Dog V Ram

Aqua enters the great hall to find a large room made from intricately carved white stone, she sees a long table with nine chairs at it, and sitting obscured in one of the chairs is a person drinking tea. The figure sets their tea down and starts to get up. Aqua sends a blast of water at them before they could face each other, however a flash of golden spectral eyes dissipate the attack.

"W-what?" A bead of sweat drips down Aqua's face.

The figure finally turns around, revealing a young blonde woman around Aqua's age with bale blue eyes.

"It's you, Stella Linnit." Aqua furrows her brow. "You're the reason I'm in this whole mess. You…" She clenches her fist. "…bitch!" She draws a rapier and charges Stella.

Stella points out a staff and a beam of light hit Aqua.

Stella turns back to the table believing Aqua to be finished.

"I'm gonna kick your ass for that one!" Stella turns again to see Aqua standing with a ripped hood and blood running down her forehead, and the misty silhouette of a wolf behind her.

Stella squints and points the staff at Aqua again. Five balls of light appear around Stella.

"Is that supposed to scare me?" Swirling water begins to surround Aqua.

The balls of light soar towards Aqua, only two hit as the others are blocked by a water barrier.

"She's fast, or at least her magic is. I shouldn't be trying to block her attacks anyways." Aqua strategizes in her head while looking at cracks in the wall from the light beams splitting into more projectiles from the water. "I've got it." She smirks and thrusts her hands forward.

Aqua points up and a giant ball of water is formed above Stella. Briefly taken off guard, Stella then shoots the water with a beam of light, causing an explosion. The room is now enveloped in a rain.

"Perfect." Aqua smiles as the room's terrain now favors her.

"My plan will take some time to work, I need a distraction." Aqua watches Stella intently, as her foe looks at the downpour. "It's worth trying." Aqua looks over to a decorative suit of armor.

Stella faces Aqua and reaches out her staff again. She sends shot after shot, as Aqua is barely able to dodge or block the attacks. Aqua ducks behind a suit of armor, as an attack hits the armor's shield. The attack is reflected and Stella is surprised. She creates a barrier just in time, as the attack dissipates the look of annoyance is on Stella's face.

"That was incredible. I sure hope this works." Aqua briefly peaks out at what just occurred before resting her hands on the armor. "I command you to rise!" Her hands glow with a dark power that trails into the armor.

The armor stances waiting Aqua's command.

"It worked! Now you just have to keep her from attacking me-" Aqua is cut short as the helm is blown off by a blast of light. "I'm officially out of ideas." She nervously looks over to an upset Stella.

Stella fires three bolts at Aqua. The attack is reflected as a shield defends her. She looks up in surprise to find the armor is a dullahan.

"That's so cool!" Aqua moves around the dullahan, examining it with starry eyes.

The dullahan pushes Aqua to the side as Stella produces three more bolts. It takes two bolts to the coast as it blocks one that would hit Aqua.

"Oh, this really improves my situation." Aqua notices the beams of light slide off the armor and the dullahan is unscathed.

Stella frowns and seems to now be taking the fight seriously.

"Time to finish this!" Aqua reaches out her hand and Stella is caught off guard.

Spikes of water rush towards Stella from all around. Golden spectral eyes flash before the water crashes. A faint glow comes from under the water, As it recedes Stella stands unharmed in a dome of light.

"This is gonna be rough." Aqua stands beside the dullahan with a look of determination on her face. "How did she even know it was coming from all around her?" She thinks to herself.

Stella conjures five light bolts. Wide-eyed, Aqua raises her hand. The beams split apart as they cause shimmering strings of water to be visible for a moment.

"Let's see how you handle this." Aqua rotates her hand and a vortex builds up around Stella's dome.

Stella fires more light beams, but they're picked up by the vortex and split by the strings. Steam rises off the dome as Stella is annoyed.

The misty steam fills the room, causing Aqua and the dullahan to vanish from Stella's vision. A spiraling tide spear pierces the fog as it flies towards Stella's back. Stella turns to face it, as a spike of light splits the spear.

"So she has some sort of precognition ability. Thought so." Aqua watches from in the fog while creating another tide spear. "I need some way to catch her surprised." She runs off as the spear launches itself.

Stella briefly catches a glimpse of Aqua when she destroys this spear. She taps her staff on the ground then the dome becomes covered in light spikes. The fog thins out a little, allowing her to see Aqua's silhouette.

Aqua realizes Stella can see her and prepares to cast a spell, too late. The dullahan blocks an incoming attack but one of its arms is blown off. A crowd of silhouettes cover the two.

Stella watches all the figures move around her. She blasts holes in several of the silhouettes, but they reform and keep moving. Frustration fills Stella's face until she notices one silhouette that's missing an arm and another that follows close by it. She smiles as the spectral head of a ram appears behind her.

The dullahan notices Stella preparing a massive attack directed on Aqua. The dullahan shoves Aqua out of the way and blocks most of the attack. It drops as the attack took out its legs. She rushes over to it as she reforms the crowd to cover them.

"Thanks for your help, you can rest now." Aqua comforts the dullahan as its flame begins to flicker out. "I believe I know how to beat her now." She stands and takes a deep breath.

"Fine, no more tricks, I'm here." She steps out from the mist becoming unobscured.

Stella squints with distrust before sending beams of light in every direction that isn't where Aqua is. They all hit the walls.

"I found it impossible for me to defeat you." She stands unwavering.

Stella gets a prideful grin. "I could have told you that from the start." She prepares another powerful attack.

"But I figured you could beat yourself." Aqua smirks as when the massive light blast is fired she forms a water shield in front of herself.

A young blonde girl watches in awe as Leon walks past her house. She watches from afar as he shows off his incredible flame power, turning a training dummy into ash and cinders.

"As much as it pains me, due to the death of Julius, I am now in charge of this grand kingdom." Leon stands on an elevated platform as he talks into a large crowd. "I know what you're thinking, what of the counsel? Well, I have formed a new counsel of people who can actually protect all of you. The old counsel even agreed to this." He has an evil grin as he speaks.

"I just have one condition, only the new counsel is allowed to practice magic. If you find and report someone not of the new counsel using magic, then you'll be finely rewarded." The young girl stares at Leon with excitement.

Stella hides behind a tree as she watches Aqua practicing her water magic in a forest.

"Sir, Aqua, the daughter of Rouge has been practicing magic." Stella kneels before Leon.

As the dome of light begins to fade away, Aqua lays down in a pool of water, and all the fog disperses.

"It's not over yet." She manages to sit up.

"Impressive." A voice calls out from behind her catching Aqua off guard.