. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't say anything to him, I couldn't do anything more for him, without decreasing the darkness, so I just kept the bad ones frozen and waited, until Loki hides.
But he started walking around them and observing them. I almost thought he'll get revenge on them, but he just looked.
I felt how the frozen ones want to make Loki suffer and I felt them slipping out of my control. I couldn't stop them for any longer, but I made them attack each other instead of Loki.
The massacre started, but Loki finally managed to escape. Those six didn't care for him anymore. They just continued hurting each other and darkening their auras. Ultimately, they all turned dark purple.
But it was only a good thing for me. I felt how I was getting stronger. Those female voices will probably be glad too. But I kind of don't understand why I helped Loki. It's because of him I'm stuck like this... Did I take pity on him?
I had no interest to watch the bloody fight so I floated after Loki. It was rather easy to follow him, because I knew how his aura looked like now. I was surprised it didn't change from red even after all this.
He didn't run back to the village, but instead ran to the forest. The way he moved, I figured he must have known this forest pretty well. How come I never saw him then? Did he always hide with his illusions? But why didn't he hide from those six now then?
...Why do I started to care? What's wrong with me? My head started aching and I had to land, because I couldn't control my floating anymore. Was this because of the gained power or because my feelings started leaking out?
No! I don't want feelings! Feelings bring pain and suffering!
When I shouted that to myself, I felt better. I could float once again, but figured it's best not to stay this night outside of the pink bud. But as I got closer to it, I felt someone else was close to it too... Why would Loki want to go here?
I found him just sitting in front of the flower bud and looking at it. I tried to simply ignore him and flew inside the pink space. The three voices immediately greeted me.
"Oh, what - wonderful job - miss Mara. The darkness - is spreading - quite nicely. Soon -you'll be promoted," they seemed to promise me that and I just sneered, though I bet they didn't see that. I was sick of this. I didn't want this job. I wanted to live my life for myself, not for making darkness grow.
Suddenly, dark smoke started engulfing the bud's inside. I bet this was like the flower's evolving and it started turning purple. I looked inside, to see how Loki reacted to the change. His eyes were wide open and his jaw was dropped. I guess something more, than the color changed on the outside. I was curious to see that so I flew out into the night air again.
The bud grew bigger, got purple and started opening up. I had observed some flowers in the forest, but they certainly didn't change as fast as this one. There were many purple petals, trying to get some space and spreading anyway possible and soon the flower looked like a giant Dahlia.
I have to admit it was beautiful.
But then, the smoke that was inside the flower started spreading out too. It didn't affect me, but Loki seemed scared of that and started backing away.
He took a few steps backwards and fell, because he tripped over a tree's root. I flew to him and saw something I never imagined him to have.
Right there, simply on the front of his neck, that was usually covered by his black scarf like fur, was a red pentagram. The fur must have been ripped out during one of the attacks from the six darkened pokemon.
...So he really was like me. He was cursed with the same thing. But then why wasn't he chosen to be the darkness spreader?
But I couldn't hear his answer, even if I somehow managed to ask. Loki quickly got up and ran away, as the purple smoke was still spreading and I decided to go back to the flower. Maybe the voices will explain some things to me.
"Rejoice - for the darkness - that spreads! Soon - this village - will be perfect!" they were super happy. Almost ridiculously.
"What does the smoke do?" I asked, because that was the only thing that piqued my interest now.
"It will - make pokemon - darker. It will - strengthen our - powers."
I should have guessed. But Loki's terrified face just made me think that purple smoke is something really horrible...
"Was Loki supposed to be the ruler of darkness here?" I asked, remembering the blood red pentagram on his neck.
But the voices stayed quiet. Their joy just vanished. They themselves seemed to have vanished.
"...Well? Answer me!" I commanded.
"We - can't talk - about it," they whispered quietly, like they were scared of something. "It's not our place."
Suddenly, the whole flower started shaking and I floated up, to not feel the power of the quaking. Was Loki pounding the flower again? I made a window to the outside, but didn't see anything peculiar.
And then a shiver went down my spine. I turned around and saw something... dark. Like a huge, black ghost.
"You have done well, Mara, the cursed Musharna," a low, manly voice made the atmosphere tremble again. "You have too much potential to stay here. You are being promoted and will move to bigger places, while another cursed one is born in this village," the being continued talking and it felt like someone was pushing me down, like my body started freezing. I didn't even have the guts to speak. Was this intimidation?
"Master, - we are so honored - you came here," the voices only came back now, as if they were in another room and only now realized they have guests.
"Yes, well you three still didn't fulfill your duties here. Only Mara will be promoted," the ghost disappointed the females and they stayed quiet from then on.
"Um, I-I'm sorry, but could I ask you something?" I somehow got the courage to open my mouth. And even though my voiced cracked a little bit, but after every word I felt stronger.
"Ask," he said coldly and almost made me loose my courage. But I hung on to it tightly.
"Was Loki supposed to be the one to rule darkness in this village?" I ask, finally having a being that might answer me.
"Yes. But he couldn't make himself turn to the dark side. He was always tilting towards brightness, even with the red aura he had. So we decided to give a chance to another pokemon and you were the chosen one. Once you were born, the red flower that was waiting for Loki, turned pink and waited for you," the dark ghost explained.
"But I'm not completely evil as well," I point out, thinking I really wasn't.
"You tilt towards neutrality, but you almost don't have any goodness. You don't care for anyone. You don't have feelings. You are perfect to be one of the darkness soldiers," though his voice was still cold and intimidating, he sounded... proud as well. "We need to go. Soon a new cursed one will be born and the flower will no longer accept you," a dark portal opened next to him and the black ghost gestured to it with his smoky cloth that might have hid an arm.
But I didn't want to leave yet... I wanted to talk to Loki, for one last time.
"You have one hour. Go and do what you want. You will never return here," the ghost must have read my thoughts. I nodded and jumped out of the purple flower.
And then I heard... the real world. The wind blowing and making the branches of the dark trees shiver. The waves in the cold little lake not so far from here reaching the shore. Was this really the real world? I almost forgot how it felt like to feel real.
But I couldn't just stay here and think about it. I floated up and flew after Loki.
What was I doing? Why did I care to see him? My head started hurting again. But I just wanted to see the one that actually had to have the same faith as me. I want him to know that I understand how similar we are... I want him to understand that he isn't alone, as he tried to make me understand.
The purple smoke had already vanished or maybe it just spread enough. I wonder how far Loki ran from it. I couldn't see his red aura anymore. I couldn't even see the darkness that was supposed to be around me.
I left the real Dark forest and entered the part that I made dark when I was still a Munna. No sign of him. I started to feel disappointed... Or maybe...sad...
"Loki!" I shouted out and was surprised by my own voice. I sounded... emotional. What was happening to me?!
"So you are the Darkness Bringer," I heard a familiar voice.
"It seems I evolved from Nightmare Bringer," I turn around and feel something weird on my face... Was that a smile?
"It seems you evolved in more than one ways," he jumped out of the shadows and observed me. I was bigger than he was now.
"Loki... I know that you have a red pentagram on your neck. I know that you are cursed and that we have suffered the same faith, as you said we did," I spoke, trying to make my voice cold as usual, but I just couldn't. "...I'm sorry I didn't believe you. I'm sorry I didn't accept that we need each other to understand each other..." I felt tears in my eyes again. I couldn't control anything. Such a weakling.
But then I felt a soft, fluffy creature hugging me. Loki forgave me so easily... Even though I darkened his already dark life...
And I just started crying. I let it go, for the first time in my life.
"It's alright. Only we two can understand how hard it is to be left by everyone else. To be hated, despised and feared by everyone else," I heard that Loki's voice will start cracking soon too. He controlled himself better, but I still felt his tears on my cheek.
"I wish you could come with me," I whispered and suddenly we both appeared in the purple flower, with the black ghost waiting for me near the portal.
"That wish can be granted" the ghost noted. "But only if the Zorua wants that. He is marked by the sign, so he can rule darkness beside you. But you have to create darkness, or you will be demoted and separated."
"I heard your wish," Loki and me finally let go of each other and the dark illusion pokemon smiled at me. "I would love to go with you."
"Loki..." I smiled at him too.
He was the only one to bring out the goodness in me. And now, when we both will rule darkness, I think I will finally feel happiness.
End of the Drowsing pokemon.
Yay ^.^ Nobody got killed. Though maybe the six pokemon that at first fought Loki, because I just didn't say how the fight ended.
Maybe Loki will be too good to rule darkness, but I bet when they will feel weak from lack of darkness, they will do what they need to. Maybe they'll both have fun with it.
Thank you Airenee for the amazing art for Munna and Musharna forms of Mara ^.^