Her worst fear was them... dead? Gone? The cold of loneliness? This little snake cared that much? It hurt Blue even more now. But he couldn't show weakness. He needed to set a good example for the kids."That is horrible Dew. But that is why you must learn to fight and use your magick, because if you do we can top the cold from ever coming." He told her. Use her fear to fuel her magick.

____________________
"Hear my war cry"

Tags: @Dewberry
Notes: here

Dewberry reminded herself once again that Father was here and very much alive, and that everything had all been an illusion. Slowly, the fear dissipated from her system and she could think properly again.

Stop the cold from ever coming? That sounded like a good idea. Not only good, but a great idea. Then she and Mother and Father and her sisters would all be safe forever and ever. "Yes! I must learn. Teach me! We will stop the cold!"

@Blueberry

He smiled wide and nodded. "Yes! We must fight to protect from the cold, from the evil. Attack me, Dewberry. Show me what you've got!" He encouraged with a blazing fire in his eyes. His excitement was very apparent, his hooves stomping.

@Dewberry

Father wanted her to... attack him? That couldn't be right; he was family! Why would they want to hurt each other? But then... as much as Dewberry didn't want to do it, it was a command from father and besides, she had to practice her magic in order to learn how to defend her family.

She looked at Father for a moment, trying to figure out what to do. She could move one of his hooves and make him trip. But would he be able to catch his balance? Dewberry knew little of how animals with feet worked. Still, moving a hoof seemed to be the best option right now. She reached out with her magic, and when she felt it reach Father, she wrapped it around the hoof and told it to move. All she could manage was a short distance, maybe a few inches, but hopefully it would be enough.

@Blueberry

Just as his hoof came up, it was pulled forward by an unknown force, which the moose guessed to be Dew's magick. He grinned as he fell forward, his balance offset. He shook himself as he stood and gave an approving nod to his daughter.

"Very good, my dear daughter. Again."

____________________
"Hear my war cry"

Tags: @Dewberry
Notes: here

Dewberry's heart swelled with pride at Father's praise. Even though Father had caught his balance, the spell had still worked and Father still approved and the warm feeling was still there. Everything was good. But if she wanted to make a difference when defending the family, she'd probably have to practice more so she could make more of an impact, just like Father said.

Determined to improve, Dewberry reached for the magic again, but this time it somehow felt different, more dangerous and malicious almost. Confused and scared, she drew it back immediately, looking questioningly at Father. "That time felt.... different. What happened? Why?"

@Blueberry

Blue didn't feel anything, so he couldn't tell her why. He didn't know what she was trying to do.

"Try it again, and maybe I can tell you why, little one."

____________________
"Hear my war cry"

Tags: @Dewberry
Notes: rip short post

"Okay..." Dewberry agreed, reaching for the magic again. It didn't feel any better than it did before, and she was actually scared of using it - but Father had told her to and surely Father knew best? This time, she didn't try to stop the magic, no matter how wrong it felt and how much she wanted to.

It was like - a spark, maybe. Yes, it felt like a spark, and it was anything but pleasant. Dewberry shivered. Whatever this magic was, it felt dangerous and she really didn't like it. But maybe dangerous was what she needed, so that she could help defend the family in the future. Well, whatever it was, she'd listen to whatever advice Father gave.

@Blueberry

Blue felt the buzz of magic in the air, he knew the spell was coming, but he wasn't mentally prepared for the images of his fear before him. It was the same scene that had been playing out in his dreams for a few nights now, compelling him to stay closer to his family.

Death. Decay. His own body half rotted, the gem uprooted from its place. it was a frightening sight, however, more frightening were the screams and shrieks of his family. Blue watched as the vision shifted, his family being slaughtered by Reseda, the very creature that had stolen his children. He was helpless to stop her, and that hurt more than anything else. Not being able to protect those he loved.

Blue looked at Dew. She was safe, she was fine. He willed the tears to stop streaming from his face, and for his legs to stop shaking. "V-very good Dewberry. You have made me very proud. You will defend your family well."

____________________
"Hear my war cry"

Tags: @Dewberry
Notes: here

Dewberry's eyes widened as tears fell from Father's eyes. Oh, what had she been thinking? She knew the magic would be bad, she'd known it since the moment she felt it. Why, then, had she used it anyway? How could she have been so stupid? Defending the family - that was a worthy goal, yes, and Father had said that he was proud. But surely using this kind of spell on Father went against every one of her values? How could making Father feel this way be defending family?

"Father," she whispered, slithering in a circle to wrap herself around a hoof in an attempted conciliatory gesture. "I am sorry very much. Very, very much."

@Blueberry