Alone

[swellter]

Who: Shouto and Allen + Dabi
What: June Event Prompt One. A few hours after THIS. 
When: June 8th.
Where: The Farther Shores a mile away from the cherry blossom tree.

“Alone”

BY EDGAR ALLAN POE

From childhood’s hour I have not been

As others were—I have not seen

As others saw—I could not bring

My passions from a common spring—

From the same source I have not taken

My sorrow—I could not awaken

My heart to joy at the same tone—

And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone—

Then—in my childhood—in the dawn

Of a most stormy life—was drawn

From ev’ry depth of good and ill

The mystery which binds me still—

From the torrent, or the fountain—

From the red cliff of the mountain—

From the sun that ’round me roll’d

In its autumn tint of gold—

From the lightning in the sky

As it pass’d me flying by—

From the thunder, and the storm—

And the cloud that took the form

(When the rest of Heaven was blue)

Of a demon in my view—
 

The nightmares started in April with the death of a friend.

Lying in a pool of Paleblood, clinging to the dying, the first seeds of corruption sank their teeth into his heart spreading doubt and fear. His brother's warm presence that first night kept him from spiraling to that end that forms every Beast in Trench. The next day, it was Amaterasu's guardian sapling that kept his nightmares at bay. He slept under the tranquil aura of the cherry blossom while he waited for his friend's return. For a week, it's calming influence kept his corruption levels low. Afterwards, it was Allen's kind and radiant presence in his home that maintained the sapling's work. It was only after Allen moved into Sancturary and Shouto returned to active duty with the Hunters that his levels started to rise. His omen kept strict watch on his levels waging war every time corruption started to spread, sending him back to the guardian sapling when his levels rose.

It usually happened late at night when his dreams turned against him, and he woke up in a frozen room with his heart beating frantically in his chest. He clung to Kizu those nights, burying his face into the snow leopards winter coat, finding solace in the cold. Ice crept past his sheets those mornings, covering both Sleeper and omen in a layer of frost. Yet, he managed to keep himself together. Foregoing sleep for more shifts with the Hunters until exhaustion forced him into a dreamless sleep after a few days. 

Keeping his corruption to manageble levels was easier in the presence of his friends. His deep connection with them, kept the dark thoughts from finding purchase in his mind. Maybe that's why he spent so much time with them that second month after Allen's death. Accepting their invitations more readily, joining them for dinner, walking them home, going to parties. Their presence gave him a safe heaven, a place where dark thoughts didn't press on his mind, a respite from the nightmares. So, he slept, taking naps at every turn. Somehow, he managed to keep his corruption levels from spiraling out of control up until June when the demon arrived. 

Prime for a takevoer, the demon found him in the midst of another nightmare and latched onto him the first day with Kizu nonethe wiser. It fed on him, plagued his every dream until his body couldn't keep up anymore and he stopped patrolling altogether on day five too tired to complete his rounds. Scrapes and bruises started appearing on his skin on day seven, and on day eight it sent him into a nightmare so frantic he lost control of his quirk, burning his surroundings. Terror set in then, afraid of himself unaware of his rising corruption levels. With the demon clinging to his back, his thoughts turned dark too quickly. Afraid, Shouto sought out his friends and found Allen's network post from a few weeks ago and he replied in search of a familiar face.

A hero agency.

The concept reminded him so much of home it eased some of the terror from his heart. Already feeling a little better, Shouto couldn't help but respond to ask him about his plans, offer his help. It'd give him an excuse to see him in person instead of conversing through the omini as they usually did these days, but the conversation turned sour when the Hunters were mentioned.

Dark thoughts crept into his mind so quickly, spreading like a disease. The demon was fully grown and it's influence more acute. Well fed, it was bigger than him now. The demon dug its claws into him, influencing his thoughts, turning them against him when the omen interfered but it was too late. It had grown too strong, held far too much influence and plunges him into a nightmare long before he reaches the guardian sapling.

When Allen arrives at the cherry blossom tree on the Farther shores, he'll find it empty. If he looks around, he might find a strange sight about a mile away. Upon inspection, he'll come across a glacier jutting out of the black sands, three stories high, and at it's center - at the level of the sand -  lies an unmoving figure distorted by ice. 

Shouto lies sleeping on the black sands, covered in frost, within an open space at the center of the glacier, cut off from the world. The demon clings to him, feeding readily while the carbon dioxide levels slowly increase.

Comments

[swellter]

[ Shouto doesn't notice the reassuring touch, his mouth a worried line with everything Kizu's told him. It's enough to know they've made it out before, but he hates that he can't remember. It likes to play with you. Taunt you. If you're not certain something is real, draw it into the moonlight. He looks up to the full moon, still rising through the sky, and feels reassured by its presence. ]

I'm a liability without my quirk. If the demon wants to make Kizu come out, they'll come after me first. We can assume I'm their target for now. [ He turns to Allen. ] I should go first, bait out anything that's near us, and you can take them out.

[ He can take a hit and knows how to defend himself. He's not completely useless without his quirk, only partially. ]

[likethelight]

[ Hold on hold on hold on-- Allen blinks, startled as he hadn't realized that yet in their haste to escape. ]

Without your quirk...? [ He echoes it in some disbelief and growing alarm as that fully registers. None of his power? Then, in a nightmare world against that demon and surrounded likely by more creatures like the ones they had already encountered, likely much worse, he was without his quirk and... essentially a normal human, physically?

That is the first thing here that's made fear squeeze his heart. ]

We're not using you as bait! [ He snatches Shouto's hand with his Innocence-gloved one for emphasis, panic at the idea feeding his stubbornness. As if we're going to do that. ]

Who's to say it can't generate an endless amount of nightmares if we stay and try to fight them! A lot more of those creatures in the water appeared after I destroyed one of them, and it's likely going to want to do everything it can to keep us away from it. [ To keep him away, since he can hurt it with his sword, and his tone is relentlessly earnest. ]

It's better if we try to move quickly and only fight if we have to. That is something I can do.

[swellter]

[ Shouto stares back at him a little perturbed by that reaction. He thought he knew since Kizu started sharing their conversations. It's strange to see Allen looking this shaken when he and Kizu have already accepted the loss. ]

Did you think I'd let myself be carried away without helping in our escape? I'm not that agreeable.

[ He's a hero, even in this state, he'll do something if it's within his power. Though, Allen's protest does catch him a little off guard. He doesn't pull his hand away, listens, and relents when he makes his point. He was right. One had become twenty soon after Allen had disposed of the first creature. ]

Okay. We'll move quickly. Fight when we have to.

[ He means that in the plural. He won't let Allen fight on his own, but he also knows his situation so he'll make sure not to put himself in needless danger and force Allen into a corner to save him. ]

[ Only then, does he squeeze his hand. ] Let's go.

[likethelight]

[ He was in the middle of escaping and clearing his lungs at the time!! And she was hardly direct about it!! But he does famously tend to forget things said in moments like that...

Allen pulls a slight face at the initial protest because that is something he would not back down on, but his posture loosens in obvious relief when Shouto agrees. A touch contrite. ]

I'd never ask you to sit back and do nothing. [ It wasn't what he'd meant, even if that would arguably be safer. Because he understands that feeling, needing to do something and still be who you are even when you've lost your powers. Boy, does he ever... even if now, being on the other side of it -- he thinks he might also understand some of your fear at that time, Bak. ]

I told you to rely on me and I'll still rely on you, alright? [ Misgivings aside, his eyes are honest as he says that, returning the hand squeeze firmly. You're still way better at summing up a situation and seeing the way out than he is, that's something that's life and death in these circumstances. ]

Get onto my back and hold onto my neck. [ He crouches as he speaks, looking back up at him. Cloak and all? Yes, but don't worry about that. ] I can't move as fast or high as your ice but I might be able to get us past some of what's out there.

[swellter]

[ He works with other heroes in training and they'd never ask him to stay behind and do nothing. That's not how people like them operate. Their hearts would never let them. Staying behind to work on a task that's more in line with his current state, yes, he can accept that but in this situation, he can't stay behind. The fact that Allen understands that sets them back on equal footing and he nods at his statement. There's no relief, only an understanding because there was never a chance he'd accepted anything less. ]

Alright.

[ Shouto watches his movements. In situations like these, his observation skills sharpen, analyzing every gesture or quiet word for how it might change their situation. This is the hero Endeavor raised. The golden vessel he poured all his hard-earned knowledge and experience to catapult him to the top. Where Bakugou was a natural prodigy when it came to battle strategy, changing tactics on the fly, Shouto honed his knowledge through study and practical application. He was corrected at every turn by a boundless source of knowledge and expectation. Enji might have been a terrible father, but Shouto respected the hard work and perseverance of the hero who ultimately gained the number one title.

When Allen gives him directions, Shouto moves without question, already aware of his plan. It made the most sense, using his cloak for transportation the same way he used his ice. He's seen it on display enough times to know how it works and how he planned to use it, so he climbs onto his back and wraps his arms around his neck as he tells him without deviating from the set instructions.

Kizu. What's the safest route to the castle?

The omen answers, transmitting the conversation to Allen as they 'fly' through the air. Avoid the swamp area and the caverns. The monsters there have ways of dragging you down from a distance. If they get you under the mist it'll be dangerous. You burned off their attempts the last time. ]

[likethelight]

[ The moment he climbs onto Allen's back, his cloak shifts like a living thing. Parting like a ripple of feathers on a wing to let his legs pass through so Allen can loop his arms under them and rise. The cloak knits back up then, rippling around Shouto as feathers lengthen into ribbons that wind over his arms and shoulders, thighs and back; gently securing him into place without the need for Allen to hold on. Half-wrapping him up in itself as well, and letting itself still move somewhat freely. It feels impossibly soft and like an intangible sort of silk, and if he tries he'll find he can move still and adjust his grip, the cloak adjusting with him but binding like iron when it comes to keeping him from falling.

Allen glances back towards him after he straightens, letting go and making sure he's secure like that, though he can't see him given the thickness of the down of his own cowl. Doesn't need to though; it's more of a silent ready? as he braces, then snaps one of the tethers out from his right wrist towards the tallest tree on forest edge. It attaches near the top, and they're reeled up with a sudden, explosive speed. High, high, higher until he lets go of the tether at the last moment to continue catapulting them high, hanging there for a moment as he casts about for the next place to anchor to, and snapping another tether in that direction. Landing on whatever branch or treetop looks solid enough to support their weight -- and he lands more heavily than he's used to, something he has to quickly compensate for -- only long enough to find the next tall point to haul himself airborne with. Rinse and repeat.

It's not great, but it's the best he can manage with terrain like this. He can keep mostly above the mist line, use the tallest of trees to shoot the furthest ahead, but depending on what trees are available he's sometimes going to have to dip into it in order to have something that can hold their weight. Lightning quick, but it's still risky. ]

How long-- [ a small huff, catching his breath while spider-clinging briefly to the side of a tree with his clawed left hand ] would it usually take you to get there?

[swellter]

[ Allen moves the same way Midoriya does when invoking Blackwhip. A similar concept but a massive difference in execution. For one, Shouto doesn't feel like he's being wrenched off the ground by a single point of contact. The feather-like cloak wraps around all of him like a warm embrace. It feels soft and familiar invoking the same feeling of tranquility the guardian sapling imparts in him when he sleeps under the cherry blossom tree. Buried under the plumage, he can't see Allen but he feels him, shifts his grip to assure himself he's there.

Rapid acceleration at top speeds, free-flying through the air, and completing tight maneuverings in a three-dimensional space are all movements he's accustomed to with his quirk. None of his moves are as fast and elegant as Allen manages with his cloak, but it's familiar enough to set aside the movement and focus on their next move. ]

I need to be able to see so Kizu can give us advice, and check if anything is trailing us.

[ He tells Allen midway through one of their free-falling jumps. While comfortable within the cloak, it's also not an ideal vantage point. He could loosen his hold and push himself up to see past the plumage, but he decides it's better to figure out a solution between them. As they fall back down, Shouto keeps his grip on him while they swing through the mist. He tries to check for any monsters but it's difficult to see through all the feather-like fabric filling his vision. It's not until Allen takes a moment, clinging to a tree, that he shifts his hold to maneuver himself into a better vantage point, acting the lookout while Kizu answers.

It took us ten minutes by ice, and five by fire.

It made sense. With his fire, he wouldn't need to cling to the canopy where monsters were waiting below the mist. He'd be high, bathed in moonlight, too far to attack and too fast to chase down from the ground. ]

[likethelight]

[ Ten minutes with his ice? That isn't so bad, it probably means it'll take Allen around fifteen, depending on the terrain remaining reliable. He considers that for a moment along with Shouto's request, glancing back in his direction. Can't hear him well when he speaks when the wind is rushing in his ears, so he lingers where they are for a moment. ]

You can try pushing yourself up on my shoulders? Crown Clown will hold you in place so you don't fall. [ True to his word, if Shouto tries to shift his grip like that he'll find the cloak keeps his legs steady but will let his hands move, rebinding around them when he finds a position he likes. Far too seamlessly and with instinctive sentience for it to be Allen controlling that directly.

As he's waiting for him to adjust however, half in and half out of the mist, the tree beneath them groans with a faint cracking sound, and it pulls Allen's attention with a blink as he wonders if it wasn't as stable as he thought. It feels softer under his left hand for some reason, and when he glances over at it he's briefly horrified to realize his claws are sinking deeper into the pulp -- which oozes a thick, viscous liquid that doesn't look quite right for sap.

Blood. It's staining his claws red with blood. ]

! [ One second, he gets one second to try and process what that means, before a woody vine snaps up from the darkness below, wrapping around his boot and yanking them both down to slam forcefully into the forest floor. ]

[swellter]

[ He lays his hands flat against his shoulders and pushes himself up to see past the hooded portion of the cloak, which shifts to accommodate his movements. It feels like being underwater, his limbs pushing against a resistance that slows his movements just enough to be noticeable. Once he's settled on his shoulders, he looks around. Catches sight of a large monster in the woods and his grip on his shoulders tightens. ]

There's something large coming toward us. It has blood on its--

[ SNAP!

And down they go! Past the mist, hitting a myriad of branches that seem to move in concert with each other as if trying to catch them. Shouto manages to see what they're doing before he's forced to duck down. He covers his head with his arms to protect himself as they come to a stop.

With his eyes closed, he's able to shake off the sudden drop and pops his head out of the cowl to look up in time to see the woods lacing their branches together, forming a net-like lattice-work that blocks even a hint of moonlight. ]

The trees blocked the exit.

[ If Allen looks up, he'll see the pattern spreading above them, from tree to tree. They can't escape by going up, not from their current position, and if they stay put, that network of wood will start forming a cage-like dome trapping them with the demon's spawn.

Keyed into Shouto's voice, the nightmares made of wood start to crest the hills surrounding them while the woods above continue to create their prison. When Shouto spots the headdress of the flying ones both Sleeper and Omen snap out the same command. ]

Move!

[likethelight]

[ The branches come like thin, whip-like slaps, merely annoying where Crown Clown protects them both but leaving thin razor cuts where they manage to strike his cheek. Allen twists and lashes out instinctively, claws glowing briefly in the mist as power thrums through them, and cuts through the offending vine around his foot like twine, but not in time to stop himself from landing heavily on his side. Shouto would have an easier time of it, due being surrounded as he is by the thick and protective nature of his cloak that would have wrapped close in the fall.

Somewhat winded and more than a little bruised, Allen shakes his head violently for a moment to clear it, senses sharpening up and sobering as his left eye activates once again. Not for seeing any one particular thing, but here underneath the mist... everything. It feels like everything is intensely corrupted, no distinct beasts or any souls that drag his attention, but just a rolling series of corrupted auras in numerous silhouettes so thick that he's unsure how to pick them out-- or even just see for a moment.

It's a good thing Shouto and Kizu shout when they do, because it cuts through the sensory overload he isn't quite used to and his muscles snap into motion without even needing to think about it. He rolls to his feet and, as Crown Clown twists in counterbalance, surges forward with both a leap and the cloak pushing off behind them. Hitting the ground in a neat landing he immediately jumps into a run from, he turns an eye upward only to find the canopy above knitting itself shut before his eyes. ]

We need to find a clearer spot they can't seal up as quickly! [ He shouts it over his shoulder as he uses a tether from his wrist to propel them forward again, attaching to a tree in the distance -- but he severs it almost immediately, landing in an awkward slide as his eye revealed the tree beginning to move, awakening as another one of the lumbering wooden creatures.

Shit. ] None of the trees are going to be safe to use.

[ What a terrible time for him to be without Timcanpy too, having left him behind in the physical world and this isn't his spiritual world, as Allen's sense of direction is absolutely awful without him as a guide. Could he simply summon him here? Probably, but he needs to leave him to guard their bodies in the real world. So he's going to have to rely almost entirely on Shouto and Kizu guidance, his attention otherwise entirely on moving as quickly as he can while avoiding the forest coming to life around them. ]

1/2

[swellter]

[ No way to outrun them on his own, he lets Allen take over where they're going trusting him to maneuver them as best he can out of the nightmare's path, while he takes on the task of searching for an exit. He holds onto Allen and climbs out of the cowl just enough to see its movements. The feather-like tendrils wrap around him like ribbons the same way they did for Allen but they don't puppet him. Only hold onto him, keeping him tethered while he looks up at the closing woods that dim the presence of the moonlight that hits the mists. Soon enough, the cloak will be the only beacon of light, an easy target for anything that comes after them.

Kizu. Can you break through the trap?

Yes. If I grow large enough.

Neither of them touches on the obvious - she'll be attacked when she does - but in this situation, if they can't find a way out, they need a last resort. It would be so easy to pierce through with his ice or burn the whole forest to the ground, but without his quirk...

He grits his teeth. If we can't get out - Grow.

His hands turn into fists, shaking lightly. He ignores it, ignores their headlong flight through the woods, the monsters of wood chasing after them, and looks at the forest itself. ]

2/2

[swellter]

[None of the trees are safe... What cuts through trees in a forest? Kizu warned them about the swamps. Meaning water. The trees needed it too. That's where all the mist came from. The demon might have control of this world, but it spawned from him. His view of the world. The forests he knew always had a-- He searches the ground for a glimmer of light and -- There! ]

Three o-clock! There's a river there. Follow it.

[ Rivers always lead to a bridge. Kizu sends the image to Allen. An open space. ]

[likethelight]

[ Can Kizu... break though? He takes a sharp breath at that, realizing what they mean, and he doesn't need to feel Shouto's hands tighten against his shoulders to solidify his own feelings on that. ]

Don't. [ It's breathless as he's still running, darting off at an angle to follow the other boy's instructions. He finds the river quickly, running along the embankments, using short hops tethering to what he can safely assume isn't a living part of the forest to pull himself along at greater speeds.

In the distance, he can see the outline of more nightmare creatures that are keeping pace with him easily, loping along as they stare and keep track of their progress without moving to intervene yet. ]

Before it comes to that -- don't. There's something I can try. [ Something that's a last ditch because he'll be much weaker for a while and they haven't even gotten anywhere near the demon itself yet... and he can feel his Innocence struggling under the oppressive corruption of the forest as well. Even the radiance looks a little dimmer as well, like it's being choked out. But before trying something so risky as that with Kizu--

"Where are you going? Allen."

It hits like a gentle but paralyzing psychic boom, a sweet but hesitant female voice echoing in both of their heads but especially Allen's from sheer familiarity. And against his better judgement, he comes to an abrupt stop, whipping around in actual horror. ]

Lenalee?

[ Behind them is the ghostly figure of a young woman with raven black hair in a black and red militaristic uniform, looking both hopeful yet afraid as she leans forward and presses a hand to her chest. And Allen is briefly frozen by the specter, knowing better but also momentarily unable to move.

"If you go, we'll have to fight each other." ]

[swellter]

[ With the order set in place, anxiety claws at his heart. He won't take it back, even when Allen offers him an alternative for that too worries him. They've fought together on several different fronts, against all odds. For Allen to offer a power set he didn't use during their fight with the Level Four Akuma of his world makes him hesitant to accept it. ]

Is it dangerous?

[ It's the first question that comes to mind and one that gets lost in the demon's next move. A voice, sweet and kind, sweeps through his mind like a gentle stream touching on every part of him. Kizu shoves it off by force, protecting him from the brunt of its influence. Allen isn't so lucky. Caught in the trap, he comes to a halt, sending his cloak flying all around him, obscuring his view. ]

Don't lose focus.

[ He grips his shoulders and tries to physically move him, but he won't budge. The ribbons of light impossible to shift without their bearer's response.

Lenalee?

Allen's horror-struck tone sets him on edge. Did he... know her?! Still unable to see, Shouto moves up away from the cloak, revealing more of himself to the nightmare in the form of a beautiful young woman in a familiar style of dress. Was she from his world? He's never spoken about anyone but his father and sensei. Then, who was this? One of his teammates? He knows so very little to combat this new threat, but he knows it's a threat, and the target isn't him this time, but Allen. ]

That's not the same person you know.

[ He shakes him, anxiety spilling over to his omen when more monsters crest over the hill, coming down to the river's edge. Kizu grows anxious, fearful of this new threat with Allen caught in its spell. ]

Allen. Move.

[likethelight]

[ Don't lose focus. That's not the same person you know. He knows, he knows that. He's actually not ensnared in any kind of siren song or mind control, no spell. Only the reflection of his own memories and regrets, shoved down deep and not thought about after they were no longer something he could do anything about, something from the deep past that's now staring him in the face.

He hasn't seen her or any of them in so long that it's almost like he forgot that life, even if he didn't. And that's why it hits like a knife in the heart, even when Shouto shakes him and his voice is in his ear. Because she's also standing there looking at him like she had at that time, when he'd put on a smile, hugged her and told her it would be alright even as he left her behind against both their wishes, even though every single part of him had wanted to cry.

The figure takes a step towards them, every part of her countenance gentle and accepting. Confused. Why are you doing this?

"Don't you miss us?" ]

Ch. [ He'd dig his fingers into his palms hard enough to draw blood, but the glove of Innocence on his right won't let him and he can't form a fist with his left like this.

He's trembling, hard, but jerks away, eyes stinging with bitter tears as Shouto shouts. Behind him, the ghostly figure of Lenalee warps for a moment. Shivering in place before the twisted and gaunt form of a desecated woman appears instead, gnarled hands twisting in rage as she ʂƈɾҽαɱʂ after them. Piercing, like nails being hammered into your head, but while he staggers slightly under it (trips, feeling like something is grabbing at his feet) he grits his teeth and keeps going. Lets Crown Clown bind itself around him again and make him keep going until she's left far behind.

Again.

(Bury it. Just bury the pain for now.)

He practically explodes up out of the riverbend when they get to the clearing then, to the bridge, skidding in an uncharacteristically haphazard and heavy landing along the wooden slats as he braces and catches his bearings. Posture tense, harsh. Shaky.

So's his voice. ]

Which way.

[swellter]

[ Unaware of his inner turmoil, he can still guess what's at play here. A trick, the same as the sea monsters used on him with his mother and siblings. Kizu, can you block out the voice from his mind? The omen tries but alas, she's not his. She can only speak with him, not protect him. Tim's the only one, and he left him behind to protect their physical bodies. Kizu communicates all of this through a range of feelings and an apology.

He grows numb, realizing the kind of danger he dragged him into. A demon. One only Allen could see. In this world of dreams, he could see it too. Fight it. If he could do it alone, Allen wouldn't need to suffer his nightmares either. It was his demon. He should have faced it on his own, told Allen to stay back and--

Please rely on me sometimes too. Because what I'd like... it's for us both to rely on each other.

His jaw clenches, remembering the promise made between them. Bites down on his lower lip at his traitorous thoughts. He wouldn't break it. Couldn't. He's already suffering. Feels him trembling beneath him. He can't be another burden. He has to pull his weight. ]

I have to rely on you here.

So, please rely on me too. When you don't know what's real.

[ He reaches for the cuff made from his blood. The one Madame Generosity presented him with for his birthday. Transfers the Paleblood jewelry to Allen's left ear, pressing the delicate metal around the rounded top edge of his ear.]

Reach for this to SEE for yourself.

[ It's the only thing he can think to do. Paleblood jewelry helped bring visions. Shouto isn't sure how far along Allen is in his Palebood powers, but he believes it will work, and that's enough to make it come true without the constraints placed on them in Trench. Here, in a world of his own making, Shouto gives a piece of himself to protect the one protecting him, keeping his promise.

When they break through the clearing and onto the bridge, he can only give one answer. ]

SEE it.

/runs so hard with this because Ideas

[likethelight]

[ It's legitimately startling just how easily that punches through his disarray. "I have to rely on you here."

"So, please rely on me too. When you don't know what's real."

With the gentle touch at his ear, feeling him slip a familiar sort of pressure he hasn't felt in a long time there, not since he'd worn the wireless communication earrings the Order used, Allen blinks and forgets how to breath for a moment. Does the earring do anything about the effect the specter of Lenalee had or that banshee wail? Not in any magical way, but it does clear his head of those haunting memories of the past and yank him back to reality. Makes his attention snap back with a startling clarity, and he jerks back to stare at Shouto over the feathers of his cowl. With unfiltered awe, being reminded of their promise like that. "SEE"?

He reaches up as he was directed, uncertain and staring back with clear pale eyes reflective of the moonlight now that they've made it to a clearing where it thins the mist and feebly breaks through again. Neither of his hands are good for that right now because of his invocation, so he brushes the bloodstone lightly with the thumb edge of his clawed left hand. With a faint click like stone against stone, but his eyes dilate and then constrict. Unseeing even with ѕιgнт. Even if...

Even if... it's not him. Doesn't feel like him. Feels like he's real and within some memory, but when he looks down his hands are both human. Feels real and present, but like the world is blurry and he's outside his own body. Cold right, hot left, a snow leopard at his side and not Timcanpy. And the slit eyes of the demon dead ahead, leering in sadistic glee as its its lips with a forked tongue.

A kaleidoscope whirl of sensations and feelings, scattershot memories that aren't his own with no sense of which is past, present, or future expand and compress in an instant, feeling like living it through in hours that pass within a fraction of a second. In reality, he staggers for only a moment, Crown Clown binding around his legs and middle tight to keep him upright, but his consciousness reels from it.

Allen's Paleblood works differently, his ѕιgнт works differently as he's always had his mind's eye focused in a different way due to the nature of his curse. Though maybe it's also because it's Shouto's jewelry, his blood he's wearing, but it's overwhelming to Allen nonetheless. He gasps for a second, his breath coming in erratic puffs as he presses his right hand to his head and struggles to parse his thoughts. ]

Be free~

[swellter]

[ In his rush through the forest, Allen buys them enough time to reach the treeline and just beyond it the bridge rising above the water, clear of mist, exposed to the full light of the moon. ]

The monsters stopped at the treeline. They can't step on the bridge while it's in full view of the moon.

Allen? Did you hear me?... Kizu. Is that monster still targeting him?

[ He quickly climbs off his back, extracting himself from the ribbons of light to swing himself in front of him, hands on his shoulders, shaking him. ]

Allen. Can you hear me?!

[likethelight]

[ He'll find it easy to move off his back as soon as that's his intent; Allen is reeling but Crown Clown is not, fully conscious of that sort of thing itself and able to act independently, even as it rustles uneasily in its own breeze. But there's no response from Allen at first, shoulders almost ragdoll limp and eyes still wide and unseeing even as he seems conscious. It's crowded, his head, and like he's seeing and feeling too many things at once in order to process reality. Trying to separate the ʏᴏᴜ from the ᴍᴇ. Speeding by above the forest, a path of ice underfoot. No, fire behind. A shuffling together of different experiences lived and felt.

Blood. Ash. Guilt.

His eyes snap actually open abruptly, coming to focus on Shouto's face with a quick gasp. Stilling from it and the cool and damp scent of nighttime air. Reality. ]

I'm... I can hear you. [ He sounds a touch breathless even though he shouldn't be, eyes still a little wide and staring at Shouto a bit like he's never seen him before. Or that he's never seen him quite like that before -- or that, more accurately, he has. Déjà vu.

A bit dazed, he brings his right hand up and pats the back of the hand on his shoulder lightly. I'm okay. Just trying to let his breathing even out as the cuts of his face begin knitting themselves shut under the moonlight. ]

Sorry, my head... went somewhere.

[swellter]

[ Relief, clear and stark washes over him, fearful for a moment that he pushed him too far. With his answer, the fierce grip on his shoulder eases just long enough for him to pull him into his arms. ]

You scared me.

[ He says beside his ear, fingers pressed against his back in a stronghold. Above them, the light of the moon grows stronger, cutting through the mist where it's thinnest just above the water and near the treeline.

Monsters start screeching, limbs spontaneously combusting as they retreated into the mist away from the light. Hearing them, Shouto lets go of Allen to whip back in time to see the burning husks that were once arms and legs. He stiffens at the sight of red eyes seething with rage glaring at them from the shadows. ]

What happened?

[likethelight]

[ It's... such a plain and simple sort of admission, like it's obvious. One that shouldn't even be surprising with everything they've been through or how far they've come. And yet it startles Allen so much, being pulled into such a tight embrace and having that quietly said into his ear. So much so that he goes so very still, pausing with a hesitant curve of his spine and blinking as he isn't quite sure what to do for a moment.

Just for a moment though, before it bleeds off him and he relaxes, eyes briefly closing as he touches the back of the other boy's head with his one good hand, letting his palm rest gently against his neck there. ]

Mm. [ It's quiet. ] I'm sorry. [ Sorry he scared you.

The rage of the monsters behind them draws his attention back too, but not as sharply as they do Shouto's, just sobering and focused. His left eye has calmed and become pale grey again now that they're back in the moonlight and far enough from the corruption of the forest, and he relies on it as his danger sense when it comes to creatures like this and knew they weren't getting close. They're fine where they are... for now. But they shouldn't linger.

The question draws a quick, almost guilty look from Allen though. Uncertainty. ]

I... saw where you went, I think. [ His gaze flickers a touch nervously across Shouto's face, still unsure entirely what he saw. Still too much to unpack. ]

I could see the forest. And the castle.

[swellter]

[ With the monsters retreating and the moonlight shining so brightly, he feels like he can breathe just a little easier. Allen's words still knock around in his head and he wants to tell him that he doesn't have to apologize but they don't have that kind of time. More than that, when he brings up his vision, all his misgivings fade away. He turns back around, stepping closer to him, a glint of hope in his eyes. ]

You saw a vision?

[ His eyes dart to the cuff on his ear. It... worked. It almost feels like a miracle, but the nervous look he gives him dims any satisfaction. He tries not to linger on his choice of words either, not we but you. ]

Where did I go?

[likethelight]

[ Where indeed. Allen brings his right hand up and rests it against the side of his head, as if that might help him remember better or see more clearly. He remembers feelings and senses, impressions more than clear visuals. It's helpful, but it also isn't.

But if he gets up high again, he can help pinpoint the way there better now. Even with a poor sense of direction, having an image of it in his head now helps negate that. ]

Into the castle. The beast was there too -- and Kizu. It had definitely been waiting, though. [ His gaze flicks back to Shouto, becoming focused once again as he lets his hand drop. Uneasy, like he isn't sure if he should admit it, but... ]

I think... it was when you were there before.

[swellter]

Into the castle... that means we reach it. Kizu too.

[ Which greatly sets him at ease, he sets a hand on his chest and nods firmly at the revelation of the demon's presence. ]

That confirms it's there.

[ They'd been sidetracked but they were going in the right direction. At least that's what he thinks up until the last comment. His brows crease, mouth pulling down. ]

Before? You had a vision of the past?

[likethelight]

I don't know. [ He looks down at his own hands a bit guiltily, left and then right, as if maybe his powers are why it got messed up. ] I think so?

[ Why would he see a future he wasn't in, otherwise? ]

That was what it felt like. It wasn't "me" who was seeing anything. [ Not his body, or his feelings. ] More like... experiencing an echo of a memory.

[ He hesitates though, looking up with a small fidget. He'd been trying to help give him his paleblood ability of future sight, right? To trigger Allen's own? Which hasn't awoken at all still, except presumably in that one fluke occurrence when his cursed sight had seemed to extend all the way to within Dabi's own soul. And... what he'd been trying to do here, back in the real world.

Stepping inside someone else's mind and soul. ]

What... are they supposed to feel like? The visions.