Canis's heart

[soulping]

The moment you step through the mirror door, you seem to - slip, as if the floor were made of wax, but when you fall there is no floor to catch you; only darkness.

You fall for some time. Eventually, it feels as if you're not falling at all - but rather, floating . . . and some time after that, it almost feels as if you have no body at all. The light from which the entrance of Canis's heart is disappears quickly, and you're left with nothing - not even your own screams, if you have any; nothing seems to leave your throat, and there's no sound at all, besides. Even the rushing of wind is gone, and your own pulse seems to fade away. . .

. . . what penetrates your consciousness next is the soft sound of music. Someway or another, you find yourself on a white platform; you're dressed in plain clothes of your team color, all items gone from your person. In front of you, four stones float; all perfectly square and identical to each other. Each have images - a sword, a staff, a bow and arrow, and a sparkling circle . . . you understand what you must do.

CHOOSE YOUR CLASS
WARRIOR - MAGICIAN - ARCHER - ACOLYTE

CHOOSE YOUR CLASS | IRC: #swordheartonline! | PORT BAGHENNEN | LOCATION SELECT: 1 2 | AREA O█E: S█RE█G█H | AREA █WO: DU██ | AR█A THR██: █MOT█O██ | AR█A THR██: █MOT█O██: 1 2 | ██E█ ██U█: B███████: 1 2 | ?????: ███████ | TRUE HEART

Comments

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

But we can stop it from happening!

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

"We can't."

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

Why not?

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

"Because it's never going to stop. It happens week by week, doesn't it? Someone dies. . . . someone's killed. . . We die. . . . we kill. . . . it will never stop."

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

We're gonna kill all the echoes. We'll kill all the echoes and then everything will be safe and happy.

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

"We'll kill them. Then we'll kill everyone who tries to stop us. Then we'll kill everyone who tries to do that again.

We'll keep killing.

Over.
And over.
And over again."

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

U-uh-huh! And then it'll just be Barghest and we'll a-all be safe and happy together! Right?

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

"Right. That's why I like you. You have no qualms about murder."

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

If it's to make everyone happy...

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

"Sure."

She idly pets Sirius and Canis, who don't stir.

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

[ approaching... ]

But see...we really can change things.

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

"We can't."

How strange; you move, but it feels like you're not going anywhere. Aquila doesn't seem to get any closer, but she isn't far away, either.

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

But you just said it yourself -- if everyone who's hurting us dies, then we won't be hurt anymore.

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

"Dummy. Everyone else thinks that too. That's why we got killed in the first place."

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

Aquilaaaa...

[ TRYING HARDER TO GET TO HER... ]

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

The more she struggles, the more difficult it is, and the more Aquila seems to smile.

"It's alright though. We live in a world of murder, where we're murdering our friends every day. That's alright. Lupus, why are you so far away? Come here."

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

I'm trying!

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

"Calm down, calm down, shhhh. It's alright. If you can't come here, I'll come to you. Okay?"

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

Okay.

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

When Aquila rises, it feels like everything else does with her, like the entire fabric of space bends, bubbles, and pops with the consistency of something gelatinous. She moves over to Lupus easily, stepping around and over bodies carefully before she reaches Lupus - and. . . .

And hugs her.

"Come here. Was it scary getting here at all?"

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

[ she's...she's really uneasy now, but it's okay it's aquila it's safe right, this is canis' heart anyway and it wouldn't do anything to hurt her even if everything is wrong, right? ]

No.

...It's kind of scary here, though.

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

"Don't be scared. It's Canis's heart. Would he ever hurt you?"

Quietly pulling her into the pile, holding her gently; her embrace is warm.

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

S-something's messing with him, that's why we're here...

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[knighttolast]

"Is that why other people are here too?"

Re: > ██E█ ██U█: B███████

[criticalbark]

I didn't want Sparrow to come in, I didn't want anyone to be here at all, the Queen said it'd just be people who cared about them so I thought it'd just be Barghest and maybe it'd be okay --