From a dimly-glowing chrysalis tucked into a corner, an owl broke out. Wings crumpled with phosphophyllite and talons scratching against the cave floor. Willow couldn't quite remember what she had been doing here when she fell asleep-- but hell, when could she ever remember anything?

She had a faint recollection of the room. The mirrors were ominous and when she got close enough, it looked like there were a dozen other Willows staring back at her. It was difficult to navigate, the ceiling streched on forever and it almost seemed to wind like a snake. When she flew, she risked ramming into the crystalline walls.

There was something new, though-- dappled white fungus that lined the walls and burrowed into corners. Very interesting.

Her talons clicked against the smooth floor as she approached them. A hundred thousand ivory bubbles reflected in the crystal. They didn't look like any mushrooms that she could remember: and the actual number of them was difficult to tell. How did they get here? Why where they here?

She stuck her beak close, checking the undersides thoughtfully.

@V-Ruby-One

Thoughts and idea plagued its mind as it stepped further from Draco. Tunnels and caves it had never been in, simply out of its "lack of rights" to go anywhere it could not go - well fuck that, now, it could go wherever it liked. And to Gemini it went, intending on letting loose flames and fury upon the infestation that simply would not go away. But there was another, darker purpose within it, a foul idea that had rooted itself within the Beast. And it was looking for a target that wouldn't get it annihilated by its Master.

HE IS NO MASTER!! HE IS A FALSE IDOL!! It had to agree with that sentiment, for the most part. It held no affection for him, it had no respect for him, only fear that if it crossed one more line, it would be remade. And that would NEVER happen.

Approaching the mirror-cave and pausing before the blanket of mold, it immediately noticed one thing out of place - dark gray among the pale white. Nudging, poking, INFECTED. Perfect.

It was a perfect target, wasn't it? Master Vargas could not accuse it of losing control and harming an innocent when it was among their enemy so casually, without care. It did not care if the owl was actually infected or not. It didn't matter - what it saw was enough for it to surge its magic forward, to encompass it in dark flames. No playing with its food - destruction would come quickly and without mercy.

@Willow

There was something unusual about the fungus-- it didn't have much smell or texture, and she soon realized that it was perfectly symmetrical. Not just the cap itself, but the way it'd been placed: nothing about it was even a fraction out of place. Willow did not have the time to analyze further, however.

She was dimly aware that someone was behind her and approaching; she did not anticipate promptly being set on fire.

Like flames to gasoline, her feathers lit up in violet-black flames. She drew back from the mushrooms-- fuck the mushrooms --and bat her wings, unintentionally spreading the fire to those, too. The crystals of Gemini were alight with black fire and thick smoke; she had a great many plans running through her mind.

Roll on the floor to put out the flames; claw the attacker's eyes out, scream for help. The one that won out was trying to get away. She took off, wings silent but claws scrabbling against the cave floor. By some miracle or another, she didn't slam into any of walls.

She just had to clear the room and get out of sight-- though it was increasingly difficult. Pain flared all around her. She had to survive.

@V-Ruby-One

It anticipated what was coming next. It was a bird. It would make to fly at it and attack, perhaps, or flee the scene before it could die. But V-Ruby-One was not intending on letting it escape. NO ESCAPING US, NO ESCAPING CHAOS!!! WE WILL BE YOUR FATE!! Yes, it would be the owl's End.

But first - stop it from leaving. It could probably catch up to her easily - after all, it was far larger, with long legs - but it couldn't be sure. And it wanted this to be quick. If it gave her too much of a chance to fight back, it might just turn around and do so and it didn't know what magic was hidden under those gray feathers. It didn't need a repeat of Esther.

It stepped forward, cringing at the feeling of mushrooms squashed under its foot DISGUSTING FOUL ORDER, WE WILL BURN YOU TOO!! and pressed a claw against the crystalline walls, trying to judge the distance of the owl, the speed of her flight and - right there!

As soon as Willow flew closer to the wall, a black tentacle suddenly burst from the crystal and made to grab her. Best case scenario, it would grab a hold of one of the legs. But even just swatting her out of the air or grabbing a hold of some wing feathers would be enough - slow it down as V-Ruby-One gave chase.

@Willow

Shit.

Smoke plumed in the air, filling the spot where Willow was just a heartbeat before as the tentacle slid around her ankle and dragged her back against the wall. She thrashed, twisting back. Her feathers were burning up, now-- even if she tried to fly, she was uncertain she would make it.

Fuck. It hurt. What the hell was around her leg, anyway? Something thick and oily and all muscle. She fell limp against the wall, squealing. Unless the thing dropped her, she hung there like a blackened lantern. She twisted again, white feathers turning black.

Too far to bite. Too restrained to claw at. Damn.

Was this how it ends?

@V-Ruby-One

V-Ruby-One was not far behind, approaching swiftly which each of its large steps. Its teeth were bared, but it did not grin. Something in it was howling its pleasure, something else was begging it to stop. It tried to do this without emotion, for falling too into the threatening red haze was taking it back There, where it would break again. Shatter. It would not come out of that darkness again as anything but a slavering feral beast. Perhaps it was already halfway there already.

Yet there was still a deep-routed song of glee at this complete domination of a lesser being. Ever since it had transcended, it had felt hollow, yes, but it had also felt like more. More in-control. More attuned to its own innate chaos. A blessing from The Creator, not the curse it had believed all its life. YOU CANNOT HATE WHAT YOU ARE. I can. BUT YOU DON'T. No. Not anymore.

How could it have hated this power? The strength Chaos granted, even despite its drawbacks? Oh, it had been such a fool. But, then again, if it had not been like that, it would never have Seen. It would never have learned. It would be purposeless, pointless, useless. Now, WE ARE PURPOSE!!


It approached the owl, still on fire, held by the limb, and then it reached forward with one of its upper claws to grab her. It did not need to, of course, but it felt all the stronger to do so. And as soon as its claws connected, as soon as it felt her tender flesh beneath its skin, Chaos surged again, numbing lightning racing down its own body and into hers. It would hurt, it would be agony, but only for a moment before the corrupted electricity reached her heart.

@Willow

People who say that their lives flashed before their eyes are such liars. People who say that they see a light are liars, too.

Willow saw nothing but a hulking mass of violet fur as she felt more pressed into her body, claws piercing past feathers and skin and into her meat. She didn't see the almost-forgotten faces of her friends or loved ones; she only saw the black smoke churning off her own body and crackling, violet-black electricity striking the air.

Pain, then-- worse than the fire searing her flesh had been. Every nerve running through her screamed, and she did, too-- for a heartbeat, she thought to lash out and bite and do anything that might save her, but by then it was already too late. As the lighting struck her heart and she fell limp, there was only one last thought that rattled through her mind before it was gone forever.

What happens now?

exit via death
@V-Ruby-One

It only stopped the magic once the owl had gone limp in its grip and the smell of burnt ozone was searing the edges of its nostriles. It snarled and cut the magic, twitching from the painful spasms in its arm and then slammed the body into the ground, dampening the flames until they went out enough to see the victim of its attack. It did not look like a Drone, but for all it knew, it could have just recently been infected. Not that it fucking mattered. Especially not now - she was dead now, and V-Ruby-One had officially taken a life.

This wasn't a fight into the chrysalis, this wasn't a Spire-fueled nightmare, this was real and it had crossed a line it would never uncross. IT DOES NOT MATTER. But it does. She was living, breathing. We don't want to die. She didn't want to die. YET SHE DIED. WEAK!! AND SHE DID NOT DIE FOR NOTHING!! Yes, that's right, there was a purpose to all of this.

It turned the small body in its hand over until it located the stone, sticking out of the back of the owl's head. Another clawed hand came up and sunk into the meat around it and grabbed it tight. It intended for the body to burn around it, to destroy all, feathers, meat, blood, and bone, until there was nothing left but a small green gemstone, but now was when Chaos faltered. The hollow in its chest was more present then ever.

It snarled, the beast roaring its fury, but it calmed itself. It was no matter. The Creator could have all of her.

Without bothering, then, to even remove the stone from the body, V-Ruby-One headed out of the cave, towards the place where it knew the Altar to be, disturbingly undisturbed by the violence it had wrought.

*exit