Prelude to Void and Abyss (aka Just in time for Dark Souls!)

[empress_without_a_throne]

[1]

[An invitation for one and all: a celebratory dinner's being held at Solaris HQ for Mizuki's parents.  The gathering is comparatively small on the Solaris's end...but then again go figure, it's not a bustling organization anymore.  Still...]



We're not doing anything that's embarrassing right now, right?

You're fine, just-



Oh this would be just the time for something to get burned or the sprinklers to get set off or someone to have a surprise allergy to something, wouldn't it?



That's not going to happen!  Just relax and enjoy this!  This is supposed to be for you two and Zankuro!



I suppose you're right but...



No "buts".  Just sit down and enjoy this.  I know I am.

[Needless to say most of the food can look peculiar for anyone not versed in Abyssian eating habits.  Still, there's plenty of cooked mushrooms to be had, and a few selections off to the side for normal peoples' consumption.  And in spite of her parents oft-embarassing behavior... Mizuki's nothing but smiles as she sits with them, talking, catching up, filling them in on details of things Unity Group members are mentioning.  What did you expect?  They're a family... with one more on the way.]

[2]

[Later that night though, an explosion rocks Solaris HQ, alarms screeching one after another as security tries to figure out what happened.]

Something's in the building!

Systems say...  that blast was focused on the residential quarters!

[Residential?  But that could mean-]



Mom!  Dad!

[But what she finds is a massive gaping hole, with the epicenter being her parents' quarters.  Both lying on the floor, unconscious or possibly dead... but the real thing to worry about is the thick, spreading mass of darkness.]



A͎̥̘̫̥̗̜n͉͍͚̘̲̖͘d̷̘͓̘͎̳ ͚̺̩̺̞̲͓t̞͠h҉̙͈͉͍̜͕e̶̘̣ ̛͈͓ͅt̮̦͖̦̜̦͘ͅh͖̬̲̟i҉̜̺̥̲̰r̖͞ḍ ̮̣͈̥̖̺o̹̝̫̰̥f ͕̤̫̕t͉̥̗͇̞̣̞͡h̩e͜ ̗͍̖̖̤ͅͅu̮̪͍̣̙n̞͉̜̦̥ͅf͔̦̗͔̖͢ͅi͔̜̤̟͕̠͢ͅn͓͟i̯̖͢ṣ̵̳͖̗̬̮h͇͉e͍͇̬͇d̹̫͡ ͙f̤a͓̺̹̺i̞͍̼͈̰̠̦l̙̗̗u̡̹͎̻̼̰r̟̝̗e̶͙̯s͉̭͢ ̼͈̖͕̪͡ṣ̼̝̯̰̠̪h̖̼o̺̪͖̭w̢̜͚͈̘̯s̵̭̹͉͖̮ ̳͙̻̻̺͖͎i̛̙̦͇̰ţ̘͚̳̲s̱̤e̙ͅl̮͚̺͍̀f͎̬̥.̝̦͈̣̹͞

( And something bad does happen! )

[3]

( Aftermath )