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Fantasy ~ FableWood ~

Ethan looked around, then realized that one of the "scare puppets," as he had already coined them, was aiming to attack him. He ducked under the creature and, grabbing a shard of glass, he sliced the puppet's back open. He immediately began yanking out large handfuls of straw, quietly very thankful that he wasn't allergic to the stuff. He looked around the puppet at his new gorilla friend. "Just - kill the puppet things," he commanded awkwardly. "...Please. If you want to help, I mean. You don't have to."
 
Ward spun around but too slowly, he was just in time to see Elena evade the strike, throwing his fear-mongering back into his face. That was one of the many reasons why he loved her. Her words gave him strength and he leaned on them, shaking fear from his mind.


Crow stumbled back, he heard Mitchell's brave defiance and saw the dedication in Elena's eyes and Ward caught a look in that burlap face, one he recognized.


"You're afraid...of the humans."


Crow, caught of guard by the comment snarled. "You know nothing!" But Elena's next strike hit the scarecrow across the neck, and then Alexander swooped in, disarming their enemy (almost literally) as he tore a gaping hole in Crow's limb. Ward used the distraction to jump on him, tearing straw out with as much speed as he could. He could feel the body getting weaker and all of a sudden it slumped to the ground. But Ward did not have time to register surprise before a noxious cloud erupted from the ragged clothes. The nearest scarecrow stopped attacking and stood, arms spread. The cloud flowed into it and the familiar grin spread wide on its face.


"I will not be that easy to defeat."


Ward cursed under his breath, how many of them were there? A dozen? They would have to get them all. So far the pearls were preventing him from taking anyone's mind. This was good.


Tigirius tackled another scarecrow and tore it in half with his bare hands, growling furiously. "You fears are warranted witch. Now release my friend!"


Leia slit another scarecrow from navel to chest with her cavalry sword. If they kept going like this, their enemies would be compost in no time. it was then she saw Crow switch bodies and groaned.


"Of course he can change bodies! Why wouldn't that happen? Its not like we'd want this to be easy or anything!"


Crow twisted his head in a manner that looked just wrong and looked straight at her. Suddenly her eyes widened as Crow smiled. He knew! She had given her pearl to Mitchell and was now defenseless...and he knew.


Ward turned and flared his wings, ready to attack again when a small cry froze him in his tracks. Crow pointed with a sickening grin to the other side of the tower where Leia was kneeling on the floor, her own sword placed against her neck. She was fully conscious however, a tear trickled down her cheek, her eyes were filled with absolute fear.


"I-I can't control my arm," She stammered, "I should have told you...I'm sorry." suddenly she gasped as the blade broke skin.


"Move, and the girl dies." Crow hissed darkly.
 
"Leia!" Achyls shouted, wracking her brain for some kind of idea. She wondered if perhaps she could stun Crow using her own magic. Darkness on darkness should not work, but maybe...just maybe it would. In a clasped hand, a bundle of energy formed in her hands, inconspicuously, readying an attack.


"Where do I aim?" she thought to herself, "If I mess up, she's dead,".


An idea burst like a bubble in her head. She would most likely be able to hold back Crow's mind games, after all, she was as much of a vessel as he was. How could she get the pearl to Leia? How could she let the others know? Her mind was racing, but somewhere she knew she had to do it. With all her might, she threw her pearl to Leia, giving her protection from the beast.


"I can fight him back, the Crow is no different than I," she smirked, now determined to beat the witch's hold on the scarecrow.
 
Nyr bashed the clones with her claws as she struck at all her opponents. They however did not seem to feel pain as they should have - after all they were but puppets, empty husks. She saw how the others were more successful and she allowed a triumphant smile as she saw the others triumphing over them. But her joy was shirt lived as she looked at Leia, now being hold as a hostage by the sorcery of the Crow. Her fury grew as the creeping light started to envelop her again. She knew what she had to do.


" Sister, catch! "


Reaching in her pockets she grabbed her pearl. Clutching it for a moment in her claw like hands she aimed at Achyls, seeing that now she was without protection and tossed it at her. While the jewel was still in flight she turned to the monstrous creature, her wrath burning in her eyes.


" I tried to give you ample opportunities to surrender, but you simply will not stand down. " she said, a menacing grin appearing on her distorted expression. " Time to put all pretends aside and just... kill you all! "


She said as a surge of light enveloped her and infused her claws with even greater power. as she dashed at the fake clones in hope to disarm the real one as well a shadow appeared behind her... a familiar, dark slender shadow. It had a sadistic grin on its shady expression as he saw the unrestrained fury of the dread raven unfold.
 
Elena panted, regaining her composure and almost smirking at the sight of the torn up scarecrow, until she saw the smog. The way it's new yellow eyes stared at Leia was unsettling as well. Elena found herself moving closer to the other girl in case the crow tried to attack. What she wasn't expecting is for Leia to do the attacking. Sword pressed against her own neck, Elena quickly realized what was happening, but thanks to the Ravens, the pearl was within Leias reach.


When Nyr attacked, Elena took that moment to sprint to Leia and grab the girls arm with one hand, lifting the pearl to her friend with the other and pressing it into her palm.


"Hey.. It's alright. Are you okay?" She cooed quietly while checking her friends neck for cuts and facial expression for psychological damage.
 
"Nyr! You need to be protected!" Achyls gasped, equally amazed and scared by her sister's actions. She caught the pearl in both hands, but was unable to understands Nyr's motives. Surely she could not hold back Crow's tricks...she needed to be protected. She watched as her sister went barrelling at the beast, entranced in terror of her transformation. A way to help Nyr was needed, so she took flight, shooting energy in unending waves at Crow. She knew it would not kill, but perhaps stun him so Nyr could fully attack. The rush of battle made her giddy again, though she had to keep her resolve, remain stoic, fearless.
 
Mitchell could hardly believe as he stood in the middle of anarchy as the scarecrows kept striking out and everyone had kept them at bay. Two of sets of straw and clothes laid at his feet, not moving. He could not remember how he had managed to pull that off, but the long gashes on his forearms were price enough as his sleeves started to become stained as his increased blood-flow added to the blood already leaking out. He saw how this scarecrow managed to just flee from body to body with apparent ease, and that was no good as so many seemed to remain. He saw Leia with her own blade to his throat and his mind began to race again. The others were quicker than him in responding, which he was ultimately glad for. There was too much going on at once, and here he was fighting, though poorly, and it still did not make him feel any less useless.


All of those crow constructs, cackling at him. His anger began rising as he began to make more aggressive strikes out at those surrounding constructs that would try and stab those whose attention turned away to the scarecrow itself. His slashes of the knife in his right hand became more intense and swings of his left became wilder as he did his best to draw attention to himself while slowly backing off from Ashley, hoping he could draw away that would dare strike at her. He let out some incoherent shouts of frustration, exertion, and anger as he tried to face down more and more of the crows in a seeming fit of building rage.
 
Leia felt the pearl press into her hand, felt Elena supporting her and most wonderful of all the shadowy hand around her thoughts recede. She drew in a breath and coughed, putting a hand to her throat and feeling terrified as it came away red. She was weak, the witch had only been in her mind for seconds but she felt as if she had nearly lost her sanity right then and there.


She grasped for the second pearl, the one Achyls had thrown to her, clutching it tightly.


"Nyr!" She tired to call, but she could barely raise her voice above a whisper. "Nyr! Please don't...don't lose control!"


The pearls. They had given her an idea. If they prevented the witch from influencing their minds...would it weaken the connection the witch had to the scarecrow?


@DawnAntalios @Bea Delaine


Tigirius watched Nyr's fury with genuine fear. "My lady! Stop!" he tried to get to her but was blocked by more scarecrows.


Crow stumbled back as if he had been struck, and then the barrage of dark energy sent him off balance. His spindly body hit the earth, but he did not look so defeated yet.


Leia grasped the second pearl, trying to catch Mitchell's gaze. She held it up and threw it. Knowing they had little time. She hoped against hope he would understand what she meant for him to do. get the pearl into Crow somehow, use its magic to break the witch's control over him, or at least weaken it so he could start to fight back.


@SwiftThunder @SkywardSocks
 
Quincy continued to keep the scarecrow puppets at bay, even as the others struggled to save Leia. Pearls wouldnt protect them from the physical attacks from the farm implements they were attacking with. Most of the puppets on that side of the room were now so damaged they were stumbling around without bodily control, if they were moving at all. In a moment of rest, she watched the others, the transfer of the pearl to Leia, and her toss to Mitchell. The kelpie was confused for a long moment- Leia had just almost lost her mind and died, why would she give up protection again? Shaking her head, Quincy reached for her own pearl, intending to give it to the human girl. But she stopped, realizing that she must have a plan. She gave the pearl to Mitchell, who is getting closer to Crow.. does she want to use the pearl on Crow? It was a vague, reaching connection, but it was all that made sense. Latching onto that thought, Quincy ran forward to Mitchell's side, helping him fight. “Try to get the pearl near Crow, inside him if you can." She growled, using her bow to parry a blow, stabbing with an arrow before nocking it and shooting.
 
Anya watched the others, and wondered what Leia's plan was as she finished off the scarecrow she had been fighting. She wondered what the girl had planned.





Alexander glared when the scarecrow had fled into another body, irritated he turned. He wanted to just burn them all, that would be infinitely easier... but after seeing how different Otto was without the Witch's influence he figured that this poor earth spirit was probably being altered just as severely. Hearing a plan form in Leia's mind he watched her toss her pearl to Mitchell.


'You're brilliant!' The dragon's voice appeared loudly in Leia's head. He knew that of all who needed protection against the interference of the mind he was the one who needed it the least. 'If we can get one pearl in each scarecrow we have yet to tear apart, I would venture to guess that the spirit would have no where left to run, and the witch's bond may be broken.' He thought to Leia, adding a bit of an extension to her plan, then he thought the same thing to Quincy, who's mind was always very easy to access. The others all had their pearls, meaning that he could not hear their minds, either, nor could he think to them. The only reason he could get into Quincy's was because she let him in. ((assuming she does)) Though, it seemed Quincy already understood the plan.


Alexander turned to fight the next closest scare crow, maybe simply destroying it would be better. He lashed out at it, claws open and tore into the puppet's front, tearing it open and watching the straw fall out.


@Flutterby @SilverFlight
 
Mitchell just managed to turn in time to allow him to see the pearl approaching at a fast pace, almost striking him square in the nose. He traces where it came from and sees Leia's pointed look to him, and then to the crow that now seems down and slow to get-up. He swallows as that cotton mouth feeling starts to come back with his adrenaline level still high as he hopes that what he is about to do is not something that will turn out to be incredibly stupid. He palmed the pearl Leia had thrown and makes for a break for the downed body of hay while not looking back to Ashley, mother forgive him, as he sprints forward. He is barely aware of a stinging sensation that goes across his back as he passes through a few of the crows, and he should remember to thank Quincy later for taking that one that went for his own head; he is much more aware of the crow he body checks at his full speed sprint as straw flies up into his eyes. He does his best to kick aside the monstrous scythe of the scarecrow as he retrieves the pearl that he had been given at the start of this strange dream turned nightmare.


With a quick slap, the pearl in his left hand is palmed into the mouth of the scarecrow, trying to hold his lower jaw open and keeping the pearl in the scarecrow's mouth and doing his best to keep it there while the pearl in his right hand slaps against the middle of the scarecrow's forehead. Both hands apply as much force as possible to hold down the scarecrow's head while Mitchell uses his legs to keep the scarecrow from thrashing with his arms, hoping it would be enough as he mutters angrily under his breath.


"Let's see you deal with a bit of fear, straw boy!"
 
Ethan turned, seeing Nyr's outburst, but hung back anxiously. He was unsure what exactly was happening, what it meant, and what the effect might be. Tigirius and the others seemed highly alarmed. This should be enough for Ethan to know what has going on, but he didn't know what he could do about this anyway. He stood back, backing up a touch and wanting to stay out of the way. Every other human here was at least a decent fighter - Ethan was useless aside from being able to summon the flying gorilla. He hesitated, backing up more.
 
Elena saw the cut and heard the whisper of a voice Leia had, and immediately wished she had healing powers. She ripped a strip from the already mutilated over shirt that was on her face, and put a careful amount of pressure as she wrapped and ripped off the strip, careful not to choke the girl. She smiled warmly at the shaken Leia, easily shifting away from her previously fierce veneer.


"It's alright Leia. I'm not going to let you get touched by that witch again. But... Just stay calm and don't talk too much if it hurts. Think you can stand?" She asked.


She watched the girl throw the pearl and watched quietly as the scene played out, while standing in front of Leia and fighting off the Scare Puppets.


"That was brilliant, Leia."
 
Quincy gave a small start when Alexander entered her mind, earning a nick across her stomach for her distraction. She hissed, jumping back. “Got it." She said outloud, while thinking it to Alexander. “A pearl for everyone." She said, a little loudly, abesntly reiterating the plan as she withdrew her own and smashed it into the chest of the nearest scarecrow. She spun, grateful that there were very few puppet bodies left for the spirit to move to. She sprinted to Ashley, reaching gently for the pearl she held. “Just trust me," She reassured, dashing away to put the pearl into another scarecrow. An arrow puntured this one's forehead, but he slashed her arm as she reached up. She gasped, losing her footing and falling on top of the vile thing. The pearl ended up in the hole, paralyzing the scarecrow. Another was at her back, so she used an arrow to rip open its cloth body, spreading straw everywhere.
 
Tigirius understood the plan as soon as he had seen Mitchell move. Of course! Its was so simple! He grabbed one of the last remaining scarecrows, which managed to slash his arm before he planted the pearl deep within its chest cavity. Then he waited to see what would happen.


Ward tackled another scarecrow, placing his own pearl inside its mouth. He had to sit on it to keep it from moving.


Crow tried to break free, thrashing under Mitchell's grip. The pearl seared the dark magic in his mind and he screamed, an unholy sound. The crows trapped outside fell from the sky, one by one dissolving into dust. The dark essence that had been inhabiting Crow's body was forced out, it rushed from one body to the other, blocked at every turn. There was nowhere to run, the heroes had made sure of that. Frantically it convulsed, doubling in on itself it grew smaller and smaller and then exploded, showering all with fragments of dark dust.


Then all was eerily quiet and still.


Ward and Tigirius stood slowly, looking at the last body Crow had inhabited. It lay there, lifeless and unmoving.


The big tiger walked over to it, kneeling with care, his entire face contorted in a heartbroken frown.


"No..."


Without warning the darkness began to fade. It seeped out of the scarecrow bodies lying scattered over the floor. The torches extinguished and suddenly there was a loud crack as the tower split, a section of the roof falling away outside to coat the companions with sunlight.


When Tigirius looked back the scarecrow was no longer terrifying or twisted. His burlap face was round with painted red cheeks, his floppy hat fell down over coal-black button eyes. Instead of spindly hands he wore green wool mittens, and over his plump, sack-like body he wore a red vest trimmed with yellow. This scarecrow looked nothing like the foe they had just faced. But he still did not move.


Ward shifted, his ears put down and his amber eyes became glossy. They had failed?


Leia thanked Elena for her help and struggled to sit up when all had gone quiet. She saw the lifeless body of the scarecrow and her face fell.


Otto, who had been doing his very best during the fight hanging onto the leg of a scarecrow in his wolf form now came up to them, whining. He nosed the scarecrow's body, waiting to see him rise...but nothing happened. Defeated, he let out a mournful howl.
 
The others followed suit quickly, forcing pearls into the remaining bodies. With a terrible screech, the darkness dispelled in an explosion that showered her in black, oily dust. It seared her wounds and she wiped it off as best she could, accidently streaking blood across her skin, frowning as she moved to where the others were examining one of the scarecrows. The ceiling opened and, in the sunlight, the body was restored to a plucky, colorful scarecrow with a big smile. But it didnt stir. Everyone had the look of defeat, even though they had been victorious, and even Quincy felt crushed as Otto began to howl for his lost friend. She stood quietly, ignoring the stinging and throbbing from her stomach and arm, even as the blood failed to clot and a few soft drips could be heard as it dropped to the floor. Nyr spoke suddenly, with a flash of light and fury in her voice, and then rushed from the room. “We should go after her, but some should stay." She said softly, readying her bow and starting after the dread raven quickly.
 
Mitchell regarded the body of straw below him that sat now motionless as he lay back and his adrenaline started to come down. He started feeling the sting of what he hoped weren't too deep of cuts on his arms, and something burning fiercely on his back, but he hardly brought himself to reach back to check. He heard the commotion of those that could take flight moving on to fight still; he couldn't follow with flight, he barely kept up the fight that seemed far to close and quick for his own good. He stood on aching legs while checking his head, (how did his hat not fall of that entire time?). his arms and his legs as he moved to Leia while Elena moved to follow the group outside, pushing the two pearls in his still shaking hands to her without a word. He allowed himself to lean against one of the pillars near Leia and looked up at the newly created skylight in the tower, removing his stetson and rubbing his buzz cut hair and head and letting out a tired sigh, before turning to examine the chamber they were in half-halfheartedly and ignoring the stinging sensation crawling along his skin, waiting.
 
Quincy reached the exterior, only to find there was no way to follow without wings. With a concerned sigh, she returned inside and began retrieving the pearls. One by one, she plucked them from small piles of straw, until she had all but the two handed to Elena in her hands. They still held their luster, although smudged, but the energy of magic seemed to have faded a little, or maybe she just couldnt feel it. She walked to the tiger, placing a hand on his shoulder. “The pearls." She said softly, offering them to him gently.
 
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Ward lowered his head and turned away. He could not watch the tears fall from the tiger's eyes. Leo would be devastated when he awoke...what would ward tell him? What could he tell him?


Otto lay himself over the scarecrow's chest, sniffing quietly.


Leia got up slowly, she felt like her head had been used as a battering ram. Mental take-over was not something she'd want to repeat...ever.


"You did good cowboy." She said weakly, smiling at him through the dirt coating her face. But her heart ached...if only they could have saved Crow...in the back of her mind she blamed herself. Maybe...if they'd done it another way...


But a soft light drew her away from her thoughts. A faint green pulse began to glow from within Crow's limp form. It grew brighter and brighter and forced her to look away.


Brilliant rays of green light shot upwards toward the sky. Then the earth began to shimmer, taking up the green glow. Otto jumped back in surprise, lifting his paws one by one to look at the light glowing under them. Tigirius too stared in awe as all around them the light began to concentrate. It formed a ball, a soft orb of green light which floated about the room and finally settled on Crow's body. The it vanished, letting sunlight dominate once more, dust filtering through the beams in absolute silence.


Something moved. A mitten. It flexed ever so slightly, and then Crow turned his head, lifting it off the ground.


"Oh...I had the most terrible dream...and you were in it...and you.." He pointed to those who were directly in front of him.


Tigirius' eyes lit up through the tears and he laughed, a booming sound that shook dust from the tower stone. He enveloped his friend in a gargantuan hug, Otto yipping and scrambling at his arm, trying to nuzzle in as well.


"Oh! Hungry Tiger! Otto!" A broad grin lit up Crow's face and he hugged them back, covering them in straw dust and dried grass. "It seems you've made a lot of new friends! Do they know who I am yet?"


Tigirius wiped water from his eye, the broad, toothy grin still planted on his face. "Not the best side of you, but they will, I promise that."


When Ward looked his expression brightened, his ears raised as high as they would go and he tilted his head sideways to smile at the wonderful reunion. He transformed back into his human form and stood back with arms crossed. A job well done then, in his opinion.

http://www.deviantart.com/art/The-Scarecrow-163537488
 
[QUOTE="Bea Delaine](I guess that dawn deleted her post? :| )

[/QUOTE]
((yes, I was a bit confused about it, I suppose just edit as you were still in the tower))
 
Elena sat in silence alongside the others and mourned for the lost comrade of Leo and Tigirius. Even though she did not know him as their friend, he was a valuable being. Her eyes went to Leia, then Ward, afraid to move them to the ones who lived in Oz because she did not wish to see anyone cry. Then as the death of Crow seemed to be accepted by the full party, a green light lifted from the earth. The earth spirit which originally took hold of that body, she guessed. When it entered the lifeless form of the straw man, she watched movement. Her spirits rose and the Scare Crow spoke. Elena couldn't help but giggle at the first thing he said.


"Now that line is awfully familiar. Welcome back to the land of the living. It's good to finally meet you, the friend of our guardian Leo." She said, the surface of her mood reflecting the joy around her. After all, it was not the scarecrows fault. She stood up and looked to their Lion, about ready to move out.


"Speaking of whom, how do we counteract the poppy pollen?"
 
Mitchell just stared blankly at Crow as he rose up. He technically didn't know the scarecrow, but he also knew of him. Did that mean what he knew of the scarecrow was what was really him, or was it something entirely different as it was with everything else was in this world. It made his head spin which wasn't great experience as he allowed those in the group to have a reunion of sorts with the crow as he decided he barely knew him. He was glad that there was no true fatality out of all this, despite the very real possibility of it; though he still hopped that tiger was okay, taking a full blast of whatever substance that was. The cuts on his arm still stung, but he saw they stopped bleeding, so that was a good sign. All in all, it was once grand and terrifying introduction to a place with rules a part of his own and he didn't know just how exactly he felt about all of this just yet.


"Exciting, Terrifying day in the life here huh...?" he remarked mostly to himself as he allowed a small grin to form on his face and replacing the hat onto his head.
 
"Just another day in FableWood." Leia answered him. Walking over and summoning her water spirit to tend Mitchell's cuts.


"You didn't get beat up too badly did you?"


Ward made his way around to Elena, putting his arms around her and hugging her tightly. "You were marvelous." He said. "I saw the look in Crow's eyes when he was possessed. The witch seems truly afraid of you. And for good reason." He added the last bit with a chuckle. Elena was a force to be reckoned with when she wished, Ward had seen it many times before.


((Crooked will be back momentarily))
 
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