Apple watched all of this unfold with both utter confusion and fear. She thought, for a moment, that the thing was going to attack her, but something changed its mind. The little bird couldn't possible understand what was going through the minds of that bird and her child. They couldn't possibly understand any of this. They had never known them and they had never known such hatred to exist in the world.

They watched the child's own mother tearing them apart and it brought tears to Apple's eyes. When she was a child she had always imagined having a family of her own. Raising children, having a mate. It had always appealed to her. She had thought for a while that perhaps Gypsy would be the one she would spend her life with. But now Gypsy was gone and she didn't know if she would ever see them again.

Whether it was because they had died or she would be killed here.

As Huckleberry ripped away, she thought she felt a faint spark in the air. Was that them trying to use their magic? Was it simply a pitiful spell or some failure of a bigger one? Either way, she was disappointed that, even now, they couldn't succeed. She hissed and leaned forward threateningly, opening her beak to reveal her rows of sharp teeth. "What's wrong, Huckleberry," she honked in a mocking tone. "I thought you were proud of your magic. Or can you not bear to strike me, even when I'm about to kill you?"

She jumped forward again, opening her wings to try and latch onto their shoulder, but she mistimed the leap and ended up falling flat on her face just in front of Huckleberry. Rage and embarrassment flooded through her. After mocking her child, she had to go and fail so horribly.

Round: 3
Attempt: dig talons into their shoulder
Defense: natural defense
Injuries: none

They trembled with fury at the insults Blackberry was throwing at them and could barely contain themselves from launching themselves at her and tearing her to pieces. But that wasn't going to work. She was a much better and more experienced fighter. They had to use magic.

But they were still deadly, wielding their lightning. They knew that they would be able to defeat her, yes, they could! If only for a chance to escape, if only to keep themselves alive!

They didn't care that she failed her attack and fell forward beneath them. They roared, seeing their opportunity, and released their lightning into the sky. But, in the red haze, they weren't very accurate in their attack. Instead of hitting Blackberry in front of them, the lightning crashed down right onto them.

White-hot pain seared through every inch of their body and every nerve went alight, screaming out along with Huckleberry themselves. Their throat was going raw as they fell onto their side and writhed against everything. They saw dark spots in their vision as the bolts raced through their body before falling limp, breathing heavily.

Round: 3
Attempt: call down a storm part 2
Defense: none
Injuries: bitten throat and front leg

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags:
notes: here

Blackberry got to her feet as soon as she felt the electricity crackling in the air. She prepared herself for whatever insane magic Huckleberry would throw at her next, but nothing came to her. Instead, she watched as a bolt of lightning suddenly ripped through the air, straight into Huckleberry's body.

Wide eyed, she watched her child fall onto their side, screaming against the agony of the electrocution. Her mouth felt dry and she shivered a bit. This was her child, right? One of the three she and Blueberry had created together?

No. No! This was a traitor, a disgrace to the family name. But it seemed her hesitation had taken too long. She had lost her chance to attack. But something within her told her that was a good thing.

Round: 4
Attempt: tear into their side
Defense: natural defense
Injuries: none

Everything hurt, it hurt so much. So much that Huckleberry could barely move. Their eyes were squeezed closed, ready for Blackberry to tear into them, but nothing came. Beyond the buzzing in their head, they managed to open their eyes and saw her simply standing there, watching with wide eyes.

Something clicked. This was their chance. With a single snap of electricity, a bolt of terror shot towards their mother. They had been the first to find this spell. They had been the one to spread it to the family. And now this was the one that would save them from their own mother. The thought of it sent pain through their body, beyond physical, but they needed to win. They needed to live.

Round: 4
Attempt: fear
Defense: none
Injuries: bitten throat and front leg, paralyzed

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags:
notes: here

Blackberry had used the spell that her family has created a few times herself, but she never had much proficiency with magic. So she was not experienced enough to have used it frequently. Huckleberry, on the other hand, they had a talent for electricity magic. So having their own family spell cast on her without warning, from an adept magic user, was something of a 'shocker'.

Immediately, the world fell away and she was back, back in that dreaded place. Blue and red walls surrounded her on all sides. There was laughing in her ears, so much laughing. They laughed and tore at her body, ripping feathers from her wings, clawing the skin off her back, gouging out her stomach before everything was suddenly and painfully forced back on. And it all happened all over again.

Blackberry tried to scream, but she couldn't. Their fangs were around her throat. She tried to thrash, she tried to move, but nothing was working. She couldn't break free. She was lost in a sea of pain and laughing and blood. Everything was dark, gone, nothing. This was Hell, utter, complete hell. Her vengeance, she remembered it now. She would avenge. Avenge herself. DESTROY EVERYONE.

She struck out blindly with what little magic she possessed and she recognized the spell. The family spell. But she didn't have a family, not yet. It was only her and Blueberry, right? Or else Kera would have gotten her children too.

And the vision shattered by this realization. Blackberry found herself on her back, breathing heavily, panting as the pain wore away. It was replaced by a dark fury, knowing that her own child had done this to her. She rose to her feet, hoping that her own spell was having just as terrible an effect on them.

Round: 5
Attempt: fear
Defense: natural defense
Injuries: none

Their mother's screaming sent chills down their body and Huckleberry, who's thoughts were clear for the first time in a long time, hated themselves for being the one to cause it. They hated themselves for all of it, the trouble they made for their family, the trouble they made for themselves. They must be such a nuisance, so difficult to deal with. They pitied their family for having someone like them be a part.

Tears leaked at their eyes and everything melted away for a moment. They were there, in their nest, their family surrounding them. Every single one of them looked at them with hatred. Elderberry clacked their beak angrily, Jayberry snarled, their eyes blazing with fury. Mulberry lunged forward and snapped their jaws and inch away from them and Huckleberry flinched. Blackberry and Blueberry stood in front of them, faces twisted with anger and disappointment. We hate you, Huckleberry. You are a disappointment to the family. We should have never brought life to your stone, we wish that you were dead. Their voices melded into one, speaking in unison. You don't deserve the family name. You are Huckle now, until the day you die. Blackberry leaned forward and hissed lowly. Which is now.

Huckleberry screamed as she stabbed downwards and pierced his gem, curling in on himself as the pain spiked and then faded away as the magic wore off, sobbing loudly. They tried to fight back, tried to call their lightning, but their magic failed them. Nothing was working. They were defenseless now. They could do nothing.

Round: 5
Attempt: come ON LIGHTNING STORM
Defense: none
Injuries: bitten throat and front leg, paralyzed

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags:
notes: here

The sound of crying is what got Blackberry to stand, although she shivered, the memories still lurking at the back of her mind. She watched her child squirming on the ground, tears rolling down their cheeks and, for the first time, she felt no pity. They deserved what they were getting. They deserved every amount of pain she inflicted on them.

She stepped over to their side and watched them closely as she raised a claw and dug it into their side, ripping away fur and skin, scourging her talons deep into their body. She watched every second closely, every bit of agony flashing across their face. When would they fight her? Could they? When would they learn their lesson? When would she kill them?

Round: 6
Attempt: tear into their side
Defense: natural defense
Injuries: none

With their eyes closed and tears rolling down their face, they didn't see Blackberry stepping up next to them. With their own wails filling the cavern, they didn't hear her steps. But they certainly felt the agony of having her claws ripping into their side.

In an instant, everything was gone. The clarity, the self-hatred and pity. All of it was swept away and from the emptiness came anger, pain, rage, bloodlust. Their gem sparked as magic shot towards Blackberry, stemming from their sudden desire to see her suffer, to see her dead in front of them. Their face twisted with fury and their eyes blazed. The pain was suddenly gone and red descended on their vision. Blackberry's terrible attack stopped as the spell hit and they rose from the ground, snarling horribly. They faced their mother, their entire form hunched, dark, animalistic, all intelligence gone from their eyes. Only a crazed, wounded animal remained, an animal that would survive to fight another day.

Round: 6
Attempt: make Blackberry's heart beat out of control
Defense: none
Injuries: bitten throat and front leg, mostly paralyzed, torn up side

"Speech looks like this."
"Thoughts looks like this."

tags:
notes: here

Blackberry dug further into Huckleberry's side, watching the blood stream out of the wound. It didn't seem, at first, that Huckleberry was doing anything, but the sudden glint in their eyes made her heart race. Was she afraid? Anxious? Or just high on adrenaline?

But then her heart was beating faster and faster and she felt her body begin to seize up. This wasn't natural. This was magic. She gasped for breath and her legs trembled, trying to hold up her weight. She was starting to feel dizzy as the blood couldn't get to her head. As Huckleberry rose, she began to fall, unable to hold herself up any longer.

As she glared at her child, she felt a burst of pride. They had become strong after all. That rage, that anger and bloodlust...she saw herself in those eyes.

But now she couldn't move. She tried to dig down and bring up the recovery spell she had taught herself, but even the pitiful attempt made her even more woozy. Black was coming down on the edge of her vision and she fell forward. As she stared at Huckleberry, she glared a challenge: what will you do now?

Round: 7
Attempt: get your heartbeat back to normal
Defense: natural defense
Injuries: none