PRPG: Dark Wolf & Admin: Story of the Forest

The group traveled across the warm desert, the air dry. What felt like forever stretched across time. Time seemed to disappear. The oasis they found made the desert seem like a small sand pit. This was the power of Tortaro, the Tortoise King. The old Tortoise was at the oasis edge ready to greet the travelers. One thousand two hundred moons he had lived in this world. Even most of the trees could not boast his age and wisdom. Though he was old, his appearance was that of a younger being, closer to Gila and Fenic's age. "Welcome old friends," he greeted Stoneheart, Gila, and Fenic. Silver, I see you have done well for yourself and for the forest, and this lovely creature you have brought to me. Yes, I can see her potential." Tortaro greeted Misty.

Misty dipped her head in respect for Tortaro. “It has been a long wise teacher,” she said, her ears flicking slightly. “I am sorry I was a coward and hid from my destiny.” Misty’s nostrils flared as she inhaled the scents of the oasis, a place she hadn’t been since the night she fled the killing of her pack. “You deserve to have a better champion to your name my King.”

"Bullshit." Stated Tortoro to unapologetically. "Not even Silver here was a perfect student, and you want to cast yourself aside so easily? The first rule you must follow here is humility and confidence, they are not opposite, but must be used together. If you lack one or the other, you will not survive this training."

Misty’s hackles rose and her ears stilled as her stronger side showed itself. “Silver did not run from his destiny. There is a difference between learning through failure and refusing to learn altogether. A great difference, one not easily reconciled,” she snapped, her voice holding a silent snarl. She may loath her actions more than she let others know but she grew up an outside in the pack of strength. She had learned quickly to not back down to anyone and it gave her a sharp edge only conflict could bring out.

"From one extreme to the other, you really must find ballance." Declared Tortaro in a happy tone. His presence grew. Even though his body remained unchanged, he towered over Misty spiritually. "Silver may have your heart, but as of now, I have your soul."

Misty’s gaze rose to meet his steadily. “You have always owned my soul Torar,” she stated, using the nickname only she was allowed to use with him. “Even if I forgot that for a while. And you shall always have my loyalty.” Misty laid her right foreleg on the ground, tucking her nose under it, giving Tortaro her complete surrender, pledging to be loyal to him and him above all others. It was a deeper surrender than the back to the ground one of a defeated Alpha.

Tortaro's presence grew once more. Only Silver was unaffected. You talk of loyalty, but you still do not know Who you are!" A flash of light sparked from the King's back, drawing Misty into the spirit world. The blue sands stretched til the horizon. "Your first test is this, return from this place on your own. You have 2 days to accomplish this, or be trapped in the spirit world forever."

Misty froze as she attempted to find out where exactly she was and what she had to do. The fennec kit, who she had dubbed Navnik, or Spirit, appeared beside her. His fur had tufted up in a ball of righteous indignation as he opened his mouth in a soundless yip at Tortaro.

omg what if all the spirit guides are animals that were trapped within the spirit world and have to in turn guide those that are born and when their charge dies, natural or otherwise, then they are "assigned" to a new one? So Navnik is a fennec fox that was trapped. And they can't talk because the spirit world doesn't want them giving the secret of who they are away!

"Be Gone!" Tortaro commanded the small fennec. The great tortoise kept an eye on the spirit world, it would take everything she had for Misty to return, Tortaro would watch to see what she chose to do.

Navnik flicked his tail at Tortaro, glaring at him before he disappeared.

Misty's ears started flickering, but it was more thoughtful now since she had gone through the pool. Her eyes swept the blue sand, feeling it sift between her paws. The spirit world felt almost disconnected. She could see and feel everything like she was in reality but there were slight differences. On the horizon there was a shift in the image of sand, a slight color change that most wouldn't have noticed. Having no where else to go she glanced around before loping towards the strange area.

Silver looked at his former teacher. Silver knew what had to be done in order to escape. He learned who he was. He learned who he was meant to become. This was a journey of the soul. 'She is meant to be the Southern Queen,' Silver thought to himself. 'She is the rightful heir to Tortaro's throne. Only the most pure soul could fill that role, just as only the strongest could win the East, the wisest to rule the North, and the most fierce to rule the West. 'Don't take too long my Love,' thought Silver,  'I could not bear to be without you.'

As Misty loped across the sand it seemed to become more of a horizon purple color, the shift subtle but visible. Slowing down Misty's eyes swept the area until it latched on a bright purple trail. A slight feeling of dread filled her as she slowly followed the trail. As she crested the top of the dune the purple turned to bright red, blood seeping from several wolves' bodies into the blue sand. Immediately she loped forward to help but a sudden shock hit her and she stumbled to a slight stop when she realized the wolves that had been killed were the very ones that had massacred her whole pack. She whimpered once, her heart clenching at the memory that was still raw despite the healing but moved forward once more. One by one she checked on the wolves, the pain in her heart starting to change into pain at the loss of more life as she found that more and more of the wolves were no longer alive. Blood matted their fur into clumps, flies already starting to gather around the dead as the bodies decomposed. Suddenly her ears perked as they caught the slightest sound of movement from the edge of the red sand. She broke into a run, skidding to a stop next to the injured wolf. Her heart beat painfully against her chest as her memory recognized the dark tawny coat of her father's Beta and her mother's killer. Swallowing a whine within her heart she winced as those golden eyes she had always looked up to opened to meet her gaze. "Misty," he whimpered, his chest heaving with the pain of his wounds. Misty stood frozen, her heart and soul warring with itself as she stared into his eyes. Memories flashed before her eyes of him teaching her how to identify herbs, how to track, and the quickest way to identify a wound and how to heal it. Her heart clenched as she remembered how he used to keep her company when her father was on business away with Tartaros and finally his ultimate betrayal as he threw her father into the sharp sand pit. Only by a cruel twist of fate had killed her mother instead.

A vision flashed behind her eyes. Golden eyes smiled at her from above as she finished a concoction to aid one of the sick wolves in her pack. "Wonderful job Misty," a smooth voice said, lit with pride. Her heart swelled with happiness at having been able to help. Her vision jumped to a wolf the color of a desert sunset as she lapped up the medicine, her eyes brightening as her body relaxed. "Thank you Misty," she sighed in relief. "That's much better." A dark coat brushed against hers and she looked up to meet those golden eyes that watched her with pride. "You'll be a wonderful Alpha," her father's Beta stated.

Misty blinked the vision away to look at those golden eyes once more, now glazed over with pain. Hers were sharp with the pain of betrayal and she whined. Squeezing her eyes shut briefly she took a deep breath, letting it out sharply and shoving her pain down inside. The past did not matter now, there had been too much hurt and she would not be the cause of more. She quickly moved to the pool beside him and gently pulled him to it. "This is going to hurt," she said, her voice both sharp and soothing at the same time. Moving slowly she worked the water into his wounds, trying to be careful but still hearing his hiss of pain echo through her ears and heart. Soon the blood was worked out of his fur and his wounds cleaned.

His eyes cleared and stared at her in shock and gratitude. "Why?" he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Why would you help me after all I've done?"

Misty met his gaze, her eyes only flickering once before steadying. "Because everyone deserves a second chance to become someone better than they were and to make up for what they have done," she said softly.

At that moment the Beta changed. He wasn't the Beta anymore. His form became that of a white stag. "You have passed your first test." The Stag spoke. "Forgiveness and the value of life go hand in hand. You have demonstrated both by being willing to swallow your desire for revenge and practice forgiveness. Through your willingness to give a second chance, you have shown that your heart is pure. You must now face another test, you had better hurry, a half day has already passed." The stag and the scene of dead wolves disappeared into the sands, leaving Misty all alone once more.

Misty's head jerked back in surprise, her breath huffing out. She blinked as she was returned to the open expanse of blue sand once more. Well guess I'm back to square one then, she sighed to herself. She flared her nostrils to see if there was some scent to follow and caught a familiar one. Perking her ears up she looked around to see Navnik pop into existence on a nearby ridge, flicking his tail before he was whisked away again. My little rebel guide, Misty thought, his antics lifting her spirits a little, her tongue lolling out in slight laughter. Shaking off the residual melancholy from the first test she loped toward the ridge Navnik had appeared on, trusting him. As she ran towards the ridge her thoughts turned towards Silver, her heart aching from the distance. In her mind's eye she could see his beautiful coat glinting in the morning sunlight as the kits slept against him, see the love in those beautiful white eyes. Sighing, she brought her thoughts back to the task at hand, finding her way home to him.

'Misty, no! Don't follow that imp!' Silver screamed in his head. Every fiber of Silver's soul ached for Misty. 'That imp is going to kill her!' Silver could not contain his spirit anymore. In a flash of light, Silver entered the spirit world right next to the fox, it took one bite and the fennec was gone. Then, just as suddenly as he appeared, Silver was gone, having left the Spirit World.

Misty yelped. "Navnik!" She huffed out a breath before turning to Silver. "Silver what are you doing here? Why did you kill him?" Her tail lashed once as her ears starting flickering. "How are you even here?" Even though she was scared and sad for Navnik, her soul leaped out to meet his, her eyes sweeping over him, soaking up every detail as she breathed in his scent.

For the brief moment he was in the spirit world, Silver longed to be with Misty, though he didn't dare go to her. He wasn't sure if what he did would be interference or not, but he knew what would have happened if she had followed the imp. He was not going to lose her in that way. Before a word was uttered, Silver was gone, out of the spirit world and back into the Oasis.
Tortaro shook his head upon Silver's return. "Your bond with her is stronger than even you realize. Your souls have become intertwined."
"Did she fail because of me?" Silver questioned.
Tortaro smiled as he lifted his green head level to Silver's, "No, you prevented further interference from that fox. You gave her a chance without any interference on your part. You have shown how fierce your love for her is."

Misty whined the minute Silver disappeared. Both her guides had gone and as she stood in the center of a sea of blue sand she felt completely alone. Her ears began to flick nervously before she thought of her family, her pack, and all those that were counting on her back home alone. Taking a deep breath she centered her thoughts as her eyes hardened. Turning in a circle she picked a random direction and started in a ground eating lope, covering leagues of distances easily. Soon a faint sound started in the distance and Misty slowed her run to pin where it was coming from, her ears perked up. The smell of smoke seeped into the air, growing thicker as fog does in the misty morning until billows of it surrounded her completely, blotting out the sun and burning her lungs. Blindly she wandered through the smog, her fear and deadline of her quest pressing in on her spirit as heavily as the lack of oxygen. Closing her eyes Misty relied on the only scent she had left, her hearing. The roaring of a fire filled her head, blocking out the majority of the sound. But a slight sound, muted like it was far in the distance, broke through the confusion; a sharp yell that caused Misty’s eyes to pop open and perk her ears, her whole body focused in that direction. She flared her nostrils instinctively but winced as the arid smoke burned her lungs. Walking blindly she nearly ran into a tree as it suddenly appeared out of the smoke in front of her. Swiveling her ears she picked her way through the smoke filled forest, squinting in order to protect her eyes. Soon the sounds became louder, individual growls and yells slipping through the smoke, leading Misty on.

Suddenly Misty emerged from the forest to a clearing beside a cliffside, the smoke clearing substantially from the increased wind. Her eyes swept the area, instantly catching on the human standing on the cliffside edge. He was wearing a sort of browner green coat and stood tall though his slightly compressed stance and overwhelming fear scent portrayed his true feelings. The smoke curled around his shoulders, blowing his pitch black hair back from his face and revealing piercing blue eyes. His knuckles were a pale white as they gripped some sort of black stick. Tearing her gaze from the human she now realized was a hunter, she looked at the pack surrounding him and his escape. The wolves’ coats varied, identifying them as a rogue pack as they stood in a haphazard circle around the hunter. Teeth were bared and hackles raised as they pushed closer, their eyes flashing in the firelight. Misty was stunned; the number one rule in the forest was to not directly provoke the humans. As the pack crept closer, snarls echoing above the roar of the fire, Misty recognized the rogue Alpha and some of the other pack members. They were a pack that lived on the outskirts of Shadow’s; Silver’s, Misty corrected herself; territory. She was well acquainted with them, having saved the life of the Alpha’s mother a few moons back. Shaking off her shock Misty leaped right in front of the Alpha, her lips pulling back, exposing her teeth as she pinned her ears. “What in the world do you think you’re doing?” she snarled. The pack instantly jerked back in shock with surprised yelps.

The rogue Alpha was a lanky two year old that had a mottled dark grey coat that was laced with strips of pitch black like marble with black socks on all four feet, black tipped ears and tail, and a black muzzle. This odd medley of color instantly identifying him instantly as a mutt and separated him from the rest of the pack. His parents were the first wolves to leave a pack and created the original Rogue Pack that accepted wolves from all packs, his grey-black marbled coat the identifier of the Alpha line of that pack. Many wolves after that had started rogue packs, some being violent like the one that killed Silver and Misty’s packs, but the original pack still stood and served as a peaceful home for all those rejected from their packs. He was a handsome and kind wolf, not one usually provoked to violence, and in a different life Misty would have been with him as her mate. But as fate would have it she was not ready for a mate at the time he had come into her life though they had remained very good friends over the years. In the years she had known him he had only occasionally lost his temper and gave a harsh punishment, preferring to talk his pack through any issues. But she had never seen him so riled up and never had she seen him ready to take a life from this world.

Krix’s eyes widened. “Misty?” he asked, surprise evident in his voice. He took a step forward, rubbing his head into hers affectionately before remembering where he was. “Misty you can’t be here. I need to take care of this human before he causes any more damage,” he snarled, his hackles raising again as he went to push past her.

Misty jumped in front of him again, pushing against his chest to stop him. “Krix what has gotten into you?” she asked in disbelief. “You know you can’t do that. It’s against Forest Law.” She struggled to hold him back for a couple of moments before Krix suddenly snapped at her ear, forcing Misty to crop hop away.

“He started the fire!” Krix yelled, so much grief and anger evident in his voice that is quieted Misty’s response instantly. Krix stood there, his chest heaving as he held Misty’s gaze. “He started the fire to flush out prey. We barely got the majority of the forest animals out of the forest before it consumed the trees and we still lost so many to its blaze. Too many.”

Misty stood stunned silent, trying to comprehend this horrible event. Krix tried to launch himself past her again as she stood frozen, snapping her out of her trance when she instinctively stopped him again. “I know you’re hurting Krix but this isn’t the way,” she said, her eyes pleading with him. “You know this won’t change anything. It will only make things worse. Please Krix. Listen to your heart, you know I am right.” She stepped close to him, rubbing her head into his muzzle and giving a soothing purr-like sound in her chest. “Let go of this anger before it consumes you and do the right thing,” she said.

Krix lasted only a moment against Misty’s soothing before his tensed muscles relaxed and his head dropped in defeat. “Alright Misty,” he said. “You’re right. I know.” He huffed out a deep breath before turning to his pack. “Back away,” he ordered. “We’re done here. Let the human go. We need to focus on putting this fire out and saving as many lives as we can.” The pack looked at their Alpha in absolute disbelief, indecision flickering across their faces before they stepped back as a majority. However one was not so easily satisfied and Misty could see it on his face. It must have been a newcomer since Misty did not know him.

“Are you really going to listen to this she-wolf?” he snarled. “She’s not even part of this pack!” Glaring at Misty, he bared his teeth. “Well I’m not going to let some outsider keep me from protecting my forest.” Without warning he leapt at the human, his fangs aimed for its vulnerable throat. Misty reacted instantly, her back paws digging into the dirt and soot to push her off the ground and into the wolf’s path. The wolf’s body slammed into hers, knocking the breath from her lungs, his fangs tearing into her throat instead, life blood instantly pouring from the wound. Misty’s jump had kept them from hitting the human but as a consequence it redirected their path to the cliff edge. Two bodies thudded to the ground on the unstable ground on the cliff’s precipice. The ground quickly gave away and Misty could feel herself sliding off the cliff as fast as her life drained away. Her wide eyes fixated on the newcomer who yelped as his body slid with hers. Using the last breaths of energy in her body she kicked the newcomer, the force pushing him to safety, far enough away from the edge for him to scramble to feet to secure ground. That one movement caused the cliff to fall away, dropping her body straight off the cliff edge. As Misty fell one thought dominated her mind; she had saved them. Not only had she kept the human safe and saved the rogue wolf but she had turned Krix from a dark path he had no part in. As she came closer to the ground she was content with what she had accomplished, her one regret being that she did not get to say goodbye to Silver. In that moment her body slammed into the valley floor, the gravity shattering every bone in her body, completing the process that wolf had began and fulfilling Misty’s destiny. A bright light filled Misty’s vision as the world faded away.

With a gasp Misty jerked forward, her eyes sweeping the bright yellow world she found herself in. Where am I, she thought wildly. What happened? Her body throbbed with remembered pain of having died and that’s when it hit her. She had died. Her body had been crushed into the floor of the valley and with that thought the light disappeared. Leaving her standing on the ground beside her body. Misty gasped, jumping back slightly, shivers filling her body and she whined. Her body was lying in a slight crater that had been created from the impact. The bones misshapen from the multitude of comminuted fractures, the shards looking like red thorns protruding from her blood-stained fur. Misty whined, her ears pinning before starting to flick wildly as she stood frozen, her eyes locked on her broken body.

Another brilliant flash of light erupted from the top of the cliff making the firey forest look dim. In fact, the forest and the fire disappeared. Standing at the top of the cliff looking down at Misty was the hunter, gun in hand. The light enveloped him as he transformed into a great eagle. The eagle spread his wings as wide as the cliff itself. He looked down at the broken Misty.
"You would sacrifice yourself, even for those who don't deserve it. These actions are reckless, however it shows how much you value life, all life. Here you lie, broken, dead and no use to anyone anymore. Pity." The eagle continued to stare. Then he flew down to the lifeless Misty. His sheer size made Misty appear as small as an ant. "I suppose to have passed your second test." The eagle flew into the air creating severe gusts of wind. The scene before Misty, the fire and th forest, disappeared as if they has never been there before. Then the darkness came. There was no light, just pure unsaturated darkness.
"Misty, hurry, less than one day remains." Silver spoke with love and fear both drenching his tone.

Misty huffed at the eagle. “It was not my intention to die Great One,” she said. “But I could not let either die.” Misty blinked rapidly as the world went dark. Her eyes desperately trying to adjust and find some light in a world without any. Less than a day, she thought, sighing. Her soul exhausted from the trials. Her heart slightly heavy she closed her eyes and trusted her senses to lead her, knowing her sight could not help her here.

The darkness consumed Misty. It separated her from all of her senses leaving her alone with only her thoughts. Soon, other voices not her own began to speak from the darkness. The tone of the voices were condescending and specifically set to tear her apart from the inside out.

Misty lowered her head to the “ground”, her nose twitching as she fought for some sense of direction in the unceasing darkness. Her eyes had fluttered shut as her ears flicked back and forth, fighting to find something in this endless void. She was so focused on hearing something within the vacuum of sound that she nearly jumped out of her skin when an evil snicker echoed through the darkness. Misty’s eyes shot open and she froze, her gaze flicking even though she knew it was a pointless endeavor to see anything. Out of the pitch black came a soft crooning, a malicious undertone causing a shiver to run across Misty’s spine and ripple through her soul. No wind blew in this dark void but goosebumps raced across her skin as the low hum resonated through the air. Misty’s whine was swallowed by the darkness and though she couldn’t see anything she could feel her ears begin the flick.

A low maniacal laugh rung through her ears. “Those are a disgrace,” it sneered, the voice a hiss across her eardrums, causing her to shiver. “You’re weak. You can’t even overcome your fears.” Though the landscape didn’t change, Misty’s soul stung with pain as it remembered the day the rest of the pack pups had discovered her twitch. Humiliation had filled her heart then and had never really left since then. That same humiliation seeped into her heart now, cowed by the voice echoing in her ears. “You’ll never be accepted by everyone else. There’s too much wrong with you. Look at you,” it taunted. “You don’t even live with wolves. You’re barely a wolf yourself. Even Tartaros knew there was something wrong with you. Why do you think he sent you here?” Doubt creeped into her soul, spinning her thoughts into a downward spiral with each word. “You barely passed the second test, the Great Eagle knew you wouldn’t make it. They just pity you. The wolf that fails at everything, that was too weak to stay and fight for her pack but ran away like a coward.” The darkness seemed to press in on her, trapping her in an unceasing feeling of worthlessness as that malicious crooning wove its way into the depths of her mind. Misty backed away, shaking her head, trying to free herself from the voice’s influence but it just dug itself in deeper; dredging up every doubt and insecurity she had tried to hide away from the world. “No wonder you’re the outcast of every pack. No wolf is going to follow a coward.” Every word was a knife to her heart, cutting away her resolve and shattering her soul. “How did you ever think Silver could love you? Silver is one of the strongest wolves in all the land and is ruler of three different packs. He doesn’t love you,” the voice sneered. “He’s just using you to gain control of the Southern Packs. Why else would he waste his time on a worthless outcast otherwise? You’re only holding him back from his destiny.” Suddenly the voice crooned softly right beside her ear. “You, Misty of the Sands, are nothing.” Misty finally broke, following her paws down to the ground, curling around herself and pushing her paws over her still flicking ears, trying desperately to drown out the voice that had infected her soul, poisoning it with her own doubts. She no longer recognized the specific words that were being said, just felt that constricting hold on her heart that stole her breath from her. Every muscle in her body was tensed and every part of her, body and soul, was wound tight as she howled in pain, barely hearing her own voice, her throat raw.

But something happened as she lay there, her heart and soul crying out. This tiny flicker of light within her that flared through the pain. All at once the tension in her broke, like the cord that suffocated her snapped. Her chest heaved as she took in as much as she could, her body aching from the soul-deep exhaustion that had set in. Her thoughts focused on one word. “No,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. The world around her seemed to still, as if the darkness was stunned silent itself, the whole world waiting for her answer. Misty’s eyes hardened to diamonds, her pupils shrinking then expanding in a second and fury seemed to fill them. “No,” she snarled, pushing herself to her feet, her muscles shaking once before steading. A hiss came from the darkness, becoming louder as it fought to consume her. At its loudest point Misty snapped at it, her teeth sharp and bared; in that moment the darkness became tangent. Her fangs closed around it and as her jaws snapped shut the darkness shattered, a ear-splitting scream of pain causing Misty to wince slightly in pain as the noise hit her eardrums. She growled through the pain, closing her jaws tighter. “I will not submit to you,” she snarled. “I will not lay down like some defeated dog.” Misty’s jaw suddenly slackened in realization and her eyes widened. “I will not allow myself to be torn apart by my own demons. I am not defined by them, not after all I have done. I will not let Silver down by being defeated by something as meaningless as doubts when all he has done is believe in me.” She focused her eyes on the darkness, momentarily surprised that it had solidified in front of her in a wolf’s form. The wolf stood before her, its coat a never-ending darkness that swallowed all light. It’s eyes were blood-red and unforgiving, staring at her without mercy or love. Misty met its gaze stunned. This wolf lived inside her, ignored and unloved, hated by all. With that realization Misty lifted her chin and let out a breath. Her eyes never leaving her Kothar’s, she took a step forward and, instead of attacking it, she wrapped her neck around his, holding him close. No, she would not defeat her demons, she would accept them, and love them, for they were part of who she was. The Kothar’s body stiffened at first, rejecting her as she had rejected it for all her life. After a few minutes a great sigh came from its body, the form melting away on the breath and slipping into Misty’s next inhale, merging with her soul. It settled on its soul but unlike in the darkness, its presence was no longer heavy, holding her down, but rather a comfortable weight, reminding her that it was there. Misty let out a breath, letting the love in her heart warm her Kothar until it sighed in content with her, snuggling close to the Torke wolf in her soul until the two were nearly connected. Each separate but a part of one another, completing each other in perfect harmony.

Korthar= inner “demon”
Torke= inner “angel”

Suddenly, a figure approached Misty from a distance. This figure was familiar. As he approached, his white eyes stared deep into her soul. "I have come to take you home, My Love." Silver's voice dripped with love and pride. "You have passed the final test. I have come here, but you must make the portal home." Silver embraced Misty. He had been worried for her. Watching from the other side, he knew it was taking everything out of her. Now that she completed the test, he was able to go to her, but still, she had to get herself home. "Look inside, Misty, you know what to do."

Misty whimpered, her soul aching from the journey even though it was completed. Her eyes were filled with exhaustion and she heaved out a sigh, holding him close. Closing her eyes she breathed in her scent before looking into her own soul at her Kothar and Torke curled around each other. As if they sensed her watching they both perked up their ears before getting up and stretching. The two of them wagged their tails as they tilted their heads, as if reading her mind. Giving a yip in sync they began running around each other, speeding up until their bodies blurred together, creating a grey circle. Fascinated Misty walked toward them in her mind. Her paws hit the grey circle and immediately melted into the flow of color. As she moved farther her body slowly joined the circle until her head disappeared into it. A bright light overtook her senses until she emerged, blinking her eyes rapidly as her vision cleared. Before her stood Silver and the others, Tartaros’ oasis surrounding them. “Silver?” Misty asked, her voice slightly wary, unsure if this was the real thing or another test.

Silver held Misty close to him. "This is real, you made it through. With some time to spare." He could feel the relief that radiated from her.
Tortaro looked upon Misty. He was full of pride. "Well done, Misty, well done." There was information that he had not told her before the spirit walk as he did not want her distracted. "You know I won't be here forever."
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