David's eyes snapped open, his mind still foggy with the remnants of a bizarre dream. "Shadowing, use Umbral Slash!" he blurted out, voice a mix of confusion and determination. "Follow up with Nightmare Fang!"

As reality slowly reasserted itself, a thunderous sound nearby caught his attention. His ears twitched, trying to pinpoint the source. Blinking away the last vestiges of sleep, he turned to find Claire convulsing on the ground, her massive form shaking with uncontrollable laughter.

"What the..." David mumbled, brain struggling to catch up. "Claire? What's so funny?"

Claire's only response was to roll onto her back, her club-like tail slamming into the earth with each wave of mirth. The impacts sent small tremors through the ground, causing nearby pebbles to dance a geological jig.

"Oh man," she finally managed between guffaws, "you should've seen yourself! One second you're all 'Watch this, I'll prove Doom Blade was a good pick,' and the next? Lights out, bat boy!"

David felt his face grow hot, his mane standing on end with embarrassment. "I...what? I don't remember any of that."

As his mind slowly rebooted, fragmented memories began to surface. He vaguely recalled slotting Doom Blade, showing Claire his new wing-swords, and then...nothing. It was as if someone had taken an eraser to his mental whiteboard, leaving only smudges and half-formed ideas.

"How long was I out?" David asked, trying to piece together what happened.

Claire, still chuckling, managed to roll back onto her feet. "Twenty minutes-ish," she rumbled, amusement clear in her voice. "You were all set to demonstrate your new 'edgelord upgrade'. The area around you started getting dark. Then the moment you tried to channel your Wildsoul into it? Boom. Faceplant."

David groaned, rubbing his face with his wings. "Great. Just great. Anything else I should know about? Did I sprout a cape and start monologuing about vengeance while I was at it?"

"Well," Claire drawled, eyes glinting with mischief, "you did mutter something about 'embracing the darkness' right before you went down. Very dramatic. Very you."

"Oh god," David moaned, ears drooping in mortification. "Please tell me you're joking."

Claire's answering grin was all teeth. "Nope. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it eventually. Maybe start smaller next time? 'Mild Inconvenience Blade', perhaps?"

David buried his face in his wings, wishing he could disappear into the ground. "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"

"Not a chance," Claire chuckled. "This is prime teasing material for at least the next decade. Maybe two."

As David wallowed in his embarrassment, a thought struck him. "Wait a second," he said, narrowing his eyes at Claire. "If I went down that fast, why didn't you try to wake me up?"

Claire's expression turned sheepish. "Well... I did try at first. But you were out cold. And then you started sleep-talking about some kind of 'Summon Battle'. It was kind of adorable, actually. You looked so peaceful there, muttering about championships. I didn't have the heart to interrupt after that."

David blinked, caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events. "I... huh. Thanks, I guess? Though I'm not sure 'adorable' is the look I'm going for..."

"Don't worry," Claire smirked, "your secret's safe with me. Well, mostly safe. I might bring it up every now and then. You know, for morale."

David slowly clambered onto a nearby rock, his wings wrapped tightly around himself in a sulky bat-burrito. His ears twitched irritably as he tried to piece together the events that led to his impromptu nap.

"I still can't believe I fainted," he grumbled, more to himself than to Claire. "And I don't even remember trying to use Doom Blade. Why would I do something like infuse an ability that's so expensive?"

Claire, who had finally managed to stop laughing, gave him a sympathetic look. "Hey, don't be too hard on yourself. We all do dumb things sometimes. Remember when I ate the Crusher's head and tripped balls for like 3 hours?"

"Yeah, but that was at the end of a fight," David retorted, his voice muffled by his wing membrane. "And you didn't miss out on prime teasing material."

Something about the whole situation felt off to David. He prided himself on being cautious and thoughtful the last few days since evolving, especially when it came to new abilities. Throwing caution to the wind and going full throttle with Doom Blade? That didn't sound right to him.

With a sigh, he unfurled his wings, extending the newly acquired blades carefully. "Alright, let's try this again. Hopefully without the dramatic fainting this time."

As the blades fully extended, David focused on bringing Doom Blade online. True to Claire's description, the area around him began to dim, as if the very light was being sucked away. The blades on his wings seemed to absorb the darkness, becoming pitch-black silhouettes against the twilight sky.

"Whoa," David breathed, admiring the effect. "Okay, that's pretty coo—"

His words cut off abruptly as he felt a sudden, greedy pull on his Wildsoul. It was as if Doom Blade had come alive, hungrily reaching for his energy without his consent. David gritted his teeth, quickly fighting to keep it from drawing any power.

"David?" Claire's voice was tinged with concern. "You okay there, bat boy?"

"Yeah," he grunted, still struggling against the ability's pull. "Just... give me a second."

As he wrestled with Doom Blade, David had a sudden realization. This ability wasn't just designed to work with a Wildsoul; it was built from the ground up to harness that power. Without it, Doom Blade would never reach its full power.

The problem, of course, was that 'full power' seemed to be way above his current capabilities. Even with his impressive Stamina reserves, David knew he couldn't afford to let Doom Blade run at full blast.

I can't use it at full power, but maybe I can throttle the amount of Wildsoul it's getting? Wait, that's probably what made me faint the first time. I bet I didn't react in time to stop it grabbing energy because I wasn't worried about it.

"Hey, Claire?" David called out, his voice strained. "If I pass out again, could you do me a favor and poke me until I wake up? Preferably before I start babbling about Summon Battles or whatever?"

Claire nodded, moving closer in case she needed to catch him. "Sure thing. Though I have to warn you, my version of 'poke' might be closer to 'gentle nudge with a wrecking ball'."

"Noted," David replied dryly. "Alright, here goes nothing. Or everything. Probably somewhere in between."

Taking a deep breath, David focused on allowing just a trickle of energy to flow into the blades. The effect was immediate and intense. The darkness around him deepened, and he could feel the raw power thrumming through his wings.

"Holy crap," he muttered, his eyes wide. "This shit’s got more kick than the Brute did."

As he held the ability active, David could feel it straining against his control, like a leashed beast trying to break free. Every instinct screamed at him to cut the connection, to back away from the precipice he was teetering on.

But another part of him, a part that sounded suspiciously like Spooky, urged him to push further. To see just how far he could take this raw power.

David closed his eyes, trying to find a balance between caution and curiosity. He knew he was playing with fire, or in this case, weaponized darkness, but he couldn't deny the thrill that ran through him.

"Alright, Doom Blade," he whispered, a mix of excitement and apprehension in his voice. "Let's see what you can really do... you know, at like ten percent power until I figure this shit out."

David stood there, his face scrunched up in concentration, looking like he was trying to solve a particularly difficult math problem while also desperately needing to use the bathroom. His wings trembled slightly as he attempted to modulate the flow of energy into Doom Blade.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered, trying to resist the urge to pant heavily. "It's like trying to pour a lake through a straw. A really angry, power-hungry straw."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Claire watched from a safe distance, her tail twitching nervously. "You sure you don't want to take a break, bat boy? You're starting to look a bit... crispy around the edges."

David shook his head, his determination outweighing his common sense. "No, I've got this. I just need to... to..."

He trailed off, his mind racing. Something about this felt wrong, like he was missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. Doom Blade hungered for energy, demanding more than he could safely give. But why? What was the point of an ability he was positive almost nothing could sustain?

As he pondered this, a random memory flashed through his mind. He was back in his old apartment, trying to microwave a burrito. But instead of setting it for a couple of minutes, he'd accidentally hit an extra zero, nearly turning his lunch into a molten mass of cheese and regret.

"Wait a second," David muttered, his eyes widening. "Am I being an idiot?"

Claire perked up from where she lay in a flattened ring of grass. "I mean, probably? But in what specific way this time?"

David ignored her, lost in his epiphany. "I'm not supposed to keep it running. It's not a microwave, it's..."

"...sorry, it's not a fucking what?”

He turned to Claire, excitement building in his voice. "I was trying to use it like a continuous ability, but it's not meant for that. It's a strike. One big, badass, darkness-infused whack!"

David's wings twitched as he worked through his realization. "It's like... okay, think about Nocturnal Strike. That works best when I time it just right, yeah? Quick in, quick out, boom - done. But then you've got Screech, which is all about keeping it going, sustaining it."

Claire nodded slowly, following along. "Okay, I'm with you so far. So Fainting Blade is more like Nocturnal Strike?"

"Exactl- Hey!" David exclaimed, his ears swiveling out to the sides in consternation. "Anyway, then there's Corruptor's Touch, which is kind of in between. You've gotta charge it up a bit, hold it for a second, then let it rip. It's like... the middleman of my abilities."

He hopped off the rock and started pacing, his wings flaring with enthusiasm. "So Doom Blade, it's not quite as instantaneous as Nocturnal Strike, but it's definitely not a marathon like Screech. It's more like Corruptor's Touch, but with the dial turned up to eleven and in a single moment."

David paused, a look of wonder crossing his face. "It's like trying to cram all the 'oomph' of a sustained ability into one hit. No wonder it knocked me on my ass when I tried to keep it going!"

Claire tilted her head suspiciously, processing this information. "So you're saying you need to prep it like it works one way, but use it like it works a different way?"

"Bingo!" David grinned, pointing at Claire with his wing. "It's all about that sweet spot between charging up and letting loose. No ominous slow walks toward something while keeping it ready, unfortunately. At least not right now."

To demonstrate, David flared his wings dramatically. This time, instead of trying to maintain a steady flow of energy, he gathered it all up and released it in one quick burst just as he swung his wing.

The effect was immediate and startling. For a split second, the area around them plunged into twilight.

"Holy shi—" David started, then caught himself. "I mean, uh, totally meant to do that."

Claire stared at his wings for a long moment, then back at David. "Well, I'll be damned. You actually figured it out. In the weirdest way possible, but still. I... I'm gonna admit David, I'm not used to you sitting down and using your brain like that lately."

David grinned, his fangs glinting against the pale skin of his face. "What can I say? I'm a problem solver. A very ugly, occasionally competent problem solver."

"Great," Claire drawled, though there was a hint of pride in her voice. "Just try not to solve any problems that involve accidentally leveling the forest, okay?"

David nodded, still admiring his handiwork. "No promises, but I'll do my best. Though I have to say, this 'figuring things out' business is pretty satisfying. Maybe I should try it more often."

Claire snorted. "Don't get ahead of yourself, bat boy. Let's start with you not fainting half the time you use a new ability, and we'll work our way up from there."

As they bickered back and forth, David couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. He'd cracked the code, in his own unique way. It wasn't elegant, it wasn't conventional, but it worked.

"Alright," he said, flexing his wings. "Now that we've got that sorted, what do you say we find something for me to dramatically slice in half? You know, for science."

Claire rolled her eyes, but there was no hiding the amusement in her voice. "Fine, but if you pass out again, I'm drawing a mustache on you with tree sap."

"Deal!”

David bounced into the center of the clearing and continued his practice, swinging his wings in controlled arcs as he released small bursts of Doom Blade energy. Each strike sent a ripple of darkness through the air, and he immediately felt his muscles begin to ache with exertion.

"You're getting better at that," Claire observed, her massive form sprawled nearby. "At least you're not fainting anymore."

David grinned, panting slightly. "Thanks. I think I'm finally getting the hang of it. It's all about the timing and—"

"That's great," Claire interrupted, a hint of amusement in her voice. "But are you ever going to test out that Miasma thing you mentioned? You know, the one you made out of the Ability you use the most?"

David paused mid-windup, his wings drooping slightly. "Oh, right. I almost forgot about that with all the Doom Blade drama."

He considered it for a moment, realizing how exhausted he felt after just a few practice swings. "Probably a good idea to switch it up. Doom Blade's taking more out of me than I thought."

Turning to Claire, he added, "Fair warning, though. This new Miasma might be pretty nasty. Maybe stay upwind?"

Claire snorted. "Please. I've smelled your morning breath. I think I can handle whatever you dish out."

David rolled his eyes but flapped a good distance downwind before attempting to activate Gloom's new incarnation. He closed his eyes, focusing on the sensation of Miasma within him. To his surprise, it didn't respond like his old Gloom had.

"Huh," he muttered, brow furrowing in concentration. "This is different."

Instead of the familiar 'switch' he used to flip for Gloom, activating Miasma felt more like flexing a new muscle. It reminded him of when he'd first infused his Wildsoul into his Flight ability, a strange internal sensation.

As David focused, a tingling warmth spread through his wings, centering on the full moon markings. The sensation intensified until his wings vibrated with barely contained energy. It was clumsy, and took longer than he'd like, but David reasoned some practice would fix that shortly.

Without warning, the full moon patterns reacted. A thick, dark grey vapor began to form, boiling off the surface of his wings like a volatile chemical reaction. The mist hung heavy in the air, its oily sheen catching what little light penetrated its murky depths.

David watched, transfixed, as the vapor coalesced around him. This was nothing like his old Gloom. Where that had been a cloud of silvery dust, the Miasma moved like smoke from a chemical fire, swirling and undulating with an unsettling way as it slowly began to spread.

A gust of wind caught the edge of the vapor cloud, pulling tendrils of it towards a nearby patch of vegetation. The effect was immediate and alarming. Leaves withered and curled on contact, their vibrant green fading to a sickly brown. Grass hissed and smoked where the mist touched, leaving behind blackened patches that resembled acid burns.

The breeze carried the Miasma further, painting a trail of destruction across the forest floor. Ferns collapsed, their fronds dissolving into mush. A flowering bush lost its blooms in a handful of seconds, petals shriveling and falling like grotesque confetti.

"David..." Claire's voice carried a note of warning, her massive form shifting uneasily.

He nodded, eyes wide as he watched the Miasma's relentless advance. The mist flowed around trees, leaving scorch marks on their bark. The air shimmered around the cloud, distorting David's view of the forest beyond. He could smell the potency of the vapor, its corrosive nature evident in every withered leaf and smoking twig.

Swallowing hard, David attempted to rein in the Miasma by quickly cutting it off. It resisted, clinging to the air like an oil slick on water, but the damage was done. A swath of forest lay blackened and shriveled before him, a vivid testament to the power now at his disposal.

"Well," David muttered, his voice barely above a whisper, "I guess 'Miasma' wasn't an exaggeration."

Claire shifted uneasily, her tail thumping against the ground. "Maybe we should practice this one away from...well, anything you don't want fucked up?"

David nodded, carefully observing the last wisps of Miasma. It was more resilient than he expected, the mist seeming reluctant to dissipate. "Good call. I don't want to accidentally melt the forest or piss something off on accident."

As the final traces of Miasma faded, David flexed his wings, feeling a new respect for how lethal one of his oldest abilities had become. "Well," he said, trying to lighten the mood, "I guess I've officially graduated from fog machine to chemical warfare. Think Omega will give me a gold star?"

Claire snorted, but her eyes remained wary. "Just don't get any bright ideas about crop dusting, bat boy. I don't think the world's ready for your brand of air freshener."

David chuckled nervously, his gaze lingering on the path of destruction left by the Miasma. "Yeah, no kidding. I think I'll stick to using this one sparingly…well, that's a lie. I'll be careful with it though."

He turned back to Claire, his expression a mix of excitement and apprehension. "So, what's next on our 'Let's see how David can accidentally destroy things' agenda?"

Claire shook her massive head, a low rumble of amusement escaping her. "How about we take a break from the abilities for a bit? Maybe work on something less likely to cause widespread environmental damage?"

David nodded, his wings drooping slightly with exhaustion. "Yeah, maybe you're right. I think I've had enough of playing with new powers for right now."

Claire grinned, her scales glinting in the fading light. "Good call, bat boy. At this rate, you're like six months away from becoming some sort of eldritch toxin monster. The universe must really have it out for you."

They both chuckled, but the laughter died quickly as they shared a sudden, uneasy glance. Their eyes drifted skyward, a moment of paranoid silence stretching between them.

"You don't think..." David started, his voice trailing off.

Claire shook her massive head, breaking the tension. "Nah…couldn't be. Come on, let's head back before you accidentally summon a black hole or something."

As he slowly collected the Cuddlebugs from where they'd been dozing in a nearby hollow log, David couldn't shake the feeling that somewhere, somehow, unseen eyes were watching their every move, shaping their destiny in ways they couldn't begin to comprehend.