Test 4.

[azumods]

KNOWLEDGE Compared to the frigid chamber you've just left, the cavern you enter now is warm. It isn't difficult to see why; while there's still a fair amount of space in here, it's far smaller, and there's a source of heat and light in here - a small fire going near a corner of the room, tucked away behind the wall and difficult to see as you enter, but fairly obvious once you're inside, the light from the flames bouncing off the corner of the chamber and making it decidely easier to see. There thankfully aren't any more of Froslass' "sculptures" in here; there is, however, a person. Candice is in the corner near the fire, pressed back against the wall and watching you as you enter; it's likely obvious from the start that there's something wrong with her, though it's difficult to say what just from looking at her. Her eyes aren't fixed in the same sort of dull, blank stare that the people affected by Team Galactic tend to display, but at the same time, they look viscerally wrong - it's alert but it's empty and almost completely unfocused, as though she's taking in information and she's processing it, but she's not actually seeing any of it. It's unsettling, but she's still watching you, and she's holding something close to her chest as she does so; she's got the thick, blue sweater untied from around her waist, and she's holding it bundled in her arms like she's trying to protect it. Her eyes don't come into focus, even as she addresses you. "I told you that you aren't welcome here. You need to leave. Now." Her gaze darts as she speaks, like she's trying to take in as much as she can, even if she doesn't seem to be registering any of it properly; her expression is hard. Cold. What happens now is up to you.

Comments

[swiftasacoursingkawa]

Oh. Uh. S-sorry?

[Sena's stuttering has nothing to do with the cold. Might have something to do with how lightheaded he feels, though. A little. He vaguely wonders if Candice is concussed too, why else would she look so...not there?]

We...we've just come to help, though!

[niceoppai]

Yeah! We came to help the Guardians and help you! Y'see, we heard you were missing and...

[radiantflame]

[Caged animal is the first thought that comes to mind when Morag lays eyes on Candice. She holds her hands out to her sides to show that she's unarmed, and Torchic dutifully stands behind her.]

We are not here to harm you, or the Guardian. Is there anything we can do to prove that to you?

[eudaimonikos]

Maylene asked us to find you. So did that Glaceon. Like, half the people we've fucking met, basically, oh my god.

[That last part seems to be related more to the sensation starting to return to his hands than the conversation happening.]

[perfectselfie]

That's right. We wanted to help, the way we helped Azelf before.

[anythingforyou]

Yes, exactly. We were able to protect Azelf from harm and see to it that they were able to be restored to their full strength. They also asked us to come here, to attempt to do the same for their friends.

[...though, Candice herself does. Not look okay, good god. She'll take a leaf from Morag's book and also show her hands, while Arion goes behind his trainer. Ready to protect, but not out to threaten.]

[azumods]

[That doesn't seem to spark much behind her eyes, but you do have her attention, at least.]

Why would Azelf let you help?

[enjoymyatelier]

[...his eyes kind of narrow as he looks at the thing Candace is holding...]

Are you touching the Guardian? I thought that was rule number one of dealing with these things. Cynthia told us we really should not touch them. Was I overestimating how important that was...?

[azumods]

[That gets her to bristle a little; the effect is a little weird, given the fact that she still isn't focusing very well.]

They aren't things.

[enjoymyatelier]

I mean the procedure of respectfully interacting with the deities, not the deities themselves.

RESOLUTION.

[azumods]

[It's probably fortunate, in the end, that Candice's body more or less ended up on the floor; once discussion is finished, Uxie settles back against the wall, and then with an odd, dim flash of light centering somewhere around Candice's chest, she's gone.

Not entirely, obviously, as two things happen more or less simultaneously - Candice's body goes alarmingly slack, slumping back against the wall and sliding down a little further into position like a marionette whose strings have just been cut, and a vague yellow glow emerges from the bundle of fabric in her lap. Some of the fabric slides away a bit as the creature inside begins to levitate gently, revealing something similar to Azelf in species, though obviously still a different creature entirely. Once body and soul are reunited, there's something of a shock that spreads through everyone present in the room; it doesn't leave much in its wake, though there is perhaps a sense of reassurance that lingers. The notion that things are okay now, or at least more okay than they were; the feeling that things are going to be manageable for the time being. Calming.

The creature noticeably keeps its eyes closed, regardless of what happens from here on out.

Despite the size of it, that aura of age and wisdom is undeniable; like Azelf and Regigigas, this is a very old spirit, and it's evident. However, also like Azelf, the wounds and scars are obvious on the creature's small body - once again, while there are signs of general abuse the area around the gems on its head and tails seem to have taken the worst of it, though the injuries seem deep and as though they haven't been healing well, if they have at all. The dried blood seems recent, and there are traces of red on Candice's sweater where she had it wrapped up.

But it's here, and it's...no longer in Candice, which is probably improvement even if Candice seems pretty heavily asleep right now.]

[divinedescendant]

[welp, Emmeryn was already over here and she promised to help out, so, once she confirms that Candice isn't, like, actively dying at this present moment, so she kneels down beside Uxie, retrieves a potion from her bag, and sets right to work trying to patch Uxie up, focusing first on the worst of it, and/or anything presently in the middle of bleeding.]

[azumods]

[She'll allow it, Emm, you're good people.]

[anythingforyou]

[Well, let's get this started then, shall we?

Camilla's going to go over with one of her potions and start spraying toward the gems on it's little head, though she'll be giving that her general attention for the time being. They can all take little portions of the creature, with the amount of them there, but she's gonna make sure that it's actually doing something, first.]

[azumods]

[It's accomplishing something, don't worry.]

[discutio]

[Hm. So that's...a sensation, alright. Ignis reached into his pack, rummaging around for a moment before coming up with a few Potions.]

Is it alright if I approach you?

[hyruglyphics]

[ the sensation both reassures Zelda, but also affirms that it wasn't earned for her. Still distinctly upset, with reddened eyes as a result of that, she does ghost back in the direction to offer her own berries and positions and such (she had offered many to Abomasnow earlier, after all) but then just sort of ghosts over towards Candice herself, to make sure she's supported and breathing and such. ]

[heritrix]

[Rin's first course of action is to check on Candice, actually. Since she already close to the floor, she wasn't in a position where she could get hurt when Uxie left her body, but Rin just wants to do a quick check of her vitals, though she's... Clinical isn't even right word for it. Rin examines Candice with quick, yet gentle efficiency, but she doesn't look at her face even once.

As soon as she seems satisfied with her checkup, she'll turn back to Uxie. Some of the others are checking on Candice as well, and she doesn't want to crowd the poor girl. Setting the berries down beside the Guardian's head, she retrieves the medicine.]

There's some berries here, on your right. Is it fine if I use a potion?

[enjoymyatelier]

[hmm. Well, he'll be hanging towards the back and handing Potions to the girls who are in closer proximity, along with the healing berries... but hmm. He feels like throwing in a little something extra, since he has some berries that aren't necessarily just for healing...]

Excuse me, Uxie, but do you have a favorite flavor of berry? Just as something a little extra.

[niceoppai]

[Chelsea joins the group pulling out potions and carefully spraying them onto Uxie's prone body.]

We're all gonna do everything we can for you, okay?

[takestheblame]

[Just like Zelda did, Kiryu approaches Candice, leaving the care of the Pokemon to the rest. Once he's there he lets Rin and Zelda check on her, and once they're done, he tries to lift her up.

They're going to carry her out and back to Snowpoint once everything's done here. Better be ready for that, he figures -- being unconscious in a cold cavern can't be good for your health]

I'm going to need some warmth over here.

[Some fire should be enough, but he doesn't have fire Pokemon. Just enough to keep Candice warm should be fine]

[eudaimonikos]

[Well, Uxie and Candice both seem almost a little crowded by all the people trying to help them, so Michael's going to hang back a little. He casts Candice a glance, but he's definitely hovering more in Uxie's vicinity.]

Anything I can do...?

[perfectselfie]

[Aya is just going to shrug out of her coat and wrap it around Candice’s shoulders. She needs it more than Aya does right now. Don’t worry, she’ll be fine, she’s just going to hug her Fennekin on the way out.]

Thank you, friend. We’ll take care of her.

[semistableman]

[Once it's clear that Candice is in good hands, Bucky approaches Uxie, this time knowing what to expect, so he's bound to be less thrown by the voice in his head that isn't his own.]

I've got some potions on me, and some berries. I've noticed the three Pokemon with me all like different ones, so I've got a bunch of different ones.

CONCLUSION.

[azumods]

[With Uxie healed and Candice awake, it's likely for the best to leave that cavern in the middle of Lake Acuity; the chamber directly outside of Uxie's itself is still frigid, though to decidedly less lethal levels than they were before. All three of Candice's Pokémon are waiting in that next chamber over; they seem deeply concerned at the sight of their trainer and won't want to leave her side, regardless of what's said to them. It's likely for the best not to upset Froslass, anyway, and this cavern likely serves as a very strong reminder of why.

Getting across the lake is likely going to be a challenge, but if the group manages well enough, they'll find the Center in Snowpoint City warm and waiting for them; as with when they first arrived, they seem willing to help a large group of people coming in out of the cold. The result is likely going to be warm blankets for everyone and more kompot than God (as well as...very, very mild bemusement that this same group of people keeps coming into this Center in a generalized state of "cold and suffering"), but they're doing their best, albeit in the usual weird, vaguely mechanical sort of way.

Later that evening, there's what can best be described as a pulse as the same rush of calm and reassurance that swept through you in Uxie's true presence comes flooding briefly back; it only happens once, similar to the incidents at the Galactic base and Lake Valor, and again, it's difficult to tell exactly what it was. But it's there just the same, and maybe it's enough to get you through the night.

It's likely for the best to stay here tonight, to rest and warm up; tomorrow, however, you should likely continue on your way toward Mesprit and Lake Verity.]