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 Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:00 pm
Sassolite had taught her a lesson all right, and it was one that stuck with her even though she was out of the pit and away from the b***h. The lesson wasn't what the general was hoping for though, and quite possibly it was the direct opposite. She wasn't going to go out and find *********, doing Sassolite's bidding like a good pet, and instead she was actually trying quite hard to avoid her. Although she would prefer to be creeping in an alley or stuffing her face full of food, Nickeline avoided both of those (one out of the concern that maybe ********* had the nose of a bloodhound for food because she had almost always had food during their meetings).
Nickeline was in the park. Typically Nickeline loved the park because that's where the flowers grew but it was winter and that meant there was nothing here but ice and snow. It would be worth it if she never seen ********* again though. It was a simple thought but Nickeline figured that if she avoided the cat then she could avoid the whole 'kill the cat' issue that had been arising quite frequently. If she wasn't around the cat she couldn't break her orders by not killing it, then the cat could keep living and so could she. It seemed to be the best solution for everything right?
Warm thoughts of the old days where she could simply smash a lot of faces kept her cozy in the icy winter night.
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:10 pm
Her leg bandage was quite soggy. Snow and slush were not her best friend with her injury. The snow wasn't piled up too high, so she didn't have to resort to bunny-hopping to get around.
She had been on her way to visit Ellie again, mostly so she could get her bandage changed when she felt a dark aura. Her curiosity easily got the best of her, since a dark aura could easily mean a surprise attack. She was a guardian and she had to be prepared.
However, as she romped through the snow to get to the source of the aura, the manx soon enough saw a familiar bundle of long silver hair.
Nickeline...
Curiously, she just cooed out a gentle mewing sound to the girl in an effort to get her attention.
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:17 pm
Nickeline never should have looked. It was an automatic reaction to any sudden sound when you could be attacked though. Immediately upon seeing ********* there, Nickeline regretted it. It would have been better to have been attacked by a revenge seeking rampage of knights than this. Her thoughts boiled and turned, and she thought about Sassolite's threat and the pit.
"*********..." she murmured under her breath. It was quiet, but with the ears of a cat ********* would definitely have been able to hear it. It was different because since she'd met the guardian cat she had almost always called her fatcat because it was a much more suitable name. Now? Now Nickeline wasn't sure. Had things really changed?
Grey eyes fell over the body of the fatcat until they stopped on the bandaged leg. Sassolite's doing, a reminder of what had happened and what she must do. There was no turning back, no salvation and nothing but darkness ahead of her. She would have to pave that way through blood, but whether it was with ********* blood or her own was the choice left to her so thoughtfully. Sassolite was just so thoughtful, so kind, and Nickeline wanted to shoot her in the face with her own arrow.
"Run," she whispered. "Leave."
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:24 pm
The fur behind her neck prickled up slightly. Nickeline had never called her by her real name, despite the number of times the manx had introduced herself. It was a clue that something serious was going on.
Despite the girl's quiet requests, the manx did quite the opposite. She was intrigued with the strange shift of attitude. ********* drifted close, almost as if she was going to make her rounds about the corrupted senshi's ankle.
"...what's going on, Nickeline?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:42 pm
********* truly made it too easy, and it disgusted the corrupt senshi that she even thought about it. She would only have to utter a word and ********* would have been dead meat but the thought of suffocating the guardian cat to death was revolting but she had to, right? Sassolite made that very clear, even if the lesson wasn't as obvious. If she didn't do it, Sassolite would bring the body count to two instead of one... Nickeline had no doubts.
The black glove of the senshi's hand moved forward toward the cat, creeping with intent but upon reaching the guardian cat it stopped. Although the glove covered a lot of the skin, dark bruises and cuts covered the length of it. If ********* were look upon further inspection, she'd notice they were all over her body. Nickeline didn't even seem to notice them as she stared at *********, her thoughts focusing only on one thing. She could just reach a bit further and end this all but her conscious seemed to nag at her again. This was wrong, this was so wrong. The corrupt senshi froze where she was, conflict battling instead of her. Why did she hesitate? There was no question that her life was on the line and she definitely wasn't going to say this cat's life was more valuable so... so why couldn't she just do it? Sure, this would be her first real kill but was that all there was to it?
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah," she screamed quite suddenly, quite frustrated at her situation, her hand recoiling away from the guardian cat as if she'd burn if it remained there any longer. The snow on the other hand was cold, and her hand found momentary peace as the snow began to numb it as well as her heart.
Lean fingers dragged through the snow, drawing something in it. It wasn't anything obvious at first but eventually...
"Nickeline... can't..."
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 8:53 pm
A hand had drifted down, as if to pet her (though ********* was not aware of the true intent of said hand). Yet before she could lean in to touch the potential petting hand, it stopped short of her reach. It gave her a good look up that arm that had reached to her. The chubby cat had her own injury, but it seemed to pale in comparison to the corrupt senshi's current collection that ********* could see.
The girl obviously had not kept safe like the Mauvian had hoped for. Just because Sassolite had shot at her before, ********* couldn't help but wonder if it was her fault. In a wary tone, she asked "...what happened...?"
And a scream was there to answer her question. The poor manx's ears pinned back fiercely at the sudden loud noise, and literally caused the cat to jump backwards, completely startled. "...gosh, warn someone when you're going to do that!" she exclaimed from her new spot. However, as Nickeline began to draw in the snow, the manx's whole head moved along with her motions, watching as a bow and arrow were formed.
"...Sassolite did this to you? Why?" Completely filled with concern, the pale manx once more approached Nickeline, as if filling in the gap would answer the question for her.
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:02 pm
She couldn't right? She thought she couldn't but she was at ends with herself. Her words lingered in the air but her sentence had died. The guardian cat asked something out of compassion but instead the question pulled the string in her heart that reminded her of why she got these and what would happen if she continued to let them happen. It was a good point, one Nickeline couldn't keep avoiding. She didn't want to, but a lot of people did things they didn't want to right? Adults said it was part of growing up. Well, it was time for Nickeline to grow up and put her big senshi boots on.
"Fatcat alive," she said, words that would not hold as much meaning until the next piercing words slipped through Nickeline's lips: " Die Fatcat or Nickeline." That was the option, that was the choice but Nickeline never really had a choice to begin with. She knew this now, and although the words might need time to sink in fully for ********* since Nickeline spoke so briefly... her actions gauged a lot of meaning as she moved abruptly to grab hold of ********* with her hands.
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:17 pm
"Fatcat alive"
That was why Sassolite had done all of this to Nickeline? There were no doubts that this was all definitely ********* fault. And it only got worse.
"Die Fatcat or Nickeline."
These words weren't spoken nearly as loud, but they were heard by very sensitive feline ears. Sure, ********* knew that the General had a bone to pick with her ever since the manx had awakened Perseus and given the then Lieutenant a big smooch on the lips. However, she had no clue the redhead would have sunk so low as to give such an ultimatum to Nickeline.
Where as before the round animal had been attempting to get closer, the moment that the corrupted senshi lashed out, instinct took over. She stopped, then suddenly sprang out of reach. Despite her shape, ********* was surprisingly nimble upon her paws.
"...you... you don't have to do this, Nickeline!"
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:25 pm
With good reason, there was a small gap in Nickeline's mouth as she watched ********* leap away from her hand with the agility of a smaller cat. Gloved arms catching nothing but air, there was an obvious frustration in the corrupt senshi's body language as she stood up off the ground. If ********* wanted a chase, then a chase is what she'd get as her last request.
"No... have not... must," she said, shaking her head as she tried not to waver in her decision. Her body language held a bit of hesitation though, perhaps real or foreign, accurately timed to give the appearance that she would not attack again. However, she did attack again, throwing herself at the cat in another attempt. Come on! A fatcat couldn't seriously be this agile, could it? It was, oh, how it was. Nickeline landed face first in the snow with her hands in the air... empty.
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:37 pm
Nickeline had a fighting drive which the manx had heard of through various girls. So it was not surprising that the corrupt continued to give chase. The Mauvian was not going to run the whole time, but instead relied on short bursts of speed to get herself out of reach.
"You have a choice, Nickeline!" she cried out before her little body managed to avoid the girl's dark gloves. ********* couldn't help but let out a little whine like a puppy after seeing that this particular dodge had caused the girl to land gracelessly in the snow. They were quickly approaching the playground as the pair seemed to almost dance about the park in this strange waltz for survival.
Would it be *********, or would it be Nickeline who ultimately won?
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:53 pm
The playground marked a change in advantage for Nickeline. From experience, the corrupt senshi knew that ********* had a hard time climb up things and that meant she could trap her under the playground and ultimately capture her. It seemed easy enough, and with chase Nickeline attempted to herd the little manx where she wanted her. Cats weren't as predictable as humans though, jumping at things that weren't nearly as frightening as they should be.
The time for words was over, her lips sealing themselves closed with a frown. Not just this situation but also the situation in general. She had a pretty good life in Destiny City, maybe... sort of... not... but it hadn't been this bad. She had ignored Sassolite for months and nothing bad happened. Nothing bad happened until she met *********. None of this would have happened if she hadn't met *********, and that meant ********* had to be held accountable for her actions.
Monkeybars brought out a child like expression on Nickeline's face for a moment as her hands gripped the cold metal. They weren't high enough for her to swing on, a playground meant for children, but touching them brought back memories. Memories that had to be quickly brushed away when the blur of the manx passed through her vision. There was no more time for childhood innocence: It was time to end this.
Nickeline flew around one of the bars, leaping at the cat once more. Like always, the cat just seemed to dodge her. The corrupt senshi blamed the fact that, although fat, ********* was still a small cat. Small objects were exponentially harder to grab than larger ones. A sigh passed through her lungs, the warm air meeting the cold in a large puff of air. Visual, and idealistic, Nickeline found the answer. She didn't need to chase ********* at all.
"Breathless," she whispered, watching as her breath mixed with the cold air into frozen breath.
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:13 pm
There were advantages that came with her size. She was able to fit into the nooks and crannies that the far larger senshi was unable to. However, despite her size advantage, every time she thought she had escaped, Nickeline would pop up, ruthlessly continuing the chase. If the manx wasn't essentially running for her life, she would have appreciated the tenacity of this girl.
She had just managed to zip past Nickeline as she pounced from the monkey bars, flinging up snow in her wake.
"Nickeline, please stop!" she managed to choke out before something was stolen from the cat. At first, she staggered, the initial shock of having her breath taken away catching her off guard. It was easy for a guardian to tell when a senshi was using their magic, especially against the guardian. It was perhaps one of the few times the Mauvian had suffered such a blatant magical attack.
However, she couldn't afford to stay a sitting duck. The round animal attempted to continue to keep herself out of Nickeline's reach. At first she continued to run, but her little muscles in her legs began to ache to the point that she could no longer move. She had almost made it to the lowest step of the slide, another sort of sanctuary before her vision started to blur.
She couldn't actually speak, but her maw formed the name of her attacker.
Nickeline....
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 10:43 pm
It had been too late to stop even if the choice was hers. The magic had been released into the world and from there it had a life of its own. It had its target, and immediately the effects had begun to show on the little guardian cat. Sassolite was probably smiling somewhere but Nickeline was not enjoying this at all, a distinct frown on her face as she slowly walked through the snow toward the fleeing cat.
It was ironic now. She had spent a great amount of effort chasing ********* but now she no longer found it necessary to chase after *********. Instead her heels took up a casual pace but still easily keeping up with the struggling manx. There was no need to rush now, the tolls of the magic showing quite obviously on the cat. In such conditions, it didn't take very long before Nickeline was towering over ********* just short of the slide.
Regret. There was an expression of deep regret on Nickeline's face when she seen the small cat struggle so hard to breathe. It was time though, and while victory was quite obviously in her sights, there was no grin on Nickeline's face. Hands covered in black was all she seen after this as her eyes narrowed the field of vision in a downward motion toward *********, focusing on the cat's neck. She was going to cross this line, and after that she'd never be able to turn back. She wasn't sure how she was going to be able to live with herself after it... but at least she'd be alive? It was a small price to pay.
This is what she'd convinced herself of but even though she had convinced herself of this, there was obvious hesitation. What would her grandfather think of her? He had been such a kind and compassionate man, and she knew she'd never be able to look at him after this. This wasn't something easy for her to simply walk past, her grandfather meant so much to her and she knew after this she'd never be able to go back to being his granddaughter. She wouldn't deserve it.
Her eyes on the small body in the snow, Nickeline's thoughts fell to reality. Do or die. One hand gripped around the guardian cat's throat, and then with final hesitation another fell on top of ********* head. The hand touched the guardian cat with frailty, her hand sliding momentarily down in a manner similiar to petting. Just once, before Nickeline's body slumped into the slide nearby.
She knew her choice here had consequences, one she was fairly certain Sassolite would be more than willing to do. The pit had been nothing compared to what Nickeline thought Sassolite had in mind for her. Her choice was made but it didn't mean she was going to simply sit here and let Sassolite win. She was going to lose, and Nickeline was going to be the one to make sure of it. She wouldn't get ********* on a silver platter, and neither would she the satisfaction of taking her life. She would get shame. Shame for letting all of this happen.
Shaking hands fell over her chest, her eyes looking up to the sky one final time. It would be the last thing she'd see, her eyes closing softly with the image of the winter night's sky in her memory. Then there was a burning sensation, and pain. She wasn't sure if this pain was her regret or the fact she had her hands in her chest but she accepted it either way. It took longer than necessary, her hesitation making the simple process much more painful than it was. Finally, she held her starseed just outside of her chest in the palm of her hands.
She could end it all now.
"Goodbye."
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:13 pm
For a moment before the air seemed to come back to her little lungs, the world was a haze. A blur of grey approached, an assumed blur of Nickeline. The cat couldn't help but tremble slightly, knowing that this could potentially be the end. ********* had done many things in her time in Destiny City. She had found her girls and worked with each of them to achieve a sort of personal greatness. She had witnessed Iris reaching her true potential as a Princess. She had made numerous friends and she had eaten plenty of delicious foods.
Considering the business she was in, ********* knew she had a good run.
Even now, without the air reaching her lungs, she only had one immediate regret.
I just wanted to help... Tears came to her green eyes as a black portion of the blur reached down to her. Fingers wrapped about her neck, but other fingers tenderly found a spot behind her ears, running across her fur in an odd petting manner. The little animal trembled with uncertainty. When the fingers had all completely abandoned her, the air rushed back to her body, allowing the haze to fade away.
With a huge inhale and a subtle cough, her eyes began to focus enough to see a shining silver glow.
...her starseed...?
Her eyes widened as she took in the full scene. There was no other reason to take out her starseed, unless...
"Nooooooo!!!" In only a blink of the eye, the manx had shot up in height, and soon enough a barefoot silver haired cat-earred girl sprang forward. With an odd sort of care, she snatched up the starseed from Nickeline's hands, cradling it between her own fingers.
Immediately, a sort of crackling dark energy singed the Mauvian's fingers. ********* let out a pained screech, but held the starseed close to her chest as she once more distanced herself from the corrupt senshi. Tears easily bubbled up at the edges of her eyes from the pain as she looked at the girl.
"...this... isn't the way... Nickeline..."
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2013 11:24 pm
The sudden and abrupt response from the guardian cat caused the corrupt senshi to open her eyes, just in time to witness a strange child-like creature grab hold of her starseed rather gingerly and pull it away from Nickeline's threatening grasp. She didn't understand right away, her grey eyes looking at ********* with confusion as she watched the guardian cat back away.
"Fa..." she started to say, only to stop herself abruptly. This was not a cat.
"********* voice confirmed it for her, although her eyes continued to deceive her. She didn't make an effort to get up and retrieve the starseed. If ********* wanted to run off with it or break it then it was simply making it easier on her. She was too prideful to let Sassolite have the victory of taking her life but taking her own life would be quite hard as well. Even after she removed her own starseed, she had her doubts. She'd be dead, gone, kaput. It was difficult to do with some pride even if that very pride was why she was determined to do it.
"One way," she said with a sigh, shaking her head toward *********. She couldn't even imagine any other way out of the sticky situations she got herself into.
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