01-25-2020, 07:50 AM
There she stands, ink eyes still looking over the lifeless body of her child. While other mothers would probably mourn in this situation, she snickers and gives Nagas body a final glance before turning away and pushing her lifeless head away with her hind hoof. A short calm, an interlude, takes hold of the red dome around her, and she feels her body begin to heal from her last battle. At first she was certain this was only a dream, but the pain from her injuries was far too real. This was the work of magic.
The interlude is brief, and she can feel a rumble underfoot, and the sound of cackling breaks the silence. Though it is not coming from herself, instead, the awful sound had come from the slender form between the stones. As a streak of lightning crackles and splits across the stormy sky above them, a flickering bright light is cast over the creature before the crone. She knows her...for it is her. Though unlike her current horned form, this Shadowmere is still frail in mind and without horns. The clone let's out a shrill scream and begins to charge forward like Naga did.
Our old mare cracks a smile across scared lips and allows herself to be attacked. She wants to see how strong she really is. The clone barrels down teeth bared and goes for her face. Shadowmere's eyes narrow and she hisses in pain as her own self bites her cheek, tearing away a large patch of hair.
<i>"Show me your POWER!"</i> she screams to herself with a fire burning in her eyes.
The clone gets up on her hind legs, front hooves striking out in a frantic paddling motion as she batters at Shadowmere's shoulders and neck. But our crone takes a few fast steps back and spins on her haunches and slams her front hooves into the bloodstained ground, sending both her hinds directly into her doppleganger's stomach as hard as she possibly could. The other Shadowmere screams and crumples to the ground. She walks up to her cowering self on the ground, spitting at her. The clone hisses and scrambles back to her feet and charges forward again, turning as the real Shadowmere meets her charge with horns facing her foe like a knight with a lance. The doppleganger throws her hinds at Shadowmere's face, but she is kicking blindly, aiming just too far to the right and the tips of shadowmeres horns cut deep along her gaskin and up to her flank. The real crone then rears up and comes down hard into the doppleganger's spine with a disgusting cracking sound. The other Shadowmere let's out an awful, pained cackle once again as she falls to her knees. The real crone let's a snicker slip through her scarred lips.
<i>You...you are weak...but no longer. I now known my power. And you shall know now too."</i>
The other Shadowmere tries to scramble to her feet, cackling uncontrollably as she struggles. But our true self is too fast, she rises into the air and comes down with a sickening crunch. Her own fractured skull lies in a pool of her own crimson blood. She breathes heavy, once again cackling to herself in an uncontrollable fit. This was no dream, and she knows now, that she had this in her all along. She was no weakling, she no longer needed to hide behind some gifted being to do her work for her. She is as strong as she is cunning. She dips her crowned head to kiss the cheek of her own crushed face as she whispers sweetly.
<i>"sweet dreams…"<i>
And just like that, the battle ends...but she is unsure if the dome will yet release her. As she stands tired and bloodied, she still raises her crowd head high, a look of determination in her eyes. She was still willing to meet any other challengers this place was ready to throw at her.
..........
Word count: 662
The interlude is brief, and she can feel a rumble underfoot, and the sound of cackling breaks the silence. Though it is not coming from herself, instead, the awful sound had come from the slender form between the stones. As a streak of lightning crackles and splits across the stormy sky above them, a flickering bright light is cast over the creature before the crone. She knows her...for it is her. Though unlike her current horned form, this Shadowmere is still frail in mind and without horns. The clone let's out a shrill scream and begins to charge forward like Naga did.
Our old mare cracks a smile across scared lips and allows herself to be attacked. She wants to see how strong she really is. The clone barrels down teeth bared and goes for her face. Shadowmere's eyes narrow and she hisses in pain as her own self bites her cheek, tearing away a large patch of hair.
<i>"Show me your POWER!"</i> she screams to herself with a fire burning in her eyes.
The clone gets up on her hind legs, front hooves striking out in a frantic paddling motion as she batters at Shadowmere's shoulders and neck. But our crone takes a few fast steps back and spins on her haunches and slams her front hooves into the bloodstained ground, sending both her hinds directly into her doppleganger's stomach as hard as she possibly could. The other Shadowmere screams and crumples to the ground. She walks up to her cowering self on the ground, spitting at her. The clone hisses and scrambles back to her feet and charges forward again, turning as the real Shadowmere meets her charge with horns facing her foe like a knight with a lance. The doppleganger throws her hinds at Shadowmere's face, but she is kicking blindly, aiming just too far to the right and the tips of shadowmeres horns cut deep along her gaskin and up to her flank. The real crone then rears up and comes down hard into the doppleganger's spine with a disgusting cracking sound. The other Shadowmere let's out an awful, pained cackle once again as she falls to her knees. The real crone let's a snicker slip through her scarred lips.
<i>You...you are weak...but no longer. I now known my power. And you shall know now too."</i>
The other Shadowmere tries to scramble to her feet, cackling uncontrollably as she struggles. But our true self is too fast, she rises into the air and comes down with a sickening crunch. Her own fractured skull lies in a pool of her own crimson blood. She breathes heavy, once again cackling to herself in an uncontrollable fit. This was no dream, and she knows now, that she had this in her all along. She was no weakling, she no longer needed to hide behind some gifted being to do her work for her. She is as strong as she is cunning. She dips her crowned head to kiss the cheek of her own crushed face as she whispers sweetly.
<i>"sweet dreams…"<i>
And just like that, the battle ends...but she is unsure if the dome will yet release her. As she stands tired and bloodied, she still raises her crowd head high, a look of determination in her eyes. She was still willing to meet any other challengers this place was ready to throw at her.
..........
Word count: 662