Title: Phoenix and the witch. Author: Anonymous Pastebin link: http://pastebin.com/umgMyS0U First Edit: Wednesday 21st of May 2014 12:19:54 PM CDT Last Edit: Wednesday 21st of May 2014 12:19:54 PM CDT Day 1     Phoenix_Down is laying alone, the cold ground being the only thing supporting his body as the cool surface reflects against the poor position he now finds himself in... his eyes opening slowly, only to meet a pitch blackness, that causes him to question if his eyes opened at all... looking around, he immediately regrets waking up, a painful throbbing in his stomach, and an almost raspy dry feeling in his throat... laying on his side, he pushes a hoof against the ground, but merely finds his body is too weak to move on its own, laying his head back down against the ground "h-hello?"   [18:04:56] Dim_Light opens the door of the cell unceremoniously, surprising the prisoner that got his question answered with the noise of the witch trotting in, wearing his usual dirty clothing. An intense orange light blinds Phoenix again while Dim speaks eerily. "Juhst in time, Hero... I am happy you ahre awake already" His sinister silhouette blocks the warmth but annoying light partially, although not for long as the door closes behind him, slamming shut abruptly.   [18:07:26] Phoenix_Down squints his eyes shut "hnngg..." when the flash or orange light blinds him, sending a horrible ache through his head, breathing steadily as the pain fades away, and slowly squinting his eyes back open, looking up from the position on his side, at a strange form he has never seen before... the form making him nervous nonetheless until the door shuts, shrouding them in darkness once again. "wh... who are you... why are you d-doing this?"   [18:13:29] "Why do you wahnt to know who I am, if you barely know who you ahre" Replies the grim looking sorcerer at the same time a faint dark red glow starts to spawn on his forelegs, crawling up in an aura that enlighten his shape and allows Phoenix to see, although barely, the pony in front of him and the stone floor of the cell. Without moving or raising his gaze, the witch continues talking without waiting for a response. "You muhst be hungry now. Ahm I right?"   [18:15:12] Phoenix_Down grits his teeth a bit, his stomach letting both himself and his captor know full well the answer to that question, picking his head up weakly "I'm.... starving..." blinking slowly and looking back up at him "w...who am I?" [18:15:49] Phoenix_Down tries to remember some details about himself, but only comes up with a fuzz, like static on an old TV   [18:22:15] Dim_Light finally decides to put his hooves in motion again and gets closer to the pegasus, allowing the dim light of his red magic to enlighten Phoenix as well, giving both ponies a creepy look while surrounded of impenetrable darkness. "Ehnjoy yourself" He says while moving a hoof under his cape brusquely and producing a small leather bag that he tosses to the amnesiac prisoner. "Tell me when you ahre thirsty"   [18:24:20] Phoenix_Down looks at the sack of mystery!, his eyes widening a bit as he reaches a hoof out to grab it, dragging it over to himself and trying to open it "I-I'm parched... please some water... or something" forgetting the introspective question at the thought of filling his belly   [18:28:41] Dim_Light nods once and beings to fiddle with something else under his cape while Phoenix opens the bag, seeing it filled of rounded cookies of unknown color, but that smell greasy and salty. "Eat them" Orders Dim, now authoritative as he takes a flask on his hoof, extending it for Phoenix. "Then drink this"   [18:31:17] Phoenix_Down scrunches his nose at the smell of cookies! [nobody tell Rain !] pulling one out and tossing it back unceremoniously, the rest of the cookies soon finding themselves with a similar fate, assaulting his hunger with the fatty cookies, nodding at the nice, creepy captor and taking the flask, tilting it back to drain its contents without another thought   [18:34:20] Dim_Light puts his hoof down while Phoenix devours the salty cookies and drinks the sour drink so eagerly, mumbling something through his teeth and shaking his head slowly.   [18:35:44] Phoenix_Down would have time for manners if he wasn't so damned hungry, letting out an almost relieved sigh when he now has an empty leather bag and flask, setting them aside, finding enough energy to sit on his belly instead of his side, as he looks back over at the mystery pone "th-thank you..."   [18:38:06] *Phoenix' belly is grateful to say the less, but his mind is suddenly numbed by some strange warmth sensation that dazzles him for a second, then leaves him dizzy and feeling nausea*   [18:39:45] Phoenix_Down lets out a sigh, before a twinge of unease sets into him, followed by the sickly sensation in his body "hnng.... ahhh... think I ate too fast..."   [18:41:17] Dim_Light nods once and without any word snatches back his now empty bag and flask, hiding them below the leather cape that hides his lean body. The light of the aura surrounding his forelegs intensifies briefly and extends up to his neck for a brief moment to then gradually start to fade away. "What cahn you remember" He abruptly asks when nothing can be distinguished in the darkness of the cell.   [18:43:29] Phoenix_Down groans a bit, closing his eyes at the question, trying to focus hard on what he can bring to his mind, but mostly just getting an uneasy fuzz "I uhh... um.... gah..." [18:43:59] Phoenix_Down tears up a bit and looks away "I... I feel like I am doing something.. like... this is wrong... there are people.... who need me.. want me..."   [18:44:12] "Do noht force youhr mind. Let the mehmories cohme to you... Who ahre those people?"   [18:45:14] Phoenix_Down bites his lip, shaking his head "I... I dunno... friends... family... it ahh... feels good... those people..." [18:48:01] Dim_Light mutters something in a foreign language, so low and hastily that the pegasus merely hears a scoff and a growl. "Think abouht them... What ahre their names?"   [18:53:52] Phoenix_Down grits his teeth, his mind racing, but feeling like its fighting against some thick sludge, "uhh... I can see... uh... a.. another pegasus... G-Golden?"   [18:55:42] Phoenix_Down growls a bit, clenching his eyes shut and trying to drown out everything besides what lies within his damaged mind "uhh... I can see... uhg... an earthie... Hoof.. Liven?"   [18:57:34] Dim_Light nods once again, his smile hidden by the shadows. "Ahre those youhr family?" He asks dryly to then sit down on his haunches, finally displaying some sort of comfortabilty around Phoenix. "Tell me mohre... so I cahn help you"   [19:03:25] Phoenix_Down grinds his teeth a bit, his mind straining, like he is forgetting something VERY important, his headache intensifiying, but finally hitting a moment of clarity, a picture being given to his tired, beaten body as he reopens his eyes "V-Vesu! Sh-Short!"   [19:10:49] "Names that ahre vehry impohrtant to you... Thanks, Hero" Slowly, Dim raises his head to look over Phoenix despite the darkness, exposing a couple of white orbs that glow like two spirits floating in a vast black space. "Do you feel anything ehlse wandehring inside your mind??" The creepy sound of his voice is accompanied by some noises outside the small room both ponies are in, the sounds of someone hauling something heavily along a stone floor, grunting and complaining like an extenuated workhorse. "Ihs there more family that you remember?"   [19:13:36] Phoenix_Down has tears in his eyes "wh-where are they... where am I... please help me find them!" [19:14:42] Phoenix_Down lays his head against the floor "a man... his name is familiar... m-my name... but not me..." [19:15:59] "m-my father... when I was a human... but he has been dead for a long time..." [19:16:20] Phoenix_Down looks up at the slightly glowing form "p-please... where are they? help me find them!"   [19:17:57] "Tehll me your name, Hero. Help me help you..." He utters, the small orbs moving up and down once slowly in a nod, his voice plain in tone except for the strange grunts and mispronounced words that make it sound unnatural. "Your father's name... a name from another world. Tell it to me"   [19:19:49] Phoenix_Down sweats, his chest now heaving in a mix of fear, anger and anxiety, looking at the pone with desperate eyes "... Michael..." [19:25:56] Phoenix_Down swallows painfully, almost dragging himself along the ground to move towards the other pone in the room, his face damp with tears "please... you have to help me... find them... please..."   [19:26:39] The tiny orbs that the witch has for eyes widen for a second, leaving you unable to say if it was in pleasant or unpleasant surprise due to the lack of pupils and the rest of his features masked by darkness. "...So that is youhr name too. Michael. A nahme has more power than what it shows." With the sounds of his movements indicating he's getting up and heading for the door, the pony turns around and leaves Phoenix with nothing to see again. "...I will find them all, do noht worry. Michael"   [19:29:25] Phoenix_Down reaches a hoof towards the pone as he starts to walk away "n-no wait... c-come back..."   [19:30:33] Dim_Light opens the heavy door of the cell, allowing the light to re-enter briefly before stepping outside. After brief blindness, Phoenix can see how Dim starts closing the door again and someone... or something, a disfigured shape of a pony cantering behind the witch as he says. "Sleep well"   *The door shuts down and leaves you in the same state of pitch black darkness you were before the visit of the odd magician. From outside, the grotesque noises of something being smashed and slashed invade the cell...*   [19:33:43] Dim_Light [~pallmall@190.121.73.227] ahora se llama Curiosity   [19:37:29] Phoenix_Down feels the short burst of adrenaline finally wear out completely and his muscles give out again, his drained body barely invigorated by the cookies as his tears drop to the floor, finally letting the one emotion he could never afford to control him push its way through... fear.       Day 2       [19:56:57] Curiosity [~pallmall@190.121.83.196] ahora se llama Dim_Light   [20:04:43] Phoenix_Down groans as he rolls over on the ground, scratching his tummy and letting his eyes blink open, meeting the sheer darkness of before, he lets out a sigh, rolling this time to his hooves, sitting on his chest, he could still feel an immense strain, but was able to bring himself to his hooves.... if only for a few seconds at a time, plopping back down with a sigh [20:09:06] Phoenix_Down rubs his stomach absentmindedly, wondering when his next meal would be... and especially hoping they could help him track down his family   [20:13:09] "Je cul va neas! Graah!" Yells the witch pony loudly enough for Phoenix to overhear him. By the tone of his gutural voice, the warlock seems to be scolding something that starts grunting and crying to then run away with heavy hoof steps. The silence reigns for a few more seconds until the heavy door of the cell opens with a loud noise, the light entering along the witch into the room being of a mysterious blue color, cold and dim like the masked pony that has kept the pegasus locked down. It doesn't last long, however, as the witch shuts the door behind him and casts his red magical aura around his forelegs to partially light the cell, then talking to the prisoner slow and calmly. "Good mohr-ning, Michael..."   [20:16:25] Phoenix_Down looks to the door at the sound of the yelling, his attitude perking up just a bit at the thought of the food coming for him, turning to face the door and squinting, but not being blinded by the light, keeping his eyes focused on the Warlock's dark form as he shuts the door and lights the room up with just his magic, his ears burning a bit at being called Michael "uhh.. good.. morning... I guess it is..." looking down for a moment "uhh nobody... calls me Michael. just call me... uhm...." [20:16:58] Phoenix_Down scratches his head.. "I uhh... forget.... I guess Michael is fine..."   [20:20:50] "And who is nohbody?... Youhr original name is sohmething you should be proud of" He replies without any hurry on his voice or actions, sitting on the ground to start searching for the bag and flask containing the prisoner's food under his cape. "Have youh remehmbered more?..."   [20:22:24] Phoenix_Down shakes his head "uhh... n-not much... I'm a pegasus... I feel like... I was important... maybe a doctor? I remember a clinic..."   [20:24:39] Dim_Light finally gets the items on a hoof and without much consideration tosses them to the hungry pegasus. "You must remembehr mohre... and mohre specific. The clinic where? Here on this wohrld or back in yours?"   [20:26:07] Phoenix_Down holds his head, must bringing back fuzz to his mind "uhh h-here... I remember bodies... no faces or names... L-Liven... Liven is there... must have been a good friend..."   [20:30:00] "You cahnt remembehr well enough yet... do noht force it. Now eat." He emphatizes his last sentence and once again exposes his eyes to the pegasus, showing as well, somewhat enlighted by the sad light coming from below, the leather mask hiding his face, poorly sewn together and with two brusquely tear opened holes for his eyes and one for his mouth. "eat"   [20:32:06] Phoenix_Down looks down to the food, nodding enthusiastically and opening the leather sack once again, chomping down on the cookies with a faint smile, swallowing a mouthfull down with the sour liquid "so uhh... who are you... why are you taking care of me?" [20:32:17] Phoenix_Down folds his ears back "I-I'm sorry if I forgot you..."   [20:39:16] Dim_Light chuckles, or at least lets out a sound similar to that. "It is fine, Michael... Who I ahm is of no matter yet, and you have nothing to worry abouht until everything is reahdy to let you go... But I ahm afraid we will not see ahgain in some time" He makes a gesture with his hoof for Phoenix to pass him back the flask and bag, waiting for it as he continues speaking, keeping his 'eyes' over the pegasus. "My apprentice will tahke cahre of you while I am away..."   [20:40:55] Phoenix_Down finishes the cookies! and the rest of the drink, passing them both over to the witch "oh... is he nice... d-do you have a lead on my home? I'm not sure how I got here... but I really have to get back home... back to my family..."   [20:43:24] Dim_Light receives the items and hides them below his cape as the golw on his forelegs fades away until darkness shrouds everything once more. "She is... special, but do noht fear her... and yesh, youhr family. I ahm wohrking on that. I wahnt you to see them again, maybe bring them here... That I would like to do"   [20:45:00] Phoenix_Down scrunchies, feeling a pang of guilt at those last words "n-no... I'd much rather like to go back to them..."   [20:47:16] [>can't into mask and intimidation http://s12.postimg.org/jwracg88d/HOOWITCH.jpg] [20:47:48] [Where is her broom]   [20:47:56] "On time... and if evehrything goes well." The witch hides his gaze and starts getting up and turning around, Phoenix being able to say so only because of the sounds. "Try to remembehr more while I ahm away... Good bye Michael"   [20:47:57] [2/10 would not restart the Jnontron vid] [20:49:15] [Hue, Snow]   [20:49:17] Phoenix_Down droops his eyes down "o... okay... see you later then... hope you help me find my way home soon..." leaning his head against the cold floor and feeling his sleep starting to creep up on him   [20:49:18] [aw shit that's cute! Thanks for the drawing, Snow. Saved it] [20:52:55] Dim_Light leaves the ceel without more words, re-opening the heavy door with a bang and stepping outside. Funnily, the light that briefly enters the cell before the door closes again is now of a soft pink color...   [20:53:00] Dim_Light [~pallmall@190.121.83.196] ahora se llama Curiosity [20:53:06] [like really, I loved it :D] [20:54:32] Starlight [kvirc@c50-26-215-33.abilcmtk01.tx.dh.suddenlink.net] ha entrado a #FourCannonPnP   [20:54:41] Phoenix_Down blinks, scrunching his nose as the flash of pink light hits his eyes, his head feeling a little hazy, until he hears a voice calling from a corner of the room... or was it even there...   [20:54:49] ".....hi~"   [20:55:52] Phoenix_Down 's eyes go wide, he was SURE he heard that one, twisting his head around the black cell, trying to get a look at the source of the voice, squinting in the darkness to try and make out anything   [20:56:04] [for ambiance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1ypv0BVSM4 ] [20:56:29] "...who's there?" he calls out in a panic   [20:56:57] "... its meeee Phoenix.... don't you want to cuddle?~"   [20:58:04] Phoenix_Down turns his head, finally turning to the source of the noise, a form hidden in the darkness, barely able to be recognized, the cogs in his mind turning and racing as he tries to put a name to a voice "wh... who are you?"   [20:59:17] Starlight giggles in the darkness, the only sign of her existance being a show of her white teeth "you don't remember me..." [20:59:43] Starlight leans closer, her face making itself known in the room, standing out in the darkness "the mare you KILLED?"   [21:00:38] Phoenix_Down almost jumps backwards when her face makes itself known, the name slamming into his mind like a bag of rocks "St-Starlight!?"   [21:02:04] Starlight steps closer to Phoenix, her form escaping from the invading black of the room, tears in her eyes and blood soaked into her lower body "you killed me Phoenix... and just now remember... you promised Golden so much... and then let me die just like that~"   [21:03:53] Phoenix_Down backs away as Starlight approaches "n-no I didn't.... I... I tried so hard!" tears starting to roll down his face "I... I did my best!"   [21:05:34] Starlight twists her head, frowning a bit, her next words coming out almost as a short hiss "you failed me Phoenix~ you failed Golden and me both~" continuing after Phoenix as he tries to back away "Golden could never look at you the sssssssame.. and you knew your friendsssship was broken~"   [21:06:38] Phoenix_Down closes his eyes to try and escape the sight, but even with his eyes closed he can see Starlight just the same, the vision of her lying broken and dead on the clinic bed forced into his mind painfully, his back hitting the wall as he holds up his hooves defensively "n-no! it was an accident... I couldn't do anything!"   [21:08:25] Starlight just walks closer and closer, her hoofsteps not resounding against the floor as she raises a foreleg up, the form turning from her white leg into a slithering white snake "of course you couldn't do anything.... you couldn't sssssave anyone!~"   [21:10:31] Phoenix_Down holds his hooves in front of his face, tears streaming down his face as he tries to stop remembering "p-please... stop I'm sorry... I... I tried!"   [21:11:46] Starlight stops in front of Phoenix when his hooves block out his sight, lurching her snake-hoof forward to wrap around his neck "you failed... you failed me... you failed Golden... jusssssst like you failed your friends and family... you're a loser... you couldn't sssssave anyone...."   [21:13:32] Phoenix_Down grabs the 'snake' around his neck, looking up to the vision of Starlight with tear stained eyes "N-no.. its not true... I... I..." choking on his own words he slides down the wall, broken out in tears "I.. I can't help anyone...."   [21:15:20] Starlight grins, the snake hoof sliding around his neck and forcing his mouth open, sliding down the new passage and into his throat, giggling as her form starts to fade into the snake, melting down and forcing its way into his body, her giggly laugh the same he used to hear in the inn "thats right... you are weak... you couldn't help a sssingle sssoul~"   [21:16:26] Phoenix_Down chokes agaisnt the snake, his body shaking, but doing nothing to resist, her coy laughter the same he heard all his time, the same voice that spoke when she helped him when he first arrived... the same voice that teased his ears when they shared such fun memories... the same voice that spoke to him with fear when he walked her down the aisle to marry Golden.... the same voice that told him she was scared... and the same voice that faded out while he watched... and could do nothing...   [21:17:28] Starlight finally melts away entirely, her resounding laugh ringing in his ears as the snake and the rest of herself slides down his throat, fading back into the darkness   [21:17:29] Starlight [kvirc@c50-26-215-33.abilcmtk01.tx.dh.suddenlink.net] se ha marchado del IRC: Quit: KVIrc 4.2.0 Equilibrium http://www.kvirc.net/   [21:19:04] Phoenix_Down almost lurches forward when the vision fades, crying against the ground and dry heaving to try and get the snake out, the snake that never existed in the first place, holding his stomach in pain and crying against the cold stone of the floor "I'm sorry... oh god I'm so sorry... I couldn't... I couldn't..." unable to finish his sentence as he collapses against the ground, shaking softly [21:19:07] "im sorry..." [21:26:31] Phoenix_Down shivers as he holds onto his body, his tears not stopping as his mind slowly shuts down again, fading the world away into another deep, restless slumber [00:22:54] Phoenix_Down wakes up in a cold sweat, the nightmares having torment his body for so long, breathing heavily and laying on his back, his heart pounding against his chest, the blank faces and greyed out bodies of his loved ones staring back at him, looking around his room to just see total blackness staring back at him, tears already flowing down his face and to the cold, stone floor [00:23:14] Phoenix_Down turns back over, his energy still lost, closing his eyes and returning to his blank, tormenting world of dreams