A sudden darkness fell upon Luna's eyes. At that moment, every ounce of doubt had left her.

"If that's what you wish..." She growled darkly, unsheathing her claws and baring her fangs.

Before Wine or Bastet could do anything, she pounced on her daughter, aiming with her claws and teeth at her neck. A quick slash at the neck, ripping through fur and skin, and that was it. Bastet only gasped in shock as she choked on her own blood. her eyes opened wide, as she gasped for air. It wasn't long before these yellow eyes glazed over and the alabaster piebald took her last breath.


(I will don't worry about it. Out of curiosity, do you have any plans for your next king after Monarch?)

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Wine and Roses didn't have time to think, or to understand what Luna's words meant. She stood stock still as Luna, who she had scoffed at only a moment before for motherly love, bared her claws at her precious daughter. She stood stock still at the horrendous sound of flesh ripping echoed in the cave. She stood stock still as blood trickled along the ground, then took a sudden step back as the sticky liquid came crawling towards her claws. She had seen a lion killed before, and she had learned not to feel empathy. She had seen blood before, plenty of times. But it was the shock, the suddenness with which a mother's love had vanished. She simply couldn't say anything, though her face showed nothing. Emptiness.

(I usually don't plan too far ahead. I like things to happen randomly. As of now, I have no plans, but because Monarch has an extended life due to his abilities to avoid death, I might keep him one more round.)

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Luna took shaky breaths as the blood spilled under her paws. It took her a moment to realize with horror what she had just done. She felt the urge to cry, to scream in anguish at the terrible mistake she had just made. She composed herself quickly though. She couldn't show any more weakness.

"The path is clear. Let's go" She said breathlessly to Wine, without looking back at the younger lioness. She kept her voice calm as usual, although it was hard for her at that moment. She stepped deeper into the cave, without looking at her daughter's body.

(Huh, that's an interesting concept. What are those abilities if I may ask?)

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Wine's head snapped to look at Luna as she spoke. She felt almost afraid of the lioness, knowing what she could do to her own daughter. She was riddled with distrust and doubts, but now wasn't the time to challenge Luna. She was no longer following Luna because she trusted her, or because she wanted this. She was following her because she'd come too far, and there was no choice but to keep going. She glanced back at the still-warm corpse as they moved forward.

(Well, it has to do with his backstory and Windward. He learned from her that it's possible to run from death, and he's been hiding for a long time. That's part of why he's often gone.)

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Luna trudged forward, all the manner of faked calmness gone. She moved like a hunting predator, her eyes scanning the walls of the tunnel which started changing color from shades of gray and brown to all colors of the rainbow, due to the light illuminating from somewhere ahead of them. There was another lion to get rid of, only this time she would have no issue with doing what must be done. She ignored the crushing force which tried to squash her to the ground and moved forward until the place where both lionesses wanted to arrive at came into full view.

A large cavern greeted them as they approached. The walls were studded with crystals of all kinds, which reflected the light of the full moon coming from a large opening in the vault of the cave. A ring of stalagmites surrounded a rather sizeable lake laying right under the opening, its waters crystal clear. There was a slight humming noise in the air.

Luna's eyes scanned the cave before her head snapped back to Wine and Roses.
"Hide" She hissed, before hiding herself out of sight.

(That makes a lot of sense all things considered. Why would he run away from death though?)

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Wine quickened her pace to keep up with Luna, hardly looking around as she saw the change in the lioness's demeanor. She had taken on the faux calm Luna had had a moment ago, though that certainly wasn't what she was feeling. She flattened her airs slightly at the humming noise, which echoed in her mind. As soon as Luna told her to hide, Wine wasted no time in turning to tuck herself behind a rock. She waited tensely for whatever would come next.

(Well, because he kind of blames Windward for letting herself go and abandoning him in a way, and he doesn't want to give up like she did.)

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After a few agonizing seconds, another pair of pawsteps echoed through the cavern. A brown lioness came into view, although she looked different. A set of wings were attached to her back, and a pair of ram-like horns pertruted from her head. Her eyes were like a purple galaxy, with swirls of stars gathered in them. She began looking around, slightly confused. She most likely has heard the commotion and came out to see what it was all about.

"Hello? Alnair is that you?" She called out but only silence greeted her.

(He is gonna have to die some day. He can't run away from it. Although what you just told me about him only confirms to me the fact the he would get along with Morpheus very well. Imagine someone who can make you live an immortal life, only if you do a small favor for them in return...)

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Wine kept her breaths shallow, and didn't move a muscle. She had no idea why they were hiding from this lioness, but whether she was dangerous or they were about to be the dangerous ones, she knew getting caught would be a disaster. So she waited, glancing at the place where Luna was hidden.

(He will indeed have to die some day, though exactly when I haven't decided yet. That does sound like a match made in Hell. An one that could turn out very, very bad.)

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Luna unsheathed her claws and prepared to pounce once more, this time on Stella, The Guardian of the Spring. Instead of tackling the lioness, however, she jumped right next to her with a roar.

Stella's head snapped towards her, shock and anger painted on her face.

"What are you doing here Luna?" She demanded, her head held high "This is a sacred place. You can't just walk in here uninvited. Leave now!"

Luna chuckled darkly.
"Oh, you are very mistaken Stella" She smirked "It is you who is the intruder here..."

Before Stella could say anything, Luna lounged at her, sinking her teeth into the flesh of the lioness's neck. A slight struggle and it was all over.

(Perhaps this should be like a later plot point? With Morpheus and Monarch working together on something, with Morpheus's part of the deal to keep death away from Monarch?)

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Wine and Roses was prepared for Luna's entrance, and didn't flinch as the lioness came barging out of her hiding place. She could see what was coming before the lioness even opened her mouth. She looked away, tracing her paw along the crags of the rock beneath her, acting as though she couldn't see them. She pretended she couldn't hear anything. When it was over, she waited a few moments and peered out from her hiding place. She didn't look at the dead lioness, but rather at Luna, to see what would be done next.

(That sounds great to me!)

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The achromia lioness loosened her grip around Stella's neck, letting the body fall lifelessly to the ground. As if nothing had happened, she took the bag she still had on her off, and began rummaging through its content.

"Come closer." She said to Wine, as she took out something from the bag and held it in her paw.

(Awesome! A stoic King meeting a malicious dream demon. This should be fun to roleplay :) )

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Wine moved out towards Luna, but not within her grasp. She hovered opposite the corpse, looking at the bag and whatever Luna had in her paw. She wondered if it was an herb, and if so, what kind. She knew of herbs that could induce visions - perhaps it was something like that? But still she didn't move closer.

(That sounds like a strange interaction indeed :)

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Luna extended her paw towards Wine. In her grasp she held a clear transparent shard which barely could fit in her bloody paw.

"I need you to focus the light of the moon on the spring, and hold it as long as you can." She explained, her monotone voice sounding more threatening now that her muzzle was drenched with blood. "I'll do the rest."


(It sure would be! I can't wait until we get to it )

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Wine leaned forward to take a look at the shard. In Luna's bloodstained paw it looked like the shattered, painful object humans sometimes left around their encampments. Wine's natural reaction was to avoid touching it, but she moved forward all the same to take it as Luna told her what to do. Holding it in her paw wouldn't allow her the maneuverability to reflect the moonlight, so she took it delicately between her teeth, wrinkling up her nose slightly at the wetness of blood on Luna's paw. She nodded to show she was ready.

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Without a word Luna pointed with one of her paws at an outcropping of stone, which was the closest to the source of light. She herself went up to the corpse, and drenched her already bloody paws in more blood, until it was dripping freely from them.

"Wait for my signal. Do not start witout me telling you to, and don't lean out too much. We don't want you to fall in." She said, without taking a glance at Wine. It would truly be unfortunate if she lost the young lioness. Then again, she would have a tasty sacrifice for the spirits if Wine did in fact fall in. There was no time for that though, and so she hoped blood of The Guardian of the Spring and her own daughter mixed together should be enough. For now at least.

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