[Game Thread] Lord Windos’ PokeRole Adventure 2: The Wild Lands

[Dragonstrike]

Spoiler

Oz…Or rather, “Isobell” looks at Seddi, her companions…Almost unable to see their face. Exhausted, defeated, she sits in the ground, looking defeated…Almost like the definition of sadness and loss…More than ever, her nightmares want to consume her.

She lifts her face, trying to ignore the pain in her chest, in her soul. She likes it or not, she must remain strong. Names…The names that were deeply buried in her heart. The three ones who were once her strength, her trust, and her love…

“Lucy GoldenSoul…The Brave.”
“Sindara Truhtshout…The Wise.”
“Romero Dawnheart…The Kind.”

Oz look at the ground, remembering their names. “I didn’t receive much love in my family. My mother and father…they were strict. They…never believe in me. Nor they ever wanted me to pursue my dream in be a medic. They wanted her daughter to be the epitome of Scimitar strength. To be the…perfect vessel for magic. And carry on the Legacy of our family…”

“...But it was never enough. No matter how much I tried…They were never satisfied. They wanted perfection, they wanted me be the best…But I always ended up as a failure.”

“They wanted the perfect Magi Soldier…but they ended up with a failure of daughter…”

“My grandparents was the only ones who truly see something on me, they nurtured love and deeply care. They teach me. Thanks to them, I learned to have a deep connection with pokemon with Mystical nature: Fairies, Ghosts, Dark and Psychic. It was my grandmother who trust Fortuna to me. She said it was once her partner. She…never was able to evolve her before, because she wanted Fortuna to find a trainer who could make her reach her true potential.”

“It was one of the happiest days of my life Seddi. When I found a Dusk Stone, that after a intense moments of bonding and trained under Fortuna guidance, I was able to prove myself worth…Even today, I can still picture in my eyes the looks of pride of my grandparents…And for the first and final time, one little smile on my mother face…and the only hug I ever receive from my father.”

Oz heart hurts, tears starting to flow in her face. She miss them. Despite how…bad the relationship with her family was, leaving them behind was one of the most difficult things in Oz life. Her heart still aches, still hurts, still want, nay, DESIRE to be back. To return to home, to see her family once, even if just once.

…But her parents hatred still hunt her very core.

“...I had three friends…The friends that I once trusted on my own life. And who, just you, put their trust on me. That despite the harsh world we lived, we did our best to stay strong and together.”

“Lucy. Abrasive and with a short temper, but with a spirit and soul who could burn even the greatest shadows. Her bravery knows no bounds, and she would fight to the bitter end. She was called the Lion Queen for a reason…And the one who always picks fights, and always asked me to heal her wounds…She was...someone incredible.”

“Sindara. Where to start? Quiet, but smart and wise. She was silent, but she was so wise it was almost like she could read and understand what others felt. She didn’t speak much, but when she spoke, it was almost like you were about to have a big revelation. She was just…amazing.”

“And…Romero. He always said he was not someone special. He had no special skills or powers. But I always told him he was wrong. Because among the 4 of us, he was the one with the biggest heart. A heart so full of love and care that if he would see a person and Pokemon hurt in the ground, bleeding, he would drop everything be doing and carry said person in his back, no matter how long the distance was. And even if the person would give him anything, he would refuse. What he lacks in magical or physical strength, he had in heart.”

“They were my best of friends. Friends who were willing to defend me, no matter what. Friends willing to fight against the world so save Sütalor, tooth and claws. They were my world…along with my sisters, they were my EVERYTHING…”

Oz look at her side, tears finally her appart.

“...Around 10 years ago, some Sky Scimitars heard about strange activities around the border of Sütalor, mysterious figures with shade business. We didn’t know WHAT exactly. But we know one thing back there…”

Oz look at the ground, THIS close to drop a bombshell…But now its not the time to be a coward. For their all to understand the escope of Oz pain, she must open her heart.

“...The possibility of Shadow Pokemon.”

“We…were not sure if it was something to do with Enigma. Or if it was a separate group…But we needed to investigate.”

“A little group was formed…And…I wanted to finally prove my worth to my family. That even I was someone with value. That I could make a change for Sütalor, and show everyone what we could do. I was…prideful. More than anything, I wanted to make my family proud of me for once. I wanted to repay my grandparents for everything they did for me…”

“...My friends were very worried and fearful. They at first try to convince me to not go…But…”

Oz minds go to that day. The day where Oz wanted to go, and her friends, worry, wanted to change her mind.

And in the end…

“In the end, they came with me. I wanted to be alone, but they insist in come with me. They would not left me behind. They would fight, tooth and nail to protect her friend.”

“...I wish they never came. All the nights in my darkest moments I pray to any god in my dreams: ‘Please no. Don’t…go with me. Please, stay away from me!’ I ended up waking in the night, a hand shaking, and tears in my eyes.”

Oz look at some reflection of her, seeing the pain painted in her eyes.

“...It was a disaster. The details are…a blurred in how it happened…But it was a failure. Our group was swarmed by Shadow Pokemon. One by one, we were brutally attacked.”

“Lucy shout while her head was crushed to pieces…”
“Sindara body was pierce by many claws.”
“And Romero?”

“...”

“She was burn to ashes, he screaming and in agony.”

“...And while they were maimed and be torn to shreds, even with the fear I could hear them screaming:”

“Bell! Save me!”
“Bell! Don’t leave me behind!”
“Bell! Please! It hurts! Its hurts!”
“ISOBELL SAVE US! PLEASE!”

Oz after a long time, she lift the ground, and in her mind, she could swear she looks at her reflection…and three bodies, one with a crushed head, other with its body piercing, and a charred body, all of them close to her.

Representations of Lucy, Sindara and Romero.

“You left us behind.”
“After everything we for you, that was the repayment of our trust to you.”
“We cared for you, we loved you. We even risk our lives to not let you go alone. And yet…”

The spirits then all said in pure unisson.

“You betray us. You left us to rot. You killed us Oz.”

Then Romero, whisper in Oz ear.

“It should had been you who had died.”

“WE HATE YOU!”

Oz then finally return from her nightmare and looking at Seddi, with the eyes of a pure sea of sadness, regret, and survival guilty, she tell him.

“I was not able to save them. I was…paralyzed by fear. By despair.”

“I can still hear them…In my darkest moments, where fear, sadness and despair is about to consume me…they appear. Haunting me. Showing all my mistakes. All of my failures. That I…I not only failed to save them…But I was the cause of their deaths…”

“...”

“To be quite honest…I don’t know it is only my mind trying to punish me for everything. If it is a cause of Survival Guilty and my mind is trying to punish me as a way to cope with my own guilty…Or if is the souls of my companions who came from the afterlife to punish me…”

“...In the end of the day, I don’t think it would matter which one is truth. Because…I know I deserve this punishment. For rewarding their trust, loyalty and friendship with death.”

“They were willing to die for me and Sütalor…But I didnt had the same bravery…”

“During the battle, I was running, in pure fear and desperation. My escape didn’t last long. A Shadow Pokemon reach me…And in pure fear and terror…My fate was sealed.”

“I was about to be killed…Another pile of flesh and bones to be left behind and be forgotten. And then…”

Oz then look at Glinda.

“...Glinda came out of her Pokeball. She receive the attack, but survive. Our other sisters was already down, and it was a powerfull Shadow Nidoking. Death, was certain.”

“...My sister used all of her strength left, and cause a huge explosion who was able to save me…But ended up taking her life…”

“I woke up far from the battle…I…Dont know if was Glinda psychic powers who carry me away from battle, if she carry me away, or if the explosion shock was enough to throw me away from the battle…Either way, when I try to see if I could see Glinda…she was nowhere to be found…”

Oz did felt the despair consume her once again. She rushed towards Glinda, and gave her sister a strong hug, feeling all the sadness and relief in her soul…

“...I was still in dangerous territory…And shadow Pokemon was around. I knew I would be done for if I was caugh…And…I resort to a plan to survive…One that still haunt my nightmares to these days…”

“...”

“To not be found by Shadow Pokemon…and wait for the best chance to escape…I hide…”
“...Among the bodies of my friends and Scimitars companions…”

Oz hands trembled like hell. Even now she could feel the blood and entrails in her face and hair. The smell of blood and rotting flesh. While trying to not cry, shout while Shadow Pokemon was patrolling the area.

“...You never Seddi can imagine what fear is. To try to ignore the smell of flesh going though your nostrils. Forced to act as a dead corpse, forced to stay in the ground with the face with no life of a corpse looking at you, pupils white, trying to control the nausea, disgust and despair. To find strength somewhere, anywhere to not cry and call the attention of Shadow Pokemon…”

“...And still have nightmares in your darkest moments, even after 10 years.”

“...It was a…complete and utterly disaster. I was…the only survivor. A coward who betrayed their friends and companions by using them as hiding place. I…I could never return home. The regret, the shame, how could I look at my family face and tell them what happened?! How I could ever return to my fellow Sky Scimitars brothers and sisters, tell them what happened to their loved ones?! How could I ever explain that I run away!? That when disaster striked, I left my best friends behind! THAT I, A MEDIC, WHO SUPPOSED TO SAVE PEOPLE LIVES, RUN AWAY LIKE A COWARD, LEAVE MY COMPANIONS TO THEIR OWN ADVANCES, HAD MY OWN SISTER POKEMON SACRIFICE HER VERY OWN LIFE TO SAVE A PITIFUL, FOOLISH, AND WRECHED CREATURE AS MYSELF!?

“TELL ME SEDDI! TELL ME! HOW CAN SOMEONE EVER FORGIVE ME, FOR WHAT I DID?! HOW CAN SOMEONE EVER CARED FOR A GIRL WHO BECAUSE OF “FAMILY” ISSUES, WANTED SO DESPERATE TO RECEIVE LOVE AND PROVE THAT HAVE SOME KIND OF VALUABLE!? TELL ME SEDDI! HOW…”

Oz was crying really bad this time, all the worse emotions finally reaching the peak of her mind, her heart and soul. She fall in her knees, crying and sobbing, and finally saying with all the pain in her heart. The one question she always feared to ask…

“How…H-How can someone ever forgive me…When I can’t even forgive myself…”

“How…How can someone ever love me…When I hate myself…”

“...You are everything that I am not Seddi…You are a hero. Someone who anyone can rely on. Someone brave enough to face the world headon. Almost like being blessed by the gods themselves…You are no Sky Scimitar Seddi…but your soul is truly free like the sky…”

“...I am not…I am a coward. A selfish creature…Despite be a Sky Scimitar and be someone who want to cure the pain and suffer of this world…” Oz look at her own hands. “...My hands can only bring pain. Everyone and everything I touch, only suffer…My friends, my sisters, my family…Whatever I try to save anyone, or bring someone back…I only ending up hurting them…or killing them…”

Oz then remember what she said to Seddi in the first time they meet.
“...I told you this once Seddi…My own existence…Is a Cursed. You are the blessed White Hero Seddi…But I will be, and always will be, the Cursed Witch…This…Is my Fate…”

“Unbreakable. Uncaring. And imutable…”

“Fate.”

Seddi listens intently, unflinching.

Even as Oz describes how her companions died, how she hid to survive in the most horrible conditions, he watches and listens silently.

He gets up and puts a comforting hand on her shoulder, just giving her a moment to compose herself.

And when Oz finishes, he sits back down, takes a breath...

...and takes his turn.

"I wasn't always free, Oz.  Far from it.  I understand better than ya know."

"Your story is what ya make of it.  Your path is your own.  And if ya find that hard to believe, well, maybe my own story will help change your mind."