She stared at Azure for a while. She didn't like that word - "abandon". Nobody had abandoned her. She was still waiting. They WOULD come back for her, it was something she believed with every bone of her body. She had to. She was growing dizzy from lack of oxygen as her breaths came fast and short. "What do you mean. What do you MEAN." She had to be wrong, right? Her mom wasn't gone...?

Did that...really mean...

Hysteria rose again as the truth started to settle in a body that couldn't handle it. She stood up and stumbled back from Azure. She wasn't supposed to know this. She was supposed to sit and wait, because her mother WOULD COME BACK, RIGHT? YOU'RE COMING BACK MOM!! YOU SAID YOU WOULD!!!

"NO!" she nearly screeched, and for a moment she wanted to hurt Azure. She wanted to squeeze her tight and shake her around for trying to lie to her. Her magic attempted to do just that, a spear straight towards her heart to grip it hard. "Nobody has abandoned me! I'm waiting!! You're lying, you're LYING!!"

It was the most animated she'd ever been, wings partways out and feathers ruffled as her feet tapped left and right in place. Terror sparkled in her eyes. She didn't want to accept it. She COULDN'T.

"MOM," she suddenly turned and screeched down the tunnel she remembered Blackberry leaving from. "YOU'RE COMING BACK FOR ME, RIGHT? RIGHT?!"

@Azure

Azure reeled, the sudden sensation of squeezing, of stopping, jolting her with terror and alarm. She'd gone from trying to juggle gentleness and concern to sudden fear for her life, and she had no idea what had done it.

"AH--... F-Fuck!" she cried, and staggered back. Her limbs abruptly felt leaden, sluggish, and her breath wasn't coming fast enough. "Your magic--if that's you... stop-" she managed.

There was no time to address the adult-kid's concerns when she felt like something was actively killing her.

@Sylvanberry