394/Mu - Horrors of the Heart

Mu - Horrors of the Heart
Date of Scene:	11 August 2014
Location:	Avatar World <AW>
Synopsis:	With the location of the shrine secured, the Unionites head out in order to do what they can in order to return Toph to her normal self.
Cast of Characters:	Maya, 20, 43, 73, 140, 143, 152, 301, 306, 425
Tinyplot:	Mu

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Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Thanks to the map supplied by Lao Beifong after the insistence of Pepper Potts, the Union should have no problems locating the area marked down in ink. There is a fair bit to travel from the warp gate, but they should be able to make it easily enough through the forest and up the hillside leading into the mountains. Though there are some people missing. Tony Stark was supposed to be there, but it seems that he's been delayed.

    The forest is a very lively place, with lots of wildlife about. At least what wildlife is about in the pouring rain that has decided to make their trip somewhat less pleasant. The road so far has been muddy, slippery, the water running down in streams down the hillside. It doesn't seem like people have been travelling this way a lot the last years, as it's particularly overgrown.

    Things are not better when they finally arrive at the shrine either, an old bricked tunnel leading into the very mountain itself. Vines have taken over some of the pillars outside, causing them to topple in places, fallen over and giving the impression that this place has mostly been avoided. But for what reason?

    At least it is somewhat dry inside, even if the air is damp and there's weird, glowing moss on some of the tunnel walls. It's not a very inviting place, but this is clearly where Lao Beifong put the mark on the map he gave to Pepper. To any spiritually sensitive it's clear that this place is someplace of interest. Obviously there is something inside of these ruins...

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Well, the weather sucks.. But other than that, Ryuko doesn't have too much difficulty keeping pace. She slips a bit on that muddy trail, but she's able to manage things fine, otherwise. "Tch.. Jeez, didn't look like much of a walk, on that map of yours." She pats her hair, once she's inside, finally. Her outfit.. and not Ryuko herself.. shakes off the water from the rain. She looks around at the inside, and pats the mossy walls.

"Don't look like anyone's been around here, for a while. Like, a long ass while." She tilts her head, "Was her dad like, a hundred percent sure about all this?"

Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
"I hate this weird weather," Rainbow Dash complains, just inside of the brick tunnel. Of course the weather pony wouldn't be happy with the rain that she didn't have much control over. She could probably do something about it, if she wanted, but there was more important stuff than just dealing with the weather.

Her coat is drenched, her mane sticking down against her forehead and neck. "It's like every other place I've been to has had crazy Everfree weather. Toph's dad better be right about this place." The pegasus flicks her wings, and little droplets of water splash everywhere. But that was only a warning flick, because in the next second, Rainbow starts shaking off vigorously, sending water everywhere. It sort of works to dry her off at least, but now her mane is poofy.

Haru (143) has posed:
    Haru has no intentions of letting a little rain and mud get in his way. Mud won't keep an earthbender down! Earth is his element, and Haru will not be beaten by his own element! And Toph needs them besides... he's not going to be beaten by the elements. The mud is still difficult to get through. If not for him, for others. So as he goes up, he'll be trying to stay ahead of the others, or as close to the front as he can.

    Why? Because every so often he will be earthbending a flat-topped rock out of the hill for a foothold/step. He will also be using rocks to clip through and/or push back the foliage and overgrowth-- and possibly wildlife-- where getting through is difficult. Showing the stubbornness now that earthbenders are renowned for in this world, it seems.

    When he arrives with the others at the cave, he shakes his head to shake some of the rain off. Aside from that he doesn't bother with it. He'll clean up later. "...Is this it?" he asks. A pause, to place a hand over a pocket. There's something in there that he's making sure he still has.

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja isn't like the good young girl they're here to help. He doesn't like being dirty, in general. But it's a small price to pay for a friend, and besides, the weather is lovely! A good float spell has him floating half an inch above the ground, missing the worst of the weather as they travel along the overgrown road.

"Lord in heaven, someone needst get a bloody landscaper out here." Frowns the rat lightly.

The Shrine itself isn't much better. Faruja finds himself missing both rain and the mud. Maybe Toph's rubbing off on him.

Important. And /evil/. But that may well be Faruja's own baggage coloring his perceptions. He's notably not wretching for once, like he does near demons and other sufficiently dark forces.

Ryuko's comments have the rat snorting. "And bloody good on them! For a creature that steals one's very essence as this one is naught something to be seen, much less worshipped and prayed to. We hath seen the results quite well." The rat lights a torch, to help with any gloominess in the tunnel.

"Still. For once, I wouldst believe that Lao Beifong is not lying."

Frederica (73) has posed:
    This whole thing has made Frederica more than a bit uncomfortable. Spirits aren't her thing. Nor, for that matter, is family discipline. She had been asking about the area to see if any spirits were known for doing the sort of thing that had happened here... and of course she got nowhere. Not because there was no such spirit, but because no one else typically is foolish enough to ask for the removal of something fundamental to their own nature. Something so fundamental that they'd wither and die without it. She'd been searching for something malevolent, not a local shrine whose patron spirit is invoked for simple self-improvement.

    Frederica shows no outward sign of fury at what she's learned, and at what she suspects. The pyrokinetic has a noteworthy temper, but this is different. This isn't some immediate wrong, but something much worse. A well-intentioned act that's nonetheless set to destroy a spirited little girl that half reminds Frederica of herself, half of one of her brothers. Her anger is a cool, rational thing. It, like the fear she always carries within her, is something she can hide. It's easy for her to put on a cheerful mask. Or, in this case, a mask of rain-soaked misery.

    Huddled deep within her hood, Frederica grumbles. "I don't care if this is the place, so long as it's dry." she states testily. Of course she DOES care. If helping Toph and all Toph's friends involves a week-long trudge through slime and snow she'd do it. She'd just grumble a lot, that's all. "I don't suppose the spirits here would object to a little fire to keep things warm and pleasant, right?" she says almost cheerfully, holding up one hand and igniting it to shed a torch-sized flame. It's warm indeed, though too small to cast much heat beyond more than a foot or two. She can make it bigger of course, if people encourage her. If they don't, well, at least she'll be cozy before long!

Natasha (425) has posed:
Natasha's cringing in pain at the rain. Sure, she's wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella but that still doesn't provide full protection for her against the elements. "Ah..." The girl looks rather weak as she trudges on. Still if they don't do something Toph might die. She's happy to see the cave and makes her way inside. Hopefully, it'll have cleared off by the time they get outside. "I don't think I'll be much help." The normal confident girl has had much of her strength sapped away.

Fate T. Harlaown (306) has posed:
Though she's only met Toph a few times, Fate was quick to volunteer when she heard about what was going on with the girl. The rain doesn't seem to bother her much, though she gets to cheat. A very brief flash of golden light shines around her body for an instant once they're in the tunnel, evaporating the water clinging to her.

"I've never had an encounter with, ah... spirits. I hope they won't react badly to magic." And speaking of, the blonde speaks softly to the poleaxe in her hand. "Do a scanning spell for me, Bardi<span class=" bold_fg_y bg_n ++ he."

~chy">Yes, sir. Wide Area Search.</span>~ A chime sounds, and the Device begins a magical ping. It's nothing too invasive, though... he's just scanning the immediate area for signs of danger. "This is a spirit of.. emotions, is it? Perhaps it can still be reasoned with, or at least bargained with."

Maya has posed:
Maya has joined with the rest of the party agan to see what she could do to help with Toph, she looked over to Rainbow Dash.

"I'm used to it honestly."

Maya's getting drenched but almost seems to enjoy the rain. Let's face it she's from a desert, when it rains? It's a day to party really and she would be singing in the rain. Save for how serious things are she presses onwards as they reach the cave.

"So this is the place and Faruja hummm? I only had a handful my self and I been at this for over a decade now..."

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Upon venturing inside it should be clear that the tunnel continues deep inside, until the light of the outside can no longer reach them. The tunnel twists its way into the mountain, water dripping from the ceiling in some places, offering some nourishment to the creepy moss that grows in places. Why, it will even leave a glowing residue on whatever touches it, whether it be a foot, a stray hand or shoulder... The air becomes more and more stale, damp and a bit heavy to breathe.

    But after some minutes of walking in semi-darkness, our heroes should find themselves in a large mountain hall, the ceiling easily thirty feet above them. Pillars line the walls along with what look like ancient writings, and a sunken path travels along the middle of the room, mosaic bricks lining the path between heavy and mostly intact pillars that rise all the way to the ceiling above.

    At the far end of the hall there are some dais, steps leading up to a platform with two stylistic snake statues, back to back as they seemingly glare towards the walls. One of them appears particularly chipped, somewhat darkened... and the other seems like it has been covered with moss and been standing in running water, as it is far more smoother and less detailed.

    This place practically screams of spiritual energy, and there should be no question about it... this is the place.

    But what now?

Haru (143) has posed:
    Haru takes great pains not to touch the glowing moss. If it's glowing that means there's something in it that's probably not healthy for him to be touching. Also he coughs a little at the stale air. "Lao couldn't have come in here, he'd have gotten his robe dirty," he remarks. Hopefully someone else has a light source, since Haru's not really familiar enough with the existence of flashlights to have brought one. That's a good question. What did they do now? Haru will approach the statues carefully, intending to examine them. Do they have any writing on or near them?

Maya has posed:
Maya take in this place there's something about tit that make her uneasy. She takes a moment to generate sphere of core energy to act as a light, and she keeps moving. She takes a moment to try and record images of the writing, they may need to take a look at it later. Howevger as she looks to see at the various signs of former habitation here in the shrine, it's also a very powerful place.

"There's a lot of power here."

Hopefully Maya's light iwll be enough of use to the rest of the party.

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Ryuko just frowns a bit, and walks along the path, into the shrine. She looks around some, once the tunnel opens up into the much larger atrium. She walks about and pats at some of the pillars, and then heads over to the snake statues. She pokes at them both with her scissor, currently shrunk down to the size of a normal pair of tailor's shears, save the missing half. "So.. Did he say what to /do/ once we got here?"

Frederica (73) has posed:
    As the group descends into the hall, Frederica reluctantly tones down her flame. The air is stale, and while it might be somewhat damp it'll at least be insulated and less cold. She has no need to make anyone uncomfortable by threatening to further exhaust the good air, and only keeps enough flame going to cast a little light. Assuming, of course, no one else has brought a battery-powered lantern or something similar.

    "A spirit of emotions." Frederica says flatly. "It takes away something you have too much of, for an offering. Or it gives you emotions you lack. I don't know how we'll be able to get it to give her emotions back... I guess we can ask, right?" she says, a bit dubious. It might be easier just to beat the crap out of the spirit, but somehow she figures that's TOO easy. Besides, that's not the sort of thing heroes do. Not as a first resort anyways.

    "Does anyone know how to call a spirit?" she asks, advancing on the dais. "If not... I dunno, it's a bit dirty. Can't hurt to just clean it up a bit, see if there's anything there to give us some ideas?"

Fate T. Harlaown (306) has posed:
Crimson eyes squint in the low light... and then a chime sounds from the yellow gem on the head of the poleaxe. Golden light radiates outward, helping to illuminate the immediate area. "Is that writing on the walls? I'm afraid I don't know that language..." Fate glances back toward Haru, as a native of this world. "Any ideas?"

The light focuses on the statues briefly, and Fate taps her chin in thought. "Is this a snake spirit, or are those just randomly decorative?" Frederica gets a smile. "While the spirit might appreciate this place being cleaned up some, I don't think that's something that can be done quickly."

Natasha (425) has posed:
Natasha feels a bit better now that she's out of the rain. Still, she's going to have to take it easy after that. She starts sneezing as her body tries to dry off. "Achoo!" Thankfully for the others, she's trying to stay warm so all that comes out of her mouth is smoke. At least she doesn't have to breath or she would have likely passed out by this point. "So we have to make a sacrifice?!" She doesn't sound too happy about what Frederica just said.

Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
    "Cooool," Rainbow Dash cranes her neck to eye some of the strange, glowing moss. "Kind of like some creepy night-light in here." But with the group moving onwards, Dash only gets the chance to look, and not touch. With a low ceiling above her, she keeps to the ground. The steady clip-clip-clip-clip of her hooves creates a different beat to those of the humanoids in the group.

    When the room opens up finally, Dash flares out her wings. She takes off in a couple of wing-flaps, rising above the heads of the others. "Whoa. Yeah, this place totally has the 'evil lair' sort of vibe going on!" She rubs at the back of her neck, trying to get the fur on the back of it to lie down.

Dash shrugs at Frederica. "Beats me. There like some sort of crazy spirit call or something?"

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja presses a handkerchief to muzzle and nose, the rat coughing as they traverse the halls. The ancient writing very nearly has im gagging, the rat sporting quite the scowl by the time they all make it to the main chamber.

Faruja looks about, and frowns. Sigh.

"Spirits typically in Ivalice art invoked either by name, or by enterin their domain and catching their interest. Or irritation. And while I wouldst quite enjoy irritating the filth, methinks I shall defer to Ser Haru in this case. Mayhaps a fellow spirit, however, aught draw him forth?"

With that, in a flash of magic, Faruja summons Carbuncle. The emerald cat-like creature lands on the Burmecian's shoulder.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    There is very little understandable writing around in the shrine, sadly. Bricks are crumbling in places, and it's all rather musty and mossy. Some of the pillars have fallen over by the wall itself. Maya's light, Frederica's flame and the creepy moss do allow the people inside to see most of the hall easily, and except for the large pillars it should be easy enough to get a clear view.

    Somehow, the temperature begins to drop slightly as Frederica steps onto the dais. Some people however might notice something unnerving about this place. And not just because of the darkness either. And the presence of the Carbuncle...?

    Is that a low hissing sound to be heard throughout the shrine, echoing from wall to wall, pillar to pillar?

Haru (143) has posed:
    Having been alerted to the writing by Fate, Haru pauses and turns his attention to it. "I can't make much sense out of it. Sorry." He pauses again, though, as the question of how to summon the spirit is asked. "Well, I'm not really very spiritual," he notes. "But... what I /do/ know is that spirits like prayer. And tribute." Looking at Faruja briefly... he doesn't think Faruja wants to do that. also he looks to Carbuncle. That thing... he has no idea what it is. But it's adorable.

    Here's where Haru reaches into his pocket and pulls the thing out that he was checking for. It's the doll he earthbent and glued the fern leaves on the top of. "The dolls. They're supposed to be prayer dolls." He looks at his earth doll. "Maybe we can use them and pray to the spirit?"

Fate T. Harlaown (306) has posed:
As she catches sight of the pegasus' trouble, Fate takes a step closer. "Let me try to help." She has enough sense to not break out a hairbrush right now, but she at least tries to help rub the mane straighter. "Mmm... Prayer and tribute?" The blonde tilts her head curiously toward the statues again. "Unless praying to a spirit we've never encountered before might insult it."

A soft chime sounds from the yellow gem on her poleaxe, and Fate glances around as she hears that hissing sound. "I may have been right about it being a snake spirit... Bardiche, can you try some more exotic scans?" The response is another chime, and Fate slowly closes her eyes to concentrate.

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Ryuko can't help but shiver, turning as she hears that hissing sound. She swipes her arm at something, and definitely seems agitated. She clenches her hands, and the scissor blade she's carrying folds out to it's full size. She holds it up like she's ready to fight someone, too. Her eyes dart around, and she holds a hand up to one ear, the other still holding her weapon.

"Shut the hell up.. I know who did it, don't tell me who's responsible.." .. Is she talking to herself? Moreover, she almost seems to be in a bit of a daze. It doesn't appear to have affected Senketsu, as the living clothing can be heard to speak, too. <<Ryuko! Snap out of it!>>

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Frederica begins to shiver as she steps up to the dais. It's COLD here, and the cold isn't merely a physical thing. The chilling effect, not to mention the darkness, seems to separate the pyrokinetic from the others somehow.

    Frederica looks around at the others, puzzled. Those particularly attentive might notice her eyes look a bit glazed, unfocussed, as if she's not seeing what's right there. "What's wrong?" she asks, frowning. Why is everyone so still? She feels her own inner heat. Yeesss, that seems likely to her. The spiritual chill of the shrine has paralyzed everyone else, while she alone is free to move. The fire within her is protecting her.

    In fact, that fire's rising within her. It feels like it's going to escape. She hears a voice. An unfamiliar voice, yet eerily familiar. It would be easy, she knows. It would be so easy to let everything burn.

    Not that she'll actually ALLOW that. Not Frederica Tenjuin. She has better control than that. Only, well, it seems she doesn't. As she reaches out to her flame, to stream the power and nullify it, she sees it burning out of control. "NO!" she cries out in horror. No, not again! Neer! The flames don't actually get unleashed, but her own mind shows a different scene. Burning out of control, flames everywhere, everyone she cares about, consumed by her flame. Her, alone, and her own failure the cause of it all.

    It all takes but a moment of time. No one else sees the flame, or has any way of knowing what Frederica sees within her own mind. They only will see the girl collapse upon the dais, tears streaming from her eyes, whimpering a lost and helpless word, over and over again. "No! No! No... no no no nonononono...."

Maya has posed:
Maya has helped with the light a good deal and keeps the orb following her as she goes, things feel a bit colder now Maya cltches fist without thinking about it, why is it so cold. She shakes her head a little bit and seems to be talking to her self as she mutters.

"It never ends...what ... give up...just give up and rest?"

Maya seems lost to something right now she's clearly in some sort of trance from the looks of her.

Natasha (425) has posed:
Natasha looks confused, what was going on. She could understand why people would be cold but it's seems like they freaking out all a sudden. She rushes over to Frederica on the dais, ignoring her own current situation at the moment. "Frederica! What's wrong?!" She wraps her arms around her, sure Natasha's still wet but she's more considered about her friend right now.

Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
Rainbow Dash jerks a bit on reflex when Fate starts helping with her mane. She blinks in confusion for a second, before ducking away, "Er, thanks, I think. It's not a big deal or anything." And she's certainly not feeling creeped out at all by this weirdo place. Nope, not at all. Not her!

Dash frowns a little bit, folding her forelimbs across her chest as she peers around the bizarre shrine. "Sooo. Do we knock or something or...?"

There's a pause, as Rainbow's ears flick up at the hissing. She cringes a little bit, eyes darting from one way to the other. "Ooohkay, are we sure those are just statues?" But her attention darts down, and she blinks down at Fredrica. And her aparrent meltdown. "Er... You okay? I mean, I know the place is creepy, but it's not THAT creepy."

Faruja (152) has posed:
Haru suggests prayer. The twitch that Faruja's brow gives could likely be heard throughout the entire shrine. He visibly bites his lip to keep back several comments.

Faruja draws his blaze gun, walking over to Frederica. A hand reaches for her shoulder. Wordlessly, he squeezes, concern on his muzzle.

"Be strong, M'Lady."

Meanwhile, Carbuncle lets out a tiny yip-yap-yip. It's meant to be threatening. It's just cute.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The hissing sound continues...

    Even as Fate scans the shrine and the statues, it should be clear that there is something peculiar about this. There is spiritual energy there, but it strangely doesn't seem to be any in the scratched and rightmost statue. The other statue however is full of it however... and it suddenly spreads throughout the room.

    "... I won't let you...!"

    There is a frail whisper, barely audible over the air, something one might consider just one's imagination playing tricks on easily frightened or nervous minds.

Haru (143) has posed:
    Haru is not oblivious to the changes in the people around him. He frowns, looking between the people who seem to be affected by something. "...What? What's wrong?" Aimed at all of them who are having trouble. It may be kind of stupid of him, but he doesn't immediately go for the 'snap out of it'. Or maybe he knows that whatever's going on with them is beyond his ability to control.

    He heard the whisper, but he didn't understand it. He looks around, trying to find the source of it. "...Is someone there?" he asks. He holds tightly to his earthbent doll, as if he could use it to defend himself if it became necessary.

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Well, aside from Senketsu's concern, Ryuko can't seem to hear him. And nevermind her talking to herself, or the fact that she's armed, holding her sword at some invisible foe. She transforms rather suddenly, though, her Kamui unleashing its power in the confined space of the Atrium, flooding it with red light.

"Shut the fuck up ...!!"

Her voice echoes through the whole mountain, it seems.. and her scissor folds out again, into it's full length Decapitation Mode. The one that makes her sword as twice as long as she is tall. Senketsu seems to be struggling, trying to hold her back and stop her from moving, but she's able to override him. Her hands grasp her weapon, and she swings her weapon blindly. Or maybe not so blindly, clipping the mostly undamaged snake statue. Whatever her scissor is made of, the stone doesn't put up resistance, and she cuts a good sized chunk out of it.

Fate T. Harlaown (306) has posed:
The blonde gives Rainbow Dash a reassuring smile. "It's okay. Just--" But then lots of strange things seem to happen. Fate's gaze flicks from Frederica to Maya to Ryuko. "They're seeing something." She nods toward Faruja as he helps out Frederica. "Keep an eye on them..."

Fate glances toward Haru and speaks softly, "I think there is, yes." And that whisper confirms it for her. She can -barely- hear it, but she's fairly certain that wasn't her imagination. Taking a deep breath, Fate strides forward toward the undamaged statue... in time to see Ryuko slashing at it. "Ryuko." Fate's voice is soft, and she lifts a hand to rest on the girl's shoulder. "Please listen to my voice. You're here among friends."

There's a tightness to her voice, though, and a slight frown comes to her lips. Taking a deep breath, she lifts her head and speaks toward... the room, in general. "We have come to speak with you, spirit. We haven't come intending harm, and it's quite rude of you to assault visitors. If you would be so kind as to show yourself, I'm sure we could spend the day much more pleasantly. Perhaps with some tea." Despite her polite words, her tone of voice is quite firm.

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Easily frightened minds? Well, that's one way to describe Frederica.

    Normally, the approach taken by Natasha and Faruja would be just what the addled pyro girl needs. Simple human contact, to let her know she's not alone. To let her know the difference between her fears and reality. Unfortunately it doesn't work. She internalizes the sensation, instead feeling only the loving embrace of living flame. Flame has always been Frederica's truest friend, warm and defensive, allowing nothing else to threaten her. Nothing, that is, besides fear and loneliness.

    It comes to a head as Faruja reaches for her. "No! No, get away! You're dead! You're burned!" she shrieks in terror, pulling away with all the strength her little body possesses. Pulling away from him and Natasha both, though there's no art and little enough strength behind the motion. The worst part isn't that Faruja is dead in her sight, no... it's that she was the one who destroyed him, and also that he's probably coming now for unquiet vengeance.

    Other than her voice however, Frederica is utterly helpless to defend against the terrors that threaten her. Even if she were the type to allow her fire to rage out of control, even if her will on the subject was less soul-wrought adamant than it is, flame can't further harm what threatens her. Both the threat instigated by the spirit of the shrine, and the deeper threat and fear she's carried within her since she was a child.

Maya has posed:
Maya seems to slump a bit more something clealry ain't right here Maya's looking weaker at this point she's seeming just seems tired? World wary? Like someone who has gone too far and just can't seem to take it anymore. Still Maya seems to be lookjing about for a moment. She seems to be reching for something in her pocket. She takes a moment and mutters.

"No...I shouldn't give.... I'm just so tired. I been at this... so long."

Maya's still seeing and hearing something she something but just what? She seems to be losing an argument with herself, or something else, it's hard to tell.

"I ...couldn't save then, couldn't save Lyla, couldn't save Jinam...."

It's not good and Maya's not snapped out of it yet either...

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja shrugs off the massive amount of spiritual energy with all of the casual arrogance of a man utterly secured in his faith. Openly snarling at the whispered voice, it's only Frederica's predicament that keeps him from trying to burn this place down.

When the woman panics, and shoves him away, the rat staggers back more out of surprise than Frederica's wild shove. "Calm! Calm M'Lady! I am whole and hale, Dame Frederica! On mine oath, doth I swear it!"

There's a swift nod to Fate. "Quite." Assents the rat, trying to block out the spirit he well knows is in the room.

"Take mine hand, Frederica. 'Tis unburnt! I promise, before Faram himself, I shan't harm ye! I am alive. Be calm, my dear. /Calm/." Says the rat, voice low and hopefully as calming as he can. His hands are offered out palms-up, as slowly as he can. He even seems to shrink on himself in an attempt to not look a threat.

Natasha (425) has posed:
Natasha frowns at the mention of being burned. That brought back bad memories for her even without any external influence. Did something similar happen to Frederica? She backs off for now. The fact she's made of fire made it sound like it was a bad idea for her to be near hear right now. "Whatever's doing this stop it!" She sounds like she's losing her cool despite having been rained on earlier.

Faruja (152) has posed:
"This is naught but the work of a foul spirit! /Resist/ it!"

Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
Something is wrong. Rainbow Dash frowns as she looks from Fredrica, to Maya, then to Ryuko. "Uh, guys?" Dash's ears flick back amongst her mane, "What gives?" But unlike the three of their number, Dash seems to be unphased by whatever is there. Aside from, well, being a little bit creeped out by this creepy place.

Dash's eyes grow wide when Ryuko starts swinging, and the pegasus dives out of the air, barely avoiding the swinging blade. She hits the ground hard on all fours, but a few strands of rainbow mane didn't make it, and flutter to the floor after her. "Hey!" She pats at her head to make sure that her ears still there. "Now's not the time for a haircut!"

But Dash's attention is drawn away by muttering. "Maya? Hey, Maya!" Dash eyes the junker. The fact that Maya looks far more tired than usual isn't lost on the pegasus. "Keep it together, Maya! We gotta get through this for Toph! You know, to save her!"

Then, a voice. Dash's ears flick back, but she's quite certain that it's not her imagination; Her imagination isn't that freaky. Dash takes a slightly more aggressive stance, legs tensed and wings half unfurled. "HEY, whoever you are, lay off! We're just here to save our friend!" Diplomacy, thy name is not Rainbow Dash.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    The cold inside the shrine increases further, to the point where their breaths can be seen. The bricks and pillars crack, and the hissing increases in intensity.

    "GET OUT OF HERE! LEAVE!"

    Yet as Ryuko draws closer, slashing blindly out and her scissor blade strikes the unscratched statue... a shriek of pain rings throughout the shrine. And there is something /shimmering/ that recoils up against the wall of the dais.
        The figure, whatever it is, is somewhat small and in a dull greyish yellow. While it does look snakelike in appearance, it has human arms with long claws. A head with long frills sits on top of an elongated neck, and it lacks a mouth. However, it has large, clear white eyes.

    And even as the illusions plays their tricks on the three unlucky young girls, the creature, whatever it is, lets out a shriek that shakes the room, all before it flies up underneath the ceiling, making for the other end of the hall!

Haru (143) has posed:
    And Haru... just gets out of the way. Ryuko has gotten violent, and she can't seem to hear even her out /outfit/ telling her to calm down. He's not about to stand up against her; she's clearly stronger, and now carries a sword bigger than he is. All he /can/ do is get out of her way. Faruja seems to be helping Frederica, such as he can. Looking to Fate, he nods. "We can't do much more than wait it out," he replies.

Though as Fate heads for Ryuko, trying to get her to snap out of it, and Rainbow Dash tries to get through to Maya. Haru waits. he's just about to try to get their attention when... that figure appears. "What the...?" He remains in place for a moment longer, until the creature flees. Then he acts.

He quickly heads a central point in the room. Which may or may not be the dais. He's careful to avoid Ryuko's swinging sword on the trip, too. His voice is gentle but still firm as he tries, "C'mon, you three! We're here to help Toph! We can't let these things get to us! Whatever it is, you can't let it get to you. Toph needs you to be strong!" Qi works through voice too, right? Right?!

This may or may not be an incredibly stupid thing, since he's making himself so obvious. Let the figure retreat, he's not leaving allies behind.

Maya has posed:
Maya looks to Dash for a moment with a bit of a vancant look on her face. She's fiughting but it's damn hard to keep fighting. She still is but the voices of the others seem to far away and distant to he but the shriek that makes her look more luscid for a moment.

"What...wait was that?"

Maya still seems to be lost in whatever it is, but it's hold seems to be a bit less now.

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Fortunately Frederica hasn't gotten violent. Or rather, her violence is restrained to little more than a feeble physical struggle. Were she to lash out with fire, she'd no doubt be much more of a menace than she currently is. She's not swinging around a blade or the equivalent, because her biggest threat is that which is entirely within her.

    Frederica's terror should be apparent even if its source remains nebulous. Deep regret and deeper fear war for dominance, but both are leaving their mark. She hears no words, not currently, but her eyes actually begin to track as Haru speaks. It's not obvious, but she seems to have responded to him. Whether its his words that touch her or whether it's just that he spoke after Ryouko struck the spirit, she may well have noticed something outside her private world of torment.

    Frederica doesn't speak though, and she's still trying to push her way back out of reach ineffectually. She's still sobbing, and even though her eyes are no longer staring quite so blindly it'd be a minor miracle if she could see anything clearly through such tears. She stretches a hand out, seemingly in response to Faruja's plea to her, but she makes no move to grasp him. The hand's held out in insistent rejection, not groping for contact. Which... well, to those who know the girl, should come as no surprise.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony Stark of all people wanted to be here. Wanted to confront this... whatever-it-is that's hurt Toph, especially since he didn't get to confront her father with punch in the face this time.

But just as Jarvis puzzled out the coordinates of the map, Toph... wouldn't wake up. So instead of leading the charge the Iron Man found himself rushing to Njorun Medical with his young ward to get her back under emergency care and treatment. Finally, when the doctors and nurses there got her stabilized (but not awake) with a fresh nutrient feed and under careful surveillance, he found himself free (if you could call it that) to resume his initial mission. Leaving Toph with Pepper and Steve to watch over her, Stark suited up and flew at top speed to the shrine location.

Iron Man touches down at the mouth of the tunnel, his HUD sensors sweeping and adjusting for the darkness, the glowing moss, the... distant screaming and crying? Ugh, that doesn't sound good. He enters the underground, exterior lights bright against the darkness to light his path, tactical display in combat mode and hands held warily out from his body in case he needs to snap off a quick kinetic blast.

Natasha (425) has posed:
Natasha's attention is still on Frederica so she doesn't notice the snake creature make it's escape. "It's okay Frederica, I won't let anyone hurt you! And you don't have to worry about burning me." She could likely handle it better than anyone else here, if she does feel the need to let loose.

Faruja (152) has posed:
"Filthy coward!" Faruja yells at the fleeing spirit, before refocusin on the poor pyro-girl. He backs off immediately, hands again in the air.

He nods to Natasha, and instead, looks to Carbuncle. The tiny esper leaps off of the rat's shoulder, and tries to reassuringly rub against Frederica's ankles. Cheee~.

"Frederica. This is all an illusion. Give it nay heed. This spirit is merely trying to mislead ye!"

Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
The screech makes Rainbow Dash's jaws clench, even as her breath comes out in quick, frosty puffs. Her ears flatten back, half disappearing against her mane. But somehow, 'scared' just doesn't exactly click in her. She doesn't cower, and instead stands taller, trying to make herself look larger than she is. Sure, she's scared. But instead of acting scared, her body has the opposite reaction to fear. Someone or something is trying to keep them from helping her FRIEND. Scared does not apply here.

"No WAY!" She shouts right back, shaking her head back and forth so hard that her mane flares out behind her. "We're not going anywhere, creep! Not until you tell us how to fix our friend!" Somehow, her voice only cracks once.

The rainbow pegasus turns her attention back to Maya, then to Ryoku and Fredrica. She then nods at Haru, and speaks up with the loudest, strongest voice she can muster. "You remember, Toph! She's who we're here for! Don't let some featherbrain with some lame tricks hold us back!"

Dash's eyes are then drawn to a flash of white near the dias. She narrows her gaze, and her wings flare out in an instant. But they hang there, quivering. Darnit, she can't just leave them in this state! "HEY! Get back here!"

Fate T. Harlaown (306) has posed:
Though she can see her breath and -feel- the shaking of that voice, Fate stands firm. Even as it shrieks when the statue is cracked... but as it appears, crimson eyes lock onto it. It sounds... hurt, from the damage to the statue. "Did it feel that?"

But as the spirit bolts, Fate extends her Device toward it. ~Lightning Bind.~ intones Bardiche, and a circle of golden energy appears around the spirit. But... it may not still be there when the bind constricts. These binds are slower spells meant for targets that are standing still, but she has to -try-.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Stark enters the cavern. And freezes there in the entrance, trying to process what he's seeing. Why isn't anyone moving? Has this thing paralyzed them, or stopped time, or... wait, has it stopped HIM? He shivers inside the suit. It feels... cold, suddenly, though a glance at the internal monitors shows that the environmental controls are just fine.

"...Who's there?" he asks warily, when he hears the whispers.

And then, his allies turn toward him as one, shrieking with that unholy laughter that makes him want to clap his hands over his ears only he's wearing a helmet so that's not going to do him any good. As it is, he flinches and takes a step back, raising his gauntlets defensively with repulsor pads glowing.

"Sir?" Jarvis inquires uncertainly.

"These aren't my friends," Tony replies to the AI tersely. "This isn't how they'd act. This is some kind of trick." Aloud, he shouts, "Alright you bastard, you've already hurt ONE of my friends. What have you done with them?"

He picks one of the obviously-imposter 'friends' at random and a repulsor bolt rips through the air -- at Haru!

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Up underneath the ceiling the fleeing spirit grabs onto the the edge of one of the pillars, clutching it as it coils around it and dragging itself out of the lightning bind as best as it can, letting out a pained wail. Is it... increasing in size, somewhat? While it's still the size of a small child, the thing seems rather ferocious as its pale eyes snap further open. "I warned you humans to stay away! You are /not/ taking me as well!" the spirit calls, its voice seemingly coming from everywhere in the hall at once. And there should be no misunderstanding. The words are said with fear, and the words quiver even as it clings to the top of the pillar, peering down at the Unionites, both the ones seemingly affected by whatever is going on, and the ones trying to help them.

    "Take them out, only then will I stop it!" the spirit warns them again. And then... it breaks down. Is it... crying? "Please...!"

    It hugs into the pillar. "I don't want to hurt you, just... just /leave/!"

Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
The familiar thud thud thud of metal coming down the hall draws Rainbow Dash's attention. She turns her head back, just in time to see Iron Man stomp into the hall. Dash rolls her eyes. "Now's not the time to be fashionably late! Something freaky is making these guys-" Dash stops abruptly. Her eyes widen, watching the suit lift its hand. Is the hand supposed to be glowing like that? "Uh... Hey, Tony?"

Dash only has a fraction of a second to react. With her reflexes, it's all she needs. Her wings, tense with trying to keep herself from taking flight after the serpent, come down, beating at the air. The pegasus takes to the air in an instant, becoming a blur of colors that speeds straight at Haru. Forehooves are outstretched, and try to grab ahold of him and tackle him out of the way before the blast puts a hole where Haru probably doesn't want one.

Fate T. Harlaown (306) has posed:
The bind closed over air as the spirit scurries away. "Taking you?" Another frown comes to Fate's lips as the spirit begins to yell, though. "I... see."

A chime sounds from her Device, giving her enough warning to at least not jump in surprise when a repulsor blast comes screaming through the room. But Rainbow Dash is on it! "...please, we can't get them out like this. They're likely to accidentally destroy this place!" After a moment of hesitation, the blonde holds up her Device. "Bardiche, I think it will be okay." ~....yes sir.~ With a brief flash of light, the poleaxe collapses in on itself, reverting to a triangular yellow gemstone, which Fate slips into her pocket. "Now then."

The Mage begins to hover upwards, moving very slowly toward the pillar where the spirit is hiding. "We're not here to hurt you or to damage this place." Both of her arms spread slightly, hands held palms up. No hidden weapons here! "We're not here to take you, either. We just want to talk." She hovers a bit closer, but stops well out of arm's reach. "Why don't you come down and talk with us?" With one arm extended slightly in invitation, she gives the spirit a soft smile.

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Ryuko hasn't moved, not since Fate managed to get through to her, a little bit. Senketsu seized his chance, and managed to freeze himself up. It means that Ryuko can't move, not with him like this. He's using the flow of her blood through the outfit against her, making it nearly impossible for her to move her arms and legs.

She's clearly fighting against this, but it's not really of any use. He forces her hands to open, her sword clattering to the ground.

Haru (143) has posed:
    There's too much going on. Haru is trying to keep an eye on where the creature disappeared to, and trying to also keep an eye on those of them that are affected by whatever it is that's got them in its grip. He doesn't see Tony, and even if he did, he wouldn't expect any kind of attack from him... which is probably why Tony seems to zero in on him. There's no way he can avoid it...

    And then suddenly Rainbow Dash is tackling him, and the wind is knocked out of him with an 'oof'! Hopefully she's aiming, otherwise... well, face smashed against a wall is probably preferrable to getting perforated. It's a split second after he's tackled when he hears the sound of the repulsor bolt. "Thank you!" he offers to Rainbow Dash.

    Now see... Ryuko, Frederica, and Maya don't seem that bad. Or someone's already seeing to them. Tony is a bigger problem. As soon as Haru's on his feet again, he's making to earthbend a way to hold Tony and keep him from doing that again. It's probably not going to do much good, seeing as how Tony's armor is strong enough to break through rock instantly. And he can't metalbend.

    "Snap out of it!" he calls. "We need to search this place, and we need to figure out how to help Toph!"

Maya has posed:
Maya with a force of will and no small thanks to the wakeup call from Rainbow Dash and the otehr she holds her head for a moment. She shakes her head a little bit she then shakes it more she mutters "Get ... out of my mind GET OUT!" %R She breaths deeply and looks abotu now taking in what everyone is saying anf she shakes her head a little bit more.

"That thing...it got into my head it was trying to get me to just ... give up."

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Some combination of events seem to be reaching Frederica. She's not really with everyone now, still lost in her own world of hurt, but she's also responding. Her head tilts slightly at Natasha's words... words so close to what she desperately needs to hear. The sentiment behind them seems to work, though the pyrokinetic girl seems more confused than enlightened by what she's hearing. Faruja's words also seem to touch her, if only lightly. Those are also words she desperately needs to hear. Faruja's not quite as close to her as Natasha is however. His words, while they carry meaning, have a much rougher journey past both the illusions of the spirit and past Frederica's own wall of wilful rejection. Even Rainbow Dash's words, loud as they are, lose so very much of their potency against the illusions ensnaring her.

    Frederica emits a faint shriek at the first touch of Carbunkle against her ankle. The sound is thanfully faint. More a gasp than a vocalization, as if the girl is simply too scared to scream. She begins to draw away, then hesitates. A moment later she stops pulling back. She doesn't show she welcomes the esper's touch, but neither does she continue to reject it. As the spirit of the shrine struggles to free itself, to convince the temple's invaders to retreat, some of its hold over Frederica's mind weakens. Words are still not so easily reaching her, but the physical presence at her feet is impossible to ignore. She reaches down, almost gently trying to push the little thing away. As feeble as her will is right this moment however, she doesn't push it away. She just runs her hand against it. It's not a comforting caress or anything, but she leaves her hand there, stopping her attempt to force Carbunkle away.

Natasha (425) has posed:
Tony's sudden arrival distracts Natasha a bit. Why was he shooting at them? This could lead to further problems if she has to worry about friendly fire. She stops attacking though and her attention turns back to Frederica. "I know something's bothering you Frederica, but we should talk about later it later. Right now we need to help Toph! That's why we came here in the first place!" Hopefully she can make her friend regain her senses long enough to get back on task.

Faruja (152) has posed:
Tony is shooting Haru, the snake-spirit-daemon is afraid, and Frederica is scared out of her mind. No, Faruja does not like this place at all. He doesn't spare too much thought to the snake right now, trying to help Natasha with the pyro-girl. At least, it seems, they're starting to have an effect.

"She is an ally and friend, is she not? Ye art stronger than this simple /snake/! Ye hath fought far greater foes, and triumphed! Shall ye so easily be swayed by this serpent? Use the strength ye hath to push aside thine fear, and /act/! For everyone that you love!" Sometimes, cajoling works too. Carbuncle doesn't move. Merely making mroe sounds, and looking up with concern.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Iron Man seems startled, not only by the sudden intervention of Fake-Rainbow Dash to help Fake-Haru, but suddenly -- as rock crawls up from the ground at his boots to engulf his legs -- Fake-Haru is earthbending at him? Can fake constructs do that? He supposes it's /possible/ that spirits can bend. He shakes his head, lifts a hand and taps at the side of his helmet. Okay, now he's not sure what to believe. And so he relies on Jarvis to tell him what's real. He shuts his eyes for a moment, though the mask's optics continue to glow with their cold blue light. "Jay... what's actually in here? Are they talking to me or laughing at me?"

Of course, there's no telling if Jarvis's response might be completely fabricated by the thing, either.

You know what, too much mindfuckery is never a good thing. Tony decides to err on the side of not-shooting-first, and powers down his weapons to standby. "Look," he calls out loudly, "I don't want any trouble. We just came to talk. There doesn't have to be any fighting unless you force it."

Just in case though, he gives a sharp heave with his lower body, cracking the earth around his legs so that it falls in a shower of dirt and pebbles. "If you're really Haru, don't do that again," he states warily.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    As Fate addresses it the spirit blinks slowly, recoiling and pulling itself further behind the pillar. It watches as the humans strike out at each other, the repulsor blast shaking the wall upon impact and making dust and small pebbles fall down from the ceiling in places. Turning its head, it seems to watch in horror at the scene unfolding below it... and it lets out a mix of a wail and a hiss as Fate hovers, approaching the spirit as it seems tempted to run again. "... talk?" it questions, fear still underlying its words. Some seconds pass, and it hesitates before it draws closer to Fate, watching the mage with wide, white eyes. The frills on its head flare out a bit as it no longer shrinks together... and it allows her to take it with her down to the floor again.

    http://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=spMzC8vgjKQ

    Immediately the effect should be noticed. The feelings inflincted on Maya, Ryuko, Frederica and Tony all disappear as if blown away by a gentle breeze, leaving their minds clear and unharmed, if not a bit hazy as to what has happened the last minute or two. Sure, the shrine might be cold, dark... but there is no sense of danger. Why, even the snakelike spirit coils around Fate's shoulders, hovering slightly there and beholds them. "... why did you come here? What do you possibly want to talk about?" The voice seems calmer, but it's still got some nervousness clinging to it as it looks at them each in succession. And for now it stays with Fate, as she seems the calmest and safest one! Why, when the spirit peers at Faruja it seems to draw further back behind Fate's shoulder!

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Ryuko goes to her knees, and forward, onto her hands. Her Kamui's transformation undoes itself, and she gasps. Senketsu has apparently sensed whatever was affecting her has passed, and released her as well. She huffs, and is a little shakey, as she gets to her feet and retrieves her sword. "Son of a bitch.. What the hell.." She rubs her forehead with a palm of her free hands.

She looks over at the snake spirit thing, and just kind of glares at it. She's /really/ not pleased, and if this whole talking it down thing doesn't work? She's totally fine with kicking it's ass.

Maya has posed:
Maya is now fully free of the things power the feelings are gone, she feels normal again but everything's hazy she's lookinga bit dazerd relly. Maya attempts to strady herself at this point. She's just trying to recover her wits at this point.

"What just ... happened to us?"

She seems to be all right but dshe's not moving to attack she's not happy but she's not hostile yet. If they need to fight it she will, she does get spirits can be quite alien. Still right now she looks to be all right for the most part. She no longer feels any thing wrong about this place.

Fate T. Harlaown (306) has posed:
"Talk," confirms Fate with a nod. She hovers in place as the spirit hesitates, making no move to come closer... though she does smile when it finally moves toward her. "There, there... thank you."

The blonde begins to descend again, armored boots touching the ground with a soft click. "Is everyone okay? Nobody is hurt?" A worried glance is cast toward the three she knew were affected, then back toward Tony. "The spirit didn't mean anything. It was just afraid." She seems quite content with letting it stay over her shoulders, and even reaches a hand up to lightly pat it on the head. "First, do you have a name? It seems so strange to just call you Spirit. My name is Fate." She'll let the others give their own introductions, though.

Haru (143) has posed:
    Once he's sure Tony's not going to try to shoot him again, Haru will return the stuff he earthbent back to the way it was. "Are you okay now?" he asks. Not just of Tony, but of all of the people. A sheepish look to Tony. "S-sorry. I didn't know what else to do." He's an earthbender, earthbenders earthbend! Only once he's sure he's not going to get shot at again does he look at the spirit.

    Fate's method is probably a good one, so he nods, and steps forward, but only a step. Not near enough to threaten the spirit. "I'm Haru," he offers, with a friendly smile and a wave. He can do a 'I'm a nice guy' face really well.

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Yeah, sorry for shooting at you, too," Tony replies, as if this is the sort of mistake that happens all the time in his line of work. Kicking the last of the rocky rubble away from his feet, he steps further into the cavern proper to get a better look at this snake thing. Sure, it SAYS it was just afraid. He still doesn't trust it.

"A friend of ours is extremely sick," he addresses the spirit without preamble. He is, of course, well acquainted with the drop-off in Toph's health as he just had to take her back to the hospital for emergency care, and he's not thinking this is something that can be slowly finessed. "We think it might have something to do with you, or... some other spirit at this shrine. Something's taken away her will to live. Do you know anything about that? Can you help her?"

Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
Luckily, Dash was aiming. Mostly to just bring Haru down to the ground and out of the way of the blast. But skinned knees are nothing compared to getting repulsar'd. "No sweat," Rainbow wheezes, trying to sound cocky. But with the wind knocked out of her, it just doesn't sound right. She gets her hooves underneath her, and rolls off of Haru.

But by then, things seem to be... calming down. Dash rolls over onto her back, then rises up into a half sitting position that might seem odd for any other equine, but she manages to pull it off. "And I thought I kicked first, asked questions later," Dash mutters, eyeing the serpentine spirit. She pushes herself up the rest of the way onto her flanks. "Look, we're just here to figure out how to help our friend."

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Frederica raises her head very slowly, feeling the change even if her eyes are too blurry to see that her friends and allies are still there, still alive around her. Her private terror was inside her all along, which gave the spirit an easy way to bypass her formidable defenses. There was no way it could breach her will, but it was all too easy to send her into her own version of a living hell.

    In effect, she hears that things are okay long before her eyes will clear enough to see anything. Faruja's words of encouragement and Fate's gentle tone reach her first. Slowly though, it begins to sink in that no one's dead. No one's burned, not even Natasha. The relief is a little slow to dawn though, and even now it can't so easily shed the terror within her. Even if no one's hurt, her fear that she COULD lose control and do something like that isn't something that simply was imposed from outside.

    The desperate regret, however, that is something that Frederica begins to regain control over. It was imposed by the illusions, not by something real. Instead, the feelings change somewhat. She's still afraid of course. As fearless as she sometimes pretends to be, she's never actually free of the emotion. And yet knowing it isn't true, that she didn't kill everyone with an uncontrolled burst of flame, does to Frederica something that nothing else really could. It finally breaks down her wall of self-control, already so badly shattered by fear and illusion.

    Rather than standing up, relieved to be free of the horror, Frederica begins to sob. Not the wail of terror from before, but the forlorn sobs of someone much younger. A child crying for her mother, lost and afraid. She reaches out towards anyone who might be close, not knowing and not caring who they might be, just wanting someone to reassure her that she's not truly alone. Not caring that, when she regains some of her composure, she's going to be utterly horrified at such a loss of dignity and distance.

Faruja (152) has posed:
Diplomacy time! Trying /not/ to feel smug at the 'Demon' seemingly cowering before him, Faruja crosses his arms and /stares/ at the serpent-spirit. It might not be threatening, but it's an 'I'm watching you' stare. Clearly the rat intends to play the part of the big mouse zealot stick.

That image, however, miht be slightly dashed as the snake and intimidation alike are dropped in favor of Frederica. He can't possibly hear the broken sobs of the girl without kneeling, and wrapping his arms around her. The rat's rather short, and there's plenty of room for Natasha, the male nodding to the woman to join in. Even Carbuncle gets in on the act, standing on its back legs and hugging poor Frederica tightly, gentle light filtering off of the esper in pure, spiritual care and love.

"Shhhh. Shhh. We art here, Frederica. Everyone is safe. No one is hurt, mine dear. Be calm, mine friend."

Natasha (425) has posed:
Of course it's easy for Natasha to hug Frederica. She towers over Faruja after all. "What happened?" She's still not quite fully sure what happened to her, but she's glad that she's alright now. IT seems like the others were busy with the spirit though.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    Safely coiled around Fate's shoulders, the spirit seems to relax slightly more, setting its clawed hands on Fate's shoulder. Does it have a name. "I am Ma."

    Haru steps forward, and the spirit narrows its eyes slightly. "A bender... You could do with more confidence." Next Ma turns its focus to Ryuko. "And you girl, you could do with more happiness in your life..." Just what happened to her to make her so... angry? And poor Frederica, she earns a saddened look from the spirit. "Such fear... I am sorry." The words can hardly sound more sincere.

    "I felt I had no choice," the spirit states, shimmering a bit as its frills move as if in water. "I latched on to a few of you... and amplified your emotions to try and force you away. Or tried to. You are strong humans..." A breathless sigh leaves it as it closes its eyes. "I beg your forgiveness."

    Tony's words do seem to bring forth some surprise from Ma, and it leans closer to the Iron Man and listens intently. Somehow the serpentine spirit seems far more concerned. "... I told him he chose poorly," it hisses, its claws digging slightly into Fate's shoulder. Not enough to harm her, though. "A man came here some weeks ago... and yes, it does have something to do with the other spirit that /used/ to stay in this shrine. My counter part. I am the giver. He is the taker."

    The spirit now leaves its perch on Fate's shoulders, and it slithers through the air towards the two statues. It settles on the one that Ryuko struck earlier, peering at the other scratched and nicked snake statue. "He is Mu. Nothingness." It turns its attention back to the group at large. "Thoughout the centuries we have stayed here, helped people. Yet it requires balance. One cannot be stronger than the other. Which is why I pleaded with the man to bring her /here/."

    Ma only sighs again. "If left uncontrolled, Mu will feed, and not only on people's dominant emotion. He will feast on all of them, even on people around his main course, as long as he can. Most likely until the person... has nothing left to give." The implications are rather unpleasant, aren't they? "It's happened before, and it will happen again." Drawing itself up, Ma seems determined, eyes narrowed. "Unless you bring him back here, I cannot stop him. The sooner you can take your friend here, the better. Knowing Mu as well as I do, I am assured that he will not stray far from his food, just keeping out of sight of others..."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony relaxes, fractionally. Not that this is good news, but at least this spirit seems to be helpful. "So if we bring Toph here, this... Mu should come with? And then what? Can you make him give her back her... what makes her HER?"

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja listens, even as he comforts fred alongside the esper and Natasha. An ear perks.

"Then, most likely, this 'Mu' is stalking our friend. How doth one recognize this 'Mu', spirit? Is there any method of forcing them into corporeality?" If the spirit's been around, draining Toph all this time, it'd explain her sudden deterioration.

Ryuko Matoi (140) has posed:
    Ryuko has never.. She shakes her head a bit. She doesn't want to think about the past, right now. "Yeah, well.." She scales her weapon back down to size, and tucks it away, before placing her hands on her hips. "So, we go grab shorty, bring her here, all good, yeah?"

Haru (143) has posed:
    Haru looks sheepish as Ma rather successfully pokes at a sore spot. To his credit though, he doesn't get angry. "Mn... that's true," he admits. At least he admits the problem, right? But then he listens to what's being said, and... frowns. "Something is... feeding off of her? Her spirit?" he inquires. That would make sense, with how sick she's become.

    He considers a moment, turning a few things over in his head. Though he doesn't voice them now. Tony's words get a nod, and Haru looks to the spirit for confirmation. There's a kind of pleading hope in his eyes, as if to say 'Please let this be something we can fix'.

Fate T. Harlaown (306) has posed:
When she feels Ma's claws on her shoulder, Fate gives the spirit's head another gentle pat. "So you and Mu are... siblings, then?" She doesn't make a move to stop the spirit as it floats back to its statue. The others ask the important questions about Toph, and Fate looks from Ryuko and Tony back to Ma.... but then her gaze falls on the second statue. "Will Mu be able to return here if his statue is damaged?" It's a potentially valid concern, both for Toph and for the sake of the spirits! "And maybe we can help repair yours as well," she muses softly.

Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
Finally, it seems like they're getting somewhere. Rainbow Dash folds her forelimbs across her chest grouchily. "Okay, so we just bring Toph here with that crazy spirit guy, and easy peasy, one two threezy she's back to normal?" She asks nodding at Ryuko. Dash then lets out a quiet huff, and drops her forelimbs from her chest to place them on the ground. "Ugh. Why do I get the feeling like it's NOT that easy?"

Frederica (73) has posed:
    There's no way Frederica could answer Natasha right now. Even if she weren't sobbing like a child, how could she possibly explain? Oh, the words are easy enough. 'You were all dead. My fire escaped me and killed you all'. How could she ever explain it though? The depths of that terror that lies deep within her? How could she explain that she'd rather be alone forever than live with the fear of destroying those she cares about? Especially when being alone is the other secret fear that rules her heart?

    Her sobs do slowly quiet, however. She's just not really up to talking, or to paying much attention to the discussions around her. As she begins to regain more of her self-possession she'll probably get pretty uncomfortable. Faruja and Natasha aren't bad really. Faruja, being both priest and Nezumi, doesn't really count in her mind as a threatening male. Natasha's no man either of course. Still, the people who have seen her break down like this. Haru, falling very definitely under the category of teenage male. Tony, falling under the category of not-teenage male who is nonetheless probably a perv. It could be worse perhaps, but ... well, it's bad enough. Poor Frederica's going to be feeling very chagrined for a while, most likely.

Maya has posed:
Maya does not moves to look at the spiriut now mostly recovered she looks to the others to see if they are all right. She looks to the spirit and wonders what it wants it is asking for forgiveness it hs stopped so that's enough to stay her hand fdor now. She looks to the spirit as she listens and nods to the spirit semeingly taking what he said as true.

"I see, so he will keep near his pray and we need him back here."

So if this is the case it means Mu is feeding off Toph and will drain her dry uf they don't get them back here.

"It's likely Mu will put up a fight."

She looks to the spirit and nods bowing slightly.

"I am thank ful we were able to ... work things out in the end."

Natasha (425) has posed:
"But why Toph of all people, because she has a strong will?" Natasha figures that why it would go after her. "And did he get loose because the statue was damaged?" She's curious to how this whole mess started. Of course the fact she only recently got involved with this as left her a bit in the dark.

The spirit said that Frederica was afraid, was she afraid of hurting them? She certainly could understand that. Natasha herself worried about losing control of her magic as well.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Unless he decides to stop feeding, then yes," Ma nods its head slightly, "he will come with as well. I can help to some degree, but it's ultimately up to the person. If I had known her before Mu began his work, then it would be easier. But I will try." No false promises, in other words.

    Ma floats slightly again, sweeping around the two statues as it beholds Ryuko and Rainbow. "Yet as it is now, I doubt I can do it alone. Mu has feasted for how long? Over a week? He will be strong. And I will need you," the spirit states, pointing a clawed finger at the group, "to /fight/ him. Unless his hold on her is weakened, I stand no chance. Anything I feed into her he will only take for himself."

    Natasha's inquiry is a valid one, and Ma seems to consider this. "The stronger emotions in a person, the more tempting they are to Mu. Powerful benders in particular happen to be among his favourite people to feed on. If your friend has a strong will... then yes, I assume she would make a tasty morsel. And no." Ma shakes its head. "Mu got loose because that foolish man took him with him." Faruja's words causes the serpentine form to shimmer slightly as it scoffs. "Mu... is somewhat like me, and yet not. I guess you /could/ call us siblings," it asides to Fate. "You will see. Spirits have their way to not appear before humans, but here... he will have no choice but to show himself. His statue has been destroyed before, it matters not. You are not the first who has suffered because of him. Do not concern yourself with such trifle matters."

    Though as Frederica still seems upset, Ma turns its attention towards the frightened girl... and 'swims' towards her, halting in front of the psy user and extending a hand that almost carefully brushes across her head. "Fear can be a horrible emotion..."

Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Toph has about the toughest will I know," Tony asserts. "She can do it." He'll MAKE her do it. No matter how exhausted, she'll rally for him, right?

Behind the mask, his brow furrows and he bites his lip. Then he snaps up the faceplate to show his lingering pensive expression. "How will we fight him?" he asks. "I mean we've got..." he gestures vaguely at 'all of him', "--conventional weapons, but this is a spirit. Will it take some kind of psychic battle of wills or something? Will we have to leave our bodies? How does that work?"

Haru (143) has posed:
    "If Toph can get back her will to live, she'll meet you halfway," Haru says, with certainty. That she hasn't already died speaks to her strength, given the other one they heard of this happening to died within the week. "She's too stubborn to give up, even like this."

    Though as the solution is noted, he nods once, firmly. He also has another question. "Is there a way to block him from feeding on her while we fight him? Because even if we do weaken him, he might just draw strength from Toph." Which of course would be bad.

Faruja (152) has posed:
The others have remaining questions well in hand. Faruja concentrates on wiping Fred's tears, and even crossing her. Priest mode go.

It may be to his credit that he keeps his flinch at the spirit's touch to Frederica to a small flicker rather than an outright scowl.

Fate T. Harlaown (306) has posed:
There's still a look of worry on Fate's face as she looks at the statues... but she does eventually nod. "Fight him... I imagine he won't be as friendly as you." She glances back to Tony and pulls the yellow gem back out of her pocket again. "I have magic, but it may not affect spirits the same way. Perhaps if there are enough other soruces of strong emotion nearby, he may become confused?" It's a potential hope, at least.

Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
"Easy peasy!" Rainbow Dash, despite the severity of the issue, still manages to show her cocky attitude. She flares her wings out and takes off, hovering just a foot off of the ground. "We'll beat his flanks back into that statue, just you wait!" So she doesn't bother with the details right about yet; there's a friend to worry about. She'll deal with the nitty gritty later. "Toph's one crazy strong girl," Dash nods her head firmly, "She'll make it. We'll make sure she does."

Natasha (425) has posed:
"Does he go after just benders or those who wield the elements in general?" If that's the case she would likely be a huge target as well. Then again Natasha isn't in the best shape right now after going through the rain. If she has to get wet again before fighting she's certainly going to be in trouble. Still she wants to help Toph.

Frederica (73) has posed:
    Fear can be horrible, but at the same time it has made Frederica strong. Her mind is like obsidian. Hard, gleaming, sharp and deadly... and easier to shatter than to bend. No, that fear has not made Frederica hollow inside. She still has her compassion and well-hiddden gentleness, and her determination to use her powers to defend rather than to destroy. As seen here though, it can be crushing in those moments where that fear overwhelms her.

    The touch of Ma is likewise not without compassion. The spirit's power, to give emotion, can be a terrible thing. But just as it brought fear, so too can it bring mercy. The touch frees a part of Frederica's mind. He can't banish the fear of course. Ma gives, not takes away. Still, it gives her a measure of happiness. She has Faruja's comforting presence, Natasha's warmth. Even Carbunkle's simple love. They can't remove the fear, but they can help her begin to bring it back under control.

    Frederica sniffles a bit, but reaches up one hand to wipe at her eyes. She's not there yet, but it's a start.

Maya has posed:
Maya says "I think I heard someone crying... I'm not sure about not letitng us be taken?" She shakes her head a little bit and can't recall it.

"So we need to lure hi back her and get Toph back here. If he wants powerful emotions many of us ... would be suitable in that regard."

Maya's emotions do run hot after all, she knows that.

Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
    "Some spirits belong more to the spirit world. Some of us however, are closer to your world, human," Ma responds, even as it brushes its hand over Frederica's head. "We can be weakened... even killed. Perhaps not so easily done by most humans, but it can be done." It gestures to Haru. "Bending... a gift that humans were given at the dawn to help protect themselves in the spirit wilds. That spirit beam thing of yours," it says to Tony, "should do the trick. It certainly did a number on the wall next to my statue."

    It is clear that Ma shares Fate's opinion. "Mu... is hungry. It's all he cares for. All he does is take. Without me, he will feed himself bloated." As for the magic? "It should work. I am uncertain about feeding him more emotions... like the young bender said, it can strengthen him if we are unlucky. Benders... just happen to be stronger than most people, but it does not matter. What matters is if a person has enough emotion to feed him. Fortunately he cannot feed and fight at the same time, I suspect."

    Drawing back from the girl, the snake spirit takes to the air again, frills billowing as it settles midair turned towards the group. "Go. And bring your friend back here." Then it fades from midair, the shrine becoming silent.