Swimming in Souls

Everyone suddenly found themselves sinking downwards into a milky pool.

Sinking...

Sinking...

Sinking...

Landing.

Rikusa was the first to reach a bottom. And when he opened his eyes, he saw a barren field of grass. The sky was bright blue and full of clouds, there wasn't a sound around for miles. It was quiet. No trees, no wind, no birds, no bugs. Just absolute silence. Rikusa could hear his own heart beating, his breath entering and exiting his lungs, even his blood flowing through his body. He walked around, looking for something, anything. Just then, he saw his mother and father sitting motionless, somehow. As he walked over to them, they seemed to mutate more and more, and then they both looked back at him, their faces seeming normal. Rikusa looked in mild disgust at their grotesque forms, but he wasn't falling for any tricks. He just sat down, and looked his parents in the eyes. "Hey mom. Hey dad. Nice try trying to pull that old cliché on me. But..I mostly just want to talk to you both." he said. His parents laughed, turning back to normal and sat with him. They both looked similar to him, but with longer hair. His father had a chubby frame but buffer looking arms and legs. His mother just looked like Rikusa, but with a bra made of leaves. "Never really figured you'd make it this far at a young age son. But I can't deny that we're proud of you. Figured you'd have some strange inner conflict though." he said. Rikusa then thought about his brothers, then clenched his hand. Suddenly he was punched into a tree out of nowhere, and his parents had disappeared. He pulled his head out to see it was his brothers, slightly distorted and seemed to be fusing together into a massive monster similar to the Dunwich Horror. They screeched a bloodcurdling roar, thick tendrils waving like whips. Rikusa looked in disgust, mostly with himself. He saw what his anger had done to his perception of his family. "You guys are a real pain in the ass you know that? I always wanted to beat all three of you idiots. Now bring it on!" he yelled as he ran towards the amalgamation with inhuman speed, surging energy into his claws so much they were glowing with intense heat. He slashed into the creature, but got knocked away several times. He then saw Morgan and how she was laughing at him for scarfing down bamboo like it was a hotdog. He smiled, then clapped his hands together and created massive trees that turned into hands to wrap around the amalgamation. He understood that he couldn't kill it, but he couldn't let it roam free in this space.

He walked up to it, seeing the distorted face, and then started to shed tears while smiling. He remembered all the fun times that they had, seeing their warming smiles making any day feel special in his heart. So he exorcised the amalgamation, his brother's souls slipping away into a bright light and smiling while thanking Rikusa for setting them free. Rain began to fall despite there being no clouds, and nothing getting wet. Rikusa then noticed that his left hand had some sort of strange sigil on it that looked like a panda's face tattooed to his skin, and then he saw a portal to another area. He jumped through, and saw Shikom looking at himself in a river. He walked over slowly, and saw that there was drops of blood dripping into the water, turning the water a crimson red. Shikom was gripping the ground, letting his tears fall from his face and avoiding looking into his own face. Rikusa looked at him, and realized that he didn't need to be a rival, he needed to help his teammate now. "Hey...what's wrong?" Rikusa asked, but Shikom slashed out with his claws in response. "Go away...just go away...I'm a monster...!" he cried to himself, gripping his head tightly and digging his claws into his hair. Rikusa took a slightly more serious look and summoned his weapon. "Not going to happen. You're no monster, you're just a fuzzy Shugendo Kannushi. Just talk to me." he said. But Shikom wasn't listening and attacked him like a feral beast. He didn't transform fully yet, but Rikusa was going to force him to. He weaved around Shikom's attacks, making sure not to cut him with his weapon, but landing blows as hard as he could. Shikom was transforming more and more, his anger growing. "Look at you. A flaming werewolf boy. Why do you hide this, it's beautiful." Rikusa asked as he kept fighting. Shikom still wouldn't answer, and ripped a massive chunk of earth from the ground, throwing it with incredible speed and force. He was now using his powers, and all without a chant or incantation, the full demonstration of his mastery. Rikusa jumped onto the massive slab, furiously running up top as it moved, then turned it into a massive ball to control on the inside. The exchange was lightning fast as the ball came tumbling back to Shikom, who stopped it's momentum with his claws, then broke it to pieces with a single strike. Shikom's vision was starting to blur, he was being blinded by rage and fear, and he was shaking in sheer terror. He howled into the sky, which began to form massive thunder clouds that rained lightning down everywhere. Rikusa couldn't predict their path, and got hit numerous times, but he stood strong and rushed at Shikom one more time, holding him closely. "It's okay, you're okay. Just hear me!" he yelled as he connected to Shikom's vision subconsciously. He then made himself appear as Merlin, looking directly into his eyes as they filled with tears. Shikom then lowered his guard, his form disappearing. Rikusa shook his head, holding his hands firmly. "Don't hide yourself anymore. Please. Just be yourself. Wolf, vampire, it doesn't matter. You're one of us, always." he said without hesitation. Shikom's werewolf form stayed, and he cried on Rikusa's shoulder as the landscape became blanketed in rain. Rikusa didn't let go at all, he held his friend tightly until he stopped crying. Shikom saw himself in the water, his form didn't change his body type, but it did show off his chest and stomach while his forelegs and arms seems more animal-like. He saw his crimson red fur, his nose was basically that of a wolf, and he had wolf-like ears. His vampiric fang was exposed, and he didn't look away this time.

"See? You're not a monster. You're a Shugendo Kannushi in love with someone who honestly, you deserve to be with as much as everyone else. I know we compete but it doesn't mean we aren't friends. So, if you really want to go to Merlin like this then know he'll accept you." he said. Shikom looked for a few more seconds, then nodded his head as he went to another portal, meeting G and Morgan who were already waiting for them.