twilight : shadows ; asphyxia

S

TUCK IN A NIGHTMARE SOMEONE ELSE IMAGINED

i won't forget, i'll remember who i am

TAGGED

Asphyxia

NOTES

shadow buddies!

CREDITS

♥ thanks tia!

Life in these worlds was nothing like what he was used to. Of course, considering that he'd somehow been sent here after dying, he supposed that it only made sense. For once, after Link's sword pierced through his heart, he hadn't woken up in the Dark World. Instead, he woke up in some strange shadowy place that stank of darkness. He'd spent a good few days wandering around aimless, before finding an exit into this place- Traverse Town.

Apparently it was where those who had lost their homes ended up. Their worlds, consumed by the darkness and it's residents scattered throughout space time or... some thing like that. It didn't really matter to him. All he knew was that there was no more cycle. No more Link. No more Ganondorf. There was nothing tying him to his past. Now that was something wonderful.

It hadn't taken him all that long to meet the shadows of these worlds. Heartless, they were called. Beings like him, who were made up of solely shadows. But unlike him, they were not sentient. They acted off of solely instinct, seeking to capture and consume the hearts of those who lived in this town. Thinking on it, they were a lot like him when he first came into existence. Nothing more than mere shadows...

Quite frankly, they made better company than most of the people in this town, who simply moped around about the loss of their worlds or seemed completely determined to kill every shadow around. Heartless or not. After the third time getting attacked by some idiot hero swearing vengeance, he'd decided to stay away from the more populated parts of town. He'd had more than his fair share of getting swords through the chest and other bodily parts.

Sitting atop a tall rooftop overlooking the entire town, he yawned and leaned against the tiles, enjoying the cool night breeze that whispered through the air. It may not be the ideal life he'd always dreamt of, free from the cycle of reincarnation and everything to do with it. If it meant living in a weird town like this, full of strange shadows and even stranger people... So be it.

A little shadow popped up beside him, antennae twitching. It seemed that they were drawn to him. Not in a hostile manner- he had no heart for them to take but they seemed drawn nonetheless. Petting it upon the head as it settled down beside him, a faint grin tugged at the corner of his lips. Strange, yes. But he was just fine with that.

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Something was off, though it wasn't in a way that was considerably hostile. Not yet, anyways. Asphyxia had been lingering about in Traverse Town, making sure that her experiments with Sorey were going according to plan, and everything was seemingly beginning to fall into place in just the way she had predicted it would. As soon as she had relinquished her focus upon the tainted boy, she found that there was a strange force roaming about in the area, one that was almost enticing enough to drag her closer. Of course, she was a being more than just instinct, one that was made in order to further Ansem's studies. She was an experiment herself, and now she was obsessed with experimenting on others.

The Heartless girl used her wings to bring her small body into the air, her weight being entirely supported by the gentle flapping of the appendages outstretching on her back. Due to their size, they couldn't keep her up for too terribly long, but could endure the strain long enough to get her where she needed to go. She followed the sensation, homing in on it as though she were some sort of insect following the allure of blood.

As she closed in on the feeling, she found that it was irradiating from.. A shadowy figure sitting upon one of the many roofs that topped the Traverse Town buildings. Blinking her white eyes that pierced the darkness relentlessly, Asphyxia then noticed that there was one of her brothers sitting beside him, trusting the being just as they did with her. This surprised her. Never before had she seen anyone that her brothers and sisters yielded to other than.. Herself. Could it be that this being was like her? It was far-fetched, yes, however-

Her emotions quickly overtook her logic and she came in closer, tilting her head as she examined him, waiting until he was to look over at her before coming any closer. What she did do, however, was allow her wings to rest, her small feet resting upon the shingles below her. When she saw that she had caught the being's attention, she allowed her eyes to rest upon the rubies opposing her. They were challenging, filled to the brim with shadows and all things darkness, but there was also.. intelligence. Something that, she was sad to say, her brothers and sisters normally lacked.

"Are you a Heartless?"

S

TUCK IN A NIGHTMARE SOMEONE ELSE IMAGINED

i won't forget, i'll remember who i am

TAGGED

Asphyxia

NOTES

<3

CREDITS

♥ thanks tia!

The little shadow seemed to sense the incoming presence of something. It's antennae perked up, and it got back to it's feet. He could sense the shadows in the area looming closer, their attentions being drawn by something. However, it couldn't have been someone with a heart, because unlike when that happened, the malevolence in the air didn't increase. In the darkness of the town and the light of the night sky, a darkened silhouette appeared, rising out from the horizon. Dark's eyebrow quirked, watching who, or whatever it was near.

As it came closer, he saw it was a woman. Darkened by the shadows, with small wings allowing her flight, she approached. Meeting her gaze coolly, he waited until she landed down on the singles, before speaking.

"Not quite." He replied, lightly. The shadow who had been sitting beside him jumped over his legs, going over to the other and remaining by her side. It seemed that whoever this woman was, she had a connection to the Heartless. From her question about the Heartless, he would assume that she had something to do with them. The amount of darkness that he could sense off of her... Was tantamount to his own, and those of the shadows.

"Are you?" He responded, tilting his head to the side lightly. Vague interest lit his eyes up. He hadn't met any Heartless yet who was actually capable of any speech, much less intelligence. Getting to his feet, he looked out over the horizon, before glancing back at her. "I'm a shadow, but not quite a Heartless."

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The small heartless had noticed the presence of Asphyxia, and it had quickly hopped to its feet, scurrying over to her. The girl reached down and picked it up, holding it closer to her chest and feeling the small creature relax in her grasp. Shadows were always much like felines, always wanting to be held and cradled as though they were some sort of young child. Asphyxia, being the way she was, was always inclined to coddle any heartless that wanted the fruits of her affection. She adored bestowing it upon them, and was quick to turn and be ruthlessly merciless on any human or nobody that crossed her path.

Perhaps, unbeknownst to her, it was something installed into her when she was still in Ansem's pod.

It was confirmed that this boy was not a Heartless, or at least.. Not entirely. He was emitting a different frequency, though it wasn't too terribly far off, not to the point where Asphyxia could truly tell just by her own senses. She was then asked with a reciprocating question, one that she thought was a little odd - wasn't it obvious? No matter; she deduced that it would be best to pay that remark no mind and not look into it.

"Yes." Her answer was short, curt, and to the point. White eyes watched as the figure got up and began to look outward towards the starry horizon - he was a curious entity, that was for sure. He was a shadow, but not.. A Heartless? Peculiar. Asphyxia, without a doubt in her mind, was interested in whatever his origins might have been, and she carefully took a few steps towards him. She did not feel the need to engage in any sort of battle with this being of darkness, as he could understand how it felt to be in her position.

They were alike, and that was more than enough reason for her to not pursue him in a predatory fashion. She was simply.. Perplexed.

"My name is Asphyxia. The Heartless are my brothers and sisters," Her gentle voice explained simply. Of course the little thing lacked just about all skills that came with the art of communication, but at least she was good at getting her points across. As straightforward as they may have been. "You are unlike anything I have ever seen before."

S

TUCK IN A NIGHTMARE SOMEONE ELSE IMAGINED

i won't forget, i'll remember who i am

TAGGED

Asphyxia

NOTES

<3

CREDITS

♥ thanks tia!

So she was indeed a Heartless. Amused, he watched the shadow settling down in her arms, enjoying the petting. It did indeed seem that the Heartless, when not attacking humans for their hearts, had rather strangely animal-like tendencies. They would often come to him, seeming to want attention or the mere presence of his company. Heartless, although very basic in nature and lacking sentience, seemed to have a pack-like mentality and flocked together in great numbers. He didn't know if they were capable of feeling anything like loneliness, or if it was instinct that drove them to one another.

Indeed, the two of them were different, but similar. He could feel the shadows that made up her being- shadows that were just like his own. His form flickered, briefly. How tangible was she? "Just call me Dark." He replied as she gave him her name. Asphyxia, huh? Interesting. Not any worse than his own, he supposed. Dark Link. She didn't need to know about that part of him however. If he was going to be abandoning his old past- looking forward to his own future- then he didn't need to attach "Link" onto the end of his name anymore. He was more than just his shadow. He'd prove it.

"Brothers and sisters?" He asked, curiousity apparent in his voice. Did they really have genders, or was it simply the girl giving them human attributes? He didn't even know how Heartless were born, aside from apparently being created whenever a human's heart was stolen. Curious. He'd watched it happen a few times, to humans who were too idiotic to stay in the safety of the First District. Morons.

Heartless came from the shadows, surrounding the two of them curiously, drawn there by the presence of the others who were congregating. A few flying-types swooped around the two, before settling down in what appeared to be some sort of clock tower nearby. "I could say the same about you. I haven't encountered any Heartless that were capable of speech." He replied, glancing down at the shadows pointedly. "What makes you different?" Could it be that there were a whole bunch of... Greater Heartless capable of intelligence or something?

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This meeting was turning from interesting to retaining the ability to completely bewilder the intelligent Heartless. Dark, as he informed her, had sooner than later asked about the terms she used to identify the Heartless, and she was guessing that he was wanting some sort of answer. Strangely enough, she tried to come up with something that would be easy for anyone but her to understand, but that was a difficult thing to do, honestly. All of the things she felt were her instincts, and expressing them verbally was going to be a challenge within itself. But, she was going to attempt to do it for Dark, simply because he was.. He was like her. And she didn't want to simply let this walk away from her. She was already so curious of what he had to show her and offer her. Perhaps that was just the Heartless instinct taking over her yet again.

In the end, she would never really be able to escape it.

"I am able to detect the gender of the heart that creates them." Asphyxia calmly said in a voice so smooth, as to not disturb the little creature in her arms that was beginning to relax to the point where its yellow eyes were closing. It nuzzled into the warmth that her body created, and the girl smiled down at the tiny entity of darkness. This one was a boy, having come from a child that she, herself, had stolen the heart out of. He had not been strong enough yet to maintain form as a Nobody, so his body simply withered away into the nothingness it was meant to be.

Heartless were, in fact, the heart's true form, and in Asphyxia's mind, she was simply helping set them free. Inside every person there was another brother or sister, another creature that she could love and show them her affection - she wanted to meet them all.

What makes you different?

"I assure you, if I had the answers, I would share them with you." Her voice, which was usually monotone and lacked all sort of emotion, was now ridden with a bit of melancholy. It was easily detectable, but she didn't let her smile falter, though it did retain a bit of sadness laced in with it. She continued to look down at the shadow in her arms, scratching its belly lovingly. "I awoke in Hollow Bastion, in a room that was deserted for some time. I soon found that, unlike the others, I had much more intelligence and the ability to communicate with others. I could maintain articulate thought, which was something unlike anyone had ever seen in my kind."

"I think they like you." She suddenly changed the subject, averting her gaze to one of the Wyverns flying in close to Dark, almost to the point where it could land atop his shoulder. It made a small chirping noise, as though it was trying to beckon him to attain his affection.

S

TUCK IN A NIGHTMARE SOMEONE ELSE IMAGINED

i won't forget, i'll remember who i am

TAGGED

Asphyxia

NOTES

<3

CREDITS

♥ thanks tia!

That made sense. They came from people, so... Well, it sort of made sense. "I see. They come from humans... I wonder how much of that past life they retain?" He pondered out loud, watching the little shadow in the woman's arms settling down, almost as if it intended to sleep. Although the Heartless did not appear to need food or water, or anything to sustain themselves, they seemed to act out as though they did, seeking comfort in the shadows. More than once already, he had traveled through the shadows and accidentally stepped on one, appearing to rouse it from it's sleep with an indignant noise. In some ways, it was rather nice to be surrounded by beings so similar to himself. Shadows, once barren and empty, now held something new.

As a shadow sat down beside his boots, antennae brushing against him slightly, he listened to the other, standing comfortably. So even she did not know the meaning of her birth. "Hollow Bastion..." He mused, mulling over the name. "That's one of those other worlds connected to this one by the darkness, isn't it?" It had taken him a few days before realizing that he could utilize the shadows to move from world to world. He hadn't exactly gone into any of them however yet, wanting to explore Traverse Town in it's entirety before moving on. He enjoyed it. The endless night was far more comfortable for him than any other.

"Although they don't seem to be able to talk, they do act... rather animal-like. Almost as if something more than the mere instinct to devour hearts drive them." He commented, reaching a hand out to gently scratch the Wyvern behind one of it's ear-like horns. "Much like the monsters of my own world, when they are not seeking out something, they act as if to sustain themselves with sleep and other activities, despite not needing them." Although, he had to say, the Heartless were rather more enjoyable than say, an Octorok.

Holding out a hand, Dark allowed the wyvern to land upon his shoulders. Despite dwarfing him in size, it's weight was nothing and however awkward it might have looked, it amused him. Laughing lightly, he reached up and gave it a pat on the side. "Indeed. I lack a heart, being a shadow. Despite our differences, they seem to treat me as a friend." In some ways, they reminded him of the darkness that dwelled in the Dark World. However that darkness was terribly frightening in it's cruel intelligence, and it sought far more than mere hearts to corrupt. "I quite like them."

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Hearing more of what Dark had to say was intriguing beyond belief - Asphyxia figured that she was the only one in her position. A being that was grouped in with things formed completely off of emotional instinct and the desire to corrupt anything that was in its path, but could maintain thought and had a mind of its own. This other being.. He was seemingly falling in place to Asphyxia to the point where she felt as though he understood her. Previously, before this odd occurrence, the Heartless girl had come to the unfortunate conclusion that she would be the only one in her situation, and she had come to terms with that rather early on. She had no idea how she came into existence, but she did know that when she did, she was given a gift.

That gift was her power over the Heartless and her ability to protect them unlike anyone ever had been able to do before. Asphyxia was a powerful Heartless, one that was respected by her brethren, but now.. She was beginning to find that she was not the only one who was deserving of that.

"I'm glad to hear you say that." She said with a smile, taking another set of steps closer before she was directly in front of him. The Heartless in her arms had begun to stir, wriggling a bit before the small female-looking figure let him go, placing him on the roof and allowing him to scuttle up to Dark. The creature looked up at him curiously before using its claws to try and climb its way up the shadow's leg, its antennae twitching as it did so. It clung to the cloth of Dark's shirt, looking up at him as though it were some sort of kitten waiting for the affection of its owner.

Aspyxia reached up to lay her hand upon the Wyvern, and the maroon entity pushed into the touch and created another chirping noise from the depths of its throat in delight. Heartless were always cast away in some sort of awful categorization, simply because they acted off of the only thing they knew to do. Heartless, in Asphyxia's mind, were the kindest and sweetest beings that ever had the opportunity to set foot on these worlds. They were the hearts purest form, whittled down into its simplest essence, and they were surprisingly gentle - it was a common belief that they ran primarily off of anger, hatred and sorrow, but that was simply not the case. How could anyone say that about the little one on Dark's shirt begging for affection from someone he found comfort in? There was nothing wrong with that.

"Where.. Do you come from?" Her tone began to attain something that anyone rarely heard out of her; she was so interested in this newcomer, so much so that she was willing to trust in him entirely. "I understand you aren't a Heartless, but we seem to be so alike. I don't understand how that could be." Her voice was calm, sooth, and almost relaxing to listen to. Asphyxia was rarely this calm around anyone, but for once, her experimentation-driven mind was deciding that this was a satisfying test within itself.

S

TUCK IN A NIGHTMARE SOMEONE ELSE IMAGINED

i won't forget, i'll remember who i am

TAGGED

Asphyxia

NOTES

<3

CREDITS

♥ thanks tia!

Dark chuckled lightly, watching as the little shadow wriggled it's way out of Asphyxia's arms and hopped down. Amused, he watched as the little Heartless scurried over to his boot, using it's claws to scramble it's way up his body, much in the way a kitten seeking attention would. Reaching a hand out, he scooped an arm underneath it, allowing the little Shadow a place to rest comfortably, one hand lightly petting it's inky back. When one was close enough to touch a Shadow, they were quite cool and soft, like an almost intangible conglomeration of darkness.

As Asphyxia gave the Wyvern a pat, it chirped in delight before taking off into the skies again, perching with the other Wyverns. The little shadow in Dark's arms rolled over onto it's back, making a noise akin to a purr as it's antennae twitched. It was kind of funny- he had seen first hand himself how vicious the Heartless could be in their pursuit of hearts- how relentlessly they attacked, without any mercy. Yet here this little one was, more akin to a kitten than a lion. Had he a heart, things would be greatly different. A good thing he didn't.

Looking up at Asphyxia as she questioned his origins, he hummed lightly in thought. Thinking on it, his Dark World and these world's Realms of Darkness were rather similar in nature. "I came from a place called Hyrule, though my place of birth was called the Dark World, a shadowed mirror of the world of light." He explained, lightly, thinking of the place he had once called both "home" and "prison." "I was drawn to the world of light by dark magic- created from the shadows of the Dark World." Those of the world of light simply loved using the denizens of the Dark World for their own uses. A little bitterness may have snuck into his voice.

"Shadows like me aren't like the people of the world above." He explained after a moment. "We are... born without a heart, or soul. Bound to another above, we can only access their world when our other halves walk the earth. I was created by another in order to battle my other half." He grimaced. "Those of the light can never understand shadows. To them, we're nothing but tools to be used, or threats to destroy." How long had such a battle waged? It would seem very similar a situation in these worlds- those with hearts sought to eradicate the Heartless. Understandable, he supposed. No one wanted to think of themselves as being prey. 

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His explanations were very simple, but also quite complex all at the same time. The facts were running throughout Asphyxia's mind, bringing to an understanding that the two of them were so alike that it was beyond what she could have ever initially perceived. The similarities were uncanny, but she was also finding that she was incredibly grateful for them as well. It was.. Odd, but yet comforting, to find someone who had gone through something so much like her own experiences through this strange life she was thrown into.

To them, we're nothing but tools to be used, or threats to destroy.

She blinked her glowing eyes a few times, moving her gaze to look out at the stars that were twinkling overhead. She had this mentality for so long, and it was quite unexpected to hear it falling off of someone else's lips. Heartless, and now simply just Shadows, were always looked at in a light that didn't take the time to look into them and understand the turmoils they were faced with. They were shunned, completely rejected by everyone simply because of the way they were wired. Asphyxia had sought out to destroy such mindsets, but of course, that would mean wiping out the majority, if not all, of the worlds' populations. Eh, she's be okay with that, in the end.

Her mind flickered back to Sorey, the test subject that she had taken for her own. The Heartless looked completely blank as the pure boy crossed her thoughts - he would definitely be pure no more, not after the corruption she placed within his heart. Eventually, it would be hers for the taking, but as of now... She could simply take her time and watch just how it would affect a a heart made completely out of her opposing force. To understand a foe was the greatest advantage.

"We will always be much more than that." She said with a delicate and gentle voice, her smile retaining its sincerity. "I'm definitely glad that I ran into you, Dark." Her appreciation was vocalized, her body levitating down to the roof to take a seat. Her tiny figure almost blended in with the darkness of the night, but to Dark, she would be perfectly visible, just like any other living thing.

S

TUCK IN A NIGHTMARE SOMEONE ELSE IMAGINED

i won't forget, i'll remember who i am

TAGGED

Asphyxia

NOTES

<3

CREDITS

♥ thanks tia!

An eyebrow quirked slightly as the other shadow took on a thoughtful expression, turning to look up at the glistening night sky. It would appear that his words had resonated with her. If she had suffered the same kind of oppression that he had, then it would make sense. Those of the light always hated the shadows. They feared what they couldn't understand, even if only a few moments to talk to one another would solve the issues. Humans in particular were quite bad for that.

"True." He responded, with a faint, friendly grin. "It's just difficult making the light-dwellers see that." He supposed that they technically didn't need to see it- he'd be fine enough with them just leaving the shadow world alone.

As Asphyxia voiced her sincerity of enjoyment at their meeting, Dark too sat down, crossing his legs comfortably on the cool tiles. "Same. It's nice to meet someone who doesn't try to stab you through the chest at first sight." He replied wryly, an amused tone to his voice. "I didn't think that I'd meet someone in these worlds who was so... Similar to what I am. It's nice, actually." He'd never been one for making friends, nor allies, yet Asphyxia.. He certainly wouldn't consider her an enemy, or threat... yet at least. He was willing to relax around her. It was a... strange feeling.

The little shadow stirred in his arms, yawning briefly before snuggling back up to Dark's arms, antennae twitching in a contented manner. Giving it a few, small pats, he allowed it to rest within his lap. "So. Anything in particular a fellow shadow should know about these worlds?" He asked, making friendly, casual conversation.

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It went without saying that Asphyxia was cherishing this more than anyone would have originally anticipated out of her. She was usually cold, cruel and unforgiving to the point where she was ruthless and lacked any sort of mercy. She thought of anyone that opposed her as nothing more than prey and was more than willing to play the part of predator. In the end, she had never really considered if it was more internal wiring within her.. Or a choice.

Meeting someone so like herself, as uncanny as it was, was also one of the most comforting things that her life had ever been so kind to give her. Usually, more times than not, nothing went in her favor when it came to things in this categorization. Honestly, she had come to accept that and hadn't given the concept a second thought. Dark, however, was starting to prove everything that she had come to know as normalcy to be.. Completely wrong.

There was someone out there that felt what she did and was in her position, for the most part. Of course they weren't alike word for word and step by step, but it as close enough for Asphyxia to feel something strange inside of her tiny body that was different than the usual hostility and rage that was oh-so-common for her.

"Ah," She laughed out the word, enjoying how he had spoke of himself in his question. "I'm sure it's not too terribly different than you're world. There are warriors of light who try to do everything they can to destroy us." Asphyxia explained calmly, smiling over to her new acquaintance gently with such sincerity - she never thought that she would be so openly accepted by anything other than a Heartless. She was comfortable to the point where her body to relax and rest whilst having a conversation with someone else. Come to think of it.. This was the first time she had ever held a decent communication session with someone that wasn't about how they were going to die ten minutes later. This was.. Nice.

"They have weapons called Keyblades. Some channel light, some channel darkness, and some channel both. I haven't been able to wrap my head around the concept yet, but I'm sure it'll come to me." The Heartless explained as she brought her knees up to her chest, wrapping her small arms around her legs. "If only I could get close enough to one without it swatting at me..."

S

TUCK IN A NIGHTMARE SOMEONE ELSE IMAGINED

i won't forget, i'll remember who i am

TAGGED

Asphyxia

NOTES

<3

CREDITS

♥ thanks tia!

Curiously, he sat and listened as she began to speak, crimson eyes fixated upon her. A grin quirked at the edges of his lips in amusement at the mention of warriors of light. Naturally. At this point, that was simply to be expected everywhere one went. He'd be more surprised if it was the other way around- the light refused to live peacefully with the shadows that it cast, instead trying to burn them away into nothingness. How hypocritical they were, to speak of peace and harmony when they themselves sought to upset the delicate balance that had ruled for so many eons.

"Keyblades." He noted down the name. Judging by the name, were they giant swords in the shape of keys or something? That sounded rather silly, quite frankly, but he supposed he shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. "Interesting." He hummed, tilting his head slightly. Strange weapons that could channel power. "What do they look like? Is the name "keyblade" significant to their purpose?" Curiousity coloured his tone- he wanted to gather information about these mysterious weapons before he came across a wielder trying to stab him.

Humming faintly, the shadow grinned as an idea came to him. "Then why don't we go looking for one?" He questioned, perking up a bit. "With two of us, we should be able to at least get a good study of it without getting in too much danger. Two is far better at distractions than just one." Rising to his feet, Dark gently set the shadow down. "No better way of getting information and fast." And who better to team up with than a fellow shadow?

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