To Get a Dream of Life Again

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Characters: Valdis with Yuri and Gene, open to others after the vision is released.
Date: July 6th
Location: The Turtle's Head
Situation: Valdis is going to try to possess the turtle and find out if he is still alive
Warnings/Rating: Violence and Death

The Turtle's head...It had been awhile since she had last been here, awhile since she had tried to soul walk into anything. The last time had been with Vergil, before the Void had tried to destroy her. There was no sign of the cultists, but then again, they hadn't been there when Valdis and Wan had first possessed the turtle.

"Alright," she said to her companions, sounding perfectly calm, "There isn't a safe way to take any of you with me, so I'm going in alone." Wan had had Raava to protect him from the Void and she had no such assurances this time. "My body will remain here, so it will be up to you to defend it if we are attacked. Keep a close eye on my vitals as well, there are consequences to remaining on the spiritual plane for too long." Such as potential death, but there wasn't a need to put that on any one person. "Are there any other questions before we do this?"

[OOC: This is the log post for the Turtle Possession AC Plot reward. The Opt Out and OOC post with more details is here. Please post there with questions if you have them.]

Comments

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"Thanks." She smiled sadly, glad to have such allies on her side, even if they were somewhat foolish. "I'm going to try now...Gene?" She said, making sure he heard what she said next, "If you see dark shadows or mist, don't hesitate, take Yuri and retreat to a safe distance. Then get Anton and Skulduggery." Anton to call her back if possible and Skulduggery to temper the death magic.

Without another word, she knelt down and touched her hand to the head of the turtle, hesitating only a moment before calling on her power to reach in and open a spiritual pathway into Tu Vishan.

It seemed to be working and then everything went dark. Small lights began to light up within the darkness, some familiar and some not. Valdis was confused, she shouldn't be able to sense these people while within the turtle.

An evil aura settled over the plane and an oddly familiar voice split the air. TELL ME! Then the turtle hatchlings were crying out for their parents, keening in pain as a great force began to crush them and Malicant's voice over and over again, repeating the same words. Valdis began to shiver, a cold sweat breaking out on her body as she heard and felt the terror and pain of the hatchlings. She tried to pull back, but couldn't, caught in the grip of the vision. The cultists lined the walls, keeping the hatchlings corralled as their shells began to crack beneath the pressure and their cries became louder.

TELL ME THE LAST SECRET! TELL ME WHY THIS HUSK CONTINUES TO REMAIN!

Just tell him! She cried, curling up in pain, but the hatchlings can't hear her and won't, or can't answer Malicant. She gasps, her heart skipping a beat as she feels the life of one of the turtles disappear, snuffed out by the great darkness.

No! She screamed, terrified by what she is seeing.

The remaining hatchlings panic and try to escape, but Valdis knew how this story ended. TELL ME! Malicant roared.

The vision and the little lights of the souls she had connected with faded as Valdis came back into her own body, still shaking with terror at what she had seen and felt. Then she began to cry.

"I'm sorry," she said to no one still living, "I'm so sorry."

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene had been keeping an eye on Valdis, and then--

--and then a vision of horror unlike anything he remembered seeing blossomed to life in his head. It was similar to the vision born of guilt and anxiety that had gnawed at him in the wake of the deaths. I should have stopped it. I should have been able to stop it. I should have...

He was nauseous, but he managed to keep his bile down. When the vision ended, he found himself on his knees, tears in his eyes, his nails digging into his palms.

I failed them I failed them I failed them I failed them I failed them I failed them--

[wolfstrike]

Yuri too was watching over Valdis, and the vision completely caught him off guard. The sight of the baby turtles, and the booming voice, then the deaths of those turtles. He didn't completely understand what was going on, but even for him, it was horrifying. Innocent lives being snuffed out, just like that. It infuriated him.

Once the vision was over, Yuri stood there, staring for a few moments, until Valdis and Gene literally broke down around him. He glanced at Gene, then quickly bent down in front of Valdis, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Valdis..." he didn't know what else to say. But he was there for her. Whatever that had been, he could clearly see the pain, and he couldn't just stand there and do nothing.

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Tears ran down her cheeks, her heart was racing, her breath uneven and her skin cold from the shock. She barely heard Yuri when he said her name, Malicant's voice still ringing in her head, the terror of the baby turtles still fresh in her blood. She shied away from his touch, still trapped in her mind and emotions.

Gene's breakdown didn't help matters, his emotions rolling over her and merging with her own. She recognized the downward spiral, it had happened once before, when she had tried to tell Wan how to use Revelations. The memory didn't help matters, sorrow merging with the anxiety, terror and pain.

She couldn't keep up with the turbulent emotions, couldn't shift them out properly and a moment later she blacked out, her body slumping against Yuri's as she drifted into an exhausted sleep.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene managed to force the emotions down and lock them away, but not before Valdis blacked out. He pushed his glasses up and wiped his eyes on his sleeve before turning to Yuri. Dizziness from the sudden shock of the vision made him reluctant to try and stand.

"How is she?" he asked, his voice hoarse. "Do I need to get a healer?"

[wolfstrike]

Yuri easily caught her, and gave her a shake.

"Valdis!"

When she didn't respond, Yuri checked to make sure she was still breathing and had a pulse. Which she did, so he relaxed a little.

"I think she only passed out," Yuri replied to Gene, looking his way. "Are you okay?"

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene nodded, finally able to unclench his fists. There were some deep crescent markings left on his palms from his fingernails, and he casually closed his hands again to hide them.

"Just shocked," Gene said. It was a lie - he wasn't okay - but Yuri didn't need to know about that, or about why. "Did you see...?"

[wolfstrike]

Gathering Valdis into his arms, Yuri then stood up, glancing at Gene in time to catch him looking at his hands.

"Yeah, I did."

And he wished he hadn't.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene got to his own feet, and glanced back, just once, at the turtle's head behind them. There hadn't been that old aura of peace for ages now. He wasn't sure if it would ever return.

"Yeah," he said. And then, after a moment: "I wonder why we're seeing this now."

CW: Nightmare stuff...

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She dreamed of empty marble hallways, the tall pillars of the former palace casting shadows in the flickering candlelight. As she walked, the pristine halls gave way to damaged marble and eerie black veins. A sense of despair and death hung over the place, but she descended a staircase, down, down, down, the horrible feeling of death growing stronger until she emerged into the ritual chamber. The power of death and suffering that had once been so addicting, now only terrified her.

A low laughter began to echo around the chamber. Malicant. Then more laughter. The eyes of the corpses began to light up and they slowly began to move, getting to their feet and walking toward her. She spun around with the intent to flee, only to find the two kedan who had met her in the alley blocking her path, their eyes bright red like the others.

Strong hands grabbed her from behind, pulling her back. She tried to break free, but the hands held on too tightly, dragging her towards the center of the room. She shrieked as she saw the crushed hatchlings lying there with Evandau's broken body as Malicant's laughter continued. A hand reached for her soul gem, yanking the pendant from her neck and tossing it down into the hole in Tu Vishan's shell.

[wolfstrike]

Unaware of Valdis' nightmares, Yuri carried her on their way back to the hotel.

"I dunno. What was that anyway?"

He'd like to know why they were even seeing it at all.

However, when Valdis began to move restlessly in her sleep, Yuri's brow furrowed slightly. He tightened his hold on her so that he wouldn't accidentally drop her should she move too much. What was going on with her? Just a bad dream or a residual effect of that vision?

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene shook his head. "That's right, you weren't here. Back before we defeated Malicant, it used its magic to put us all to sleep. The baby turtles you saw were captured and killed while we couldn't do anything. Their ten siblings managed to escape - they're the ones who were leaving messages for us at the landfall."

He glanced at Valdis. He didn't blame her for being unsettled. His own heart was still too loud in his ears. And talking about it was making it worse.

[wolfstrike]

"So that's it," Yuri said with a frown as he kept walking. It really did happen. Not that it made him feel any better.

"Does that mean the turtle is alive?" After all it only happened when Valdis tried to possess it. Had Tu Vishan been trying to send a message? Was that a memory from the turtle itself?

[wrathfulkhan]

"I don't know," Gene said, looking pensive. "Maybe. I don't think it was Malicant. But how could he have known...that? And what did Malicant mean by 'husk'? I wonder why he thought the hatchlings would have known the 'last secret'..."

[wolfstrike]

"Beats me. I know next to nothing about this Malicant."

Valdis had informed him some, but still, he hadn't been around to actually experience it.

[wrathfulkhan]

"Be glad you weren't here for it," Gene said, and made a face. "That wasn't quite the worst of it, believe it or not."

[wolfstrike]

Yuri glanced at Gene, keeping a carefully straight face.

"I'll take your word for it."

Whatever had happened before he came, it sounded pretty bad.

[wrathfulkhan]

Gene glanced sidelong at Yuri. "Just hope you don't have to see it for yourself. They all say it's dead, but sometimes I wonder."