Crystal Heart

[ethereal]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,420px,true][atrb=background,http://i51.tinypic.com/91c6mp.png][atrb=cellpadding,10px,true] WHY WERE WE THERE BACKTOBACK WHY WERE WE THERE FACETOFACE I MUST BE THE LIGHT WHEN YOU'RE IN THE DARK. I WILL RING A BELL UNTIL YOU FEEL ME BY YOUR SIDE. Green surrounded her, colored her vision. It was all she saw, and though she felt at peace within the forest, there was nothing to stop her determination. Not even the fireflies would stop her now, nor would the elves of the forest. Her feet pressed softly into the ground as she passed many of the trees, searching for the one that would give her what she truly longed for. The fireflies around her illuminated her pale skin, and her being more wolf than human, they did not see her as a threat... yet. Pale, gray eyes scanned the area. Trees surrounded her for as far as she could possibly see. But the one she wanted had yet to present itself. Sniffing the air, Ethereal could smell it, the ancient power was so strong in the trees around her that she was almost over-whelmed by it. Despite its sheer beauty, it wasn't reaching the child who had been born within the wild. Nothing would stop her from achieving her goal. Nothing. Stepping forward, a sudden power sent shivers down her spine. She was about to mess with something powerful, and she knew it. Growling fiercely, she continued to stalk forward, eyes dark and determined. Claws bared and ready, she was prepared to strike once her target came into sight. It was the ancient tree that contained one of the crystals. Silver eyes narrow, and a flash of gold crossed them. She would not be stopped. Silver slashed out, broke against the wood, only for it to grow back as quick as she had taken it. Snarling, gold flashed across her eyes again. Claws tore, slashed, broke the wood like they would break bones and tear flesh. But the wood only continued to grow. Ethereal stumbled back, gasped for breath. And then she threw her head back and howled. Gold eyes glowed with an intensity close enough to rival the sun. Her howls and screams pierced the air, shook the very core of the forest. And then she lunged, claws slamming into the tree and digging deep. She tore so fast, dug deep into the bark in attempts to reach the crystal. Bangs bore down on regrowing roots, keeping them from closing in around her. She continued to dig, to pull herself deeper into the tree. Roots continued to grow, some of them piercing through her skin. But she only continued to pull forward, ripping her skin without so much as a wince as she fought to reach the center. Soon she was surrounded in darkness, but her claws pulled her forward, kept fighting. She would never give in! And then she was pulling on air, nothing to meet her claws, and a warm light was shining on her face. Gentle, warm, and powerful. Ethereal snarled, snapped the roots around her with the last of her strength, and seized the crystal. Suddenly everything was alive, thrashing around her as though she had taken hold of its heart. The roots grayed and fell apart around her, died under her feet. The tree slammed into the earth, and Ethereal was left standing there, crystal in hand. The wolf gazed down at the crystal, and smiled. With this, she would have everything she needed. Slammed the crystal into her chest, a surging pain erupted through her body. To gain what she wanted, she needed to endure the pains of it, however unbearable they seemed. Crying out, she threw her head back and continued to push the crystal inside of her body. Bloody poured over her hands, colored the ground crimson. She screamed and screamed, a sound that could possibly cover the world. Agony poured down her face in the form of tears. It seemed as though years were passing she continued to shove, push, plead with the crystal to finally enter her body. And as it did, another wave of agony slammed into her. Ethereal's knees buckled and she hit the ground. Her back arched as her skin began to close, the crystal dwelling now within her body, next to her heart. She writhed, tears continued to pool below her as she shook with pain, thrashed against the forest floor. It was like being thrown into a frozen lake and a pool of lava at the same time. Her insides felt as though they were placed on ice, yet her skin felt as though she were on fire. It surged, like a heartbeat. Until... it stopped. And then something inside her began to grow. Suddenly there was so much power, so much that she nearly lost herself in it. She felt as though she was drowning, being pulled out to sea to forever be lost. It pulsed, like her heartbeat. The ground shook as the pulse shot through the earth. The world around her dulled into patches of gray, and she felt as though she would die at any second. Her back arched again, eyes wide as she felt it changing her. And then, she did change. Her mother's fur, she could feel it moving. Slowly, the white fur joined with her body, taking the place of her once pale, blond hair. Her mother's tails joined with her as well, and before she knew it, her own ears had disappeared as well, replaced by her mother's ears atop her head. She really had become part wolf. Standing, legs shaky beneath her, she moved the tails behind her, ran her fingers through her white hair, and moved the wolf ears atop her head. The crystal had changed her. The fur on her arms remained separate, as did her claws, but she felt stronger. Her fangs had grown in length, and now one of her eyes had turned a permanent gold. Closing her hands and opening them, she slashed at one of the trees. Giant gouges formed in the tree's bark, so deep that the giant tree began to topple over. As it fell down beside her, Ethereal turned to face the rest of the forest. And then she once more drew in her breathe and let out a piercing howl befitting that of a true, great wolf. The crystal was now merged with her body, and would not be taken. Pressing her hand against her chest, she could no longer feel a heart beating inside her. It seemed almost more like the pulsing of the crystal that kept her blood flowing through her. The crystal had merged with her heart, and taken its place. To remove the crystal, was to remove what was now Ethereal's heart. She would die, and she knew it. But it no longer mattered to her. She had what she had come for, and now she could do what she needed to. Still, what more had changed? She could feel another spirit, another half of her more awake than before. Her Berserker half. The golden eye was proof of that. Placing her hands against the ground, she gave that half temporary control. Snapping could be heard as her bones rearranged themselves within her body. Her skin stretched, and she shook from the sensation though it caused her no pain. Her hair fell against her body, merged with her skin and became fur that covered every inch of her. Soon she stood as tall as the tallest trees within the forest, piercing gold eyes scanning the area and missing nothing. She had the ability to become a beast, larger than even her mother had been. Ethereal howled, and it would be a sound that would cover miles and miles of the world around her. Forcing control, Ethereal turned back into her human body. She had obtained the power to destroy all those that would get in her way, not that they would be able to. Ethereal touched her hand to her hand to her chest again and smiled. Finally, perhaps now she could finally bring back her beloved mother. Turning from the forest, Ethereal took her leave. tag: open; words: 1,324; song: ring a bell; notes: just try it, i dare you.