Second time's the charm!~

Naga took a look over to the machine in which Twilight seemed so interested. "Coffee," he questioned. "You're already jittery. If you were to have some coffee this would become worse, wouldn't it?" He looked over at her and yawned lightly as he found the ingredients to make coffee and made it himself. It took a few minutes or so, the water taking time to heat and such, but it was eventually ready. Naga poured a glass for Twilight, mixing in creamer and a bit of sugar that was just right to make it sweet. "Here," he spoke to her quietly, holding it over to her gently. "It's warm now."

Angel gasped lightly when Akina jumped up and ended up falling flat on her face. "Akina," she cried out, prying the pokemon from it. To utterly change Akina's behavior, she pulled her close and hugged her. "You meant to make out didn't you... Sway his behavior with affections?" She was revealin what she figured she had meant, perhaps to sway Akina's behavior to that of joking and light laughter, but calm and non-face-jumping behavior.

(What say we end this somewhere fairly quickly and continue in Celadon? o3o My roleplaying here has been mediocre (and, well, cause of the deterioration right here ^^' Me) and I wish to start over o3o)

"Thank you~" She sighed out and leaned back, peering into her cup before getting to her feet. She hunted out the sugar jar before adding a huge load into it (sweet tooth o3o) and stirring it, taking a sip and making a face before beginning to down the rest of the drink.

Akina chirped; Twilight often burrowed her face into Akina's stomach and blew; it tickled (you can actually do this with your pet o3o I can't guarantee how it'll behave though). She nuzzled into the hug when Angel did so, and tilted her head, flicking her ear when the latter spoke. She quickly donned a face that said 'excuse me?'. Only, it was a brave attempt at concealing confusion. What was 'make out?'

[Sounds like a plan; I recommend a small timeskip to get a fresh restart prior to moving on to another town though ;3]

Naga observed as Twilight, well, spiked her cup of coffee with what seemed to be nearly the entire bucket of sugar. This was an exaggeration, of course; however, the amount of sugar in that cup was surely unhealthy. "How could she even..." He was a bit fearful, jokingly, that Twilight would turn into a rocket, bouncing from wall to wall, roof to ceiling and through a window with the amount of sugar she had just ingested. Swaying his mind from the subject, he cautiously took the cup from Twilight after it was empty, setting it away. "No more sugar for the next few hours," he told her, mostly light-heartedly knowing that she'd probably disobey it anyway. "With the amount you just gulped down I'd not be surprised if you started flying around soon."

Angel watched as Akina's expression was exchanged with one of the greatest confusion. "See, you don't know what I mean," she sighed lightly before she began petting the pokemon. "It's best you don't know; it's not like you really need to know anyway." She sighed to herself mentally in relief; she spared herself from having to explain anything. She found her mind wandering to the incident at the pokemon center, but it wasn't much longer before she stopped that, continuing to pet Akina before setting her down and standing up.

Twilight was still crunching sugar when her cup was taken away. "Noo! Wait!" She called, stretching out her hands beseechingly. The cup was only empty of coffee, not sugar. There was still residual sugar, the one that is left at the bottom when the drink is not stirred or when it is saturated; in this case, the latter. "Pu." She sulked, puffing out her cheeks before picking up the sugar pot right next to her...
She stuck a finger in, and scraping off what little she'd left inside, began licking it off. Blissfully sucking on her sweet, sugar lathered finger, blue eyes dancing and alight in joy, it seemed she had just not heard Naga.

Akina brushed a paw down her tail, curled neatly around her legs. She jumped to her feet as Angel got up, squalling indignation. One of ears curled down as she bit at it. It itched; she hoped she didn't have Joltiks in her fur; and doing so cured it, but it also hurt, so she whimpered slightly before jumping onto Angel's shoulder; she could do that now that her friend was a human-esque figure. She wanted attention and seeked it by rubbing under Angel's chin.

Naga sighed when he observed Twilight's action. "If she isn't bouncing off the wall by the end of the day, she'll end up with some diabetic dilemma," he thought to himself. Stopping Twilight's sugar spree, he took the empty bucket of sugar and tossed it away into the trash. "Like I said," he began. "No more sugar for a few hours... I'm half-tempted to say you can't have sugar for the entire day. I know you have a bad sweet tooth, but this is just exaggerating that." It sounded a bit like he was scolding her, but he truly wasn't.

Angel turned her attention back to Akina when the pokemon jumped to her shoulder. "What's wrong," she asked her, the human-esque pokemon petting her friend's head as she walked towards the door and into the kitchen, arriving there just in time to hear Naga's light scolding of Twilight. After making a quick inspection, she determined what the cause was, looking to the other two. "So... What're we going to do now," she asked. "Stay here? Find somewhere else to go?" It was still snowing outside.

[I hope it's snowing outside given that's where we left the weather o-o]

"Noo!" Rang out the call for the second time in under two minutes. Twilight pouted, crossed her arms and looked away. She loved having sugar, and to have her one fondness taken away...she couldn't bear it. The brown haired lass looked up when her new human companion, Angel entered and posed a ponder-worthy question. What to do indeed. That reminded her that her 'costume' was of yet unfinished. "I'll be right back." Just as well that Angel had presented herself; it distracted Twilight from her quiet indignation. After a strenuous twenty minutes of hunting, a very dusty Twilight managed to locate her gift - the string of fake leaves - and couple dozen real ones, along with her sewing kit. Looked like she'd have to start all over again. She sighed and made herself comfortable.

"Ow. Ow. Ow." The monotonous syllables continued emission until Akina could've spat. Regardless, the Eevee was still writhing on the ground, trying desperately to cover her ears. Finally she'd had enough and knocked her trainer smartly on the arm. "OW! Akina!" Twilight shook her smarting finger, oozing a bead of blood. All over her hand there were puncture marks where the needle had made its way...every time. In front of her lay a shoddy piece of work, something which one could hardly call stitching. Not dissimilar to what her previous work looked like.

"Alright. Let's try this on..." With muffled sounds of protests, she donned on the piece of faux foliage...and looked like a walking bush. Completely covered in fronds of green along with white - a fortunate branch which had practically knocked at a window was now unfortunately stripped of it's leaves as far as an average human could reach, accounting for half the cuts on Twilight's hands - and shaking off small bits of snow and frost, she turned to Akina and spread out her hands. "So? How is it-- Akina?" The Eevee was bristling and scurried off to hide in a corner. "...That bad, huh?" That bad indeed. Quite practically nothing was visible of Twilight; it was a shapeless ball of varying green that stood in the middle of the room. "Fine. Perhaps some people will side with me." Stressing on the people, she shuffled out.

(They'll probably scream o3o Or something.)

[Probably scream is not the correct assumption ;3]

Naga and Angel were holding hands when Twilight would shuffle out with her costume on. The former was the first to notice, and without hesitation, proceeded to tilt his head lightly in question. Even though it took Angel a couple of extra moments to catch on, her own head tilted as she stepped over to the trainer, of whom wrapped an arm around Angel's shoulder. "Um, Twilight," she (Angel) began. She stayed silent a few moments, pondering exactly what she should say; she wasn't good at judging costumes; in fact, she had really only been humanoid for a short time. "Don't you think... That's a bit too many leaves," she finally spoke. Naga, who was simply speechless, said nothing good nor bad about the feeble attempt at stitching and piecing together of a costume.

[I assumed it's still late... Given the past few pages I think it's still just after the explosion at teh center, their arrival at a motel, the giving of a few supplies, and such... I'm pretty sure Naga has a concussion (which, while he was a bit off with headache earlier, he's a bit better and not so "dizzy")... What say you to the group being urged towards sleep to set off the skip?]

(o3o Awh.)

Twilight could hardly see through the screen of leaves, and struggled to keep her head aloft them. She started slightly when she felt something on her shoulder. Though the leaves were cushioning most of the feeling, she could still feel something lightly there. "What?" What had that voice - who was speaking anyway? - said? Something about bitumin?

(Right, right. The parting is yet to take place; remember the message I had sent you?)

"Did you hear me," Angel questioned lightly, Naga's silence omniscient as Angel began getting Twilight freed from the costume. "You know," a voice whispered in Twilight's ear. "You can abandon them... It's your fault anyway; the explosion... The scars on his back... It's all your fault." It ate portion-by-portion towards Twilight's mind, Angel eventually getting the costume off and set down in her (Twilight's) hands. "That's a few too many leaves," she spoke to her. "Not bad for a first attempt, I suppose, but I've never judged a costume before." She then stepped back over to Naga, the two putting their hands back together. "It's late though regardless," she spoke. "Let's decide what to do about everything tomorrow... Who knows, maybe the snow would be lightened up then." "I suppose I couldn't agree more," Naga finally spoke. "However... with a concussion." "We'll figure something out," Angel responded, the two laughing lightly with each other before kissing. "See them happy... You'll kill them both... It'll be your fault... Like at the hospital... Like the cold, stone-like body without a soul...," the voice spoke to Twilight. "You sure you make them happy? You sure they don't truly blame you for their misery? Look; there they are... Kissing in front of you, mocking you. Protesting your existence here." "Well, that probably just about decides it," Angel spoke lightly after the kiss was over. "It's late... Let's, well, try to get some rest, even if not sleep." She turned her head to Twilight, bidding her a fair rest before the wedded couple disappeared into one of the two bedrooms.

If Twilight was one for hallucinations, then a translucent, large serpent on the counter, staring at her hissing as it confronted her with torturous thoughts would take the cake of all hallucinations. And again, it was a gift from Surge. "There they go... Off to rest... Why not leave before you cause them much more pain..." The serpent latched its tail around Twilight's neck to steal her breath away a bit, mostly to make her heart pace and stray her ability to reason temporarily. "Couldn't you agree? Think of it... If one of them died, could you keep living? Newlyweds, with one crying over the other's body because you caused their death? You can't even protect yourself from singes on the arm... What makes you think you can keep them from getting hurt because of you?"

[You spoke a small voice and feeling on her shoulder. I figured why not use it to eat away at her mental health a smidge so she chooses to leave (as you messaged me over a while ago o3o)]

(What happened in the hospital again? ._.' Also, public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable. They know that, right?)

"Ow. Ow! Owowowowow-- ow ow ow...!" Ending with a final, sharp 'ouch!', Twilight was finally free of the costume, and of Angel pulled her hair while she was at it. Rubbing her scalp; it could very well have been the costume and not Angel; she discarded the leaves on the ground, promptly causing them to erupt in a haphazard mess of green; the costume had come apart.

Just as Twilight was gazing sorrowfully at her - according to her - amazing piece of work; a master piece; she seemed to hallucinate to hear voices. Scratching her ears and rustling hair around her ears to block out the queer sound, she looked around, paying closer attention to hear depressing - but strangely true - words. "Shut it, Surge." Who else could it be? Did she know another psychopathic megalomaniac?

"K-Keep quiet! I may not make them happy, but I don't make them sad either! That-That's your doing!" But could there be a certain truth in his words? The longer happiness is experienced, the more one fears that one day it'll be taken away. The longer one feels happiness, the more it hurts when it is taken away. Nothing is forever, not happiness. But not even sorrow. "th-Their happiness is my happiness. I'm content in their happiness." So much happiness. But when others were happy, did she not have the right to be happy as well?

The question was, was she happy? She lacked no body beside her; she had Akina. But somehow, did she count? Was what Twilight wanted really a human companion, all to her own? These thoughts were choked out of her head; and of her being as with a gasp, she found strong coils wrapped around her neck. "Wha--"

Coughing violently in a desperate attempt to grasp some air, her hands flew to her throat to loosen the constricting rope, before staring - fearfully - in the depths of a snake's eyes. It was no snake like pokemon she'd ever seen, something like the general build of one, but yet not quite.

Her hands clenched around the body, only to feel...nothing. Her heart beat madly inside her chest. Fast. Furious. Alone. Who did it beat for? She'd always believed that she had these hands - hands hanging by her side, terrified, lost, confused, defeated - to protect someone. Could she really protect someone else when she couldn't do so to herself? Determined, and yet straying cerulean eyes looked up. She had to leave.
------------------------- (Let's take a moment to congratulate Surge.)
The snowflakes drifted slowly outside the window, settling on the misted glass. White. White as the moon. Cold. Cruelly white and cold. Midnight found a warmly-clad female, a teenager fearfully throwing glances over her shoulder as she threw things onto a bed, before stuffing them unceremoniously into a bag, nearly bursting at the seams. Please let no one come in, let no one stop her. Let her do this while she still had the courage to walk away from everything she knew.

Her hair, shorter than what it was at the beginning of her journey, cut off due to burning of hair. yet it was lengthy, coming halfway down her back. Uncertain jewel azure eyes stared at themselves, an unsure replica reflected in the one thing that did not lie; a mirror. A reflection caught her eye, causing them to fill with love and happiness. A sleeping Eevee curled up on the now empty bed, beside the pillow. Her level breathing did not correlate to the flushed face and uneven, quick breathing of her trainer, as the human bent over to gently shake the Evolution pokemon awake.

The brown fox was instantly awake, and finding it yet dark, began to squall her indignation before a hand was hastily clamped to her mouth. A hand singed and scarred, yet nothing that wouldn't heal over the course of a couple of weeks. By the time she reached Celadon; her destination. "Shh." At the hushed command, the young pokemon looked up in surprise, muted due to the same. Picked up and hastily bundled inside her trainer's coat where it was warm, she felt the straps of the bag bite into her sides, keeping her steady and secure. Struggling against it to peep out, her sensitive ears picked up the quiet creaking of unoiled hinges of a rundown motel; a hasty plan for a last minute setting.

Twilight cringed at the low, drawn out wail of the door, her socked feet hesitating before tip-toeing towards the door. She made no sound, but it probably wouldn't be long before her clumsiness kicked in at the worse of time and did exactly what she wished to prevent.

Fortunately enough for Twilight, it was not the noise her feet made, however quiet, nor Akina's wailing that signalled Angel to her attempt at disappearance. The door to the bedroom in which Angel and Naga were lying was creaked very lightly open; it was enough for her to see through, but not Naga. She, when noticing Twilight creeping through the small hall leading towards the main room of the place they were staying in for free, continued to converse normally with Naga before curiosity got the better of her. "Where is she going... It's too late to be headed out in this weather..." "Naga, I'll be right back," she spoke, having turned her head aside to speak. The trainer didn't seem to recognize any obscurities in Angel's behavior, so he simply gave approval, as though it were required, and observed as Angel got up and walked from their room. Of course, by this point, Twilight would've already been out of vision if the door were open.

Angel walked slowly, her feet touching the cold floor of the rest of the hotel room as compared to the delicate carpet of the bedrooms. She sighed lightly, shivering a moment while she turned her head to look back. Naga was staring to a painting on the wall, giving her ample time to swerve around the corner and out of his vision, her eyes adjusting to the dark of the room. Angel stayed silent, observing Twilight having reached the door. "Where're you going," she asked quietly, approaching Twilight as she grabbed her shoulder. The hallucination from before stuck around Twilight, the serpent a bit more opaque than before. It wasn't a surprise; the more recognition and belief Twilight gave that it was real, the more realistic it would become for her. "Do not answer her," it hissed. The serpent had wrapped about her arms and neck. "This is for their safety, is it not?"

The serpent's head was upright beside Twilight's, the scaly hallucination's red eyes staring towards Twilight's. "They don't need to know, right? It's not like they think you a friend like me..." It hissed, rubbing its head against Twilight's cheek as though it was being sincere. "You don't need them... You can't protect them; why stay?" It looked towards the door. "Let's walk out the door... Leave them behind and go on our own adventure... Tis a matter of time before Surge returns... If he comes, anyone could be hurt."

[I feel like I like playing the serpent that eats at Twilight's mind and it hanging about her trying to be her friend... Kinda fun and a stray from the normal tortures of this topic. xP] [Also, ha, Angel caught her o3o]

(Ah darn o3o) (The whole things seems a very 'Eve and the snake and the whole temptation with an apple' thing.)

Quietly padding along, Twilight was close to the shoes when she felt something around her shoulders and arms. Groaning - so close - she turned around to see, once again, nothing. She was getting tired of all the nothing, and reached up to feel the snake - it was back. Trying not to hyperventilate and stifling a scream, she hissed, 'Get away from me' before tugging roughly, with a note of finality.

She jumped when she felt a hand - a real, actual hand - on her shoulder and whirled around only to sigh with relief; it was Angel. Only Angel. Not...Surge. "H-Hi. Just, um..." Well, she hadn't even thought of what to say in the worst - and current - case scenario where she might get caught. "I, was just heading out for a walk!" She suggested brightly, taking care for once to keep her voice low, getting highly creeped out when not only did the snake persist, it started rubbing against her cheek while poisoning her thoughts. Was she right to even listen to what it said?

Angel couldn't see the serpent; however, it became a bit more opaque with Twilight giving it further recognition and attention. "That was a beautiful hiss," it spoke to her. "You're already thinking like I am... That you need to get away from here not just for yourself, but them." It slithered about such that it would be around her neck like a scarf, not too tight or loose; however, her arms would be free to move about. "Believe me, I am simply a friend. If I wasn't, would I not have bitten you or strangled you already?" It's head lifted to, again, be beside Twilight's. "I will simply look out for you. We can protect each other like you are unable to here with these, well, lovebirds." The snake's voice, no matter how unlike a human's, was definitely one that was tempting for Twilight to listen.

"I get the aching sense that you aren't going for a walk Twilight," Angel responded to the trainer, adjusting her stance. Her hand was on her hip, her head lightly tilted as she stared directly at the girl's eyes. Her expression became that of light worry and disappointment; didn't Twilight trust her or Naga enough to tell the truth? "You're leaving... Aren't you," she asked. "Your bag is in tow... You tried to sneak away; what else would you be doing?" She looked to Akina's ears of which seemed to be poking out very lightly from Twilight's jacket. "She will not see reason," the serpent spoke to Twilight. "Listen my friend... If I may call you that... We must go... We must get away from this room; we can then go on our own adventure." The snake maneuvered its head such that it stared directly at Twilight from in front of her, obscuring her vision a bit.

"If you wish, I can temporarily paralyze her where she stands... She could not follow, giving us time to get away. Or if you would rather have it another way, you may say so... I am simply your friend; I care and will you no harm or suffering because of another person." The serpent was really good at lying, and with the voice it yielded, it sounded entirely genuine and convincing. With its head in front of Twilight, it was evident the snake was a cobra, covered in black scales with piercing red eyes. Angel, meanwhile, wrapped her arms. "I should call for Naga... Tell him what you apparently want to do... What would happen if you just walked away now; what do you think it's going to do to him and I?" "Is not a little pain lesser than the amount of physical trauma already experienced," the snake questioned. "If it would ease you, I was sent by Arceus to aid you... Aid you from here and to the next place you need be."

(I wasn't even considering that when I thought up the hallucination x3x) (I feel he should be named... Leviathan... Just cause that sounds like a good name for the snake x3x)

(Waaaait a second. Hey, look! Sui Naga. Naga means snake. I see what you did (or did not) did there :3)(Well, Ophiuchus is the serpent bearer in astronomy, the 13th Zodiac sign.)

Ignoring the snake for a while as it moved around, scaly skin rubbing against her own, her breathing deepened as she fought to control herself. Hand clenched into fist and teeth bit deep into lips as her eyes fluttered shut before opening again. They were familiar, clear. Worried.

She listened with increasing despair as Angel spoke, maddeningly neutrally, of the piercing truth - had it been that obvious? Akina moved uncomfortably, listening to each word; why hadn't she questioned Twilight herself? Did she trust her too much; enough to not question the wrong thing? (Trust issues everywhere o3o)

Her alarm peaked when Angel spoke of calling Naga - and the serpent of paralyzing her. She steadied her breathing to gaze levelly straight ahead. It was uncertain if those determined, flashing eyes were looking at the object coiled around her throat of at Angel. "You will do...no such thing."

Twilight blinked once, confused. What happened there? Trying not to go cross-eyed looking at the snake, she looked away, eyes downcast. Guilty. "I-I can't stay..." Shaking her head to look at Angel, she started backing away. Not good, she was panicking.

(The italics kinda sorta shows her voice being on the same wavelength as of the snake's, or to Angel...different. Displays slow but sure corruption o3o)

[I wasn't really thinking of Naga's name when I thought of the serpent hallucination. Total honesty on that one o3o] [I'll stick with Leviathan for the serpent~]

"You can stay," Angel grumbled to Twilight. "You just choose not to. What's so wrong with you that you would think leaving is the best choice?" She was caught off with Twilight's tone in terms of her voice upon saying she wouldn't call for Naga. "What's wrong with her," she thought to herself. "It's like she's going crazy or something..." She stepped towards Twilight, extending her hand from her waist. "Come on, just take my hand... I'll lead you back to your room and you can rest. Arceus knows it's been a long day; perhaps you're just a bit exhausted..."

"Arceus knows you have a destiny ahead of you," the serpent hissed to Twilight, setting its head on her shoulder. "Tis why he sent me to you; to guide you away from here." Secretly, the snake was pleased Twilight's voice shortly shifted to be like its own; it meant that its influence was spreading, even if in small increments. "My friend, is this debate worth having? You're beginning to panick; I can feel your muscles are tensing in your shoulder. You're not wrong to leave them." The serpent would've glanced towards the door, but was focused on Angel. "Turn while you can; dash from the door."

The snake didn't respond when Angel grabbed Twilight's hand, the humanoid pokemon trying to stop her from leaving. "I should call for Naga... He'd straighten you out," she spoke, her voice drowned out by the serpent's own and hissing. "Look at her... She's trying to stop you my friend... Will you really allow it? Look at her selfishness; can't she see you just want to protect her?" "Are you even listening to me," Angel questioned depressingly to Twilight. "You can't go; I won't allow it!"

[How has Naga not caught on yet? x3x]

(Orly? .3.)(Okie~)(<-- Stealing your phrases~ :3)

Angel was beginning to grumble, not that Twilight was listening. Too caught up with the voices in her head; most of them her own; she began to grow dizzy from the sheer problem that lay before her. It was natural, a queer, inbuilt human tendency to run away from a problem, to avoid it altogether. She couldn't face Angel's questions, and the snake wasn't helping.

Her hand twitched when it was enveloped by Angel's. Warm. Comforting. Would it remain so if she stayed with them? Would Surge not hunt them down as well? And all the while the serpent draped around her shoulders poured in his opinions, pervading over her own.

Ripping her hand out of Angel's grasp to clutch at her head, she began shaking it, to clear up her mind; she couldn't think. She couldn't feel. "No...stop...don't." She moaned, muttering softly. She couldn't do anything.

She couldn't stay.

(Maybe he thinks Angel went to the washroom? o3o)

[The washroom x3x]

While the serpent was finding Twilight's shaking and sudden movements a good thing, Angel was only becoming more worried the more that Twilight twitched and pried away. "Twilight, what's wrong with you," she complained. She attempted to hug the trainer, but the serpent wouldn't have it; the snake used a small amount of aura to cause her to stop in her tracks, the humanoid pokemon watching as her friend apparently suffered before her. "Twilight, please. You don't have to go!" "Twilight," the serpent hissed comfortingly. The snake rubbed its head against her cheek again, attempting to sway her by using aura to make its own attempt at easing her frustration and pain. "My friend, this cannot go on; look at what it is doing to you both... We must go." It was still drowning out Angel's voice.

(What about it?)

Heartbeat accelerating, breathing quickening, her thoughts began to race faster and faster until she reached a fever pitch in state from sheer pressure. She collapsed to her knees, still clutching her head and moaning. This had to stop. She needed her space. The contact and closure was maddening. Get away. Get away!

"Don't...do this. Get...away." She mumbled, eyes closing as perspiration beaded her forehead, running down her face before abruptly cooling. She began to shiver, despite herself.

"Please..."

"No," Angel cried out. "I refuse!" She struggled forward, reaching out towards Twilight against the serpent's aura. "This isn't of use," the serpent spoke to Twilight. "She won't let you go peacefully... It is time to run my friend..." The serpent was beginning to see its corruption in Twilight's eye; it was taking a while, but it was working a bit. "You're panicking... We must leave before you act regretfully." The serpent slithered a bit, unwrapping from her neck as it pulled the door open lightly, exposing the outside air to Twilight. It then slithered up her arm and back to her neck where it had been. "The door is open my friend." Angel took Twilight's hands, prying them from her head trying to pull her away from the entrance. "Come on; what's wrong with you," she complained a third time. "Twilight, stop this!"

As the cool outside air rushed in - very cool, seeing as it was snowing outside - Twilight's head began to clear. She began to breathe easier, and figure out that Angel was speaking - loudly, actually. It hurt her already throbbing head, but thoughts were surfacing; clear, pristine. Absolute. Turning a rapidly steadying gaze upon Angel, she began to speak, though she knew not the voice to belong to her heart. "I can't stay."

Tears welled up as she stood unsteadily, but she hoped she was doing the right thing. Her feet slipped into her soft boots as she stumbled backwards upon them. "How can I, when everyone I love gets hurt?" Everyone she loved. If she went away, would they be free of pain? If...that was the case...would they keep Akina as well, if that would keep her away from pain? It would tear out a piece of her heart, but she hoped she would eventually forgive her. With shaking hands, she unbuckled and loosened her bag straps, enough to slide out the Eevee, whom she clutched in shivering fingers, like the priceless being that she was to her.

(Having Akina away from her would leave her more vulnerable o3o Also, can pokemon see the snake?)

[Der... Sure, let's let the eevee see the snake o3o]

The serpent simply laughed to itself in thought, seeing the pokemon Twilight adored so much in her hands. "Yes... For her safety too," it spoke to her, Angel ending up taking Akina from Twilight when her hands came back from having grabbed Twilight's arms. "A... Akina," she complained lightly. She looked at Twilight having slid on her shoes, the girl dumbfounded as she sat on the ground staring at her. "Don't go," she mumbled, starting to shed a few tears. Why was Twilight acting in such a manner? "It's time to go," the serpent spoke to Twilight.

Akina was bristling and angrily growling at Twilight...no, Twilight's neck. What did she see there? Or did she actually wish to jump and tear it out? Letting out a sharp cry, she pounced clear of Angel's hands, paws stretched to knock off the snake. Unfortunately Twilight stumbled backwards off the door frame, leading to the Eevee scrabbling against her belt, loosening it and causing it to fall with a shrill jangle onto the floor. Her pokeballs...her pokemon. Yes. yes, them too.

"Please...you don't understand...! I caused you this pain, and I suppose it's destined to follow me around..." She began mumbling around the last sentence, staring at the ground as she moved backwards at quite a clip. "Forgive me, if you can...and take care of them. Goodbye." Turning, she bolted for the door. If Angel tried to stop her, a hand on her shoulder, a grab of her wrist, she was prepared to simply shake it off. Tumbling down the stairs noisily, not caring how many people she woke up or alarmed, or even disturbed for a change, she broke out into the cool night air, snowflakes drifting against her cheek, breath billowing in condensed clouds.

Quiet, soft and tired footsteps left shoe-marks in the freshly fallen snow. Despairing and broken eyes reflecting an equally broken soul stared at frost clustering cruelly about her shoe. Slowly plodding along the knee deep fluffy mass, she turned for a last time to gaze upon the city, similar to as how she'd seen it for the first time. Industrial lighting. Populated area. Several buildings. And yet so much had changed. She'd left a part of her behind, a taken along a new part. And though she'd left half her heart behind, she had to move ahead.

Away, with her pain.