Spirl of Events: Dirty Belonging

Sue and Crystal finally got over their shock and ran to Spike's aid. Sue's boots clicked-clacked as she ran down the decrepit concrete path. A branch lifted up from Spike and slammed into Sue and Crystal, throwing them back and knocking them off their feet.

Meanwhile, Jade tried to adjust to the water content in the air, but her body did not want to agree with her mind. Seeing that Spike needed her, Jade used the little energy she had left and slapped against the branches. Unfortunately, it did nothing. The plant simply absorbed her attack.

The branches slowly lifted up to study Jade and finally deciphered her as water. So they went back to Spike, beating her mercilessly into the concrete path.

Spike growled loudly at her rough treatment.

As Sue and Crystal tried to stand, the branch slammed into them again, knocking them back against the stairs. As the branch wrapped around the girls, It split apart, focusing on two separate tasks. One branch remained with the attack on Spike, while the other branch squeezed the life out of Crystal and Sue.

The strong branches continued to impale Spike. When they lifted up again, Spike grabbed onto one with her hands and slammed her teeth into it. Unfortunately, the area where she bit had thorns, which violently pushed into the top of her mouth. As the branch squirmed, Spike howled in pain, but managed to rip off a portion of the branch's bark with her teeth. The startled branch wielded back, bleeding out green juices. Spike quickly jumped up, transforming into her spirit form.

The two girls struggled to breathe, feeling the suffocating effects of the other branch squeezing tighter and tighter around them. The branch held them together back to back, attempting to cut off their circulation, virtually squeezing the life from them.

Sue turned her head down, letting the tears slip out. "I will not die, I will survive," she murmured. Talking was beginning to be difficult. She struggled to move around, trying to get loose. But every time she moved, the branch squeezed tighter.

Crystal tried to grab Sue's hand. She could feel the fight Sue was waging. "Sue, what are you doing!" Crystal screamed, as terror consumed her.

"We came here to save Creed." Sue wheezed as she spoke, desperately trying to take a breath. "We should not be here if we cannot fight for ourselves." Now a fire lit up inside her, shining through her light brown eyes.

The branch squeezed tighter.

"Sue, stop moving please," Crystal begged. "It hurts."

"Get over it!" As Sue replied, a smaller branch slinked around her mouth, causing her to struggle even harder.

Crystal looked straight ahead and ignorantly said, "Fine, if that is the way you want to die."

The branch squeezed tighter and tighter around Crystal. She started to cough. The feeling of impending death now overwhelmed her.

Sue's struggling managed to get her left arm free. Crimson transformed into a blade with red light, then white, and then went silver.

Vincent stood by watching, analyzing them, trying to judge if they would live or die.

"Master," Jade shouted, "shouldn't we help them?"

"No," he replied swiftly. "This will be their test. I cannot save them inside the temple. We will be going in opposite directions."

"But what if they die here?" Jade spattered, leaking water everywhere.

"Then they would have died in the temple anyway, where I cannot save them," said Vincent

"Master!" Jade looked down dejectedly, disagreeing with the call.

Still Vincent ignored her, staring into the distance. While he made no action to help the girls, he sensed a stronger presence coming toward them. He was sure it was the faint life source he had felt earlier.

Jade huffed in relief, finally feeling her control return.

Spike fought the main branch, intent on injecting the same amount of harm, not caring if she bore any more wounds. Spike kept biting and ripping out the bark. This will not do, Spike thought, as she bit directly onto a thorn. Spike screamed and ripped more of the plant's tender bark away.

The side branch was busy trying to kill Sue and Crystal, while also trying to retreat from Spike.

Spike let loose a horrid growl, as the branch tried to squirm away from her.

The branch launched for Sue, as she dodged and slashed at it, cutting the side branch off and spilling more of the green ooze.

The main branch fighting Spike wielded back, squealing from Sue's attack.

Cut loose, Crystal fell to her knees gasping and sobbing. "I'm sorry, Sue. I was such a jerk. I was going to die. I would have done nothing to prevent it."

Sue quickly grabbed Crystal's hands. "What are friends for, Crystal. Listen to me. We have to fight to survive." They turned their attention to Spike and Vincent.

Spike attacked, throwing the main branch to the ground. The remaining branch struck out at her as Spike placed her hands above her head. A bright white burning energy began to pulsate. "Breaking lunatic!" Spike screamed.

The energy ripped through the branch and shot up toward the sky. Swirling and turning around, it rushed toward the center of the branches, blasting a vast area and sending branches high up in the air.

[Breaking lunatic is a Spirit of Aura ability.]

Crystal clapped her hands in admiration. "Wow, Spike, you are amazing!"

Spike bowed mockingly. "Thank you very much."

Sue watched Vincent, noticing his head obviously facing the right, his body not moving. A tense atmosphere surrounded him. He resembled a predator remaining still to catch prey. His face remained calm.

His face says one thing but his body says another, Sue thought.

The object of Vincent's attention finally appeared In the distance, slowly moving through the fields of thorny rose bushes. Vincent focused on the approaching creature, trying to pick up its thoughts.

The creature currently savored their smells, thinking about what type of dinner they would make.

Vincent snorted in disgust.

The monster, made entirely from compressed roses and plant leaves, slowly walked toward them. Its sharp, pointed teeth turned into a grin. "The food is finally tenderized."

Jade looked at the newly-appeared monster. "Well, I will be of no use," she spoke tersely.

Vincent smirked at the plant creature. "I could not be sure at first, but now since you are here, I know you are going to get in my way. That I cannot tolerate." He unbuckled his armor, displaying a toned chest along with a flap located on the inside of his armor. He pulled out a whip made entirely from chains. A steel ball with spikes formed the tip of the whip.

The plant creature thrust out its hands revealing long, thorn-like fingernails. It slashed and slashed at Vincent, but he managed to dodge every move.