You seem familiar...

[Levi Hutch]

When was the last time Xardus had been to Ilum? He tried to remember, yet he couldn't place it. He must have been there at some point though, otherwise he wouldn't have known where to find it. So many things had hidden themselves in the back of his mind. Why couldn't he remember? Sighing, he watched as his breath floated through the brisk air. He didn't bother wearing too much clothing, he somehow knew he could manage it by himself. Walking out through the snow, he thought he saw something in the distance. An entrance to a cave, maybe? Possibly. Pulling his hood up to block out the blizzard from his ears, he trudged on. Something seemed oddly familiar about that place...

[member="Lexa Imura"] [member="Malachite Avachei"]

 

[Malachite the Shoki]

I'd never been to Ilum before. A fascinating place, this iceball, if one that would be better suited to a gigantic celestial whiskey than to any sort of sentient habitation. Stepping out of my ship, I kept myself lit up like a big, furry, torch and grinned at Lexa from outside.

"Come on out. The water's fine... Or the ice... Or th- ooh, is that a crystal?"

I bent to pick up something that did, indeed, appear to be a very small, uncut, crystal. It reflected my grin, and I bared my fangs happily. This was so cool.

[member='Lexa Imura'] [member="Xardus Folidaar"]

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa sighed, walking out behind Malachite. "Your attention span wouldn't win a two-centimeter race." She looked down at the crystal he was holding, spotting a bigger one just a few feet away. She picked it up and examined it. Hm. Okay. So it was a little cool...
[member="Malachite Avachei"]
[member="Xardus Folidaar"]

 

[Levi Hutch]

As Xardus trudged on further to the cave, he felt a strong lightsided presemce, though it wasn't living. Or was it? He'd find out soon enough. When he did reach the caves, he saw what looked to be hundreds of crystals adorning the walls and ceiling. Incredible... And someone had been here. Two someones, in fact, judging by the footprints in the entrance.

[member="Lexa Imura"] [member="Malachite Avachei"]

 

[Malachite the Shoki]

Grinning at Lexa, I wagged my tail and jumped into the snow, scrabbling around for more crystals. Lucky me, I found an unshaped one the size of my hand. Laughing, I pulled my face out of the snow, melting it a little bit. That's when I looked at the cave in front of me... It was covered in crystals, so reflective it was hurting my eyes.

Walking back to her, I gave a theatrical bow and held the big crystal out to her.

"For you, Lady Volcano..."

Then I looked over my shoulder and gestured towards the crystal cave.

"Or, maybe you should pick out your own?"

[member="Xardus Folidaar"] [member="Lexa Imura"]

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa rolled her eyes, but took the crystal anyway. "Miss Volcano? Then I guess Firefox is your new name."

She walked up one of the cave walls. There were massive crystals there. She placed her hand on one of them. There was so much Lightside energy that she felt like she was going to be sick. The baby probably wasn't helping things, either. She suddenly ran back outside and threw up.
[member="Malachite Avachei"]
[member="Xardus Folidaar"]

 

[Levi Hutch]

It wasn't very long before Xardus began to hear voices. "Miss Volcano...?", he echoed. Who was that? Jogging silently to catch up with the two strange voices, he soon found himself behind a wall of ice, where he spotted a dark-clothed woman and a man with... fox ears? That was new. The woman went outside to throw up, giving him a chance to move a bit closer.

[member="Lexa Imura"] [member="Malachite Avachei"]

 

[Malachite the Shoki]

I walked up to Lexa with a bit of concern... I'd known people to get nauseous after being drained, even after a couple of days, but this was pushing it a little bit. Why was she actually vomiting? It didn't matter, actually. It worried me more that she was, rather than why. I seriously hoped she wasn't sick. I probably couldn't do anything to help. But there was an odd presence in this cave... tearing at the edge of my consciousness, trying to blow my fire out.

But my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of somebody approaching. A man with long-ish hair and a beard. My tail twitched towards Lexa, and a spark came to the points of two of my fingers, bursting into actual flames. With a cold look, I pointed the two flaming fingers directly at the man's chest.

"Who are you? If you can't answer, all you'll be is lunch."

[member="Xardus Folidaar"] [member="Lexa Imura"]

 

[Levi Hutch]

Kark, he'd been spotted. Getting up from his cover, he slowly walked over to the other, making sure not to look aggressive. "My name's Xardus. I saw movement here, and thought i'd see what it was. Nothing to worry about." He didn't mention the fact that the woman seemed to register something in his memory banks, because he wasn't exactly sure what it meant. Staying where he was, he looked the man straight into the eyes, his own piercing that of the others, a strong green flecked with gold. "You wanna put that fire away now?"

[member="Lexa Imura"] [member="Malachite Avachei"]

 

[Malachite the Shoki]

"Not really. You still look like lunch. But, I suppose out of deference to my friend, here..."

I let the fire die back down to a spark, popped the little ball of light into my mouth, and swallowed it. The taste of the energy going back into me did remind me of how long it had been since I fed. Sure, I'd eaten, but the only energy I'd taken from anybody else was that little bit from Lexa a couple of days ago.

"It is a tiny bit of something to worry about. See, I don't like you... The Light is pouring off you like a disease. It bothers me, just a tiny bit. You'll excuse me if I keep my distance."

[member="Xardus Folidaar"] [member="Lexa Imura"]

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa stood bent over for a few seconds after the vomiting had ceased, waiting for the last feelings of nauseousness to cease. She heard Malachite talking to someone behind her. Did that man just say Xardus? She'd heard that somewhere before. Must be a common name. As this new presence got a bit closer, his Lightside aura sent her into a heaving fit once again.
[member="Malachite Avachei"]
[member="Xardus Folidaar"]

 

[Malachite the Shoki]

I noticed the sound of retching halt, and then start again as Xardus stepped closer. So, maybe I wasn't the only one being affected by the lightside presence. On an impulse, I put my hand on Lexa's shoulder, and sent a jolt of my darker energy through her, like I had to wake her up from the unconsciousness I'd inflicted on her with my bite. Not even checking to see if it helped, I glared even harder at this light-spreading stranger.

"Get away. Now."

[member="Xardus Folidaar"] [member="Lexa Imura"]

 

[Levi Hutch]

A sudden sense of recognition flowed through Xardus's mind then. He'd been in this situation before. A voice sounded off in the back of his head. Screaming... fire. Lots of fire. "Morna", he breathed. How did he know that name? Was it supposed to mean something? Apparently it did, because he then found himself raising his hand, which was soon illuminated with fire. A reminder of one of the many dark deeds he'd done. Brother against brother. A close friend he'd come close to killing. "I'm not leaving. And you can't make me."

[member="Lexa Imura"] [member="Malachite Avachei"]

 

[Malachite the Shoki]

"You don't know that, Lightside scum."

Total hatred of the Light washed over me... It was odd. Like the Light eating away at my mind was causing a greater backlash than what I could normally do. Like an immune system trying to destroy the lightness attacking me. I opened my mouth, and my fangs showed. It seemed like I was preparing to use my least favorite method of submission, again.

"I said this once: Get away."

[member="Xardus Folidaar"] [member="Lexa Imura"]

 

[Zayani Brin]

Lexa coughed a bit. Malachite's energy increase made her feel better. At least, it kept any more of her past meals from coming up. She brought herself back to a standing position and looked up at Malachite. "S-sorry. I don't know what came over me. It just kind of hit me all of a sudden..." She turned around to see the stranger. Those eyes... She'd seen them before. And then he said Morna's name. "....Xardus?"
[member="Malachite Avachei"]
[member="Xardus Folidaar"]

 

[Levi Hutch]

When the woman turned to face Xardus, she'd said her name, and his flame died down a little. "You... know me?" His mind struggled with the idea. He knew something was supposed to hit home, but nothing did. Only darkness where there should be memories. "I don't remember you. Who..." His vision flashed for a brief moment, and instead of seeing fox-boy, he saw a man with tattoos and a leather jacket, his body lit on fire. He felt the pain inside. The emotional pain. The next time he looked up, his eyes were full of rage. "MORNA!" He raised his hand, ready to lob a ball of fire at the man, then doubled over, falling in the snow. Why was thing happening to him?

[member="Malachite Avachei"] [member="Lexa Imura"]