Always darkest before pitch black

[empress_without_a_throne]

[1]

[When she awakes, Mizuki finds herself no longer in the DuskBird and the battle is long since ended.  The second battle with SolEraser, and her desperate, last attempt at taking the machine down... it's still fresh in her mind.  But she's in the infirmary, bandaged and with whatever deep see-based medicines the Unity Group had on-hand in case they were needed.  She felt... weary.]

What happened out there?

[And it's then that the medical staff gets to break the news to her.  About just what happened to SolSavior and the power it had unleashed.]



-But if I'd done that much to SolSavior itself, then...

Oh God!

[2]



[And some time later, Mizuki is just, lying in a sobbing heap nearby Ken and Dido's beds.  It was the SolBalmung incident all over again... there was just a hard limit to how much Void energy a human being can be exposed to and Ken and Dido had skirted dangerously close to it.  She had done this.  She had brought forth all the power of the Abyss Empress to bring down on the Eraser team, but it was her own friends and comrades that'd paid the price for it.  SolSavior itself lay wrecked even more than before, and this too was her doing.  And even if her body was in better shape now, her mind...]

Stop it...

[It's barely above a whisper.]

Stop congratulating me... all of you!  I'm not Marianas!  I'm not here to cause suffering!  I didn't want... I never wanted any of this!

Comments

[actuallyselfish]

"Whas..."

Did stirrs on her bed, arm reflexively scratching at the IV in her arm. "Did we..."

2

[jianai]

Of course you didn't.

[Ren approaches quietly, and speaks up only when the timing is appropriate.]

You never wanted to hurt your friends. All you did waas to protect them. Them, and others.

2

[63rd_shockwave]

...Heard you had some trouble.

[Sarah will wait to approach Mizuki until the abyss empress is outside Dido and Ken's rooms.]

2

[a_louse]

What's going to happen to them? What are the consequences of the ability you used?

1)

[sang_av_helten]

[Mizuki. You feel something batting at your leg. It was like someone poking a fuzzy thing at it.]

Mizuki? Mizuki teammate of Dido of Sybil?

[The voice was somewhat less gruff than usual. In fact it was more tired, more anxious. It was Skald. Unsure if he was able to get through to her he lets out a low rumbling noise... then jumps onto her, squirming himself under a hand. Hoping that it would calm her a little.]

2

[tiger_ken]

Who are you talking to?

[Ryuko appears, like a flicker out of shadow.]

2

[keep_your_dignity]

HEARING VOICES NOW, TOO, ONODERA?

2

[majestic_keiki]

[At least you're not alone, Mizuki. Kei is there to support you.]

I don't know who Marianas is, but we all know you're not trying to hurt people.