[ It’s amazing how smoothly this is going; Hijikata and his Pokémon work very well as a team, to the point where she’s reminded of her old adventuring party, with all the members playing their roles perfectly and comfortable in knowing that they can depend on everyone else to do their part as well. She smiles to herself picturing Laios and Hinobuta fighting side by side. If her brother is ever called to Ellipsa, who knows, maybe it will even come to pass…
Now’s not really the time to think about that, however, and she focuses on their mission again. ]
Right! I think I can still sense the faintest remains of the souls on them — it should be just about enough to separate them. If you could set them on the ground over here— [ She gestures to a patch of solid ground nearby. ] —I can start sorting them, and then, um, I think I might be able to dig graves for them and protect them against future flooding with my earth powers? We’ll see!
[ For now, she gets started on sorting the bones. The skulls and ribcages are where the traces of souls are the strongest, but what they amount to is still only a faint sense of which bones belong together, and she’s not looking forward to having to separate the smallest finger and hand bones later. It has to be done, however, or rather, it wouldn’t feel right if she didn’t at least try. As she works, laying the bones in neat little piles that slowly take the rough shape of humanoid skeletons, she speaks quietly, her voice so soft it’s barely audible: ]
I’m very sorry for what has been done to you. I promise I will do my best to lay you to rest in safety and peace, like you deserve. I will do all that I can to return all the pieces of your body to you, and if I make any mistakes, I hope you’ll be able to forgive them.
[ There is nobody left to hear her words — no souls reside in these bones anymore, all that remains are impressions, like a bed still warm from the body that rested there even after hours have passed — but still she says what feels right and necessary. ]
no subject
Now’s not really the time to think about that, however, and she focuses on their mission again. ]
Right! I think I can still sense the faintest remains of the souls on them — it should be just about enough to separate them. If you could set them on the ground over here— [ She gestures to a patch of solid ground nearby. ] —I can start sorting them, and then, um, I think I might be able to dig graves for them and protect them against future flooding with my earth powers? We’ll see!
[ For now, she gets started on sorting the bones. The skulls and ribcages are where the traces of souls are the strongest, but what they amount to is still only a faint sense of which bones belong together, and she’s not looking forward to having to separate the smallest finger and hand bones later. It has to be done, however, or rather, it wouldn’t feel right if she didn’t at least try. As she works, laying the bones in neat little piles that slowly take the rough shape of humanoid skeletons, she speaks quietly, her voice so soft it’s barely audible: ]
I’m very sorry for what has been done to you. I promise I will do my best to lay you to rest in safety and peace, like you deserve. I will do all that I can to return all the pieces of your body to you, and if I make any mistakes, I hope you’ll be able to forgive them.
[ There is nobody left to hear her words — no souls reside in these bones anymore, all that remains are impressions, like a bed still warm from the body that rested there even after hours have passed — but still she says what feels right and necessary. ]