i got a review that's like "takes a long time between updates" (and a very nice compliment afterwards, thank you) and really that itself should have motivated me to write more (it got like 200 words outta me at least) but nonetheless, i have the attention span of a gnat i'm sorry
In the spirit of Halloween, have DEATH. (aka, cw for death/blood/stabbings).
Riley does not fall asleep easily. He floats in between unconsciousness and wakefulness, at times dimly aware of noises from Steven shifting or putting his laptop back on the table. When he finally does manage to pass out enough to fall into a dreaming state, he's greeted once more with the now-almost-familiar duplicate of himself, standing in a completely black landscape. Riley walks over to them. The doppelgänger nervously fidgets with the knot of their red tie.
Just the person Riley wanted to talk to, though they look slightly worried to see him. Too bad for them, Riley figured.
"Are you Darkrai?" Riley asks. The copy of himself standing opposite himself stands still, thinking.
"Partially. Not any more, I don't think. Not at this point."
"But you were, then?" Riley feels on the verge of something, though it's mixed with a sense of trepidation. Previously, he got the feeling that this thing in his head was trying to communicate more and just couldn't, but now they're coming off as intentionally cagey. The doppelgänger takes a hesitant step back away from Riley, an arm coming up protectively over their midsection.
"Yes. I was a piece of Darkrai's energy."
"What are you now?"
A pause, then a sigh. "Now, I'm a part of yours."
Riley stands still, processing. They're… him. He's stuck with this? If he follows Cynthia's advice, will it not go away? Riley's copy— Darkrai— whatever it is looks away and fades back into the shadows.
Or, tries to, as they only just start losing opacity before something makes them snap their head up, eyes wide, and exclaim something in a language Riley doesn't know but is quite clearly an explicative. Their attention is focused on a point somewhere over Riley's shoulder.
Riley doesn't even get through turning around before a voice issues out that makes him mentally second his companion's curses, with a couple more choice phrases of his own.
"Riley?"
The voice is unmistakably Steven's, and Riley finished turning to see him looking aptly bewildered at running into two Riley's standing in an otherwise black void, both of which look incredibly upset to see him.
Darkrai is tense, fists clenched and shoulders raised, talking to themselves and Riley in quiet apologetic panic. "What did you do? Oh Arceus, I'm so sorry, I've already hurt you enough I thought I had a grasp on protecting you from it but I can't help him too I can't I can't I'm sorry I don't mean it I don't mean to hurt you I don't—"
"Steven, you have to wake up. Right now." Between a grasp on his own situation and the panicking fragment of nightmare next to him, Riley's safe making the assumption that Steven isn't a part of his dream-consciousness that belongs. Steven fails to obey Riley, instead becoming even more confused and resolutely continuing to exist.
Riley can sense things changing, be it the shift in the shadowy void around him that he doesn't know how he can sense or Darkrai abruptly shutting up that clues him off. He just knows things are going to go right back into being nightmares and something's about to go horribly wrong. Fear and anxiety build in his chest at an alarming rate as he quickly steps over to Steven. To do what, he doesn't know.
Whatever he plans on doing becomes a moot point. The shadows shifting around their feet blossom upwards, encircling both Steven and Riley. Steven realizes what he's gotten himself into, looking up at the semi-visible sharp points of darkness over their heads with an exhaled "oh". Riley's only a step away from Steven and he wants to believe, he's trying so hard to grasp at the idea that if he can just grab Steven he can at least protect him—
But no, the points loop back down and descend the second Riley's outstretched fingers reach Steven's shirt. The first one goest neatly through Steven's throat. Riley's mouth opens. Another daggered piece of dark neatly enters Steven's chest, slipping between ribs and exiting through his back with no difficulty at all. Riley's screaming at him, Darkrai, shadows, himself. Steven stares at Riley, silver eyes wide and rapidly becoming dull.
Further bits of shadow continue falling through and around Steven and Riley, but Riley's stopped paying attention after the first two. His hands are already bloody and Steven's already dead. A bit of shadow glances through Riley's arm and he hardly notices. "Wake up, damnit, wake up!"
If he's screaming this at himself or Steven's body, Riley can't tell. The shadows start to fade back into the void, which, in Riley's perspective, infinitely worsens the situation. There's nothing to support Steven except Riley any more, and he falls onto Riley, the dead weight and abject horror of having Steven full of holes ending in Riley sinking to the ground, bent over Steven and mumbling incoherently.
Dakrai a few yards away is doing similar, doubled over themselves with their hands over their head and speaking indistinctly. Riley screams at them to do something, this is their fault. They don't respond outside of shaking.
Blood covered hands shakily hold the sides of Steven's face. Riley mutters something half-thought, before being struck with the realization—
If this is a piece of Steven's consciousness-aura-something that came here and died, where is the rest of him?
He better not be dead. Arceus help them both, Steven Stone had better not be dead.
Riley grits his teeth, releases Steven's body from his grip, and stands. Sharp steps take him to his doppelgänger, who he grabs by the lapels and hauls into a fully standing position. Darkrai stops muttering, still looking terrified. Riley glares.
"Wake me up. Now."
"I don't know how."
"Learn!" Darkrai doesn't respond, just staring at Riley again. Riley doesn't know why they're so damn afraid, and it makes him fear the consequences of this nightmare will be greater than he thought.
It's the pokemon of nightmares, however. Eternal sleep, lost in dreams. They can't wake Riley up, as much as they'd like to oblige. Riley abruptly realizes this, that it's up to him.
Fine. Fine. Deconstruct this mess. This power's a part of him now, apparently, and he'll be damned if he can't control it. Just once, that's all he's asking. One exertion of power. He can do it, he's not given the title of aura guardian for nothing.
Too bad he doesn't know what he's doing.
The dreamscape, however, has an aura.
Darkrai just watches silently as Riley grabs the aura and tears.