The Silent Ballroom

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]Slowly but surely, Shego had attained the prize that was Beatrix. Using some clever skills of her own, she was able to trap the General, and use corridor to warp her to The World that Never Was. When they appeared at the Silent Ball Room, the checkered suit woman had Beatrix from behind. Holding her by neck and arm, rendering any move useless on her victim's part.

Shego watched the back of the girl's head, eying her quietly, her green eyes narrowing as she watched her. Examining her outfit, her soft skin complexion, her chestnut hair. She was growing jealous just by LOOKING at her. She began to wonder why did she even AGREE to bring her back... other than to go uninterrupted. The thief did something unexpected next, she let her go from the pin, and pushed her forward.

"There." spoke Shego in a calm tone, crossing her arms after letting her go. If Beatrix noticed, her faithful sword would appear in front of her, "We can do it RIGHT this time." she spoke seriously, "No tag-ins, no assistance, no nothing. Just you. Me. Mano ah Mano, got it?"

If it sounded right, it seemed Shego didn't wish to be interrupted. Was she so jealous she needed to see what was seen in the ex-apprentice by the Queen?

"I take it there won't be any interruptions here..." The thief got into a fighting stance, "...so let's get to it." she waited, until Beatrix would take the sword.[/glow]

[General Beatrix]

***From The Persuit of Madness, in Radiant Garden***

Traveling through the Corridor had weakened Beatrix, and when she was released she crumpled over before her sword, clutching tightly to her heart. She surveyed the room she was in and memories began flooding in.

From that time she was forced to dance with Kefka in the moonlight, his deviant little charms put on her, all the way to the orders Maleficent put forth.

A tear fell down her cheek, but then Shego spoke up. Beatrix' anger flooded in right then, and she grabbed Save the Queen. With the darkness in her heart stronger here, it was only slightly more painful to grab this holy blade, but she managed.

Tilting it downward and gripping the hilt with two hands, she used it to pull herself back up to stand. She turned quickly, and whipped Save the Queen around to face Shego, as well. She staggered slightly, but then regained composure and backed up, taking a fighting stance.

"Tell me something first," she began, her free hand starting to glow green. "Why does Maleficent wish to retain me when she has found someone new? Does she regret picking you up so terribly that she needs me? Bah! I will never return to her side! Only more pain and sadness can come of it!"

Beatrix studied Shego for a moment, and frowned. "What led you to such a fate only the damned like myself could have dreamed of...I do not wish to fight you, Miss Eg--Shego, was it? I came looking only for Kefka..."

Her legs shook beneath her weight, and she fought back some more tears. "By the Light of Alexander, I pray for your rescue from this dark place...but I will not fight you. You seem to be concerned with solidifying your place, and I will have no part of it. You are the new apprentice, and I accept that. Though I do not fancy Maleficent's methods, I should like to think you're comfortable in this dark world. I am leaving."

She turned on the ball of her heel and began walking in the other direction.

"I will not fight you, I will not fight you..." she trailed off.

[Shego]

"Why does Maleficent wish to retain me when she has found someone new? Does she regret picking you up so terribly that she needs me? Bah! I will never return to her side! Only more pain and sadness can come of it!"

[glow=green,2,800]Shego simply watched her, slowly removing herself from her fighting stance, to stand straight, resting her hands upon her hips, " You tell me." she growled, " What can you do that I can't do, Hero!?"[/glow]

"What led you to such a fate only the damned like myself could have dreamed of...I do not wish to fight you, Miss Eg--Shego, was it? I came looking only for Kefka..."

[glow=green,2,800]"Kefka..." Shego retracted her hand, to cross her arms once more, "That Arkham Reject? What do you want with him? You have OTHER matters to worry about" The thief sighed and pointed at herself, "You know I can't just let you LEAVE. Though I'm REALLY contemplating doing so... it was an ORDER. See- I can't let you leave, Chuckles. I'm comfortable in doing what I'm doing, unlike YOU who apparently was BRAINWASHED or SOMETHING into gettin' the job. I'm doing it on my own free will, I'm E-V-I-L by choice."

She took a few steps back, continuing to eye the woman, every now and then looking her up and down, wondering what made her tick. The thief began to walk closer when Beatrix turned her back on her, reaching up to turn the ex-apprentice to face her once more, "NO NO, UH-UH, no- YOU face me when I'm talking to you!" she hissed, pointing at the woman's Heartless symbol, "It's either be a slave or fight me, and if you even have the SLIM chance of winning, I'll let you go." [/glow]

[General Beatrix]

Beatrix thought about Shego's words for a moment, and then sighed.

"Evil by choice, you say? Such a pity. Let me tell you something..." When Shego grabbed her in hopes of turning her around and offered her the options to submit or fight, she growled, reaching her hand up mid-turn and backhanding the green woman with her plated hand.

"Do not handle me, wench!" she cried, and backed up. "Do not dare to give Beatrix of Alexandria an ultimatum!"

She inched backwards some more and stared Shego down.

"In my world...the former queen, Her Majesty Queen Brahne. She was a good woman, fair and just, until one day a puppeteer--weapons' dealer...Kuja--came to the castle. He was a demon, I knew it, but I could say nothing. He was the epitome of evil, and the queen fell to his charms, rendering me and my army useless in favor of conjuring Eidolons and making use of black mages, demons born from the Mist.

"My queen fell to her own greed and power due to Kuja, and the princess I was sworn to protect took the mantle of the corrupt Alexandria. I did what I could to assist her and her companions in fighting off Kuja towards the end of it all, and once the world was saved, I sort of fell into a life of menial labor.

"With nothing left to protect, life became dull...until Maleficent came. I knew something bad was going on when I saw that she brought along with her Kuja's former puppets, Zorn and Thorn. Queen Garnet did not see this as a threat, because they had "repented", or some other rubbish. But the day came when Maleficent summoned Kefka to lay siege on my kingdom, and took me out of the battle to save it.

"I had been under her command for years afterward, seeing my country naught. I assumed general status over these creatures, and nearly lost my heart in persuit of madness, or so I'm told. I recall nothing of the terrible deeds I did while under her control, but I do know this: I refuse to be her slave any longer. I will not lose my heart at her expense!"

She began pacing the ballroom, looking up at the starry night through the glass ceiling. "My world is out there somewhere, and I will return some day. Shego, before it is too late, I implore you to look back on your decisions."

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]The moment she was back-handed was the moment she lost it. Her eyes shrank to the size of pricks when she faced her again. Even when Beatrix was talking of her past, the woman reached up, grabbed the general by her shoulders, POUNCED her, until Beatrix had fallen on her back, and the thief saddled her stomach. She counter-backhanded the woman after her long speech, "Her taking you from your country just proved how WEAK you were in the first place, BUDDY!" she hissed, reaching down to grab her hands and pin them on either side of her face.

Shego was angry, "If you are such a moron for not remembering what you did, then it musta been something REALLY bad, Chuckles! You supressed it!" She burried her claw-like fingertips upon the girl's gloves, leaning down to be at eye contact with her, " I really don't CARE if you are here as a slave, or to be killed later, I am her apprentice now, and I did it of my OWN free will!"

"Look, I came from a previous life where, putting it bluntly, it SUCKED. It was DULL and ALL I had to fight was a stupid teenager and her bafoon of a boyfriend, and opening pickle jars! I consider this life an upgrade, and hey, I'm rather happy at my new job." The thief's eyes grew narrow, like a snake, "Very. Happy. and I don't need an ex-NOTHING to ruin it. I gave you a CHOICE, the LEAST you can do is ACCEPT ONE of the possibilities, instead of being an UNGRATEFUL WOMAN SPEWING HER RANTS OF HER PAST AT ME!"

The thief got up, and starred down at the woman before her, a look menacing enough to frighten an average enemy, "Make. Your DARN. choice! Stay, or fight me, and LEAVE."[/glow]

[General Beatrix]

When Shego came back with an attack of her own, Beatrix didn't do much to resist, other than adjusting herself as she fell so as not to crack open her skull. She dropped Save the Queen in the process and just stared into the woman's eyes while she spoke.

Too weak...she thought to herself. "I might be weak," said Beatrix, rising when Shego let her go. "...but, well--I need not justify myself!"

Picking up Save the Queen she did a backflip out of Shego's threat range and held the blade out. "Very well. I shall face you. You seem worthy enough, and I suppose it couldn't hurt to accept this challenge. And besides, anything to wreck that pretty little face of yours. You're unworthy of such beauty while shrouded in darkness."

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]Shego finally grinned, seeing the other accepting her challenge made her happy. She took a fighting stance once more, "Aw, Chuckles..." The thief whispered in a flirtatious tone after hearing her compliment, charging forward, her hands bursting into that familiar green plasma.

"...you FLIRT!" She cackled, holding a hand forward to claw at the woman! This is what she wanted after all, to see who was better-- to see who was stronger, faster, who was everything an apprentice should be...[/glow]

[General Beatrix]

Beatrix was ready for this, and brought her blade up as Shego moved.

Putting the blade before her face, both hands clenched tightly, she prayed. "Shock!" she said, and then threw her blade downward, a huge ball of lightning coming forth from the tip, making its way for the other woman.

"And now...Blind!" Casting her curse, she continued on, taking a side route alongside her Shock attack and circling Shego. If the Blind curse succeeded, this would be much easier.

When she was behind Shego she grabbed her with one arm, wrapping it over her shoulder and gripping the other. If she could maintain a grapple, the Shock attack would strike true, Beatrix only taking a quarter of its damage.

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]Shego hissed at her predicament, her eyes watching as the Stock attack grew closer still! Much worse, the Blind attack, had activated and she was momentarily unable to see, but it did not stop her.

The thief burst her hands to burn a bright plasma, and being that Beatrix was so close, she would FEEL it. Much worse when she was holding on to her the way she was. She leaned her head forward before snapping it back into a head butt at the General's face! If she was able to get lose, she would jump out of the way of the Stock attack just in time, and Beatrix would take the full blow of it.

"H-heh, not bad!" Shego hissed, the back of her head pouncing because of the blow, "Not GOOD, either. What is it with you goodies, and hitting the DARN eyes?!"

Shego rubbed at her eyes, still suffering from the blind effect. She could only see outlines within the darkness, and she could make out a moving form, certain it was the ex-apprentice. She went into a fighting stance once more, and squinted her eyes, trying to keep focus with her other senses.

[/glow]

[General Beatrix]

*Thwack!* Beatrix staggered back as her face was crashed in by Shego's headbutt. Thankfully she mostly got Beatrix' lip and side of the nose. Her metal eye patch shielded the rest of her face.

"Gaah!" She wiped some blood off her lip and held up her sword, eyes wide, as Shock made its way before her. She sliced downward, breaking it in two, but she still took a lot of the damage, absorbing only half.

"Damn it all," she yelped, falling over. She positioned herself again and lunged forward, beginning her circling of Shego once more. She charged a ball of light in her hand as she went along, and even prepared another of her charms.

"Reflect!"

A red crystal-shaped glimmering prism appeared, surrounding Beatrix. Now only melee attacks would harm her, at least for a while until the spell wore off.

"Now, feel my power! Holy!" She charged her sphere and hurled it towards Shego. Once it left her hand she took Save the Queen in both and took several steps back, making it more difficult for the blind opponent to catch her as she worked on her next move.

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]Unable to see what exactly was happening, Shego staggered backwards, unable to dodge the holy attack that made its way towards her. BOOM, it exploded against her flesh, and she would scream in pain, being airborne from the blast.

She fell a few feet away, holding at herself while she made her way to stand again. She would cough a little, her body steaming from the critical blow. "Tch! Youuu!!" She growled, charging forward, the blind beginning to wear off, she was able to see where her enemy was! Her hands flared up with green plasma, and she jumped in the air, at incredible speed, to launch a few blows towards Beatrix. Making sure to dodge the deadly sword when she needed to. She would swing towards her thighs and shoulders, trying to render a limb useless.[/glow]

[General Beatrix]

True to her title, Beatrix was quick with her blade and the best swordsman in the land...well, her land.

"You fight very well, Miss Shego," she said, parrying one of the woman's attacks, knocking back her hand by smacking the knuckles with the flat end of her blade.

"But I am Beatrix, and you will not last long enough to tell your descendants of my victory! Climhazzard!" She brought up Save the Queen and then carried it down hard, hoping to strike the critical blow. "This ends here!"

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]Her hand what smacked away, but it didn't mean she was through. She had another hand, and it was ready to strike. As the sword struck down to finish Shego off. The thief hand put all her plasma like abilities to her remaining hand.

"Not DONE!" She thrust her hand forward, in a spearing fashion, into the woman's stomach, yes, she was this close, and it was foolish of Beatrix to think of her as useless to think of something clever!

If her attack was able to land upon the General. It would of pierced through and burned her insides... Both would be mortally wounded either way. There was no time for Shego to dodge the sudden attack of Beatrix, and no chance for Beatrix to break from the attack to dodge Shego's advance... both would end mortally wounded! This battle was about to end in a draw, if something was not done to stop it![/glow]

[MeadowSong]

***From the Chamber of the Black Queen, in The World that Never Was***

[glow=purple,2,300]Just as the epic battle drew to a close, a ripple in the flooring beneath them pules outward, and the marble began to shake. The two women were hoisted, as if by a pair of invisible hands, backwards and into the air, each finishing their attacks and striking no one.

The two women were thrown back at opposite sides of the room, suspended in mid-air, when a ring of green fire lit up in the center of the room. A draconic shape rose up and then molded to fit Maleficent's dark visage, and Diablo flew out of the flames, circled around once, and landed on her shoulder.

A larger creature, a fat-cat, of sorts, stood at her side, dressed in armor. He looked like a lummox, standing there, hunched over, holding a mop and a pail.

"That is enough...my dear Shego. Pete here informs me of a commotion, and what do I come and find?" Maleficent turned to face Beatrix, a smile appearing on her face. "Why, my former general, of course. Nicely done, Shego." She waved her hand back, letting Shego down from her suspension, and then proceeded forward to get a closer look at Beatrix.

"I see that I was right in choosing a new apprentice...Ha--hahahahahahaha!"

She then quieted down, and her face grew serious. "Shego, find Atticus and bring him here immediately! And call back Acteur."[/glow]

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]Shego flailed in place as she suddnely was suspended and thrown back, seeing the familiar outline of her Boss. She sighed, angrily that their bout was interrupted... AGAIN.

She glared over to Beatrix, once the queen had all attention to her, when she felt her feet touched the ground. The checkered suit wearing woman stayed there a moment, watching the General with much hate as The Black Queen had interests set upon the ex-apprentice, "but..." she tried to whisper, before shaking her head-- she had to be the better apprentice, right?

She looked away, though still angry, and went to find Atticus first. She had to do it quickly though, and she did, not because it was commanded, but she couldn't STAND leaving those two alone. Pete didn't count. Her rival had arrived, and it was her fault she was there in the first place![/glow]