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Everything down below was chaos, the people of her kingdom squabbling amongst themselves, even going so far as punching each other. But it wasn't her kingdom, not at all. It was some odd dream she had been pulled into, a dream she had to, quite literally, pull the plug on or risk loosing Mort altogether.
Again.
The faerie continued to hold the King's gaze, perhaps looking a bit more broken than she truly felt for the longer she looked up at him the more her stomach began to turn. This wasn't her Mort at all! All peach skin and dark hair, but at least he had that scar across his face, though no stitches remained. Belladonna could have shoved the man whose arm she held just to get away, but at the same time, jackdamn it, it was still Mort. Somewhere in there. Somewhere in all of this...
Finally he gave a command, finally everyone down below stopped their petty fights and the King finally decided their course of action. In an attempt not to give away what she knew, the faerie dropped her head down and let her bangs hide the massive eye roll she gave. Final save point? Controllers? Player characters? Dear Hecate, yes this was Mort, if in an odd way.
The command was given, something expected and unexpected. But absolutely the exact thing she wanted. And just like that the kingdom began to depart, began to lead the charge and leave the King alone with his champions.
Most excellent.

"I must ask one final request... I never got my dance, so might I instead ask for one last bit of private counsel before the battle?" Belladonna asked, surprised to find her voice a little choked up. After all, this was still a part of Mort she was going to have to destroy, so why not indulge herself in her own pity? Without waiting for a response, the faerie pulled him away from the dais, toward the castle that was just across the way. This had to happen now, they had to end this quickly. The other kingdoms were surely crumbling as well, which left no time to waste. If anything, Belladonna would rather suffer destroying him at her own hands than let someone else get a shot at it. He was her's and she would end this.
But she needed help. A quick look and gesture were thrown to Alexander, Sophie and Julian, though a pitiful face glanced over at Sin. Hecate, what were they to do with her? The one flaw in the plan was having a healer stay behind, an unawakened healer at that... But her loyalty to both King and Moderater were strong, maybe the faerie could turn her yet...
But time was short and she hastened the King on, as though this would be their last meeting and she wanted to make good on the bard's song. Er, at least part of it... The bit that didn't involve the throne...

{OOC: Please continue on to the fighting grounds! heart }

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Mayaa flinched, and slowly turned to look at the tiefling.
They were... so kind... and... though she was putting on a brave face, she was terrified.
When the king announced that he wouldn't sacrifice anyone, but would join the battle himself, she crumpled to the ground.

Part of her was relieved, so relieved, that she didn't have to die. Death was so terrifying to her, just the thought of it made her seize up, wanting to choke, to cry... but she also felt guilty, guilty that because of this, because the king was so kind... he was putting himself in danger, for the sake of his people, for the sake of his kingdom. If the kingdom lost their king...

Trembling, she wrapped her arms around herself and squeezed her eyes shut.
Weak. She was so weak. Why?
She grit her teeth and pushed herself off the floor.
No, this had to change. She would fight, she would protect the king, HER king.

Wiping away stray tears, she put on a determined look, and headed towards the battlefield.

[ Exit ]

Julian's eyes widened to the size of saucers when Sin kissed him, too surprised to do anything for a few heartbeats. Then the little voice in his head started screaming at him. It was wrong! Rosciel would kill him! And Lumi, oh Jack, what would Lumi think if she found out he'd let Sin kiss him?!
His hands pressed against her shoulders and he pushed her away as carefully as he could.

"No, Sin, I didn't-" But she cut him off, going on about being afraid and protecting Mort and... And he was failing. No. He wasn't failing. This just wasn't Sin. She was a fake, a manifestation made by whomever it was that was controlling all of this.
His hand shot out as she turned away from him, grabbing her wrist.

"I... c-can't let you d-do that Sin. This is m-my burden to bear, one way or another, n-not their's." He wondered if he would always have his stutter in times like this. When he was terrified, embarrassed. But most of all when it hurt so badly inside that he could barely handle it.

It's not Sin.
It's not my friend. This thing didn't drag me to that stupid shed, didn't hang out with me, didn't pull me back together in that room full of water. It. Isn't. Sin.

His second hand was a blur, talons aimed for her side.

It was a solid blow, no matter how much he shook, his talons cutting deep into her side. It wasn't Sin, this thing wasn't Sin.

What had happened? Her cheeks still felt warm, kissing Julian had been a mistake, but she still knew she felt something for him not romance but kinship. Her lips curved into a slight smile as she moved, her limp was almost gone perhaps the injury hadn't been too bad or being back and healing Belladonna had helped.

She heard Julian stuttering? Confident Julian stuttering? What was wrong with him? She turned to ask him what he meant and why he thought he alone had to bear any burden when they were all champions? Then she felt it, a sudden painful rending along her side slicing deep, passing her leather armor and into her flesh.

She crumpled to the ground too shocked to spin and defend, never having expected a blow like that from behind…from Julian. She looked up at him, at his talons and her eyes went wide even as her hand went to her side. Her eyes fell to her bloody hand and then she looked back at Julian stunned.

Mort isn't our King…Belladonna knows this…She believes it…He, this whole thing has to be stopped.

Julian…Julian and Belladonna were….traitors? She didn't want to believe it was possible, but her side throbbed and she saw something in his eyes.

"Why?" She jerked herself up and ran, well she tried, she limped into the great hall as quickly as she could before clutching her side. She hissed and looked up to where Belladonna had led Mort off for privacy. She glanced back, Julian was going to follow…and…and kill her…oh sweet Om he was actually going to kill her! How could she turn her claws on him? How could she…but if she didn't their King would die.

"TRAITORS! TRAITORS! CHAMPIONS DEFEND THE KING!" She shouted down the hall and then turned to face Julian.

Her skin rippled as she shifted shape, the blood from her side blended into the dark fur covering the sleek feline body she possessed. Julian had betrayed Om, she could do this…

Aren't you supposed to be a healer? Alexander's voice taunted her and she growled.

With that she stalked forward to pounce on Julian her claws outstretched.

His screech broke her heart, it was the sound she might have run too before, not to harm but to heal. She felt his kick and raised her claw to bring down the razor sharp natural weapons across his face, but her eyes focused there...his face...his eyes...her friend. She snarled and leaped away from him trying to run closer to Mort, the King...she had to save the King...but the pain in her side ached.

She was suddenly off him and running, he knew where. To Mort, to warn and protect him. He couldn't let that happen. Bella needed time, they all did. Sin was just the first obstacle, and though they were alone, though there were others, Mort was one of seven. Six if the black king had fallen. There was no telling.
This had to be done. And fast.

"I can't let you, Sin!" he shouted, taking after her and trying to dive at her in another attack. He didn't have his bow anymore, but he did have his sword. But he didn't fight like that. His talons were his weapons, the only ones he trusted with his life.

He probably should trust them less... Or trust himself less, because his strike was way off mark. He was having trouble, this wasn't Sin, this wasn't Sin and yet he couldn't seem to make that stick.
All he was able to do was tackle her to the ground.
"I can't let you stop this..."

"I never feel like sharing." It was a joke, something spoken in a lilting voice and sprinkled with a laugh and a smile, but they were words Alexander would understand. Awaken meant the faerie knew and that meant hands and winks to yourself zombieboil, thank you very much.
An odd pain started in her chest, something she hadn't felt for a very long time as she was pulled into a hall that was familiar but already fading in her memory, even as the King coaxed her into a dance. An odd tingle began in her hip as he touched it, for what was this Mort but just something that could have been? And he twirled her so carelessly, so happily and without regrets, even if his eyebrow were tilted down with worry for his people.
"The court has been talking for ages..." She mumbled as she let her head fall against his chest. Jut two seconds, Belladonna just needed two seconds to live in this world where Mort was happy, truly happy and not prone to melancholy and where she was enough to keep him, even if for five minutes.
But that odd beating in his chest, that odd noise where before there was always silence, was enough to remind her in startling clarity that this wasn't real.
"You have to promise me... Right now... That when this is all over..." The moment the sentence started, she let one hand fall away down to press against his chest so that when she paused, the staff with the name of some goddess who ruled over flowers appeared instead of her cards and the faerie shoved it against his chest. "That you won't hate me, that you'll know I did this for you. Because I love you."

Suddenly his fist came down and everything rippled like a shockwave down her body. She jerked back her teeth letting go of him as she staggered backwards her vision swam and she lost hold of her form. The fur receded leaving sin sitting stunned with her hands to her throbbing head as she tried to keep from blacking out. Everything swam before her eyes and she tried to scoot back away from Julian.

"My King..." She murmured weakly and tried shakily to stand her arms grasping at the air before her.

Oh sweet mods above this agony...her head...the pain in her side and down her leg was all that kept her from succumbing to darkness. She fumbled at her cloak trying to undo it before she tripped on it.