[PRP] The Broken and the Beast (Risti and Craevan)

[Regal Renegade]

Red, the world around him had become tinted in a lovely yet horrifying shade of red as he sped through Evarcrest forest. Her scent guided him as well as the thundering beating of her heart as she rushed to escape his fury, but he would not allow her to have that option. Branches snapped and bowed to him as he pushed past them, rocks seemed to leap out of the way, and even the moon above seemed to be shivering with fright as the bloodthirsty stallion tore after his prey. Lengthening his neck he pushed himself even harder, foam beginning to build on his chest and belly at the effort. No longer was he driven by the desire to play a game of cat and mouse, he was now lead by the darkness the curse had forced upon him. The very same darkness that had yearned for the death of every living being in the kingdom he once held authority over. She would not escape him.

In the distance he could hear the sounds of metal groaning against wood and knew she had managed to find her knife. It was no matter for that little blade could hardly harm him now, so he instead looked upon it as an opportunity to catch her as she so desperately struggled to defend herself. The visualization of those soft brown eyes touched with panic and terror had a crazed smile revealing his fangs, but his moment of gaiety was cut short as he heard a crack sound ahead of him. She had managed to free the knife and surely would be on the move once more. Leaping over a stump and crashing through a few bushes he found himself back where they had started. This time she had left clues as to where she was headed, small pieces of herself. Another growl rumbled within his diaphragm as he rejoiced in his luck.

“You won’t get far little kitten..” He whispered darkly before taking off into the night once more. It didn’t even occur to him that they were headed in the direction of the castle but if it had he surely would have relished the irony. All those many years ago he had slaughtered everyone he had ever known in that exact spot, and now she would join them beneath the field of lilies as just another decomposing corpse.  

[Baby Pandah]

It felt good to have the blade handle gripped in her teeth again. She had felt rather naked without it. Though her legs were growing weak, determination propelled her forward still. For some reason, the castle felt like the right place to go. When she thought about it, she wasn't sure if she wanted to trust fate anymore. She wasn't sure if following her feet was safe, trusting herself seemed risky. But she didn't feel as if she had another choice at the moment. She allowed herself to follow the map that was laid out in her brain ever so carefully by her vision. It had been different than most, it had been a way out, a hint. Instead of a bad dream it had given her clear and meaningful information. That had to mean something. There had to be something worth seeing.

She could sense him behind her, she could feel the heat of his rage on her back. The moon laughed at her from above, shining on her bright yellow pelt like a spotlight. She glanced over her shoulder for a moment, half expecting him to be right behind her, reaching out to grab her. The blue flash of a disturbed bird made her heart flutter in a panic. She had momentarily mistaken its wings for the blue of his eyes. She watched the creature fly over her head, and had she not followed its course she wouldn't have seen it ahead of her.

She stopped hard, avoiding the first large boulder of the cave by inches. She paused at its mouth, gaping up at the glorious sight before her. It smelled like death, and the rocks themselves stared down at her with unwelcoming and harsh eyes. The only invitation inside was a cold draft that ushered her forward. She tentatively stepped inside, becoming completely engulfed by darkness.  

[Regal Renegade]

The wings of a bird fearfully beat the air a few lengths ahead of him, alerting him to the closing distance between them. Before long he would gain on her and then his fangs would find sweet ecstasy buried within the soft, sweet flesh of her neck. His imagination played sounds of her muffled scream and gasp as his own daggers dug into her, and he could almost feel the sensation of her muscles tensing around them. He had taken the lives of many before her, drinking away the last ounce of their soul, but something about killing her would be more gratifying. It would bring him more pleasure than those who went before her, perhaps it was because he had allowed her to fuel his hunger in various ways. His flesh was tingling as the sensation of life warmed his nerves and his heart began pounding beneath his glimmering armor. This victory would be the sweetest yet.

Trees gave way to rocks and he was soon in the place of his very first triumph, the scent of blood spilt long ago still tingeing the air. His pace slowed to a walk as the entrance to the castle came into view and he could hardly contain the insane eagerness pulsing through him. She was here. He could smell her, hear her, taste her. The cuts on his face hardly mattered to him now as the entire world was dead around him as he focused on the beating of her heart. It was quick and seductive, calling to him as though begging him for his touch. The sound of his hooves upon the grass evolved into them clopping softly on the hardened floor of the cavern as he was swallowed into the darkness of his former home.

Figures running in fear and screaming for mercy rose from the walls around him as he reminisced over his first mass kill. The floor became streaked with rivers of blood and shadows formed bodies slumped over in odd positions dotting the cave. Here he had achieved his proudest and most memorable act, something he would never forget for as long as he lived. “Fitting you should choose to join the others.” He called into the darkness. “A shame that I will have to endure the fits of guilt and sorrow that my weaker side will experience, but it will be worth it all the same.” Guided by her essence he traveled deeper into the tomb.  

[Baby Pandah]

His voice echoed menacingly off of the walls, resounding throughout the cave and causing her heart to fall. Any warmth in the air was replaced with an icy stillness as she continued on through the cave despite his close pursuit. Her breathing was shaky and as her eyes adjusted she could see the outlines of bones littering the floor. They didn't bother her as much as the fact that she could soon be among them. The thought of him stepping over her bones every day made her blood boil. She couldn't let him win. But as the cave came to a dead end, her hope and determination faltered. She had expected to find something, to uncover a great mystery that he was hiding. But there was nothing here but cruel stone, nothing but ironic fate.

"Craevan," she called feebly, trying to reach into his heart with all her might. "Craevan make it stop. Please, no. I want to go back...I want to go back to how things were." She begged, but she knew all the pleading in the world would do no good. She shouldn't have come here. She should have ignored her curiosity. There was nothing for her here but death. Why had she been so ignorant, so naive? She thought back to the kill she had brought him. How sad that her final moments had been filled with hunting and killing. It was only fitting that she should be hunted and killed now. It was nature slapping her in the face.

But she wasn't going out without a fight. She would not simply scream and allow him to please himself with her blood and flesh, no. She would make sure he saw the scar each day if she could not take him with her. Taking a protective stance with her back to the cave wall, she turned to face him, looking for the blue of his eyes in the darkness. She was going to make sure he would remember this. Even the Beast would feel the impact of her death, she would make sure of that. "Come now, let's finish this," she growled, her knife poised and ready. This time there would be no missing.  

[Regal Renegade]

Slowing his pursuit he allowed for his eyes to adjust to the curtain of black that had swept his query from his vision. The blind rage that had caused him to so recklessly tear after her gave way to the hunter’s prowess as he slunk through the shadows, the knowledge that he would soon reach her stirring up the adrenalin in his system. There was only one way out, he had figured that out when he had slaughtered everyone. They had come in here seeking protection but had only trapped themselves and made it much easier for him to consume their blood. Each step he took through the inky blackness was precise and with purpose, he knew where she was and if he hadn’t her calling out to him certainly would have informed him of her location.

The fearful cries of one who finally realizes that they are staring down the face of death was always like music to his ears. It was always that heartfelt plea for mercy right after they realize they cannot get away, that all of their efforts have been in vain and all of their hope turned to dust that made his heart soar. With the moon barely eliminating the maw of the cave that had been left so far behind them he could not differentiate between the night of his mass slaughter and this one. Everything ran together but he was still focused on her. A sickening little purr escaped his lips as he pretended to comfort her but really meant to shed more light on her impossible situation.

Louder and louder. Her heartbeat became more audible with each step he took and he smiled at the knowledge of her being cornered. This was it, there was no way out now. He laughed a dark and volatile laugh, the sound echoing off of the rough walls and filling the cave with a murderous voice. “Let’s.” He said simply before sprinting the last distance between them, fangs bared and the bloodlust searing his soul.  

[Baby Pandah]

Her instincts wanted her to run, to hide somehow, to curl up in on the cave floor and give in. But there was nowhere to run, no place to hide, and she refused to give up. She refused to lay down and accept death. Perhaps that was pride, perhaps her ego was just as big as his.

Instead of running and hiding, she ran straight on to her death, her head raised with determination and fire burning in her soul. She could feel his fangs near her, could see those blue eyes coming out of the darkness. She could see him in there somewhere, could see multiple futures with him in the deep blue. If only he could see it too. But perhaps her purpose was to put the poor stallion out of his misery. So she ran as well, the space in between them closing all too quickly.

Only when she collided into him did things seem to halt. The world seemed frozen, and then it melted in slow motion, her knife coming down into his shoulder, causing blood to ripple down his side. She watched its descent and heard the first drop hit the floor of the cave. It shattered and her world began to crumble along with it. She felt her skin breaking, felt her heart falling apart. It was done now. She had faced her fear, she had signed her fate by listening to it. She had lived her life, perhaps not to the best or fullest, but she had lived, and that was all that mattered. The darkness was not defeated. That was the one regret she had.

She found herself thinking how beautiful his eyes were...and then the dark of the cave went completely black as she finally submitted to whatever was in store for her.  

[Regal Renegade]

All seemed to become silent as the two who started out as strange allies charged one another, both prepared to shed the blood of the other. No echoes could be heard of their hooves hitting the earth for it seemed that nature itself was grieving over this scene. All too soon their bodies collided with a dull thud and the smell of blood tainted the stale air of the cavern. Droplets of warm crimson spotted the dark floor beneath them and all that could be heard was strangled breathing from two sets of lungs. In this cavern of death the future was uncertain and the darkness appeared to desire to keep this all a secret by concealing the entire spectacle beneath it’s black folds.

He remembered cursing her as the knife dug into his shoulder and thinking for a moment that if she had just aimed a little lower it would have glanced off of his armor. The pain was hot and prominent but what was even more deserving of his attention was the nearness of her throat. Pushing past his injury he extended his neck in a swift movement and bit into the soft flesh he had been fantasizing about. His mind shifted gears, focusing on only one thing and blocking out the rest. In that moment the sweet taste of her warm blood flowing down his throat and satisfying his hunger was the only thing that mattered. The sound of her breathing attempting to worm its way past the death grip he had on her windpipe, and of her heart slowing and beating more thickly as it lost the blood that powered it, and the way her body began to grow limp made all of the frustration worth it.

But there was something unseen at work here, a force building within the beast and breaking through the darkness with brilliant light. Something pried his fangs from her neck before he could drain her and he was pulled away from her body as it crumpled on the floor. His entire body began to shake and the warmth of his triumph faded as he squeezed his eyes shut and fought to regain control.

***

The fabric felt soft between his teeth as he pulled the cloak from his back and used it to cover the mare he had grown so fond of. An overwhelming sensation of grief and betrayal guided his actions as he pulled the makeshift blanket over the holes in her neck, covering the seeping reminder of his treachery. If tears had been able to come he was certain he would have shed a few for the act he had just committed and all at once his stomach began to spasm uncontrollably. Moving swiftly to the entrance of the castle he stepped out into the moonlight and began to dry heave. He could feel her blood settling within his stomach, healing the scratches on his face and the knife wound in his shoulder. Being reminded of her last effort to protect herself he looked down at where the handle protruded from his flesh and wished she had just gone a few more inches inward so that she could have punctured his heart.

With a deep sigh he arched his neck and gripped the handle between his teeth, yanking it from his flesh and wincing at the pain. It is what he deserved though. It was hard for him to turn around and see her sprawled out on the floor where he had dropped her but he needed to return her weapon. Laying it beside her head he tenderly moved a strand of hair from her face without thinking, reeling back upon seeing the smear of blood he had left behind on her cheek. His body quivered in agony as he lifted the cloak and wiped the smudge away. “What have I done?” He whispered into the darkness. Backing away from her he put himself in a corner and lowered himself to the ground, unable to even look at her now.  

[Baby Pandah]

She drifted in and out of consciousness as the night went on, her temperature rising and falling and rising again so that sweat collected in little droplets all over her body. The cracks in her flesh accelerated and then slowed at alarming rates as her body tried to cope with the loss of blood. No cohesive thought was formed in her mind, only moving shadows and lights. Her heartbeat that had been so alive and pumping earlier that night was now slow and dull, arguing with itself as to whether or not to keep pumping what little blood was left. Finally, her brain became more aware of the situation. Still alive. Still alive. It was a surprising thing, but she held onto that morsel of hope and fought for it. She began to dream fitfully, Craevan and the Beast trotting through her mind in a tormenting and yet calming way. She couldn't believe what he had done, but more so she couldn't believe that she wanted to see him again. Where was she now? It didn't matter. She slept, her strength of mind returning to her despite her weak body.

She seemed to fall to reality and landed with a thud, her eyes opening and looking about in the darkness, blurry vision adjusting to the small glow of light that was now pouring into the castle from the horizon. And then she saw him, her instincts immediately reacting to the nights events. She reached feebly for her knife, letting out a pathetic but panicked groan. He had kept her alive to toy with her, to play with his food before eating it like a cat would do. The pain that shot up her neck and to the source of the bite made her cringe and give up in her efforts to reach the knife. She looked back at him, her head resting on the ground helplessly, fear in her eyes at first and then soft realization. Craevan had returned.

She tried to speak, wanting to apologize for all of the trouble she had caused. Even a slight moan made tears come to her eyes, but she managed to whisper one thing.
"Where have you been?"  

[Regal Renegade]

The cuts on his face where nearly invisible now but the knife wound in his shoulder, though smaller, was still quite angry looking. Blood still dripped from the bottom of the gash which painted a splattered picture of red on his shoulder and foreleg. He stared at in for a moment and tried to sort through the mosaic of memories that made up the events of the night. Most of it was a blur swirled with darkness and fear but the only thing he could remember for certain was her stabbing him and then his teeth sinking into her neck. He remembered feeling the immense need to protect her and then he was here, looking over her as she lay unconscious upon the ground. Hesitantly he turned his head to look at her and had to fight another wave of nausea as the guilt of his actions hit him once more. If he had only been able to control himself better she never would have had to experience what the curse had done to him. Closing his eyes he turned his head away and began to stare out the mouth of the cave where dawn was fast approaching.

His heart fell as a rather obvious thought struck him, she would likely despise him now. No, he wasn’t afraid of being despised for he had hated himself for so long he had become used to it. What concerned him the most was whether or not she would be afraid of him. How would he look to her now through those soft warm eyes of hers? Would she quiver upon seeing him now? Run away and tell him that he truly was a monster, tell him that she wished she had never come to know him? His head hung with the weight of all of these negative thoughts. Perhaps it was for the best, maybe it would keep her from coming back and putting her life in danger again. But still, he would miss her greatly.

A groan from the other side of the cave caused him to once more look at the friend he had turned to a victim. He could see her going for the knife and the fears he had been concocting earlier rushed back into his mind. And there it was, the fear he had been dreading to see now shone in her beautiful eyes. Lowering his gaze to the floor he shifted his body so that he was facing away from her, allowing her to see that he had no intention of attacking her. He had just decided upon leaving so as to let her recover and leave without having to see him again when a small voice echoed off of the walls of the cave. He still would not look at her but he released a deep sigh and responded to her question. “I hardly know.” Was the only answer he could give.

He wanted to apologize, wanted to get down on his knees and beg her for her forgiveness but he knew that a simple “I am sorry” would never expunge the crime he had committed. He began to wonder exactly why her visions had brought her here and why he had been granted the knowledge of her name. What point was there in all of this? Was it for her to realize that there are monsters in the world and that to trust anyone was foolish? Or was it to confirm to him that he couldn’t control himself no matter how much he cared about someone. “Risti I…” He wanted so badly to say something to her but words just would not come.  

[Baby Pandah]

She tried to move closer to him. She needed to see that he was real, that she wasn't still in a nightmare fighting for her life. He could bite her again and the pain would be reassuring to her that she was in fact alive. But with her blood had gone her strength, and she fell defeated once again. "Need...you..." she managed, hoping he would understand. If he could just touch her to reassure her that this was real, she could sleep soundly again. And the release of deep, undisturbed sleep sounded blissful to her right now.

After witnessing the dark side of him, one might think she would be afraid of him now. Part of her was still terrified that the Beast would return to finish her off. She half expected an evil smile to flick across his face, half expected him to laugh as he had done and finish her off. Part of her wished he would with the pain she felt right now, with the heartbreak that was a part of that pain. But a small part of her believed that somehow Craevan had come through, somehow he had saved her from himself, if not a little belatedly. There had never been a judgmental bone in her body, and even now she stifled any judgement at all as best as she could.

Besides, even if she could hate him, there was no one else around to help her. If he did not help now, she would surely die. She would fade away and would become another set of the dry bones that littered the floor of his castle. Her life depended on him now, and if he could be kind enough to keep her alive it would make him good in her eyes despite what he had done. It sounded naive to her as she thought about it, the wounds in her neck told her not to trust this stallion, to leave now and never return. It would probably be better that way, she knew that was what he was thinking. But her heart could not stand the thought of leaving her tormented friend behind. She had been kept alive for a reason. Fate had added a twist, but it had kept her alive. There had to be a reason for that.

"C-cold..." she muttered, reaching toward him. She was thankful for the cloak, but it had fallen slightly in her fitful sleep and was drenched with sweat that had turned cold since she had awoken. She felt pathetic, lying there on the ground helplessly and asking her perpetrator to help her. Any pride she had might as well have been buried with the dead under the lilies. This was all her fault after all. If she had not returned as he had commanded, she would not be in this situation. Risti could tell that she had hurt him, and not just with her knife.

The memory of her blade sinking into him shot through her mind with stinging realization. She let out a gasp and again tried to move again to see if he was ok. The blood droplets frightened her at first, but as her eyes struggled through the fuzziness and the darkness of the cave, she could see that it was smaller. It was healing at a very rapid rate. She felt a pang of relation to him, the cracks in her body opening and closing excitedly at the thought of a connection. Though she knew this was a darker magic, something even more tainted than the twisted tunnel she had been conceived in. Why are we like this? She asked him with her eyes, searching for the answer on his completely healed face.  

[Regal Renegade]

The words she spoke were ones he scarcely could have hoped to hear and they had his heart stopping it’s rhythm in his chest. He continued to focus his gaze on the warm world outside but every muscle had petrified as her request repeated over and over again in his head. She needed him? After all he had done, after all he had put her through she still wanted him to be by her side? For a moment his dark half intervened, snarling at him and telling him that she likely just wanted him to draw near so she could slice his throat open. And then it was gone and he realized he had brought himself to his feet. With a deep draw of breath he slowly turned around, wincing as weight was being put on his now stiffened leg and shoulder. Everything inside of him was telling him to get away from her, that he should not put her in danger but her words tugged at him. With a slight limp he slowly made his way over to her, trying with every fiber of his being to let her know that he meant her no harm.

How could such benevolence arise from the ashes of such a dark and horrid world? As he looked down upon her, into those eyes that asked so much and yet so little of him he couldn’t imagine how she had come into being. Even though her body betrayed her by cracking and forcing visions upon her she still remained to be such a force of light in the darkness that it was nearly unbelievable to him. Though she knew what he was capable of and had experienced the pain he could cause first hand she still wanted him close to her. Through the guilt and fear clogging his innards he could feel a bit of warmth calming the storm at the mere thought of her. Though part of him still regretted her coming to this ugly place he couldn’t help but to feel a little blessed at the same time. He wanted to know so much more about her, wanted her to tell him her story and why he had become involved in it, but he also felt that he would have to send her away for good this time. No matter how much he cared for his friend and wanted her to stay with him he could not risk harming her again.

His thoughts shifted as she spoke once more, a pathetic and strangled noise but one that had him jumping into action without question. Lowering his nose gently he pressed it up against the cloak and recoiled when he found it had become wet and cold. She would need something else to keep her warm, but what? He frantically searched the room around him but found nothing but shadows and dirt. When she gasped he quickly turned his attention back to her, panicking at the thought of her condition growing worse but when he followed her gaze he was once again stunned. She was worried about him? Shaking his head and smiling a small, genuine smile for the first time in a long time he let out an exasperated sigh. “Don’t worry over me, I got what I deserved.” His smile vanished as her eyes begged an answer of him that he could not give. He didn’t know why they were they way they were, he hardly knew about the struggles she had to face. “Just lucky I guess…” He muttered.

His thoughts once more turned to how cold she had become and he knew the cloak had to be taken from her so it could dry. The ideal situation would be to move her so she could lay in the sun, but she was in no condition to do that. Removing the cloak from her he trotted quickly, and rather awkwardly, outside and hung it on a branch to dry in the early morning sunlight. Returning to her he once again found himself panicking? Now what? With a realization that once more had fear chilling his insides he knew what he would have to do. In order to keep her warm he would have to share his body heat with her. Instantly he grew fearful that the beast would take advantage of the situation and finish her off but another, more innocent fear made itself known. He hadn’t been this close to anyone since before the onset of the curse, let alone a mare. Shaking off the fear he stepped around behind her and, nervously, tucked his legs beneath him and pushed close to her back.

He instantly grew tense at the contact, waiting for the moment he would have to run out of there before the monster came, but no dark spots clouded his vision. Sighing with temporary relief his thoughts turned to the muted warmth he could feel emanating from her, the soft sensation of her breathing against his side, and the closeness he never again thought he would experience. Even more strange is that he allowed himself to enjoy it, and a feeling of content spread throughout his body. His muscles unknotted a bit and he looked down at her once more, waiting to see if she would pull away or if she wanted him to go.  

[Baby Pandah]

A wiser mare might not have suggested that a cold-hearted killer join her to cuddle. A wiser mare would perhaps have told him to leave. But she was too tired to consider what was happening, too tired to care what the rest of the world thought of them. His presence lifted the weight of the world off of her breaking back. She didn't care if his heart was dark or evil, the only thing that mattered was that he was willing to help. She sank into him, her body relaxing completely. She would have said something, would have spoken some sort of thanks were it not for the fact that she could barely move. All that mattered right now was the warmth of his body flowing into hers, his energy feeding her own and weaving their life forces together.

She could feel his muscles tense at first, and she wanted desperately to comfort him. She was sure this was not where he wanted to be, and she wasn't entirely sure she would have been ready to be this close to him if she weren't so cold. She wondered if her weakened brain was simply playing tricks on her as she felt her heart flutter at his touch. Never before had she allowed others to come this close. But there was something about the way he pressed himself against her, something that felt protective and warm. She allowed herself to be content as he relaxed as well. If her mind was playing tricks, she would enjoy those tricks for the time being.

There was so much she had to ask him, so much that she wanted to tell. But all she could muster was a frail, "Don't go" as she began to drift into sleep once more. She was afraid to give in to the weakness of her body, afraid that she would wake up and he would be gone, or the Beast would return while she slumbered. There was little she could do to defend herself now, but she simply had to trust him. There was a glimmer again as she once again realized she trusted him. Despite all that had tested that trust, she felt it was even stronger now. A wiser mare might not have thought this. But she was different.  

[Regal Renegade]

She did not try to move away and part of him was glad, but the other wondered if it was because she simply couldn’t. She was so soft, laying there beside him and he begun to think that he never wished to part from her. Inwardly rolling his eyes he turned his gaze down upon her and couldn’t help the guilt gushing through every part of him. The only reason they were here in the first place was because he had been unable to control his demon, he had hurt her, and now he was enjoying the spoils? Disgust grew like a black seed in his belly and he had to look away from her. She was far too good for this scenario, too good for the likes of him. He felt her body shift into his and he squeezed his eyes shut, fighting off the feelings of joy and hatred. Why must it be like this?

His thoughts were cut off when her gentle voice caused his head to turn once again in her direction. Don’t go? His heart began to pump more rapidly both out of nervousness and hope. He felt like a rock split in two by a lightning bolt, one half happy to be free of the other and the second still feeling the excruciating shock of the bolt. Quietly he cleared his throat and responded more out of instinct than rationality. “I won’t leave you.” He could almost feel the invisible chain wrapping around the two of them, binding him to his promise and therefore binding her to him. These events were so foreign to him and never in a million years had he dreamt he would be here with someone like her. He still believed he did not deserve to be.

His eyes fell upon the fissures opening and closing on her back and he desperately wanted to help her seal those forever. Her heart was one of the purest he had ever encountered and she deserved to be free of her curse. Pressing a little closer to her he foolishly tried to stop them with his touch; he couldn’t bear to see her falling apart now. A lump began to rise in his throat as he began to realize just how much this perfect almost stranger meant to him. Lowering his head he rested his cheek against the back of her neck and closed his eyes. “I won’t leave you.” He repeated in a whisper.  

[Baby Pandah]

She had hung onto reality long enough to hear him say that he wouldn't leave. She had wanted confirmation that she would be safe by his side, but confirmation of something else as well, something deeper. The fuzziness gripping her mind would not allow her to think on what his words meant to her, she just knew in her heart that it meant something more than simply staying by her side for the time being.

The details of the cave began to blur, the light coming in began smearing into the darkness and soon became one color. She closed her eyes to the feeling of his cheek against her neck. She closed her eyes, escaping for once from the cruelty of the world. The sound of his whisper was a lullaby to her exhausted mind, and she gave in to the allure of sleep, gave in to the allure of his presence. The breaking of her skin slowed to a halt and the pain in her neck lessened as she fell into darkness.

She was once again presented with two paths. Her heart fell at the sight of them. She had already made her decision, hadn't she? Was she not allowed to rest? Would the visions never end? She looked at the paths, once again motioning towards her choice. A light broke out into her mind, causing her dream self to squint at its brilliance. She felt warm, protected, and as she looked harder she could see the outlines of a shining unicorn. She wanted ever so much to be with her, to be safe here forever. Briefly, Risti wondered if she was dead. Perhaps this wasn't a vision, but a welcome to a new world. But the unicorn shook her head. Her voice when she spoke was stern and severe, as if her message was of the utmost importance. But as Risti struggled to make out what she was saying, all she could hear was "Accept..." Accept what? What did it mean? She struggled to hear, and squinted as the vision faded into blackness, the word 'accept' echoing in her head so that she could not forget it...But what did it mean?  

[Regal Renegade]

TO BE CONTINUED...