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"create_datetime_usertime": "01 Mar 2018 21:34 CET" } ], "pools": [ { "pool_id": "50259", "name": "Dreamkeepers 2017 Halloween Fanart Contest Submissions", "description": "All my writing submissions to the Dreamkeepers 2017 Halloween Contest on DeviantArt. \"Tightrope\" won grand prize in the writing category.", "count": "5", "submission_left_submission_id": "1553707", "submission_left_file_name": "2204796_ZephyrLyall_tightrope.doc", "submission_right_submission_id": "1554238", "submission_right_file_name": "2205638_ZephyrLyall_connection.doc" }, { "pool_id": "50260", "name": "Dreamkeepers Fanfiction", "description": "Fanfiction taking place in the Dreamkeepers universe.", "count": "11", "submission_left_submission_id": "1553707", "submission_left_file_name": "2204796_ZephyrLyall_tightrope.doc", "submission_right_submission_id": "1554238", "submission_right_file_name": "2205638_ZephyrLyall_connection.doc" }, { "pool_id": "50261", "name": "Written Fiction", "description": "Any and all written fiction by me.", "count": "11", "submission_left_submission_id": "1553707", "submission_left_file_name": "2204796_ZephyrLyall_tightrope.doc", "submission_right_submission_id": "1554238", "submission_right_file_name": "2205638_ZephyrLyall_connection.doc" } ], "description": "Originally posted on DeviantArt on October 26, 2017. DeviantArt description below:\n\n[q]WARNING: This story contains strong violence, strong blood and gore, strong language, and mild sexual themes.\n\n>In regards to \"sexual themes,\" this refers to a single analogy made in the story with explicit sexual language; there are no actual sexual activities. However, due to the obscenity of the description, I decided to err on the side of caution and label this submission as \"strict.\"\n\n>This story contains implied spoilers for the Dreamkeepers Graphic Novel Saga. Without prior knowledge, however, I doubt anything will be truly spoiled for those unfamiliar with Dreamkeepers. Yet, it is highly recommended that, if you haven't already, read all of the publicly released pages of the Dreamkeepers Graphic Novel Saga.\n>>NOTE: This story DOES makes reference to an event that occurs at the end of Volume 4, which has yet to be publicly released. If you have read Dreamkeepers, but do not own Volume 4, this may count as a major spoiler.\n\nThis is my third entry into the 2017 Dreamkeepers Halloween Fanart Contest.\nThe premise: By some cruel twist of fate, Mace once again faces Ravat and has yet to Awaken his Power, leaving him greatly outmatched. What's worse, this time, Ravat is no longer holding back...\n\nI feel a bit guilty writing something terrible about such a beloved character, but it most definitely fits the theme of Halloween.\n\nAlso, just in case anyone is wondering, this takes place sometime after Volume 4. Some of you may then point out that by this point, Kalei has joined the kids, but I didn't include her due to the relatively small amount of time she has in the GNS thus far and how little characterization she has received; I am not proficient at writing other people's characters and writing for a character that I have very little information on in terms of personality would be very difficult.\n\nThis story was originally intended to have more scenes, but the word limit made that infeasible. Therefore I decided to split the story into two parts; I'll write up the second part and upload it when I can. However, while this story can be considered a good entry for the \"Creepiest\" category for the contest, the second part isn't creepy, funny, or sexy, leaving it as a possible contender for the \"Writing\" category only. Because of this, I may not complete the second part until after the contest, in favor of other short story ideas.\n\nAnyways, any constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.\n\nDISCLAIMER: Dreamkeepers universe and characters owned by Dave & Liz Lillie. None of the characters in this story of my own creation.\n\nFinal Note: I understand why .docx files can't be uploaded, but why does Stash-writer-whatever have to insert additional paragraph spacing whenever I paste text from a Word document? Manually deleting them is such a hassle...\n[/q]\n\nDreamkeepers owned by @Dreamkeepers.", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Originally posted on DeviantArt on October 26, 2017.  DeviantArt description below:

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"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWARNING:  This story contains strong violence, strong blood and gore, strong language, and mild sexual themes.

>In regards to "sexual themes," this refers to a single analogy made in the story with explicit sexual language; there are no actual sexual activities.  However, due to the obscenity of the description, I decided to err on the side of caution and label this submission as "strict."

>This story contains implied spoilers for the Dreamkeepers Graphic Novel Saga.  Without prior knowledge, however, I doubt anything will be truly spoiled for those unfamiliar with Dreamkeepers.  Yet, it is highly recommended that, if you haven't already, read all of the publicly released pages of the Dreamkeepers Graphic Novel Saga.
>>NOTE:  This story DOES makes reference to an event that occurs at the end of Volume 4, which has yet to be publicly released.  If you have read Dreamkeepers, but do not own Volume 4, this may count as a major spoiler.

This is my third entry into the 2017 Dreamkeepers Halloween Fanart Contest.
The premise:  By some cruel twist of fate, Mace once again faces Ravat and has yet to Awaken his Power, leaving him greatly outmatched.  What's worse, this time, Ravat is no longer holding back...

I feel a bit guilty writing something terrible about such a beloved character, but it most definitely fits the theme of Halloween.

Also, just in case anyone is wondering, this takes place sometime after Volume 4.  Some of you may then point out that by this point, Kalei has joined the kids, but I didn't include her due to the relatively small amount of time she has in the GNS thus far and how little characterization she has received; I am not proficient at writing other people's characters and writing for a character that I have very little information on in terms of personality would be very difficult.

This story was originally intended to have more scenes, but the word limit made that infeasible.  Therefore I decided to split the story into two parts; I'll write up the second part and upload it when I can.  However, while this story can be considered a good entry for the "Creepiest" category for the contest, the second part isn't creepy, funny, or sexy, leaving it as a possible contender for the "Writing" category only.  Because of this, I may not complete the second part until after the contest, in favor of other short story ideas.

Anyways, any constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.

DISCLAIMER:  Dreamkeepers universe and characters owned by Dave & Liz Lillie.  None of the characters in this story of my own creation.

Final Note:  I understand why .docx files can't be uploaded, but why does Stash-writer-whatever have to insert additional paragraph spacing whenever I paste text from a Word document?  Manually deleting them is such a hassle...
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Dreamkeepers owned by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDreamkeepers\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDreamkeepers\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
.", "writing": "[b]Scars, Part I[/b]\n\nThe brat was extremely resilient - it took all of his strength to slice through his ankles and sever the supporting tendons. This was made all the more difficult by the kid simply refusing to stay fuckin' still. He had to make the cuts while the little shit was midair, the impact nearly tearing his blade out of his hands.\n\nYet there wasn't a halo in sight. The kid still hasn't popped, despite having plenty of time and opportunities to do so.\n\nSo what the fuck was with this damn resiliency?\n\nSome kind of bleed-through, protecting the kid without being Awakened? Or perhaps he was just a lot tougher than he looked.\n\nDoes this have anything to do with why the great white dildo wants him so badly?\n\nWell, doesn't matter now.\n\nPoor Mokoi, the thing won't be able to spend any time with the kid. But when fate drops a prize in your lap, you don't hesitate - you make the most of it.\n\nThe runt lay on the ground, blood pooling from his ankles, making a futile attempt to stand.\n\nA couple strides and his boots planted themselves next to the struggling form.\n\nHe effortlessly flipped the kid over, planting a knee in his crotch and drawing out a pitiful yelp. With one hand he roughly grabbed the twerp's hands and yanked them above his head. Lovingly sharpened and polished steel flashed through the air as he stabbed his blade through the palms, pinning the boy to the dirt beneath him.\n\nAh, the first real scream.\n\nPity he had only the one blade. The next part will have to be done the old-fashioned way.\n\nThe kid was going to pay dearly for humiliating him.\n\nTears beaded at the edges of the runt's eyelids as he strained against the blade's hilt, managing only to bring himself more agony.\n\nThe kid began to choke something out.\n\n``W-wait, I thought, N-Nabo - ``\n\nHe punched the little bastard in the face.\n\nNethers, it was like hitting a brick wall. He grinned, however, at the gruesome crack of the kid's nose breaking.\n\nHe bent in close to the blood-spattered face.\n\n``Old employer, runt. Got a new boss, far more reasonable `n' understanding of his employee's needs. Ha, `n' don't get me started on the benefits package!''\n\nHe drew a neat line of red beneath one big, blue eye with his thumbnail. The kid gritted his teeth.\n\n``Ya see, he not only wants you dead, but I get to choose the how.''\n\nThought it was impossible, but those blue eyes managed to get even wider. He could practically taste the fear.\n\n``Heh, and unlike your little girlfriend, I have plenty of time to get creative with you.''\n\nHe leaned back, arms folded as he carefully considered his options.\n\nHis claws could do the job, no problem. They were always sharpened to a razor edge, just in case he lost his blade in battle - or wanted to get even more personal with his victims.\n\nThere was also his Power, of course.\n\nThe poisonous yellow-green glow around his pitch-black halo flared briefly, warmth permeating his body as he imagined the child's flesh slowly rotting away until the screaming boy eventually transitioned into a gurgling puddle of gore.\n\nBeen there, done that - it's starting to get a bit old.\n\nThis was a special occasion! Nabby's precious prize! He needed something new, something fresh - \n\nOh.\n\nOh, yes.\n\nA sinister smile crept up his face, the kid's breath quickening in response.\n\nClawed hands took a hold of the boy's jacket and yanked down its zipper, exposing his chest and abdomen.\n\nHe paused as a girl's face was revealed, delicately carved into a charm hanging from a simple loop of string around the kid's neck,\n\nAin't that cute.\n\nShe had one, too, clutched in her hand as she danced beneath his blade, except shaped in her friend's likeness, the real-life version now looking up at him in terror.\n\nBet every time he looked at his, he remembered her corpse, sliced up like a slab of meat.\n\nHis grin widened.\n\nA thick, sharp claw slowly carved through the fur and skin of the orphan's belly, parting the dermis and revealing taut red muscle, blood quickly pooling into and out of the wound.\n\nThe tears were flowing freely now. The eyes weren't shy in broadcasting the child's terror. By some ridiculous force of will, only a few whimpers escaped.\n\nAnother leisurely slice severed the muscle and revealed the abdominal cavity, twisted intestines covered in flaps of yellow fat. The whimpers had become sobs.\n\nHis grin widened as he wriggled a hand inside, the warm, wet flesh gripping and massaging his limb like a woman's pussy around his cock. He couldn't help but shiver in anticipation.\n\nRavat clenched his fingers, claws ripping through the intestinal walls, making sure to get a good, firm grip on his first handful of gore.\n\n``Please - !''\n\nHe pulled swiftly, suddenly, without warning.\n\nMace began to scream and didn't stop.\n\n[center]*******[/center]\n\nHe didn't know what happened.\n\nHe remembered turning the corner, but almost immediately he found himself facing the ground, hand against the wall, puking his guts out.\n\nVisions of red pools and carved flesh swam before his eyes, white fur saturated with blood - \n\nHe retched again, but there was nothing left to give.\n\nWith his free hand, he wormed beneath his scarf and traced the scar along his neck, reassuring himself that there was no blood, no gaping wound.\n\nWhy now?\n\nWhen the Nightmare gored Lilith beneath the Towers, he didn't feel fear, no terror, not even rage. He felt an all-consuming, single-minded determination to save her, regardless of the cost. He didn't hesitate to leap into the chasm after her and it almost killed him. And it saved her.\n\nBut now...\n\nSomething gently grabbed his chin and tilted his face upwards.\n\nHe stared into his father's eyes, a sympathetic smile below them.\n\nThe man's mouth opened, it was barely a whisper - \n\n``Coward.''\n\n[center]*******[/center]\n\nIt amazed her how much her sister had grown; the girl who had once froze in fear, fur on end, before the great `Tongue Beast' of Starfall, now ran ahead of them without hesitation.\n\nFor once, Lilith was the braver one.\n\nShe was forcefully reminded of when Tendril made his debut beneath the Towers, skewering Lilith in the stomach and sending her falling into an abyss, Bast jumping after her in a bout of suicidal chivalry.\n\nShe remembered calling forth her Power, piercing harmlessly through the Nightmare's body.\n\nAnd now she couldn't even do that much. She was useless. \n\nHer heart threatened to burst from her chest as she desperately tried to quell her panic.\n\nWhip wasn't much better. He had already zoomed ahead and now hovered over Mace at a slight angle, tail and ears twitching, but not a single squeak from him; he was in shock.\n\nAnd Bast was - \n\nWait, Bast?\n\nNamah looked over her shoulder just in time to witness Bast lose his lunch.\n\nShe cringed.\n\nGuess even Mr. Scarf-Wearing Badass had his limits. Which was scary in of itself.\n\nBest not to think about that; Bast wasn't the one she should be worrying about.\n\nNamah made her way to Mace, mindful not to step on his... insides. \n\nBefore her, bloody pink coils twisted haphazardly from a gaping hole in his stomach, many burst and torn, oozing a reddish-brown - \n\nOof, don't focus on that; joining Bast in the `Puke Club' wouldn't help anybody.\n\nShe crouched down opposite Lilith, unable to avoid the lake of dark blood, it quickly seeping into her pants leg and creeping between her toes.\n\nLilith, pants already soaked and stained maroon, stared at Mace's supine form, eyes darting back and forth, mind furiously at work. She clutched a first aid kit to her chest, a small, pathetic thing made of plastic, utterly useless.\n\nBesides the black hole in his abdomen, a blade was ruthlessly stuck through both his hands, pinning them above his head. His face was a mess, trails of blood leading from a broken nose and a deep cut beneath his right eye; the rest of the fur around his eyes was wet, but not discolored, which could only be the result of tears. A quick look toward his legs revealed deep cuts at the back of his ankles, likely severing the tendons beneath.\n\nThe blood had spread far and colored dark, still fresh from the - his body.\n\nThere... there's no way he - \n\nLilith let out a choked gasp, startling Namah.\n\nShe quickly looked up to see her sister's eyes, tears beading at the edges, focused on Mace's chest with a mixture of shock, horror, and... relief.\n\nNamah followed her gaze...\n\nIt was a subtle movement, but unmistakable - ever so gently, Mace's chest rose and fell.\n\nHoly shit.\n\nHe was alive.\n\nAnd, mercifully, unconscious.\n\nThere was a chance.\n\nNamah steeled herself; they had only one shot and it had to be quick - no time for bullshit.\n\nShe reached over and shook Lilith by the shoulder; she started and nearly dropped the first aid kit.\n\n``Lilith, he needs your Power, right now,'' Namah said vehemently.\n\nPurple eyes regarded her in shock.\n\n``What?''\n\nIt was an obvious solution, one that her sister had no doubt arrived at as soon as she saw Mace's condition. Being hesitant now only meant one thing - she was still afraid of her Power.\n\nTough titties. Personal and ethical dilemmas about Power usage are gonna have to wait.\n\nNamah squeezed her shoulder and fixed Lilith with a fierce gaze.\n\n``We don't have time to discuss this.''\n\n``B-but,'' Lilith stammered, eyes briefly flicking to Mace, ``I don't think I have e-enough - ``\n\nIt took a lot out of her to heal Bast last time and her own injuries before that; and those were just a hole and broken bones.\n\nBut she has more than her own life force at her disposal.\n\n``Then use us.''\n\nFear crossed Lilith's visage.\n\n``No! I can't! It could kill you!''\n\nShe was well aware.\n\nNamah relaxed her grip and her expression softened.\n\n``Lilith, I know you can handle it - you're the best person to have this Power. You've always been meticulous and organized, this will be no different.''\n\nLilith opened her mouth.\n\n``And,'' Namah interrupted, ``we are all willing to do anything to help Mace. Right, Whip?''\n\nWhip was still just hanging there in shock.\n\n``Whip!?''\n\nHe nearly fell out of the air, but quickly righted himself.\n\nWhip's red eyes jumped back and forth between the girls and Mace before responding.\n\n``Ih.''\n\nGood enough for her.\n\nNamah looked over her shoulder.\n\n``Bast? Bast! Bast!''\n\nShe turned back to Lilith and gave her an imploring look.\n\nLilith took a deep breath before calling out to Bast.\n\n``Bast, please.''\n\nThat he heard.\n\nHalf a second later Namah heard his shoes scuff the ground and he soon took a knee on the other side of Mace, next to Lillith. He looked like he was still trying to keep his gorge down.\n\nLilith gave one last worried glance to Namah before speaking.\n\n``F-first I need that knife removed - don't know how my Power will react to it. Then h-his...''\n\nShe took a deep breath.\n\n``...Organs, you normally shouldn't, but we have to at least try to put them back in; we can't assume that my Power will pull them in. Then I'll use my Power and, only if I absolutely need it, I'll take what I need from y-you.''\n\nEveryone nodded their assent.\n\n``Namah, you remove the knife; Bast, gather his i-intestines; Whip, help either if they need it.''\n\nSuddenly Namah felt a concussive blast reverberate through her chest, accompanied by a dull thump.\n\nBehind Lilith, down a passageway, pink light briefly flared before being engulfed by a sickly green. Everyone turned to look, apprehensive - it was close.\n\n``Namah.''\n\nSpirits - he was conscious.\n\nShe jerked her head, looking down to see his blue eyes fixed on her, tears running down to intermingle with the blood and snot clotting his fur.\n\nBarely a whisper...\n\n``Please, kill me.''\n\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "Scars, Part I

The brat was extremely resilient - it took all of his strength to slice through his ankles and sever the supporting tendons.  This was made all the more difficult by the kid simply refusing to stay fuckin' still.  He had to make the cuts while the little shit was midair, the impact nearly tearing his blade out of his hands.

Yet there wasn't a halo in sight.  The kid still hasn't popped, despite having plenty of time and opportunities to do so.

So what the fuck was with this damn resiliency?

Some kind of bleed-through, protecting the kid without being Awakened?  Or perhaps he was just a lot tougher than he looked.

Does this have anything to do with why the great white dildo wants him so badly?

Well, doesn't matter now.

Poor Mokoi, the thing won't be able to spend any time with the kid.  But when fate drops a prize in your lap, you don't hesitate - you make the most of it.

The runt lay on the ground, blood pooling from his ankles, making a futile attempt to stand.

A couple strides and his boots planted themselves next to the struggling form.

He effortlessly flipped the kid over, planting a knee in his crotch and drawing out a pitiful yelp.  With one hand he roughly grabbed the twerp's hands and yanked them above his head.  Lovingly sharpened and polished steel flashed through the air as he stabbed his blade through the palms, pinning the boy to the dirt beneath him.

Ah, the first real scream.

Pity he had only the one blade.  The next part will have to be done the old-fashioned way.

The kid was going to pay dearly for humiliating him.

Tears beaded at the edges of the runt's eyelids as he strained against the blade's hilt, managing only to bring himself more agony.

The kid began to choke something out.

``W-wait, I thought, N-Nabo - ``

He punched the little bastard in the face.

Nethers, it was like hitting a brick wall.  He grinned, however, at the gruesome crack of the kid's nose breaking.

He bent in close to the blood-spattered face.

``Old employer, runt.  Got a new boss, far more reasonable `n' understanding of his employee's needs.  Ha, `n' don't get me started on the benefits package!''

He drew a neat line of red beneath one big, blue eye with his thumbnail.  The kid gritted his teeth.

``Ya see, he not only wants you dead, but I get to choose the how.''

Thought it was impossible, but those blue eyes managed to get even wider.  He could practically taste the fear.

``Heh, and unlike your little girlfriend, I have plenty of time to get creative with you.''

He leaned back, arms folded as he carefully considered his options.

His claws could do the job, no problem.  They were always sharpened to a razor edge, just in case he lost his blade in battle - or wanted to get even more personal with his victims.

There was also his Power, of course.

The poisonous yellow-green glow around his pitch-black halo flared briefly, warmth permeating his body as he imagined the child's flesh slowly rotting away until the screaming boy eventually transitioned into a gurgling puddle of gore.

Been there, done that - it's starting to get a bit old.

This was a special occasion!  Nabby's precious prize!  He needed something new, something fresh -  

Oh.

Oh, yes.

A sinister smile crept up his face, the kid's breath quickening in response.

Clawed hands took a hold of the boy's jacket and yanked down its zipper, exposing his chest and abdomen.

He paused as a girl's face was revealed, delicately carved into a charm hanging from a simple loop of string around the kid's neck,

Ain't that cute.

She had one, too, clutched in her hand as she danced beneath his blade, except shaped in her friend's likeness, the real-life version now looking up at him in terror.

Bet every time he looked at his, he remembered her corpse, sliced up like a slab of meat.

His grin widened.

A thick, sharp claw slowly carved through the fur and skin of the orphan's belly, parting the dermis and revealing taut red muscle, blood quickly pooling into and out of the wound.

The tears were flowing freely now.  The eyes weren't shy in broadcasting the child's terror.  By some ridiculous force of will, only a few whimpers escaped.

Another leisurely slice severed the muscle and revealed the abdominal cavity, twisted intestines covered in flaps of yellow fat.  The whimpers had become sobs.

His grin widened as he wriggled a hand inside, the warm, wet flesh gripping and massaging his limb like a woman's pussy around his cock.  He couldn't help but shiver in anticipation.

Ravat clenched his fingers, claws ripping through the intestinal walls, making sure to get a good, firm grip on his first handful of gore.

``Please - !''

He pulled swiftly, suddenly, without warning.

Mace began to scream and didn't stop.

*******


He didn't know what happened.

He remembered turning the corner, but almost immediately he found himself facing the ground, hand against the wall, puking his guts out.

Visions of red pools and carved flesh swam before his eyes, white fur saturated with blood -

He retched again, but there was nothing left to give.

With his free hand, he wormed beneath his scarf and traced the scar along his neck, reassuring himself that there was no blood, no gaping wound.

Why now?

When the Nightmare gored Lilith beneath the Towers, he didn't feel fear, no terror, not even rage.  He felt an all-consuming, single-minded determination to save her, regardless of the cost.  He didn't hesitate to leap into the chasm after her and it almost killed him.  And it saved her.

But now...

Something gently grabbed his chin and tilted his face upwards.

He stared into his father's eyes, a sympathetic smile below them.

The man's mouth opened, it was barely a whisper -

``Coward.''

*******


It amazed her how much her sister had grown; the girl who had once froze in fear, fur on end, before the great `Tongue Beast' of Starfall, now ran ahead of them without hesitation.

For once, Lilith was the braver one.

She was forcefully reminded of when Tendril made his debut beneath the Towers, skewering Lilith in the stomach and sending her falling into an abyss, Bast jumping after her in a bout of suicidal chivalry.

She remembered calling forth her Power, piercing harmlessly through the Nightmare's body.

And now she couldn't even do that much.  She was useless.  

Her heart threatened to burst from her chest as she desperately tried to quell her panic.

Whip wasn't much better.  He had already zoomed ahead and now hovered over Mace at a slight angle, tail and ears twitching, but not a single squeak from him; he was in shock.

And Bast was -

Wait, Bast?

Namah looked over her shoulder just in time to witness Bast lose his lunch.

She cringed.

Guess even Mr. Scarf-Wearing Badass had his limits.  Which was scary in of itself.

Best not to think about that; Bast wasn't the one she should be worrying about.

Namah made her way to Mace, mindful not to step on his... insides.  

Before her, bloody pink coils twisted haphazardly from a gaping hole in his stomach, many burst and torn, oozing a reddish-brown -

Oof, don't focus on that; joining Bast in the `Puke Club' wouldn't help anybody.

She crouched down opposite Lilith, unable to avoid the lake of dark blood, it quickly seeping into her pants leg and creeping between her toes.

Lilith, pants already soaked and stained maroon, stared at Mace's supine form, eyes darting back and forth, mind furiously at work.  She clutched a first aid kit to her chest, a small, pathetic thing made of plastic, utterly useless.

Besides the black hole in his abdomen, a blade was ruthlessly stuck through both his hands, pinning them above his head.  His face was a mess, trails of blood leading from a broken nose and a deep cut beneath his right eye; the rest of the fur around his eyes was wet, but not discolored, which could only be the result of tears.  A quick look toward his legs revealed deep cuts at the back of his ankles, likely severing the tendons beneath.

The blood had spread far and colored dark, still fresh from the - his body.

There... there's no way he -

Lilith let out a choked gasp, startling Namah.

She quickly looked up to see her sister's eyes, tears beading at the edges, focused on Mace's chest with a mixture of shock, horror, and... relief.

Namah followed her gaze...

It was a subtle movement, but unmistakable - ever so gently, Mace's chest rose and fell.

Holy shit.

He was alive.

And, mercifully, unconscious.

There was a chance.

Namah steeled herself; they had only one shot and it had to be quick - no time for bullshit.

She reached over and shook Lilith by the shoulder; she started and nearly dropped the first aid kit.

``Lilith, he needs your Power, right now,'' Namah said vehemently.

Purple eyes regarded her in shock.

``What?''

It was an obvious solution, one that her sister had no doubt arrived at as soon as she saw Mace's condition.  Being hesitant now only meant one thing - she was still afraid of her Power.

Tough titties.  Personal and ethical dilemmas about Power usage are gonna have to wait.

Namah squeezed her shoulder and fixed Lilith with a fierce gaze.

``We don't have time to discuss this.''

``B-but,'' Lilith stammered, eyes briefly flicking to Mace, ``I don't think I have e-enough - ``

It took a lot out of her to heal Bast last time and her own injuries before that; and those were just a hole and broken bones.

But she has more than her own life force at her disposal.

``Then use us.''

Fear crossed Lilith's visage.

``No! I can't! It could kill you!''

She was well aware.

Namah relaxed her grip and her expression softened.

``Lilith, I know you can handle it - you're the best person to have this Power.  You've always been meticulous and organized, this will be no different.''

Lilith opened her mouth.

``And,'' Namah interrupted, ``we are all willing to do anything to help Mace.  Right, Whip?''

Whip was still just hanging there in shock.

``Whip!?''

He nearly fell out of the air, but quickly righted himself.

Whip's red eyes jumped back and forth between the girls and Mace before responding.

``Ih.''

Good enough for her.

Namah looked over her shoulder.

``Bast? Bast! Bast!''

She turned back to Lilith and gave her an imploring look.

Lilith took a deep breath before calling out to Bast.

``Bast, please.''

That he heard.

Half a second later Namah heard his shoes scuff the ground and he soon took a knee on the other side of Mace, next to Lillith.  He looked like he was still trying to keep his gorge down.

Lilith gave one last worried glance to Namah before speaking.

``F-first I need that knife removed - don't know how my Power will react to it.  Then h-his...''

She took a deep breath.

``...Organs, you normally shouldn't, but we have to at least try to put them back in; we can't assume that my Power will pull them in.  Then I'll use my Power and, only if I absolutely need it, I'll take what I need from y-you.''

Everyone nodded their assent.

``Namah, you remove the knife; Bast, gather his i-intestines; Whip, help either if they need it.''

Suddenly Namah felt a concussive blast reverberate through her chest, accompanied by a dull thump.

Behind Lilith, down a passageway, pink light briefly flared before being engulfed by a sickly green.  Everyone turned to look, apprehensive - it was close.

``Namah.''

Spirits - he was conscious.

She jerked her head, looking down to see his blue eyes fixed on her, tears running down to intermingle with the blood and snot clotting his fur.

Barely a whisper...

``Please, kill me.''

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