Lost Cause

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Each step was made with hesitance, but he was fairly certain that this path was the safest. The only problem was that it was a guaranteed safety. His eyes darted about to and fro with a growing sense of dread and anxiety. He was alone, out in the open, in the place he'd last seen Voix. For all he knew the damned Zoroark lived here and yet he was coming back. It made his skin crawl and fur stand. He honestly looked adorably fluffy more so than terrifying. He swallowed his fears as he stepped along, uncertainty kept him from making much progress.

He came with the intent of collecting some items, a sack strapped around his side. The light crystal blue necklace dangled from his neck as he walked on all four legs. It was much more comfortable this way. It kept his stomach less exposed, far easier to run from danger as well. Zadira needed more items though. Not only for his own protection, but to hopefully sell them to the local merchant back at Grassveil, maybe an explorer or two. The debt he needed to pay was big and the lawyer made it perfectly clear what would happen if he couldn't keep on his payments.

It was understandable, considering the pachirisu saved what was essentially the rest of his life, but the lawyer's expectations were brutal. He could either pay up or he was going right back to where he was found.

Mocha: [Energy: 6 + 1 (Page) = 7]
Maxie: [Energy: 5 + 1 (Page) = 6]
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Mocha did as instructed, though she didn’t see much point in it. She suspected he was just giving her something to do because she asked. She pulled out the map and compass. She also retrieved the fire starting kit and set it aside for when Maxie returned with the wood.

She spread the map out on the stone floor. Now she only had one problem to solve: how to read a compass.

…

Many hands—or rather, mouths, for the most part—made quick work. With the help of the mightyena, Maxie was able to collect a fair bit of wood in the form of sticks and small logs from the tree branches.

”Okay, so, a couple of things,” she started as she bound some bundles of wood with some of the scarves from Roi’s bag. ”Why are you two helping me? Do you two have names? And why do you know so much about this—whatever is going on?”

The mightyena looked at each other. One spoke up. “Well, you and your friend did help us out when we first met.”

“So we kinda owe ya,”[/color] The other finished. “And yeah, we gots names. He’s Dart,”

“And he’s Pesky.”

Maxie give the one apparently named Pesky a weird look. ”Pesky?”

“It was an apt name when he was younger,” the other—Dart—provided. “What about you, you got a name?”

”Maxie,” she introduced herself as she finished tying the third bundle together. ”So, what about the last question? Why do you know so much about the stuff going on here? What’s this about time?”

“Oh, we don’t know much, really,” Dart provided. “But we’ve heard lots of things about it.”

“We know ya can jus’ sorta wander into it—”

“That must be what you did—”

“And ‘s what we did, back when we were kids. You sorta just wander your way back out. Afterwards we started explorin’ more places, looking into the whole thing, ya know?”

“That’s why we’re back here,” Dart explained. “Back at the first place it happened. Just chance we run into you again.”

“We know time doesn’t make much sense here. Distance sometimes gets weird, too. But there’s no real s’planation for it. It’s all a big mystery—like a mystery dungeon, but even weirder.”

”Huh,” Maxie wasn’t sure what to make of it all. ”Mind explaining this all again to my friends?”

“Sure,” Dart said as he picked on one bundle of wood.

“No problem,” Pesky added as he picked up the other.

Maxie picked up the third and started heading back in the direction of the cave. She was still not certain about the whole thing, but it was nice to have anyone else also acknowledging the weirdness. She didn’t feel like she was going completely mad, at least.

Mocha got to work. So did he. The zangoose sat himself down outside in the fading light with Roi's journal. He hesitated once he placed a paw on the cover, still not quite sure if this was a good idea or not. He'd thought his relationship with Roi was fine-a little rocky due to his complications, but otherwise the breloom was always kind to him. His resolve strengthened at the thought. Yeah! Roi wouldn't write that kind of stuff about him-so this had to be a fake.

He'd just need to find the discrepancies so he could point it out to Maxie. It...wouldn't help his situation at all, but maybe it'd convince the mawile to not trust "Roi" as much should he return...and maybe that Voix really was around and messing with them. He pulled open the cover and started to read.

Just as Maxie said, it seemed as if parts of the journal were missing. The words seemed to tangle together and fade out of existence, while some seemed to read just fine. This...this wasn't possible. This had to be the work of Voix. He flipped through the pages and skimmed the lines one after another of what he could.

He would quickly find that he did not like what he read.

Mocha: [Energy: 7]
Maxie: [Energy: 6]
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The low light didn’t help her, but with a few minutes time Mocha was pretty sure she had figured out the compass, and therefore her facing relative to the map. Not that the information was particularly useful at the moment. She saw Zadira reading—Roi’s journal. Maxie said he shouldn’t read it. She was inclined to agree, if only because it was supposed to be something private. She didn’t say anything, though. She just sat and waited for the next thing to happen.

The cave soon came into Maxie’s view. She saw Zadira. She saw he had the journal. ”I told you you shouldn’t read that,” she called to him as she approached, the two mightyena in tow. All three had a bundle of wood with them. ”Brought some friends. They’ve got some info to share.”

She didn’t wait for a response from the zangoose. She made her way into the cave and sat down to prepare the fire. ”Welcome back,” Mocha said, quiet. The two mightyena entered the cave a moment later, dropping their burden beside Maxie. ”Oh, hi.”

”Mocha, this is Dart and Pesky. Dart, Pesky, Mocha. And Blue out there is Zadira.” Maxie got the introductions out of the way for everyone. She picked up the fire starting kit and began her work. ”These two know some pretty interesting stuff about the weird things going on.”

“Some stuff,” Dart repeated.

“Just the basics,” Pesky added.

...

This was fake. Not "had to be," it was. The last of the sunlight faded out, but he still found himself staring at the pages. He could still remember where each word was. He could hear Maxie's voice speak out to him, saying that he shouldn't have read the book. Maybe he shouldn't have...but there were plenty of other factors in play here that were far more important than a dead man's privacy.

He didn't accept it.

He glanced back at the two Mightyena that Maxie brought back. What was with her and bringing back strangers? Especially after that incident with the zoroark? Was...was it just Voix trying out different characters until one of em could stick around and appeal to him or Mocha more? His ears flattened as his blue gaze shifted to a glare. He didn't trust what these mightyena had to say.

He closed the book, his paws gripped onto it tightly. He listened to what they said, but he didn't approach. He didn't know exactly how to feel right now, but the sorrow and sadness were gone-that was for sure.

Mocha: [Energy: 7]
Maxie: [Energy: 6]
==================================================
After a couple of attempts, Maxie seemed to get a fire going. The mightyena twins seemed to take this as their cue.

“Okay, so basically it works like this,” Dart started. “You’ll be exploring a mystery dungeon or whatever, and then, suddenly things are a little different. It’s like… Like a mirror world—”

“A real messed up mirror,” Pesky interjected.

“Yeah, sure. Anyways, everything we know ‘bout it is from hearsay and stories we picked up in our travels. Stories of Pokemon disappearin’ for a few minutes—”

“Or hours—”

“—or days. Some even claim they or their friends or whatever’ve been missing for weeks or more.”

“But when the Pokemon finally reappears—”

“IF they reappear,” Dart interrupted his twin.

“Yeah, if. Some stories say some Pokemon just never come back. But assuming they do, there’s always a difference between the time they were really gone and the time they say they say they experienced.”

“Sometimes it’s more.”

“Sometimes it’s less. And distance, space and stuff? That can get messed up too.”

“Sometimes you’ll meet others—like you guys and us—who are also visiting the place.”

“But they might not be from the same time. We’re pretty sure we’re either from y’alls future, or you’re from our past—”

“Pesky that’s the same thing.”

“Whatever. Other times ya might meet, like, I dunno. Ghosts? Not, like, ghastly ghosts, though.”

“Sometimes they’re Pokemon who’ve died, sometimes they’re like living memories from the minds of visitors. Sometimes they’re a bit of both.”

“Some Pokemon have even told stories of running into a mirror of themselves—sometimes they’re friendly.”

“Sometimes they real messed up.”

Every word they spoke had the cadence of someone telling a scary story. As they seemed incapable of sitting still as they spoke, either; they were constantly moving about between the three other Pokemon, circling each other and leaning closer and pulling away in a way that matched their ominous cadence.

Mocha was fascinated by the story and just a little spooked by some of the things the two mentioned. Their manner of telling it didn’t help. Still, what they were explaining was lining up with the strangeness of the days events. ”Wait, we can get trapped here?” Mocha generally thought herself quite brave, but the idea of being trapped in this location indefinitely seemed to bother her enough that her voice faltered just a bit.

“Well, so says a couple of the stories we’ve heard, but getting out is pretty easy,” Dart replied.

“Usually pretty easy,” Pesky mumbled just loud enough for everyone to hear.

”So how do you leave?” Maxie asked, seemingly unfazed by the mightyena’s antics.

“Just try to leave the dungeon, that always works for us.” Dart answered. The two virtually identical mightyena sat down next to each other beside the fire. The firelight combined with their dark fur and red eyes made them look somewhat eerie.

What they said didn't make sense. Not a single bit of it. It was impossible. He could practically feel Voix slowly drawing a claw over his shoulder, just the sort of thing he'd do let him know he was here-when he wanted him to know. He didn't feel it, but he anticipated it. The closer they tip-toed to him, the tenser he became. His eyes were fixated on the closest one, claws extended. He was not in any shape to fight, but that wouldn't stop him from trying.

Fortunately, none of them came within scratching distance-so he didn't lash out at either of them. Still, he hissed when they came near-making it perfectly clear that their presence was not welcome. He said nothing, not willing to entertain a single thought from these two...well, illusions. This entire day he'd been flipping between what was real and what was fake, it was the only reason he didn't straight out attack them right then and there-because he'd been wrong so many times before.

The best way to win was to not play. He didn't have much to contribute in the first place, considering all he wanted to do was point fingers and cry fraud. He didn't bring himself back into the cave, closer to the warmth of the fire and the company of the others. He had far too many things to sort through in his head-and these two mutts weren't helping.

Mocha: [Energy: 7]
Maxie: [Energy: 6]
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Mocha glanced between Maxie, the mightyena, and Zadira—who was keeping his distance from the rest. He didn’t trust the mightyena twins. It wasn’t difficult for her to figure out; after the zoroark event, he didn’t trust anyone. Except maybe her. Maybe? She hoped so.

She wanted to move closer to him, but she didn’t. Really, she wanted him to come closer to her, and the fire.

Maxie noticed the zangoose’s standoffishness, too. Everyone did. Pesky turned to the mawile beside him. “I’m not sure your friend cares for us much,” he whispered—though it echoed through the cave somewhat. She nodded in response.

”Yeah, he’s got trust issues.” Her voice was low, but not quite a whisper.

Dart stepped away from the fire and towards the cave entrance—but not toward Zadira directly. “We can leave, if it’d make ya more comfortable. It’s dark, but we’re pretty good in the dark.”

Maxie was immediately against them leaving, but she said nothing. Yes, the two were strangers, but so far they had been helpful and reliable. And they were quite familiar with what was going on. They were proving far more helpful than a certain blue zangoose.

The mightyena were kind, as they offered to leave. They were keys to figuring out what was going on, but he didn't trust them. In fact, he didn't even trust them to actually leave. They weren't real. His response to them was less than kind.

"Don't even try to fuck with me with that kind of offer," he hissed. A low growl followed suit, not all that concerned about being nice with them. They weren't real. They weren't real. They weren't real. That thought rang throughout his head so many times that day. It was all he could obsess with at this point. The book wasn't real. These dogs weren't real. The only remotely real thing here was Mocha-and he hoped to the gods that he wasn't wrong.

The zangoose scooted back against what little of the wall he had behind him, his eyes leered at the duo with intense hostility. There was no answer that would result in a win, he'd be stressed either way.

Mocha: [Energy: 7]
Maxie: [Energy: 6]
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The mightyena nearest Zadira looked back at his brother by the fire, clearly surprised and confused by the zangoose’s hostility. “What’s his issue?” Pesky asked, no longer trying to be subtle about talking about him in front of him.

Maxie had shifted into a more comfortable position near the fire, lying down and using her scarf as a makeshift pillow. ”He probably thinks you’re a zoroark’s illusions,” she replied nonchalantly. Maxie expected nothing less from the troubled zangoose at this point. Roi was probably right; Zadira did need some help.

Dart walked back to the fire. “Well if it’s all the same to you, I think we’ll stay.”

Mocha did the opposite. Leaving the map and compass where they lied, she stood and approached Zadira. She reached for his paw; her eyes were pleading him to follow her as she motioned for them both to exit the cave.

Maxie sat up when she saw her friend move toward Zadira. She gave the blue-eyed zangoose a warning look, but otherwise remained still and silent.

Normally Maxie's look would have shamed him, but at that moment it only frustrated him. How could she possibly trust some random mightyena that conveniently "know everything" and spew some nonsense like that? He took Mocha's paw, even though he very much knew that the mawile disapproved. He wouldn't hurt Mocha. Even if he had reason to believe it was Voix, at that moment, he wasn't going to risk it again.

At this time he'd rather be beaten and tormented than strike Mocha, both because she was a friend and to...spite...Maxie? It wasn't really a logical thought process considering that was exactly what Maxie wanted, but it seemed almost as if Maxie expected him to do it now. That look made it feel as if she was now just looking for an excuse to badmouth him to Mocha even more. Sure he said that he couldn't make that promise, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

He stood up, again, refusing to use much of Mocha's weight to help himself up. He was careful about it, but he said nothing to the mightyena. He'd follow Mocha out without complaint.

Mocha: [Energy: 7]
Maxie: [Energy: 6]
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Stepping outside and around the corner so as not to be in line of sight to those in the cave, Mocha could feel the coolness in the air—the effect of night time at a high altitude. She could feel it most distinctly on her back, where the bandages were, and her fur failed to fully cover.

Her expression was a strange mix of concern, fatigue, gloominess—and perhaps just a hint of fear, residual from the unnerving way the mightyena relayed their information. She just stared at Zadira for a long moment, unsure of what she wanted to say—or if she even wanted to say anything at all. She could just hug him again. It wouldn’t fix anything, but it made her feel a bit better.

She refrained from doing so. She spoke, her voice quiet. ”What does it take… To prove someone’s real?” There had to be an answer. She hoped he had an answer. Not only because it would help in the current situation, but because she wanted to know in future—just in case something like the zoroark attack happened again.

…

“So, what’ve you been up to?” Dart asked the mawile.

”You mean since the cave—the other cave? Moving to this cave, really. Like I said, it’s not been very long for us.” She was still trying to get a grasp on the idea that there was a discrepancy between the amount of time that had passed for the two parties.

Pesky asked the next question. “What happened to the green one?”

Maxie didn’t want to answer. She wasn’t going to answer. She didn’t answer. The two brothers looked at each other for a moment, drawing to the same conclusion at roughly the same time. For them, it must have been a question they had been wondering about the answer to for a long time.

“Oh.” They both said simultaneously.

Maxie continued to say nothing. They didn’t ask anymore questions.

The question...that was a good question. His anger melted back into that soft and almost even defenseless look. How could you tell what was real and what was fake? Well...there were two ways-but even they could be doubted given the right circumstances. He hesitated in his answer as he gave it more thought, just in case there might have been something he couldn't think of.

"Well..." he started, "He...he can only make you see whatever he wants...e-everything else takes extra work." He focused on their paws, "H-He can't make everything feel or hear exactly the same, b-but he's pretty clever about it a-and he's pretty good with mimicking voices..." Zadira's gaze trailed back up to Mocha's.

"A-And he can't just magic knowledge out of nowhere-s-so if you can know something he can't-but the other person would know and quiz him on it, then he won't be able to answer. That's...also assuming he wasn't around to hear the answer." Which made it very difficult for Zadira, since there was rarely ever a time when Voix wasn't stalking about.

"If you hit 'em real good though," he added on quickly after, "Make it hurt, then they have trouble keeping it steady-but I heard there's an item out there that helps them with that, so you'd need to do it twice just to be sure..."

Mocha: [Energy: 7]
Maxie: [Energy: 6]
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”We can’t hit them.” Mocha practically blurted out the words the moment Zadira finished. She thought about the rest of what he said. The knowledge thing would never work on strangers. She wasn’t sure how to prove the mightyena weren’t tricks, but she could at least confirm Maxie was real.

”You know I’m real, right?” It was a rhetorical question. She was pretty sure he did. She didn’t want to think he didn’t. ”Then that means you can trust me. Which means if I’m sure that Maxie is really Maxie, and you trust me, then you’d know she’s real by extension.”

She glanced to the side, at the open air beside them. ”I don’t know how to prove the mightyena are real, though. I-I’m pretty sure they are, though…” She was pretty sure they weren’t illusions, at least.

…

The cave was silent, except for the sound of the fire crackling. The two mightyena sat next to each other, across the fire from Maxie. Eventually, one of them broke the silence.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” It was Pesky.

Maxie, who had returned to her lying position, shrugged. ”She’s probably trying to calm him down or something. He’ll listen to her—at least better than anyone else who’s tried to talk some sense into him.”

There was a brief moment of silence before Pesky asked another question. “... Are they, like—”[/color]

”No.” She didn’t need to hear the rest of the question. As far as Maxie was concerned, Mocha and Zadira were nothing to each other—except friends, which she wasn’t particularly approving of.

His ears fell along with the expression on his face, at least further than it already was. Mocha seemed to think the Mightyena were real. The Maxie-talk did make sense. Voix would know nothing about these two...right? So Mocha-who he was ever-so-desperately hoping to be real- would be able to tell her apart from a fake. The canines though, not so much.

"Yes," he spoke with a little more certainty than he intended, "B-But the mightyena...they can't possibly be real. Everything they said it...it doesn't make sense. It doesn't make sense for them to "grow up" so quickly a-and isn't it suspicious that they suddenly had all the answers? Their answers don't even make sense..." He shook his head, "Maxie we can test but...but they can't be trusted. Period." He looked back to Mocha, practically begging her to see the sense that he saw. It was too convenient. It was too sudden. It was too nonsensical. It was too....Voix.

Mocha: [Energy: 7]
Maxie: [Energy: 6]
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The convenience of the situation had not occurred to her until he had brought it up. ”Yeah, you’re right that it’s kinda suspicious that they just showed up with the answers…” She looked back at him. ”But, I could believe it—not that I’m saying you’re wrong—but strange things like what they’re talking about are possible, right?”

She tried to think of some examples. ”There’s floating islands, right? Like in the air? And mystery dungeons don’t make sense, but we know those are real.” She scratched one ear with a paw—the one that wasn’t holding Zadira’s. ”They said it’s been longer for them…” She didn’t understand that part, really, but she felt it was necessary to mention in response to him saying that the mightyena twins grew up so fast.

She was trying to convince Zadira as much as she was trying to convince herself—his confidence that they were a trick made her doubt herself. She was starting to become agitated, glancing around herself and behind Zadira, as if looking for any disturbances to indicate a hidden zoroark was about. She shifted to that the stone wall was to her back—her free paw touched it to make sure it was real.

…

“You know what’s deeper into the cave?” It was Pesky again. He seemed to be the more curious one.

”Nope. Never got the chance to check. Was busy dealing with an irritating zorua and then an angry aerodactyl.”

Dart gave her a curious look. “I thought you said nothing much had happened between meeting us and now?”[/color]

”No, not nothing. Everything. So much that I can’t be bothered to go over it all again.”

Pesky got up and started moving deeper into the cave. “Let’s find out.”

”Have fun. I’m staying here.”

Dart got up and began to follow his brother. “We’ll I’ve got to go with ‘em. We never go anywhere without each other.”

”If you find any trouble you better not bring it back here.” There was no humor in the mawile’s voice.

“Yes ma’am,” Pesky declared with an over exaggerated, mock-soldier tone. The two mightyena quickly disappeared in the darkness outside the firelight.