DTAE~ The Flaming Hearts: A "Winged Fallen" Short Story and Parallaxes

Instructions

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧ OK, this is my entry for @skycreatorp's DTA. The story is below. Bios: Name: Phoenix (used to be Helen) (Fire Pelt) Nickname: Nix Gender: She-cat Age: 19 years (if she was human) Species: Flamebrights, a fox-like cat which has the power of flame. (In Phoenix's case, it's kinda out-of-control, so she sets fire to literally anything she steps on if she wants to.) Also, if they have Specterwing blood (they are ghostly winged cats), they can make giant flame wings, but they can only use them for a limited amount of time and it can drain them of their powers. Personality: Extrovert, is very nice unless you upset her. Then she becomes a fireball of anger. Name: Oort (originally Indie)(Night Sky) Nickname: Star Gender: She-cat (but she isn't 100% sure) Age: approx. 24-25 years, she lost track when she got possessed... Species: She's a Specterwing and Nightgrass hybrid. She calls herself a Nightwing. A Nightgrass is a nocturnal species of cat which has points which glow in the dark, usually the white patches. In Oort's case, her star glows faintly at night. Personality: Shy, introverted, protective of her younger half-sister (guess who :3). She's usually very cold. Backstory: Nix stared at the shining roof of her den. The scraps of metal which lined part of it reflected the morning sun, glowing like Indie's star mark. It had been 4 months since the she-cat had disappeared while out on a mission for the Resistance. Phoenix turned over in her nest, a tear trickling down her cheek. She missed Indie. The she-cat had been like a sister to her and had even revealed her true name. The morning call sounded, and Nix had no choice but to get up and start the survival training. *** "Phoenix, you next. Go up and battle with Ghost." Phoenix groaned inwardly as she marched into the centre of the Amphitheater. Why Ghost? The haughty little Specterwing smirked at her as she approached, his silver tabby pelt glinting in the weak sunlight. Claws unsheathed, he dropped into his fighting stance. The Trainer stood by, the two tyros watching him for the signal. The Trainer made a small nod. The battle could begin. Phoenix rushed at her opponent, her cloak fluttering in the wind. Ghost just stood there, but at the last minute, a stream of shadows shot out from his claws and barreled into Phoenix, suffocating her. She dropped, helplessly clawing at the shadowy serpents who suffocated her. No use. Her vision was starting to go dark. Somewhere out of the fog that obscured her brain, she heard the Trainer's voice call "That's enough, Ghost! GHOST, STOP!" Then silence. Nix's vision was pitch-black now. With one last attempt, she ignited. The two shadows fell away from her neck, dissolving into tendrils of smoke. Air filler her hungry lungs once again. Having somewhat recovered, she glanced at Ghost. Her eyes widened with shock when she saw the bloodied body. She walked up to it, bile rising in her throat. Matted grey fur, bloodstained, and teal eyes. There was no mistake. The Trainer was dead. As she stared in shock at the body, a voice rasped behind her. "Foolish Flamebright," it hissed. "You never were a good fighter." Phoenix whirled around, but couldn't see anyone. The ghostly voice continued to echo around the Amphitheatre. "And now, you're at my mercy." A shadowy feline form began to materialise from the air, grey head first, then his broad shoulders. Two pitch-black eyes with pupils as red as flames stared at her. It was Ghost. But somehow, he had changed. He was one of the Controlled now. Phoenix raised her bruised body, wincing as she turned to face Ghost. Her claws unsheathed, she prepared for battle. Her wings burned fiercely under her flame-proof cloak as she ignited. This was going to be fun. *** The indigo she-cat peered out of the bushes. Commander EO7, her new name was. A small plaintive voice, monotonous like all of the Controlled called out. "Commander, when do we begin?" One of the new recruits, a small, light tabby. His codename, 67, had only been announced the previous week, yet he was already trusted to be part of a field mission. The other cats, their pupils red like hers, turned to face the tabby. "Not yet, 67. We wait." As Ghost battled Phoenix, the Squadron sat in the bushes, ready to attack. *** A sharp caterwaul broke the silence. "Squadron, attack!" A crowd of cats jumped out, at their head a violet she-cat with pink ear tufts. Her red pupils glinted menacingly as she stared at the orange she-cat in the clearing. Phoenix gasped, recognition flooding her face. She knew this Nightwing... Oort... edit 28/06/2019: hhh this absolutely sucks.