The Wrong Neck Of The Woods
Dragon Shores.
Bianca scrunched her tiny pink nose cutely following the special cheetah in her life with a bounce in her step and a wiggle in her tail. Short Sandy blonde tufts of hair showered over her large ocean blue eyes playfully, her elegant feminine ears stretching down her backside.
She wore an off the shoulder orange mini dress hugging her curves tightly, with pastel blue designs across the sleeves. Her silken cream-colored fur complimented her outfit showing she was carefree and looking for a good time.
Matching colored adventurous boots wrapped around her feet and up her ankles tightly, spell of the wind cast upon them for swift movement just in case trouble arrived. Not that she came searching for such a thing but if it did rear its ugly head she would be ready, her tiny paw patting her Dragon's Tooth wand nestled firmly on her hip, hidden under a fashionable leather belt.
For now, she simply wanted to enjoy some private time with her boyfriend Hunter, he planned this whole trip to Dragon Shores for months now. Just a week alone to relax and perhaps share some personal time together, both stepping forward from the realm of mist and magic exiting out of the resort's portal.
Bianca took a moment to stretch as portals always made her whole body tingle for an odd reason, she preferred her own magical prismatic streak if she had to be honest. Just Hunter hated astral travel, said something about making him claustrophobic.
Her dark blue eyes drank in the scenery with a sweet sigh, the crystalline ocean waves washed across the white sand beautifully. The scent of fresh sea salt tickled her nose as a giggle escaped her pouty lips, the breeze caressed her fur daintily with a fine spray of mist, a welcome change from the tingle of the portal.
The sky was an orange vibrant hue quickly fading into an elegant canvas of dark blue, glittering stars beginning to poke out of the distance and dance high above in a cosmic ballet of beauty. The sounds of rides and creatures of every race laughing echoed across the sky joyously, this indeed was a magical place.
Bianca watched her goofy boyfriend jog over with a smirk of confidence over his lips, an empty satchel for arrows slung over his shoulder. His large powerful paws softly taking her tiny ones in his grasp, both sharing a gentle squeeze while gazing deep into each other's eyes.
“I'm beyond happy we're able to get away together!” Hunter broke the moment of tenderness with a hearty chuckle, wrapping his arm around the narrow shoulders of his rabbit love.
“As long as you're here, anywhere is magical.” Bianca placed her head on his shoulder, giggling in a content dreamy tone.
“All part of the job!” Hunter huffed triumphantly as both walked towards the front gates, paw in paw, the excitement of a new adventure in the air.
“So, Spyro suggested this place?” Bianca spoke politely as her boyfriend gave a loud snort from his nostrils.
“Yeah, he swears by this place! Good food, great music and tons of fun!” Hunter replied smugly as he shifted ahead to the large wooden gates, coming to a complete stop.
“Something wrong?” Bianca curled her lips into a gentle smile.
“Nah, just Spyro joked this place was cursed.” Hunter turned to face his girlfriend bursting into a fit of laughter.
“Curses aren't usually hilarious?” Bianca rolled her eyes femininely.
“Spyro just said anytime he tried for this place, something huge would happen!” The cheetah blew a raspberry into the air, placing a large hand atop the gate’s surface.
As if on cue odd green magic sealed the gate before the couple shut, a surge of dark electrical power shooting up Hunter's arm as he jumped back with a loud yelp. Bianca gasped in shock quickly assisting her boyfriend as he slumped against her for balance, both gazing behind them to the large portal which now glowed a sinister green hue.
“Grr, knew I should've brought some arrows!” Hunter snapped in annoyance, bravely stepping in front of his love to protect her.
A wave of powerful magical energy wafted from the portal eerily before a tiny brown lizard jumped out from within the void. He was pathetically small wearing a forest green tunic and a matching pointed hat atop his head, dark brown eyes sneakily darted around the tiny beach shore.
“A lizard?” Bianca scrunched her nose adorably.
“Not quite dear, a Sorceress!” An elegant voice of terror spoke from within the portal, dark energies pouring out into this world from her mere presence.
The tall slender figure stepped forth confidently onto the velvet sand of the shore, she was a chocolate brown creature of feline descent. Waves of vibrant auburn hair splashed down her lower back like a waterfall, her eyes a dark glowing green with no sense of mercy whatsoever.
She wore a long flowing red dress cascading down to her bare feet, lined with fine white trimmings of priceless yeti fur. A golden belt clung to her wide arched hips, bejeweled with sparkling blue diamonds. An air of superiority emitted from her very being, decorated in fine jewelry from head to toe.
“Catrina!?” Bianca stepped out from behind Hunter in absolute shock.
“You know this witch?” Hunter glanced to his girlfriend confused.
“Witch!? Kneel you lowly beast!” Catrina flicked her thin wrist barely, Hunter howling in pain as dark green magic engulfed his body.
Bianca watched in horror as her love was painfully forced to his knees, bowing to the sorceress swiftly, snout pushed roughly into the sand.
“Catrina, please!” The cream rabbit screamed out for compassion, the feline turning focus on the young magic-user.
“Silence, you traitorous girl!” Catrina hissed out loud in a fiery rage, Bianca whimpering in fear as she kneeled beside Hunter, worried for his health.
“I came to visit my favorite pupil after a thousand-year quest among the dreamscapes, yet upon my return, I come to find that she has been murdered!?” Catrina clutched her feminine paw in rage, her long orange claws digging into her palm.
“Please, let me explain your majesty!” Bianca pleaded for mercy, her heart racing frantically in her chest.
“Murdered by her own student and a filthy DRAGON!” Catrina let her eyes glow a pure white hue, shooting bolts of lightning from both eyes mercilessly.
Bianca lifted her arms upward in terror, screaming in a high pitched tone as she froze in place with uncertainty. Hunter let a growl of ferocity escape his lips, using every ounce of strength in his body he flung the tiny rabbit to the side roughly.
Bianca rolled across the sand wildly before she groaned in pain, hearing the loud blast of magic strike her boyfriend in an explosion of magical energy. Tears rolled down each cheek as she gazed forward heartbroken, Hunter now petrified in place as a gleaming marble statue on the sand, a look of horror on his face.
“No!” Bianca burst into sobs of woe, rushing over to Hunter on her knees helplessly, both arms soon wrapped around his legs in a silent embrace.
“No more tears dear, such a waste of good suffering.” Catrina gave a feminine huff of annoyance, striding up from behind the child with an arched brow.
“I...loved him.” Bianca placed both paws over her mouth, sobbing in dismay as her tiny body hunched over limply.
“Love is for the weak, you'll become my new apprentice and redeem yourself understood?” Catrina spoke sternly down to the young girl, awaiting her answer with little patience.
“Furiosa.” The girl spoke between tears.
“Hmm?” The feline tilted her head in confusion. Feeling a bright blue blast of magic suddenly strike down upon her chest, causing her to fall backward stunned.
Bianca forced back her tears and pain as she stood in place with her wand extended towards the sorceress, paws quivered in fear while her mind raced for a solution.
“You foolish brat!” Catrina stumbled back to her feet clearly off-balance, wild auburn hair frazzled outward messily.
“Shift the stars and call upon the divine…” Bianca hastily recited a spell under her breath, her wand glowed a bright blue hue.
“Die!” Catrina formed a green fireball in her claws, tossing it towards the rabbit in a blind fury.
“Take me to the place where I can slay this feline!” Bianca splashed the wave of pastel blue magic at her feet, suddenly transforming into a technicolor prism of shining light.
The rainbow beam of magic quickly darted across the night sky, shooting off across the Multiverse in a streak of sparkles. Catrina’s blast hitting nothing but sand in a small implosion of fire, the sorceress hissing aloud angrily.
“You can run little rabbit, but you can never HIDE!” Catrina lifted her slender hand to the sky, dark clouds forming across the heavens as thunder echoed across the land.
The adventure had begun!
Catrina watched the astral trail of the young rabbit fade into the cosmos above leaving only a faint residue of the magic behind, the feline curled her full lips into a wicked smile.
“Children are far too easy to manipulate.” Catrina gave a delicate giggle under her breath, walking over to the statue of Hunter as she caressed a dainty hand across his torso.
“Milady, was petrifaction really necessary?” The tiny brown lizard pursed his lips solemnly as he walked over to his mistress, eyes overflowing with uncertainty.
“No Rep, but it was fun.” She dug her orange claws deep into Hunter's stone chest, slashing down his front leaving a long white streak.
“I know you're running low on Witchweed my lo…” Rep swallowed a large lump in his throat nervously.
“Your point fool!?” The witch hissed in annoyance.
“Before you even knew of that potion, you were so much more lovely and arghhh!” Rep gasped for air as Catrina clutched her claws firmly around his neck, squeezing tightly as the small lizard struggled to speak.
“I was weak then, I need my power!~ I need that potion!” Catrina tossed her companion to the ground with a dull thud.
“I figured that fool of a sorceress could collect a few dragon eggs, create the potion of immortality and not be worthless!” Catrina rolled her eyes in vast disappointment.
“Still killing her felt wrong…” Rep rubbed the side of his neck, mumbling under his breath.
“That potion intertwined with Witchweed could've empowered me for an eternity!” She lifted a claw upward in anger, the temperature dropping in the vicinity swiftly.
“No matter, every great plan comes with a few diversions.” Catrina reached into a hidden compartment on her dress, removing a slender green bottle in an hourglass shape.
“Milady, please!” Rep tried to plead for reason.
“Silence, I've closed off this portal!” She flaunted a hand to the corrupted entrance at her side.
“I've manifested a whole amusement park!” A snap of her fingers and the lively park suddenly became one frozen in a block of ice, shut down weeks ago by her personally.
“I shall not be denied!” Catrina glared to Rep who nodded along silently, the witch lifted the bottle to her lips finishing off the last swig of potion from within.
Catrina growled outward in sadistic satisfaction as both her powers and body became revitalized, years of hardship melted away as she became twice as young fur turning silken to the touch. Her magic sharpening to dangerous levels of power, soon she felt like a woman reborn.
“I will find my way back into Equestria for more Witchweed, that child has ensured that my banishment ends now!” Catrina burst into a cackle of loud laughter, using her dark magic to trace the rabbit's astral trail.
With a bit of focus, she'd be able to follow the teleportation spell through the void and back into the realm of equines. Slipping through into their reality by traveling into the world between worlds, this time she wouldn't be defeated so easily.
Using her darkest energies she began to cast her own tracer spell, soon that foolish child would lead her to complete victory and she'd be given an eternal reward.
