Foxside: The Temple of Inari 51

[Rebonack]

[Sanctuary]

Sunder heaves a sigh of relief.

"Hah... Believe me, kid, if you were dead I sure as **** wouldn't be here," she laughs with a genuine smile creeping across her face. She is very, very glad that Hikari is okay. And doesn't appear to be possessed by the weird demon troll thing anymore. "I'm glad you're alright. Back to normal, too. I was afraid I might have... y'know... hit you too hard..."

Also?

She's swearing in front of the nine-tails.

Come on, Sunder.

Really?

Have a little bit of class!

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Sari smiles

No, miss, you are not dead: this is the Temple of Inari.

Tsukiko turns back to Sunder

She is in an interesting situation. I would personally call her a case of Multiple Personality Disorder, though the second personality seems perhaps more disorderly than one might care for. That should certainly be looked into more thoroughly, but a standard exorcism will have no effect.

Then she makes an assessment of Sunder. If being a nightshade at heart bothers Tsukiko, you'd never know.

You do not seem to me to be fragmented... what piece of your soul is it that she has taken?

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Hikari nods, then, when she hears Tsukiko's question, she shakes her head slowly and carefully as she says, "Not her soul. The soul of who she was before she was a nightshade...The last thing I remember...." She trails off, then continues quietly and despondently, "Y-You broke my swords..."

[Rebonack]

[Sanctuary]

"So... what? The creepy troll thing was another part of her mind or something?" Sunder asks. That sounds really complicated. She has enough trouble with one person living in her head. That tone of concern certainly isn't gone yet. Sunder is seriously worried that this... other thing... is manipulating her friend. When asked about her soul, "It's... it's complicated. I just found out a few days ago that I'm not exactly who I thought I was. I got... or... I guess who this body used to belong to? She got hit by a nightshade's death curse back when Atropus was making everything awful. My buddy Siegfried put me down and rez'd me once Atropus was gone. I guess he didn't know that nightshades sort of... you know... eat the living soul and base their personality off it or something."

Sunder awkwardly rubs the back of her neck with a hoof.

"So I'm not the little filly I thought I was. I'm the thing that ate her. But then Hikari found a little chunk of Sweet Spring still inside my mind. I figure Sweet's as dead as dead can get, right? So whatever was hers is mine now. Like... a piece of her that I'm missing. Maybe the reason I'm so messed up is because I'm missing parts."

It should be pretty clear that Sunder is rather uncomfortable talking about all of this. It's also likely that the consumption of the whole of Sweet Spring's soul was interrupted when Sunder was destroyed during Atropus' descent.

Then Hikari speaks up!

The pegasus gives her a look. "I warned you that if you pulled those swords on me I would bust 'em."

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Sari pats Hikari on the shoulder

Do you have any of the fragments? Perhaps they can be re-forged.

Tsukiko nods to the first part of Sunder's question.

Yes: it is part of her, yet independent. A rather unusual case, and I'm afraid such matters of the mind are not at all my specialty. I will have to make some inquiries among the monks at Saraswati's Temple.

Then to the second

Generally, such consumption is completed within a rather short time of infection and does not progress further once set. I see you, and I feel you, and you seem complete... but I could examine further. And perhaps knowing my credentials would help you trust my advice...

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Hikari shakes her head and says, "No...They completely disintegrated."

[Rebonack]

[Sanctuary]

Sunder gives a shallow nod. "The demon said something about smashing her dreams and hurting a lot of people. Do you think it might have been trying to force her into fighting me? Like... it was trying to get her killed?"

That's what the pegasus is suspecting, at least. That this whole mess is somehow the oni's fault.

At the nine-tail's second comment, Sunder opens her mouth only to close it again.

"You... know how nightshades and stuff work, then? Is there any way I... that my soul or whatever? That my soul could be made really alive? Because getting eaten up by undead cancer every time I get healed is complete ****, let me tell you. And I'm still worried that if I die I'll get back up and hurt someone."

She frowns at her injured wing.

"And speaking of healing, this really bucking hurts. Could you guys do something about it?" she says as she unfurls her wing. A long, angry gash has bit into the limb and soaked her feathers with blood.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Sari sighs sympathetically

I'm sorry... I take it they were quite special?

Tsukiko tilts her head

It would not surprise me... such things are not unheard of. As I said, I will need help in helping her. Not so much for you.

Tsukiko bows her head, and what little color there was in her fur fades away to shades of gray. She rises above the ground and fades slightly: becoming partly transparent. And her tail splits and separates until nine fluffy appendages are waving behind her. Then she looks up, and her eyes are the glowing red spots of a shadow.

I am Tsukiko no Mae, Nine-Tailed Shadow Lord: Daughter of Chiyoko no Mae and Yamata no Orochi, the eight headed demon serpent. My touch drains the strength from the living, my kiss steals their emotions, my power steals their lives: and those slain by me become shadows themselves. My commands are a compulsion that all but the most powerful beings of shadow must obey unquestioningly.

I am a Messenger of the Goddess of the Nine-tails, the Lady of Shadows, my sister: Tamamo no Mae.

And yet... we are here not to slay, but to help the living.

She gestures, and a shadowy aura surrounds Sunder's wing that should heal it completely.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Hikari sighs and says, "Yeah...I don't know if I'll ever be able to replace them...It just won't be the same."

[Rebonack]

[Sanctuary]

Sunder is...

Well.

She's at once unnerved and comforted by the shadow fox person. Sure, she's smashed undead shadows before. But this is a lady that's on her side. And working for the good guys. If a thing like her can be a creature of darkness and not be awful, then isn't there hope for Sunder, too? If she drains people and turns them into shadows... Sunder is pretty sure that's the same kind of hunger she felt when she was fully undead. Maybe this fox lady has a way to suppress it like Lady Evercraft does?

Then she gets her wing healed.

The pegasus sucks in through her teeth. Negative and positive energy both heal her, weirdly enough. But they always hurt.

Always.

The flesh that grows back over the wound is leathery and black, coated in glossy feathers that seem to drink in the light. Sunder frowns at them. "Heh. Took me two days to get a new scar. Uuuh... Thanks miss... umm... Zukeeko?"

Wow.

Sunder totally butchered her name.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

Tavlii and one minion appear, quickly after the Outside occurrence, so that hopefully the true sight is still in effect, and look around in case the spider they are to send regards to is highly visible somewhere.
If not, she'll have to ask someone.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Sari nods

You may never be able to get them back themselves, but Holy Myobu is quite the smith and perhaps he could help you make new ones.

Tsukiko chuckles

Tsukiko. You are welcome, Sunder. So you see: being dangerous does not automatically make you a threat - that decision is up to you. And yes, some things are more difficult. Some urges need to be worked with and around. Some side effects are inescapable.

She concentrates, and returns to the form she started in

And some things you just learn how to change for yourself. But right now, you are awkwardly positioned: neither truly alive nor truly yourself from the border of Gloom.

The minion will see the diamond webs of the spider hanging up in the highest rafters at the apex of the pagoda. There is a smallish something mummified up there, too, but no telling what it was.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Hikari blinks and says, "Holy Myobu? Is he a god? I've never heard of him...That said, I haven't heard of most of the Kami."

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

The minion heads over under the webs and calls out one of the few words of Celestial they looked up.
Hello? Ch'th'chk?"

[Rebonack]

[Sanctuary]

"I was straight up undead for a little while. Lady Evercraft stripped my flesh away and tidied it up for me. Put some kind of charm or something on my head to make the cravings for life not quite so bad. Me and a friend had to go smash a devourer and bring Evercraft a rib for some ritual that got me my meat back," Sunder recounts, spreading her wings to peer at the black stripe. "I used to have a lot more scars. The shadow bits were eating my heart."

The pegasus gives her tail an awkward flick.

"I always knew I would go nightshade if I died. But I always imagined that I would just go completely bucking insane. Then when it actually happened to me it was like... like 'oh hey, this is tidy'. I didn't know what to make of it. But I've got to say, I like having a heartbeat. I like being able to feel. When I was all spooky and **** I was just so still inside. It was wrong."

Seems Sunder isn't a big fan of the whole undead thing.

"There's this feeling that I need that soul bit from Sweet Spring, the filly I was made from? I don't know if that's some undead compulsion thing or what, but it's like... I need it. I've got to have it. What if I didn't take that part of her because it was too... too good or something? If I make that part of me now, will I be better? I've never been a very good pony. I always gave my mom a ton of ****. I'm crass and violent and... and everything Sweet Spring wasn't. It's like I'm her, but upside down and backwards."

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Sari nods

He is one of the white fox messengers.

Vulpans are a bit unique, but Inari's white foxes are very well known.

Tsukiko nods

I know of a spell that calms the undead, but it is rather like a powerful antidepressant - it goes too far. I do not know this Lady Evercraft, so I cannot say if her methods are better or worse.

then she considers

It is highly unlikely that there is enough remaining after your initial feeding to reassemble her. It is an interesting theory that assimilating the remaining fragments might moderate your natural nightshade nature. I would consider it a possibility: Gloom is merely a border area of Shadows, not a separate plane of its own. It should theoretically be possible to adjust you more toward the "center", as it were.

Hikari... your intentions were noble, but I suspect they are doomed to failure: restoring Sweet Spring cannot be hoped for by collecting tiny fragments like that. I can think of two possible means that might work, but that is not one of them. I think it is worth the experiment to let Sunder consume this fragment here, while I watch and can intervene if necessary.

(( Production note: My universe does NOT run on D&D cosmology, but as long as the analogies are reasonable I stick with the terms. ))

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Hikari nods and says, "I'd like to meet him then." And then she hears Tsukiko, sighs, and says, "Well, just wonderful...I guess that fight was for nothing then...And I lost my swords for nothing..." As she finishes, she's almost on the edge of tears.

[Rebonack]

[Sanctuary]

Sunder glances at the fox person she can't pronounce the name of.

Then over at Hikari.

The pegasus takes a deep breath and moves over to her friend to try to embrace her in a hug.

Equestrians are very touchy creatures.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself," Sunder says. "That troll said some stuff when it was fighting me. I think it was trying to get your swords busted because it got free as soon as they were. If you want, I can help you find some new ones. Fancy magic ones if you want. There's some right tidy places around the Nexus where you can get stuff like that."

And?

There's that katana Sunder has decorating her wall back home. If Hikari had ever asked about it, Sunder would have regaled her with the tale of her triumph over a phantasmal warrior to acquire it. Should Hikari make the request, Sunder would probably let her use the weapon.

"Uh... I don't know much about planes and stuff. I ain't a clever a pony," she replies to the shadow fox. "But if you think it might help then I want to give it a shot."

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Over to the side from the main action, a fuzzy spider the size of a large housecat finally comes walking down the support beams and over to Tavlii and the Minion. She's quite visible, even without truesight. And the Nexus has no trouble translating for her.

Hello! Sorry I took so long, it's a long way down from my roost. Can I help you?

Sari sighs

It is a rare occurrence that is truly for nothing: if you had not fought, then you may never have come here. Perhaps the soul piece will cause trouble, and without Holy Tuskiko here to help it would have meant a dreadful fate for many innocent people. No one is ever given to know what would have been, but you must trust that your heart was true and this was the best outcome that you could manage.

Tsukiko looks sadly at Hikari

We may not be able to replace the weapons you lost, but I add my voice to Sari's: please do not give up to despair that your actions were for naught. You are here, and that in itself is not nothing.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

Tavlii heads over to the spider, with the minion following.
"Hello! We're Atorre; And you are Ch'th'chk?"

She smiles at the celestial spider; good that it is here after all.

"We met your sister, K'Al'th'chk in the mountains in the desert. She sends her greetings to you."

And tries to pet the thing. It's just so cute!

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Ch'th'chk purrs as she is petted

Oh! You have been to the mine? That was quite the find for us, you know. A nice, steady stream of low-end devils try to sneak in there because of a tiny little planar rift. Did you know that's why the crystals formed in the first place? The mine would eventually have caused a lot of trouble.

She giggles

Of course, the rafters here are pretty good, too! There's always something trying to sneak in, and at least I can warn the fuzzypriests about the ones too big for me to eat.

[Recaiden]

[Sanctuary]

Tavlii sends the minion off to return to Skyside and nods.
"Yes, we have. The mine is already causing a lot of trouble, actually. That's why."

She frowns here. Well that is really not surprising, if the crystals are caused by hellish energies coming through a rift.
"We didn't know, no. Your sister was not very articulate in our languages. The vulpans, you mean? How come I've never seen you before?"
She should start calling them that. Fuzzypriests.
High Fuzzypriest Caroline.

[Ionbound]

[Sanctuary]

Over to the side from the main action, a fuzzy spider the size of a large housecat finally comes walking down the support beams and over to Tavlii and the Minion. She's quite visible, even without truesight. And the Nexus has no trouble translating for her.

Hello! Sorry I took so long, it's a long way down from my roost. Can I help you?

Sari sighs

It is a rare occurrence that is truly for nothing: if you had not fought, then you may never have come here. Perhaps the soul piece will cause trouble, and without Holy Tuskiko here to help it would have meant a dreadful fate for many innocent people. No one is ever given to know what would have been, but you must trust that your heart was true and this was the best outcome that you could manage.

Tsukiko looks sadly at Hikari

We may not be able to replace the weapons you lost, but I add my voice to Sari's: please do not give up to despair that your actions were for naught. You are here, and that in itself is not nothing.

Hikari nods and says, as she's hugged by Sunder, "I understand, Holy Tsukiko. I am glad I came here, at least." She nods, then turns to Sunder and says, "It's not that simple, though...I've had those swords since I was old enough and practiced enough with training blades to start learning to use them properly. I'd used them long enough to know them inside and out...Their balance, their style, their idiosyncrasies...I don't even know if I could learn another blade."

[Rebonack]

[Sanctuary]

Well.

Now Sunder feels kind of bad about breaking them.

But by the same token...

"They're just things. You can't hold onto things forever. You've got to let go and move on."

The pegasus steps back from the hug.

"I don't know **** about using a sword. But I do know you're right tidy with them. You can get skilled with another sword, nothin' doin'. That just takes practice and stuff. Holy Zuhkeeko just said one of the other people here is pretty tidy with making swords, yeah? I bet she can help get the thing just balanced and cutty and rotated properly for you or whatever."

She really doesn't know the first thing about swords.

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Ch'th'chk chuckles

Any of Inari's various fuzzy followers. Vulpans most recently, yes, but werefoxes before them - there's still a few lurking around, you know. They're easy to tell because they're bigger and more muscular. There are still a few true kitsune lurking in the corners, too: foxes that can take on humanoid form. They're harder to spot because they're a lot more like the Vulpans, but the smell gives them away: they're a lot stronger.

Sari nods

Myobu can help make you a sword that will fit your style and balance, don't worry!

Tsukiko smiles

Well, we should finish up then so I can give way to him. Are you ready, Hikari and Sunder?

[Ionbound]

Hikari nods and says, after a moment, "Yeah." She opens her inventory, and hands the mote over to Sunder.

[Rebonack]

[Sanctuary]

This is it.

The moment of truth.

Sunder reaches out with a hoof to take the soul mote, to reunite a piece of Sweet Spring with herself that she had been missing for most of her life. This would, she hoped, grant her some aspect of her progenitor that she had been missing all these years. Something that might make her a bit more worthy of her mother's affection. Or at the very least make her a better pony. To be rejoined with some of the innocence she lost... Wouldn't that be a good thing? Wouldn't that be the best way to honor Sweet Spring?

And all she had to do is reach out and-

Sunder's hoof passes through the mote, causing her to frown. She tries again with the same result. Her wings prove just as unable to touch it. Trying to fan it into herself doesn't work either. Nor does biting down down it; the mote simply passes through her face.

"Umm..." Sunder mumbles sheepishly. "A little help here? I ain't got any idea what to do with this thing."

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Tsukiko tilts her head thoughtfully

I am not sure you can do this in physical form... ponies do not generally eat souls, do they? You must accept the other part of yourself. For that, however, I dare not waste the time changing myself.

And back she goes to her own spooky shadow self, considering the changes she made along the way.

I feel the shadow inside my soul, and call to it. It comes forward, and pushes my flesh inside... When I wish to take up flesh again, I reverse it.

It's always a bit frustrating to attempt to explain something you "just do".

[Rebonack]

[Sanctuary]

One might question the wisdom of teaching Sunder how to take on her nightshade form of her own free will. But by the same token, maybe that will help her learn how to control its cravings. I guess we'll find out soon enough!

"Uh, no. Equestrians don't eat souls. They eat pony stuff. Candy and grains and grasses and pastries," Sunder rattles off. "Fruits, vegetables, pies, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, cream puffs. You know, pony stuff."

Fun biology fact! Equestrians aren't very good at digesting protein, but they still have a large brain that requires lots of energy. And so they get that energy from the next best source. Sugar! Lots and lots and lots of carbohydrates. Which explains why there's a sweets shop on practically every single corner of Carousel Court. So yeah, ponies don't eat tons of sweets because it's 'cute'. They eat tons of sweets because it's a metabolic necessity.

Anywho!

Sunder scrunches up her nose a bit at the shadow transformation. Being undead was weird... but she didn't have her flesh inside herself or whatever when she did that. Her flesh was floating in a big gross ball while Elestra fiddled with it. Maybe she won't feel so still and dead inside this way.

The pegasus takes a deep breath and focuses. She can feel her soul, a thing of thick gloom. She feels that darkness running through her veins in the scar on her wing. She seizes that feeling and begins pushing it outward. Her fur begins falling out, coating the ground around her with a powering of brick red fuzz as her skin turns leathery and black. Fine feathers push through her skin to replace the lost hair. In like fashion her wings begin molting as they snap and bend, the sickening crack of bones lengthening and changing shape filling the sanctuary. Her purple mane and tail drop away in tufts as cascades of liquid shadow begin flowing in their place. All color on her soul glyph is soon lost, replaced instead by a ghostly blue outline of the image. The flesh of her mouth runs like wax, sealing it shut. When she opens her eyes they have given way to pits of gloom and icy blue pools of lichlight.

A creeping doom of desecration begins spreading from her, one of the most vile abilities possessed by all the nightshades. Undead nearby should feel invigorated by it, but the living will experience a cold, clammy, and possibly violating sensation.

~I can still feel my heart beating,~ the nightmare says, her voice a malevolent sounding telepathic whisper. ~I couldn't feel that before.~

Then she turns her attention to the soul mote and strains her jaw muscles. The shadowy flesh around her mouth stretches and rends, giving way to a too-wide maw lined with razor-edged shadows that looks more like a tear in her face than a proper mouth. She closes her jaws around the soul mote a second time-

-and her eyes suddenly blaze brilliantly white.

~Whoa.~

[Fenric]

[Sanctuary]

Tsukiko watches carefully, and nods, and counters the aura as much as she can.

Very well done. How do you feel now, Sunder?