[PRP]Into the woods [Shun/Pax]

[Blade Kuroda]

After the rumors of the blights showing up in the trees of the forest, Shun decided to go check things out. Strange things were happening again, it seemed, despite the fact that they had fixed the sigil and the like. Maybe, just maybe he could get some insight on what was going on.

If he was lucky, maybe he could even gather some more information on what happened with the dead Ascension.

He reached the edge of the forest and paused. After a moment's thought, he pulled the pendant of the old seal from under his shirt and gave it a squeeze. A moment later, he was in Other Ashdown. From there, he trekked on into the woods, seeking out the area that had once been Heliodora's demesne. He had theorized that the location of the rift before coincided with that specific spot. It might have something worth looking into.  

[shibrogane]

Pax was in the glade. The mangroves were gone, the water had gone, and now Pax had made a nest under one of the great evergreens near where Heliodora had once sat. It was oddly pale in places, its long limbs too thin and delicate-looking to support it.

It lifted its head when Shun approached.

Human child,

it says.

You wear the mark of the old cage

Why is this

Who are you

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

This place looked different. It was still a grove, but the water and mangroves were gone. As he approached, he saw Pax sitting there. Was it always pale in places like that? He hadn't really deal with them all that often. He had mostly only heard of Pax through various stories, and then briefly at the fairy ball.

He paused as it addressed him. His knee jerk reaction was to state he was hardly a child, but he had to remember that Pax was probably a lot older than he was.

Shun also recalled that Pax was Heliodora's maiden. It cared greatly for her. Telling the full truth straight up probably was not wise, especially with the snippets of what he had seen with how it reacted when it thought Jeremiah might harm her.

"I am Shun Kuroda," he stated quietly, "The mark is a reminder. The original three had fallen; some through self sacrifice. It is a reminder that I cannot fail again."

It was still true. He wanted to fix things. He did not want the original three to have died for nothing.

Shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

None of them died through self-sacrifice

said Pax. It stirred there in its nest beneath the tree, lowered its head back to its folded forelegs. There were three pairs of long delicate limbs. One pair was disturbingly misshapen.

Heliodora would not leave me

Heliodora loved me

It closed its eyes, expression illegible. Each pair of its eyes swirled around its elegant antlers. Pax inhaled a rattling breath.

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

"...My apologies. I am sure she cared for you greatly," he uttered, watching Pax. It seemed to be completely distraught, and quite frankly, Shun wasn't sure what he could do about it.

"Do you want the pendant?" he asked.

Shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

It would be useless to me

I have no power remaining

It coalesced inward, its long limbs pulling close. When it was done... shrinking?... it looked alarmingly human, small and delicate and starving. "They're dead," it said. Its voice was deeper than would have been expected. "They're dead. I failed."

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun stared as Pax was... shriveling? Shrinking? It seemed like it was.... turning human. Or at least more human.

"Who... are you?" he asked slowly, then shook his head, "We have all failed. But we can still try and make sure their deaths were not in vain."

Shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

I am the Peaceful One

It puts its head, long dark hair spilling over its arms, on its knees. Its arms, a normal length and pale as snow, wrap around its legs.

I was the Peaceful One.

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

That wasn't exactly the answer he was hoping there.

"You are changing. Why?" he asked slowly. Shun looked over Pax for signs of actual injury.

Shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

The power is gone

My power is gone

I cannot maintain my form

without Our Heliodora

It dug its toes into the loam.

I do not want to go back

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Well this was his fault.

"Is there anything that could be done about this? I know one of the new principles. The one who took Heliodora's place."

Shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

I don't know

I don't know

I was magic

now I'm not

Pax shook its head. Then it looked up at Shun.

I don't want to go back

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

This wasn't helping. Pax's magic must have come from the old sigil in some format. It seemed that it was gradually turning into a human with that magic gone.

"You do not have to go back if you do not wish. There must be some way to return your magic to you."

Shun took a moment to think. America was probably a much better candidate to help right about now but he wasn't sure he had time to contact her given that he had no quick way of returning to Ashdown.

"I am going to attempt something. I do not know if it will do anything but... " he started before stepping forward and tentatively placing a hand onto it shoulder. Or at least trying to.

This place ran on willpower. Presumably that much hadn't changed. He began to try and focus on the magic. Seeing if he could magically restore it to Pax. Any, if possible.

Shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

It was like throwing a handful of gravel into a great, yawning pit. Shun had some success at giving over some of the magic to Pax, but it was only enough to see that there was something fundamentally wrong, something missing.

When Shun looked next, Pax's cervidian features had faded. It--he--was small, pale, indubitably under the age of twenty, and unfamiliar. "Thank you for trying," he said.

Blade Kuroda

 

[Blade Kuroda]

Shun tilted his head after his attempt had failed pretty badly. Something was missing. Heliodora, most likely. It had said as much.

And before him was a very human looking, small, sickly, young male. He wasn't sure if there was more coming. Or if it was already too late.

"You seem ill... even beyond that ... alarmingly fast transformation. I can contact someone to see if she can help. Do you think I have time to bring her here to you?" he asked.

Shibrogane