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 Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:29 am
The quiet of the forest had been shattered. The Cat knew this, had known since Evil first set paw into the tranquil place the enigmatic creature had finally learned to call home. It had been peaceful and there were those that accepted the strange, even a cat that could disappear and reappear at will, a cat who could reorder the world itself if inclination struck.
And for all its monotony, The Cat had enjoyed a reprieve from the life before. And if it were to change, The Cat would have changed it when the feeling was right. But another had barged in and stolen that right, had changed things. Had brought evil into the Oasis.
And the Cat of Cheshire would not stand for this disrespect.
Mirage lounged languidly on a boulder overlooking a stretch of open ground. It was here that she could imagine it. Here on the cold, thick snow that a battle could take place. Blood could spill on the pristine white of the sheer carpet, staining it crimson until it melted away. She would lead her strongest here, where they could engage the heroes of this land. Some would stand and some would fall, but in her heart she knew she would come out victorious because good was weak. She had seen it in the dark-winged one. The regret and the anguish. One day it would break him. And the little one... He would always be at the disadvantage for his size and one day that would work against him.
A grin formed on her face as she thought of how delicious it was.
The Cat knew where She was. The Cat always knew. Any other creature might have surely gone mad from the whisperings and the tuggings and the strange vision, and perhaps The Cat had. Long ago, most had said The Cat had been separated from most of its mind.
But Chesh––The cat couldn't help but smile over the only nickname it had ever known––knew better. The Cat was perfectly sane, albeit strange. Madness was a defense, a cover over the softness within. A softness that had to be turned off for what lay ahead.
"Evil," Chesh said as the meld-walk finished, allowing the absurdly pink cat to appear to one side of the other cat, a darker one with venomous green eyes.
Mirage started at the appearance of another cat at her side. It was pink striped with lighter pink, its white teeth gleaming slightly in the small grin plastered on its face. She might have been surprised at the creature's ability to appear magically as she and Fashir often did, but the chill up her spine knew better.
"Chaos..." she replied, her voice hushed in disbelief. She could see the same mischief and control and power within this creature's golden eyes.
"I'm afraid not," Chesh replied, bound by an almost truthful sense of honor. Yes, The Cat often hedged around topics using half-truths and confounding metaphors, but this was too important for that. Chesh needed wits for this.
"Merely a helper of Chaos. Think of... the second-born. Of equal power, give or take, but without the backbreaking responsibility of the older brother," was the explanation given. And it was all truth. Yes, Chesh had Chaos' power, might have even been stronger, though they had never gone head-to-head. And yes, Chesh had no set responsibilities like Chaos, though The Cat had taken it upon itself to fill in for the absent Lord in this territory. So Chesh would have known if Chaos had a paw in Evil's appearance, which he didn't. Which meant Evil had crossed the younger "demigod" and the sibling of Chaos was not one to be trifled with.
"Evil, you crossed into my domain without my permission and started playing your games. I will not tell Chaos or Fate what you have been up to, but leave now. Otherwise you will suffer the consequences of your actions."
At first, Mirage had been wary, almost afraid of this creature, when she thought it was Chaos. But when she learned otherwise, her face broke into an angry glare. How DARE this creature, a worthless piece of flesh masquerading as the powerful incarnate of Chaos itself, order her around. Leave? Ha! If it really was standing in for Chaos here, it should have welcomed her interference, as a change to the repetitively happy life these creatures here had.
"How dare you speak to me like that! You think you can take on Evil itself?? Show me what you can do, false-Chaos!" she snarled back, lashing out so that her claws raked across the fair cheek of her opponent.
Chesh leaped back with a hiss, crimson blood forming dots on the snow from the gash Mirage had created. That was the last straw. There was no holding back against Evil Incarnated, so all that could be done was fight back. Claws extended, the Oasis' element of chaos lashed out at Mirage, taking the slightly larger cat by surprise with the ferocity and swiftness of the attack. Should any other creature had been watching, they would have seen nothing but a pink blur.
Mirage flinched back, her eyes wide as the cat attacked with a fervor. Never had Chaos directly attacked her, preferring to work it so that others did the work, as she did. That was just how it worked. But this cat... It wasn't afraid of taking matters into its own paws. And it was a lot more formidable than it had appeared.
She danced around it as best she could, knowing that since it was "related" to Chaos, trying to return to her haven or any other place for that matter by magical means would be worthless, as it could do the same.
She was not used to fighting another physically and soon found herself on the defensive. She didn't have time to summon any of her minions or helpers or even those she was manipulating into-
Chesh watched as Evil slowed a bit, her mind no doubtably becoming distracted as she tried to think herself out of the situation. And much as it pained The Cat to do so, Chesh took full advantage of this slow, by disappearing and reappearing in the same second at Mirage's side, scratching claws deep into the flesh of her back and sides, and driving teeth deep into one of her shoulders. Chesh pulled back, then, tearing Evil's flesh enough to pain her, though The Cat had not intended on that felling her.
Mirage screamed to high heaven at the pain that streaked through her back and shoulders. Never had she experienced such pain. Well, maybe she had when she was just a normal cat, but certainly not after she had taken the duties of Evil upon her shoulders. Such searing agony, that her body felt like it was ablaze and her vision spotted and blanked as the cat reared back, tearing flesh as it went. She couldn't hold herself up, it hurt too much. So when the chaotic entity pulled her to one side, she just kept going, landing on the hard, cold, snow-dusted stone with a much more muted cry in pain.
Chesh heard her scream, watched her fall. The Cat should have been satisfied, but control broke and the ocean of emotions within shifted into a more feral state. All The Cat could see was a fallen foe, and foes needed to be disposed of.
The Cat, Helper to Chaos, slowly advanced on Evil, quite intent on tearing her apart.
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:39 am
Fashir appeared out of seemingly nowhere, the large wolf curled around Mirage his cloak thrown over her as he frowned at the pink striped cat. His duty could not allow evil incarnate to be fully destroyed, even by such a minor chaos, yet it was his heart that caused the growl to rumble from his throat.
Even if it had been his duty to see Mirage done in, he could never allow it. He frowned at the Cheshire and shook his head. "She has work yet to be done, and another chance to do her duty..."
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:46 am
Chesh stepped back, head shaking the numbness of the mind away.
"Keep her on a shorter leash, then. I may not be Chaos, but this place is mine. She can disrupt the peace when I allow," The Cat replied, the blood dripping from the cuts Mirage had inflicted before the agent of chaos faded away, leaving the balanced pair alone in the cold.
Mirage shivered beneath Fashir's cloak, pain burning like a fire on her back. The world didn't make much sense to her at that moment. She wasn't quite sure what had just happened or if she was really seeing and hearing what she thought she was.
"Fashir...?" she mewed out, her voiced pained and her mind hovered between consciousness and fainting.
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:53 am
Fashir watched the feline fade away and sighed softly, it seemed wherever she went, wherever he might follow, they were bound by their roles. He nodded as the cat vanished completely and twisted to nuzzle Mirage lightly his nose tracing the cuts.
"Come, I'll get you home..." He gently lifted her onto his back his cloak covering her. Before anyone could tell if the wolf had walked away with an odd lump on his back or if he had simply vanished they were once more within her den.
Fashir lightly set her down still curled up in his cloak and sat beside her tenderly licking her wounds. While his tongue might have sealed up many cuts, these were inflicted by one of their own not a mortal. He soothed each injury and brought some of the pain to himself to lessen her own.
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 8:30 am
Mirage shuddered a bit at the transfer of locations and being jostled about ever so slightly, but relaxed as best she could when Fashir set her down in her cave, the small fires flickering into life on their own, almost as if they were concerned over the state of their mistress.
She could feel his rough tongue on her wounds, though by then it seemed like a far away thing through the numbness the pain had brought. She did her best to look up at him, though moving her head didn't do much. So, instead she just gave up and laid her head against his paws, closing her eyes as she felt the warmth in his paws and smelt the scent of him.
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 9:02 am
Fashir almost wanted to ask if she had learned her lesson about tampering with things, but then again he barely managed to remember the lesson himself. Luckily good acts were treated with much more tolerance then evil ones.
He sighed softly against her fur wishing that it had not been pain which brought them together. He ran his paw along the side of her face and brushed her hair back against her neck. "Better?" He murmured softly against her silky ear.
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 10:29 am
Mirage tried to ignore the feel of his paw stroking her face and pushing her hair back. It was just too familiar. Part of her did miss what they had, but then she still blamed him. She had only good intentions when she took these responsibilities, to help bring balance to the universe and whatnot, even if it was on the side that not many liked to choose. Plus, this made her practically immortal, just like Fashir. She had thought he would have been happy. He was not. Whether the evil that she had taken control over had twisted had had any effect over her feelings, their fight over it had hardened her. She had been burned and didn't want to play with fire again. Perhaps that was why she looked down on love so. She didn't want to accept that what she had once known had been weaker than what others felt. What they had gone through was just regular "love" in her mind.
She sighed, her eyes remaining closed so that she wouldn't have to been his... well, so that she wouldn't have to look at him anyways. She was feeling really low and... vulnerable.
"Yes... a bit. I... I didn't expect that. That thing's... it's not like Chaos," she murmured softly.
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:34 am
He slowly pulled away and pressed a small bowl of water against her lips holding back a sigh. How simple things had been before, he loved Mirage so much he had neglected his own duties.He loved her still, but now he was forced to pay closer attention to see what new havoc she was causing. He also knew that he had to allow the wickedness in the world to wage against the goodness, such was the delicate balance, but it was hard to be opposite his beloved.
"No it is not like Chaos, even that cat knows when to let things be. This one was defending his lands, we would be wise not to cross that which he already tends over. You ought leave the families alone Mirage...there are many lonely creatures here for you to have your fun with."
Fashir felt a pang of guilt, but it was the lesser of the two evils to send Mirage after the lone creatures then have her trying to destroy families who had struggled. He could see a pair that had overcome great obstacles to have their family. He saw another pair like light and darkness and their children with the same dark and light inside them, but they had honor and respect for life. There was also a dark pair in his vision, they who wished to destroy and tear apart the peace that had settled over this land. So many lives and struggles, it would be hard to stop Mirage from having her way here.
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:48 am
At any other time, Mirage might not have said her automatic defense to Fashir's assumptions. But this was not a normal circumstance, and she was too tired to inhibit the automatic response.
"You don't get it, Fashir... I'm not GOING after specific people, not here. There are too many imbalances, too many heroes to single out just ONE. And half of the evil that's been coming here is on their own volition. I just observe those. Of the creatures that have come here, I've brought four, and none lasted long enough to make a dent," she sighed, slowly shaking her head and turning away from the water. She was tired and achy, both from the fight and from the lack of understanding. Nobody ever understood what it was she did. Genocidal maniacs, for one, was something she just didn't do. She didn't like to dirty even HER paws with something like that. She liked thieves and mad-men on small scales, tricksters and evil magicians and the occasional slaver or kidnapper.
"You've never understood, Fashir, and I'm tired of you nagging me over it. Especially when you should know better. What would the world be like without Evil?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:56 am
"Unbalanced..." He sighed then and left the bowl for her moving away to sit behind her. It was hard to speak with her calmly when he was close enough to smell, and touch her.
He knew what she did for it was only the opposite of his own work, but as much as his mind was clear enough to appreciate her workings his heart suffered foolishly. He licked his lips and moved his head "He managed to injure you...wounds deep enough that even my ability will not mend them with the usual ease. You should learn respect for this one Mirage, he may not be Chaos but he is as close as we might find in this place and time."
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 11:16 am
Mirage hissed a bit through her teeth and shook her head.
"I'm not stupid, either. I'm not going to be doing much for a while anyways. Just watching, as I imagine it does as well. Go have your fun, Fashir. Make the world happy and bright. But you can't stop it. There will ALWAY be someone out there that wants something more, and will do anything to get it, whether I intervene or not," she pointed out sharply, lying her head on her paws. She wished he could understand and accept it. She didn't see herself as that bad, just another part of the great scheme of things. Just because she was the part that nobody really liked, didn't mean she wasn't just another part of life.
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Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:25 pm
"Yes...I know the world is filled with those who struggle for power even if they must crush others to obtain it. I would stay here with you Mirage if you would but swallow your pride and ask me too..." He tipped his muzzle down as if looking at her and remained silent and hopeful.
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Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 6:40 pm
Mirage looked away from him, almost like a petulant child would.
"There's nothing I would be able to do to stop you from staying here, even if I didn't want you to stay," she replied, hedging around a true answer to his veiled question. Sometimes she didn't mind his presence, when he wasn't bothering her, that is. And he wasn't... not at the moment... well, not by much. They were debating, really, even if it was a frustrating topic.
"Why are you bringing that up anyways?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 7:02 pm
"All you need say is that you no longer desire my presence..." He murmured beneath his breath. A soft growl colored his words, the sound born of frustration mixed with desire.
"I only thought you might...miss me..." He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth, luckily he hadn't let himself expose how much he missed her too.
Fashir was almost afraid to move back infront of her, back where she could see him, and see his weakness always weak when it came to her.
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Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 9:59 pm
"Honestly?" Mirage asked, keeping her head turned away.
"Fashir, all you ever do is tell me what to do and what not to do. Tell me the truth," she paused, her voice becoming stronger, though she still looked away from him. Was it because she didn't want to see the look on his face when she asked her next question? Or perhaps because she didn't want him to see the frustration on hers.
"Did you ever trust me to make my own decisions? It seems like all you've done since that day is tell me I'm wrong and that I've made bad choices and that anything I believe in isn't so. Every since that day you've blatantly questioned everything I do. You don't trust me now, you didn't trust me that day. So tell me, did you ever think I could... do the right thing?"
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