World Tree MUSH

Raven was... relaxed. Actually relaxed. She'd been at the castle only a little over a day but... Peach seemed to not mind her being here. No, Peach seemed to almost be HAPPY to have her here. She'd spent almost two hours just... soaking in a tub. NOT having to use simple hygiene spells. It'd been heavenly. And then when she came out, her robe had been CLEANED. YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO WEAR FRESH LAUNDERED CLOTHING AFTER WEEKS?!

She'd finally collapsed after the tub(and a bit of tea). And she. For once. Didn't sleep on a hard floor. She'd been able to take off her cloak and sleep in the softest. Bed. She'd ever. Touched. With blankets that she would have been happy to DIE in. For the girl? It was heaven.

Granted, then the sun came up. But a quick spell had dimmed the room enough she could catch ten more minutes.

She'd intended to leave immediately... but... There'd been breakfast... She'd turned over her note... Asked if she was allowed to still use the library.

And was actively encouraged. Said she could stay here as long as she liked, she'd promised to leave the moment she was done with the library. How could she pass up such an opportunity? So now, she was sitting under a tree in the park, spread out on a nice, warm bench and just... Relaxed. So incredibly relaxed. All the tension in her form was just... gone. She'd even sent Ash a small invitation, using a spell.

Well. Just to let him know where she would be for a little bit. Just a few days, she was sure. A week, tops. I mean, she wouldn't want to overstay her welcome. Peach was being a real pe-- doll, letting her stay here at all... and if her resources weren't so incredible, she'd feel guilty.

"Huh? Oh, umm... thank you..." she said softly as another glass of tea was brought by a lovely toad. She took it and smiled. "Thank you..." she said, before returning to her book. It was about some wizard and a dragon....

Ash was, meanwhile, more than a tad confused ever since he had come to the mushroom kingdom. Everyone here was polite, kind, went out of their way to be helpful, and there was this deep seated wrongness to it all according to Ash's hidnbrain. From what he could gather they were even on friendly terms with the neighboring kingdom that regularly invaded and kidnapped their monarch.

He had recieved the invitation and even Ordis expressed discomfortat the idea of being in the same dimension, "Operator, all of this... feels somehow Wrong to disturb. What if you being here draws something here?" Ash's ship was in what could best be described as a parking orbit high above the mushroom kngdom.

"Ordis I can't say you're wrong, but I don't think Raven would have invited us if she thought thigns would go wrong. Plus it could be worse. She could have popped into the ship unannounced... Again." Even though he chuckled, Ash was just as confused and irritated something could just /appear/ with no warning or apparent ability to counteract. For ORdis it had been worse because not only was caring for Ash his primary focus but the ship itself was his body.

A glitched noise emitted from the ship's speakers before Ordis sighed, ""Alright fine, but I'll keep the lander on standby in case... Things start happening."

This is how Ash came to be in the Mushroom kingdom dressed in a eavy anchle length coat and a sort of jumpsuit beneath as he looked down at a datapad with directions to where Raven said she was staying.

Just a few moments ago, a large bird landed near the library. Its rider, a black-armoured, horned knight. The knight's tail swishes as she jumps off the bird and ties the large predatory animal to a post. Then, inwards to the library. She takes a moment to doublecheck there isn't a weapon rack for her to deposit her sword into before going forwards into the library.

It was then that Temulin notices a familiar face, and she diverts course to say hello. "Good morning, scaredy cat." She greets with a smile and cheer, her tone clearly intended to be one of mild ribbing. "How you doing?" Seeing the tea, Temulin gets out a flask from her hip and takes a deep sip from the amber liquid within.

Raven was relaxed... Very relaxed. It was a warm, sunny day. the air was fresh and delightful. Her eyes blinked a few times, blearily. Her book was... good... but... She took another soft sip of her tea and nestled up in the chair. Gosh, it was a park bench and even IT felt comfortable. The shade from the tree kept her cool as the warm heat from the sun made her relaxed... And she was on the verge of falling asleep...

When the 'scaredy cat' came out and made her tense up. Her head whipped around and there was a few seconds of hostility from the girl, her eyes going red... But then she relaxed when she realized it was in jest.

"Good morning," she said softly, before glancing back to her book. "I am doing... fine." Amazing. "I've been going through the library's collection. It is impressive." She wanted to run through the halls like a twelve year old girl at a justin bieber museum. Was that dated now?

"What brings you here? Did Ash invite you, or coincidence?" she asked, before flipping a page and... "I've been reading this book and it is quite fascinating. About a toad who had to fight a great dragon and... well. It may explain some of the origins between this kingdom and neighboring ones."

Ash was helped along by quite polite Toads to where Raven was lounging. On seeing Temulin he quirked an eyebrow but only smiled. "Quite possibly one of the most Idyllic places I've ever seen." He had guessed Raven was the bookish type so the library was unsurprising. The Dark Knight drinking from a whiskey flask? Unusual, but maybe she was someone Raven had invited.

He looked to the books that might be around and nodded. Sure he was froma technologically advanced place where a tablet or augmented reality glasses were more his prefrence for reading, but his travels had familiarized him with ye olden dead tree publications. "Find anything interesting?"

"Let's hope it stays that way." Temulin agrees with Ash, though fairly dispassionately. She shakes her head towards Raven's question. "Just coincidence. Need to do some research, and this was first library I found." She listens to the explanation of the toad and the dragon and raises a mild eyebrow. "Not too long ago I encouraged a town to evacuate before a dragon could level it." There's an odd emphasis on the word 'encouraged' along with a smirk. She glances to Ash, "And it seems you and Raven know eachother. I'm Temulin, of the Dotharl tribe."

Raven glanced up and gave a nod. "It is, indeed. And... the feelings here are... different. Even at home, in Azarath, there was always a strange tension of... worry. Of impending doom. But here? It is... calm. So calm. It is very... soothing." She could rest here. And it drained away tension and worries from her, removing aches and pains that she was so used to that she hadn't even been aware were there. The toads didn't even FEEL that she was strange. At least, most didn't. Different, yes. But freaky? No. A little scary, but the princess... welcoming her made her fit in. And the princess was so genuine... She could feel it. Ash had likely never seen Raven so... relaxed. Not that he'd seen her much.

She got to her feet and held out her hand. A pile of about five books, thick tomes, flew to him. "I've been studying these. They have been very interesting reads." Toad magic, dark magic, history of bowser kingdom, history of mushroom kingdom... And toad fairy tails. "I plan on investigating this bowser kingdom as well. It's... strange here. In a fairy tail sort of way. And the library here is... good." The most impressive she'd ever seen. "Just try not to damage anything."

Ash tilted his head as the small pile of books were levitated towards him. He'd seen Raven move things about like this, so it wasn't a shock, which menat his response was more to try taking the pile rather than 'whaaa why are books floating?!' "I'd heard a bit about this place's history. It's.... Diffrent." Confusing? Nonsensical? Yes let's go with diffrent.

He found a seat and looked across to Raven, "So this place is magic then." That would explain the low dependance on technology. Magic by and large seemed fairly ecologically sound from what he'd seen. "I am surprised 'dark' magic," And he somehow was able to virbally put quoteation marks around the word, "Is in an unrestricted public library. Then again maybe that's the normal and Invalice is the exception. Find anything useful?"

He found a place to settle into before picked up the book on Toad magics. He doubted anything involving his connection to the Void had enough similarities to find anything useful, but one never could tell.

"I won't damage anything here unless a fight breaks out, then I will merely try not to damage anything. I don't expect that to happen, but you never know." Temulin answers Raven, and then tilts her head at Ash's commentary about dark magic. "Power is power. What kind of power it is matters not, what matters is what you do with it. If you happen to be more suited to dark powers, then it'd be a waste to abandon them."

Raven nodded. Yeah. It was a nonsensical place but... For all the horror, the pain, the just... despair she'd seen.

Maybe nonsensicle and nice was GOOD. It was like... the reverse of anyhting she'd ever known. "Their dark magic isn't exactly as... dark as I would normally term it. It's borderline prank magic at some points. I mean, yes, SOME of it is... a lot worse. But it's mostly just..." She couldn't help but smile. "Besides. I don't think many people can do magic here. Or not in the manner I'd term it. It's just... everything here is so different. And you're not an empath, so you can't just... feel the way it is." She reached a hand up towards the sky. "The soft, warm glow that flows over this land. It's intoxicating..." She did a little spin as she took her step, hands reaching for the clouds. "It's--" And then she stopped and turned scarlet, lowering her hands and... "It's... an interesting feeling." It was having a positive effect on her mood at least. She then glanced to him. "So, did you come to check on me, or did you have any other reasons to accept my invitation?" she asked. She was walking a bit as she talked. She seemed... so... alive. So much more alive than when last they saw her.

And then Temulin said that and she urked, closing her eyes. "Yes. In some cases, that's true. But in others, it's better if the person who's suited abandons and cuts themselves off from such... powers. Sometimes those powers are a danger to not just themselves, but to everyone else around them. And they need to be kept on a tight leash, controlled, and not allowed to grow."

"Yes, yes. You've said that before, scaredy-cat." Temulin sighs as Raven mentions that again, clearly not pleased with the notion. She takes another sip from her flask, "Do you think I would've become as strong as I am by running away from my darkness? Of course not." There's some frustration in her voice. "Control and cultivate your power, don't cut it off."

Raven fumed and little and then turned to face her. "I do control my power. I refine it, and process it, and focus it. But I will NOT allow it to grow. You have no idea of the darkness you speak. You can't even begin to comprehend the powers of which you speak. You talk of wielding this power, this darkness?!" she asked, walking towards her... She soon stood before her, glaring up through glowing red eyes.

"You wield your power. Draw it out. Hone it. Learn to turn what you are into this. But we are NOT the same. I did not hone this power. I was MADE of it. The darkness that fills me gave me life. It gave me existance. It created me!" Her anger was building as a second set of red, glowing eyes appeared over her normal ones.

"The darkness that resides in me is not something you can wield. It is something that must be TAMED and CONTROLLED and NEVER ALLOWED to be free lest I destroy EVERYTHING! Are you so blind as to believe it is something that can be turned on and off as I fell like it?!"

The eyes began to dim and she took a deep breath. "It... is only thanks to Azar's teaching, to her care... That I have managed to not hurt anyone. That I have managed to make up some small portion of the pain and suffering I will bring. That I have managed to fight these powers back from hurting... anyone."

Ash had been happily reading through the book on Toad magics. At first he had assumed it would have nothing of importance as he neither was magically inclined, and to be frank the Toads themselves seemed quite childlike in nature so complexities should be beyond them. However this book spoke of how to harness and direct energies. His right hand flexed as he red. When he used void energy it wasn't something that could easily be described, but a crude analogy would be turning a valve allowing power his body had gathered and stored to flow. He kept rereading this paragraph and that as ideas pinballed in his head.

And then Raven got angry.

"Heeeey!" He looked to Raven, his emotions snapping to concern at the outburst, but he didn't want to move as last time she had been able to put a cap on it herself. Again she was able to contain her rage. "So," He held up the book of magic that probably qualified as a children's book from Raven's home, "This... I think might be on to something. Problem is everything I can do is destructive and I kinda don't feel like making holes in something pretty, or set something on fire i nthe place full of burnables. Would like your input if either of you have a minute."

And in response to Raven's anger, the darkness within Temulin awakens. Dark energy leaking from her to form a visibly red aura of power around her. She barely manages to stop herself from interrupting Raven's yelling, but her anger is written straight on her face. She is clearly struggling to stop herself from interrupting Raven, but when she does speak, it's with conviction.

"You think you're so special?" She answers with venom in her voice. "Let me tell you then about who I am? I am the reincarnation of Temulin the Slayer. Who was the reincarnation of Temulin of the Bloody River. From childhood I have been feared by a tribe of fearless warriors. Even as they raised me, they knew I was destined to follow in their footsteps."

She continues with the same anger, "And I have decided to turn the very power that was so feared into something to respect. I've found a teacher who is helping me use this power for the right ends. Because I am not letting my reincarnation grow up the way I did."

Sadly, her emotions are running too hot right now for her to really acknowledge Ash.

Raven is furious. She doesn't even notice what Ash says, as her own fury mounted and she stared up at the other woman. "Special? SPECIAL?! I'm not special! I'M A MONSTER! I was freshly born when the monks tried to kill me and if they could have, they would have! When I was born the skies darkened and turned to black and the air turned to brimstone! Before I could read, tales of the death and destruction I would cause had already filled the temple I lived in!" she practically roared as her dark powers began to flow around her.

"Azar taught me how to control it. How to suppress it. How to... to stop it from destroying e-everyone. How to bury it so... so deep down that I can't hurt anyone... And if she was still here... maybe things could be different..." Her fists shook and the anger gave way to grief, the tears forming in her eyes.

"Don't you EVER compare your powers to mine. I would give... anything to not have to be so afraid of my abilities... but this way, the way that... Azar taught me is the only way. Control. Suppression. Burying it all down so deep that it can't come up..." she was shaking at the end, her voice cracking as the tears formed. "I can't fight... because fighting leads to pain, which leads to anger, which... which leads to d-destruction..."

"Ordis." Ash's voice was hard, "Something loud please."

Moments later something fell from the sky burning bright as a star. It looked less a meteorite and more like a javalin thrown by an irate Sky-God and it was aimed at the trio in the library garden. When it stopped perhaps a dozen meters from the ground it was a minor miracle that all it did was kick up dust and ruffle plants as it emitted a thunderous BOOM. Anyone looking would see it literally was a spear that slowly floated the rest of the way to the ground on miniaturized anti-grav repulsors. This was a simple fishing spear complete with a forearm brace and coiled line.

"Now then." Ash's voice and his emotions are hard. "Do I have your undivided attention?" His voice never rose in spite of his tone. He was not an imposing figure, but he stood as if daring either to continue their shouting match.

"If other people's fear of you makes you a monster. Then I am just as much a monster as you are. You will always be on the verge of that destruction you fear if you keep thinking of yourself as a monster." Temulin answers aggressively, her power still flowing. She's wrapping her sword in darkness already, "But if you are so convinced that if you using your power will lead to destruction, then I will cut that threat down r--"

Then, loud noised and Ash claims credit to them. She reacts on pure instinct, swinging that blade towards him. Only for her to catch herself mid-swing and stumble. The darkness around the blade and herself vanish, and she manages to stop the massive blade just before it can hit anyone. "Don't scare me like that." She mutters.

Raven had been ready to scream. And fight. Her magic forming around her hand. "You're welcome to--"

And then BOOM! She shrieked and... when the spear came down, she... Was hiding behind the tree. Her eyes big, and wide, and giving a soft squeak when Ash looked to her. "Y-yes sir..." she said timidly. Oh ho. so he was 'sir' now. That had been INCREDIBLY jaring and... a bit terrifying. But hey, if nothing else, she wasn't scared any more. I mean ,sure, she almost wet herself but that was something else entirely.

Ash looked utterly unafraid at the blade swinging for her. He didn't even blink until after the blade was withdrawn. Then he looked from the half-demon sorceress to the dark knight. "We are guests i nthis place."

He gestured to the doubtlessly ineffectual but no less eager Toads acting as security that trundled into the garden as response to the loud noises. "If we must fight then it is better to do so elsewhere. However i don't think either of you really want that fight. So please..." He settled down and picked up a teacup before saluting the guards with it. "Let's all have a seat and talk."

Then after taking a sip and savoring th flavorful drink. "Thank you Ordis." The spear then floated skyward, gaining speed as it flew back into the heavens from whence it came.

"I just want her to stop running from herself." Temulin answers Ash, still frowning but at least mostly calm. She sits down, her tail laying beside her leg so it doesn't get crushed underneath her. She glances towards the security and shoots them a toothy grin, "Nothing to see here." She insists, and then takes a sip from her flask. "I don't think there's much to talk about so long as she remains so afraid of herself."

Raven flushed red as she moved to sit across from ash, picking up her own tea to come and sit down across from him... She lowered her eyes and swirled her tea. Her cheeks burned even more as Temulin spoke. "What's... not to fear about my powers? They're not normal or natural. They're destructive. How many people do you know who... had a death count before they could speak, or can shatter glass when they sneeze, or... get upset and end up breaking everything around them..." she mumbled.

"I just don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to... be evil..." she mumbled before taking a sip of her tea.

"Yes, but shouting at someone is like.... the opposite of a good way to get them to open up," Ash says in response to Temulin. Given all the things he doens't want to talk about even when he says much about himself this could be seen as amusing, or ironic, or simply hilariously unaware of his own faults. Any or all apply.

Another sip from his teacup before he looked to Raven. She could feel was calm. Even when a literal sword was headed for his head he was calm. "I think I cannot speak for the lady knight there, but given my own skillset and powers have been little better than pure destruction and had sent my life through the sort of nightmare you'd see in the likes of over the top japanese cartoons that are designed to show how useless hoepe is?" Ashrug. "I still see little reason to fear learning more. A sword is its most dangerous both to the wielder and to everyone else i nthe hands of an unskilled and fearful novice after all. Even if your powers come from a place of darkness that does not mean you should be afraid to try understanding that part of yourself, if only so you know how better to control it."

The Toad guards were all afrade when the commotion happened, but none had fled. Now that things appeared to calm down they seemed to slowly melt back int othe sort of cheery calm as before. One of the best qualities of this palce were its peaple really.

"Never claimed to be good at people. My skills are in intimidation and slau--combat for the most part." Temulin answers Ash with a half-shrug and a smile. And there's that weird thing again where her anger is entirely faded, where it's almost like she never was angry to begin with. "Those are the things I was born with. I wasn't born to be a guardian. I was born to be the kind of warrior that gives my tribe a bad name, amplified to unreasonable levels."

Raven listened to Ash and... couldn't help feeling a little... annoyed that there was a lot of logic to his words. "I... haven't really watched cartoons before..." She kinda knew what they were, though? She was silent for a long time and then...

"Azar... taught me to... not show emotions. To not have them. To control and bury them..." she mumbled. But its been getting harder..." Yeah, puberty will do that. "The last few years especially. I've leaned on my powers more times than I care to admit. So... maybe..." She glanced to Temulin, and then sighed and lowered her eyes. "Maybe... you're right. Maybe I need to know how to... wield these powers. How to wield my 'sword'... Maybe... I'm not meant to be a pacifist..." she mumbled gently.

A smile from Ash. he would have reached over to the soreress to offer a comforting hand, but he knew better. "All I can say is I will try to be a friend you can talk to about these things. I know little about magic, but you need friends more than tutoring."

He set his teacup to one side before looking to Temulin. "I do not know you lady knight, but what i have seen suggests even if you might not be the best of people, you're someone I would like to know better." Best he could come up with, but he wanted to try getting everyone smoothed over. This was a place of rest and peace after all.

"You can't control that which you fear." Temulin re-iterates her position on the matter. "Respect it, sure, but don't fear it." she smiles at Raven trying to be encouraging. She ponders what Ash has to say and shrugs. "I'm just an adventurer trying to make a living. Don't give too much weight to the rambling. It's not too important."

Raven blinked a few times. "You... want to be my friend... too?" she asked softly. And closed her eyes. So many wanted to be her friends. So many wanted to be AROUND her. Why? What was it about her that... And there wasn't disdain. Or hate. Or even fear. It was just... 'We want to be around you. We want to be your friend.'

 She Felt tears welling up in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. "T-thank you," she said softly. "I... would like to be your friend. As well. To talk about... things..." she mumbled. She almost asked 'If you will have me', but she already knew the answer.

Instead, she just smiled. "I... don't know where to begin... though..." she mumbled. "I guess... with.... conflict?" she asked. "I've never intentionally fought before..."

Ash smiled to Temulin, "In something of the same business. I mean right now i work with Star Wolf as a freelancer, but that's more to try making up for knowledge gaps than any real ideological alignment." He liked Wolf. For one who is considered one of the most horrible beings of his verse for backing the losing side of a war that was costly on all sides? He wasn't that bad. Not someone you'd want to stake your life on the moment paths diverged, but someone who had a firm grasp of where he stood, and that is something Ash respected. "Assuming things don't happen to make me regret that alliance, I plan on trying to learn what i can and make what contacts I can with the wider worlds in case my home ever shows up."

Given the Tenno are few, and the Lotus likes to horde knowledge away like a dragon does money or princesses having outside friends is a good idea. "In the meantime? Work, study." He looked at the book he had been reading. "Don't suppose either of you understand the whole 'channeling extradimensional energy through yourself' thing do you? I seem to be thin on Teachers at the moment."

"Don't think my energy is extradimensional, but I could be wrong." Temulin answers Ash, doing her best not to look towards Raven while there are tears. That's just awkward and she doesn't want to acknowledge that such a thing is happening. Mostly because she doesn't know how to deal with it. There's a moment near the end though, where she says something simple. "I'll spar with you if you like."

Raven blinked and then nodded. "O-oh! That reminds me, Ash? I needed to speak with you about that. I've agreed to work with Wolf, and I wanted to know if you would be willing to work with me as a contact, if I could give you information and have it delivered to him?" she asked, eying him. Then he asked that and then chuckled, a hand over her mouth. "Yes, I've dabbled in that type of magic, frequently. If you'd like, I'd be more than happy to offer you tutalage in it. Though... I'm not sure I'll be much use in... combat learning. But in the channeling itself, I should be more than adequate."

Her eyes widened. "S-spar with me? But what if I hurt you?" she asked. Well, how else would they train?

Ash looked to Raven. How she ended up working with Wolf was unimportant he supposed, even if it was quite unusual sounding. "Not a problem at all, well other than figuring out how to get in touch with you without ORdis complaining about people randomly dropping in." Temulin was free to interpret that however she wished, but ash ment it quite literally. Ordis was quite annoyed with that stunt, but hey the girl needed contacts and a way to work and gain experiance.

At the explaination of what Raven's experiance with channeling energy was Ash shrugged. "THe thing is i'm not sure how my connection to the Void works other than to use a faucit analogy. I can go for so long, then have to wait for more energy to pour in. I can't explain the mechanics or the how. The example's too crude because it both is alien, and just something that comes naturally," Confusion lanced through Ash's emotional space as he rambled. "I want ot try experimenting since if I could do more than just shoot thigns that'd be good. I mean most of the technology back home, at least the Big Things, tend to use some sort of void energy conversion..."He trailed off and went quiet then.

That is until he realized they were talking about sparring. "Well I trust you enough to not entintionally try tearing me in half, just like I trust the lady knight there to not gut stab me just because I'm slow to evade." He shrugged. "I mean yea i worry about accidentilly hurting Miwa when her and I go a few rounds, but she's far tougher than she looks, and I suppose so am I. I'd find it fun if nothign else."

Temulin kind of glossses over the whole Wolf thing. She doesn't know who they're talking about, and asking about it seems like it'd just get in the way. So instead, she emphasizes the bits she does know what to say about. "He's right. You don't want to get into a real fight without having gotten some practice in, I'm tougher than I look. I can take a couple hits and keep going, so just hold back a little bit and I will also hold back and you get to have some more confidence for the next time you need to fight."

Raven blinked and then... "Well... I... suppose I could try to find another way to contact you. But as it is, going to Ordis is the only method I really have," she mumbled. "Perhapos I could enchant a pair of mirrors so we could contact each other?" she offered.

"But yes. I should be able to help with that. Even if our magic's aren't exactly the same, I've spent the majority of my life studying magic." Just not as much time... practicing it, without being in safe, controlled environments. "I'm sure there is much I could do to help teach you to harness your abilities." And then...

Her eyes widened. "W-wait, you wish to spar with me, as well? But this is incredibly dangerous. While... I normally hold my powers well under control, in combat I... I could really hurt..." She then trailed off. "No. I suppose you use that... frame. Thing. Correct? It may be living, but it is also made of metal and... durable. It is unlikely I would hurt it, or you, unless I fully lost control." Then glanced to Temulin. Fighting... Azar would not be pleased. But then... Azar was dead. "Perhaps... you are right. LEarning to harness... my powers in.... mock battles may be for the best."

Ash would have preferred a nice simple flip phone or something a bit less technologically backward, but whatever formfactor Raven felt more comfortable with. "Well, that's a good idea since if nothing else he could leave it on his ship andd Ordis could act as relay to avoid how fragile mirrors tended to be.

He got to his feet and streched. "Apologies to both of you for being loud earlier." He bowed to both sorceress and knight. "I will be in the general area for a few days." He then looked to Raven, "I need to check with Ordis on a few ongoing details, then I'll be back in town to try finding a suitible place the two of us can practice. Then... I dunno. I don't have much money from this region. I do have some pokedollars from jobs there so maybe we can go shopping at Alola. Introduce you to Miwa maybe."

"Personally I'd reccomend a linkpearl. But... well, I don't know how to make them and I only have the one in hopes I get back in touch with the guild through it." Temulin shrugs, and nods to Ash. "Goodbye. Have a pleasant day. Don't die unless you really have to." She smiles and turns towards Raven, "There's one trick I've learned that's really helpful. Instead of using my darkness to slay my enemies, I can use it to harden my armour and toughen my flesh. And since pain is a good way to fuel darkness, I can really keep going quite long."

Raven nodded and gave him a wave. "Go... shopping at Alola? That sounds... interesting? You'll need to show me around as I've never heard of such a place. And..." she trailed off. She almost invited Ash to stay with her but... Well. Peach's castle. She couldn't just invite other, strange people to stay in the guest rooms. She barely felt comfortable there herself.

Okay that was a lie. She felt MEGA comfortable and invited AND IT FELT WEIRD! She liked it. Didn't make it less weird.

"I... see. I've never..." But then frowned. "No. I can do that... to an extent. I've never... tried it like that, though." She then gulped and got to her feet, picking up her books. "I should return to the castle to read my books. And... I need to ask the princess some things. I'll see if she'll know a place we could practice." She started to walk towards the castle. Was it really okay for her to bother the princess with such things? Ugh... Maybe she should just not even ask. Well. Unless the princess talked to her first and... No, why would she ask how she was and if she needed anything and... Oh my gosh she probably would WHY WAS SHE SO AMAZING AND AWESOME?!!!