Earthbound [Open to all]

[Rayquaza]

<sub>[Because I seriously need to get more posts out for this thing, have a sleepy dragon. Nnngh short post is short. ]

The interior of the cavern was cool, but bearable. It did not harbor the bite of frost that was otherwise harmful to its type [made even more so by the fact that Rayquaza was normally considered a flying/dragon creature], but it was chilled enough to keep the legendary on its toes should ever the occasion arise.

It was nightfall by the time the green behemoth sought repose on the lands desecrated by human and pokemon alike; its presence was naught but a shadow across the sky as it glided smoothly down to the earth and jetted for the cavern in a twisting configuration of its long, thick coils. There would probably be a few that would point this out, but the history of the cave was something not many dared to encroach upon and so Rayquaza knew it would be undisturbed for some time.

Imagine how pleased it was when, upon entering the cave and gliding along the smooth, albeit slightly damp walls, there was no pervading scent of human aroma to plague its senses. The few pokemon that still lingered looked on, curious, at the legendary as it made its way carefully to the very back of the cavern and settled in a heap of emerald-green coils. They didn't seem to raise any question, however, and merely went on about their duty in pokemon chatter punctuated with the occasional jab of human speech.

That did irritate Rayquaza some, but it was far too weary to make an enemy of these younglings in the caves.

With the fog that spread across the graveyard permeating the cavern, the dragon was ensured that its presence would not be discernible right away were someone to peek in. Even as it watched, its massive head resting atop a rather comfy, flat rock next to its body, the lingering traces of nighttime began to fade as dawn chased it away with promises of the sun. Rayquaza was not a nocturnal creature by nature, but several hours of perpetual flight did give some cause to the heavy aura of lethargy that permeated its senses...

.. and in only a few moments, it had fallen into a light stupor, the occasional whistle of the wind through the cavern broken by the heavy, draconic rumbles of the legendary in sleep.</sub>

[Cresselia]

After traveling for a short amount of time through the northern regions of Remoor, Cresselia finally caught sight of the tower that marked the hushed town she sought in the distance.

The desolate, weathered stone of the tower rose from a small way outside the town, its stone spire stretching futilely for the heavens. The sky itself was overcast and darkened beyond the blackness of the night, the thick, smoky clouds completely obscuring the bright quarter moon above. Every so often, a small opening in the clouds would allow for a glimmer of light, at which time the clouds began casting gloomy shadows on the stony ground that surrounded the graves. The entire area was solemnly silent, but despite its somber quality, the atmosphere was not heavy or oppressive. It was just…sad. It was as if the world mourned for those who were lost, who had heralded the demise of the entire region.

Nearby, the shrouding mists draped around the graveyard could be seen, the creeping wisps of air never passing the unmarked boundary of the cemetery and the darkened cave nearby. They furled and unfurled, but never reached out into the stagnant air. It was almost unnatural in the way the mist was bound to the cemetery, like a pall that shrouded the deceased.

Cresselia slowly approached the uninhabited town, her pastel-colored body and sparkling veils contrasting sharply with her surroundings. A soft aurora of light scintillated behind her as she moved across the damp ground. She paused in front of one of the old, dilapidated buildings. It was completely overtaken by the ghost Pokémon who called it their home; she could feel their presence, but their wispy, indistinguishable floating bodies were also barely visible through the cracked glass.

The lunar swan remained a fair distance away from their haunts. She was not necessarily worried about her type-disadvantage, she merely preferred not to stir up unnecessary conflict.

More than once a spiteful creature emerged from within the walls of a building, with an intent to maim (to put it kindly), only to return grudgingly if not significantly less resentfully. Even the most spiteful of spirits would not attack someone exponentially stronger, nor someone so clearly uninterested and entirely benevolent towards their existence. Her aura had already begun to affect their bitter demeanor as well, which made them a bit more at ease around her.

More often she received a hiss from the more violent creatures who refused to emerge from the haven of their shadows, refused to approach the sympathetic glow that surrounded her. Other, more passive spirits usually regarded her existence with a bit more respect, but usually only bestowed her a few empty stares, the likes of which she understood was high esteem for them to be distracted from their own daily agendas to view a newcomer.

However, it was not with these spirits that Cresselia was concerned with. She continued on, passing through the melancholy mist. It was a lonely and quiet area. There was little to disturb the peace, and it was little-visited, secluded territory.

As she neared the edge of the town, closer to the dark cave, Cresselia remained still, letting her surroundings wash over her. She quietly observed each of the Pokémon nearby in their soft chattering; particularly the numerous rock and ghost types. They seemed more subdued than what was normal- as for why, she realized that as she probed a bit further.

The great Sky Dragon itself was resting in the seclusion of the earth, which was surprising with its usual existence above and in the high altitudes of the atmosphere. The lunar swan paused, and after a minute’s hesitation she then entered the cave, moving towards the imposing emerald dragon she could not see visibly, but knew to be there. As she finally neared his sleeping form, she did a light probe of his consciousness. Despite her instinct to be relieved when those she tended to were sleeping peacefully, she could not help a small twinge of sorrow from invading her thoughts. Darkrai had not been here; whenever he was afforded the opportunity of a Great One sleeping nearby, he was sure to take the chance. He clearly had not passed recently, she concluded mournfully, which meant that her hope to find him was for naught.

However, she could at least grant the massive dragon a peaceful rest and reprieve. It seemed to be tired, but resting lightly- not a way that would ease any sort of exhaustion. Cresselia drifted forward slowly and then bowed her head slightly towards the dragon, closing her eyes. Her head gem glittered slightly as she began to carefully guide his mind to a deeper, more restful state with her psychic skills. Her influence was soft, not manipulative; it was similar to the feeling of relaxation granted during a tender massage, intended to undo any stress and ease discomfort of the mind. After assuring he had slipped into a deeper state of sleep, the lunar swan would enter the realm of his dreams and leave him in a dreamless sleep.

(Sorry about how long this has taken; life has been mean to me the last couple weeks. I won’t take so long on my next reply. ^^)