The Dark Forest, Nemesis Island, Saturday Afternoon
Agnes felt like she ought to be doing... something. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on, which she really didn't like, but this whole Nemesis Island thing just sounded bad.
Which was why she was over on the new island, poking around. It was just about the opposite of a good idea, but that never stopped Granny Weatherwax, so why let it stop her, right?
Oh, this was TOO perfect!
Perdita cackled and reached out with her magic to pin the sad sack of blubber in place as she swooped down on her broomstick. She descended through the trees effortlessly, perfectly, and smiled sweetly, waiting for realization to dawn on the pathetic lump's face.
Agnes desperately tried not to panic when she realized she couldn't move. She struggled against the force holding her in place and glared as her attacker came into view.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! You should never have come here!
"Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded.
Perdita laughed and twitched a finger, pulling Agnes closer. "You really don't know?" she asked. "You always were such a fat, stupid cow. I'm so glad I got rid of you."
Agnes frowned, confused. Only one person ever talked to her like that...
The woman was older, sure, and thinner -- much thinner -- and bitchier, and much more powerful, but it was still...
That's ME! It's ME!
"Hello, Agnes," she spat.
Bingo. Perdita smiled.
"Nooo, see, you're Agnes. I'm Perdita. And I'm SO much better than you."
Agnes rolled her eyes. Was this how she'd've turned out if she'd stuck with Diamanda? A total BITCH?
"I have magic, too, you know," she challenged, struggling harder against the force binding her in place. "I'm not someone you can just push around."
"Tricks, not magic," Perdita chuckled. "That's all you'll ever have. You'll never have the raw power that I command. Look at you, you can't even move."
No, she couldn't, and it was really starting to scare her. Fine, then, if all she had were tricks, she'd use tricks.
The first step in tricking someone was to figure out how they thought, to get inside their head... Which in this case shouldn't be very hard at all. Agnes couldn't hold her double in place, like was being done to her -- she didn't even want to think about how much power it must take to do something like that -- but she should be able to make Perdita think she couldn't move...
"You have NO idea what I'm capable of," Agnes growled, as she gently reached out and pushed with her mind.
Perdita squeaked as her joints stiffened and she fell over. "What have you DONE?!?!" she demanded, not realizing that she'd let go of Agnes in her astonishment. "This isn't POSSIBLE!!! It's not FAIR!!! It's just a trick!!!"
"Shove off," Agnes spat.
Quickly, before Perdita could get up again, she lifted her skirt and ran for home as fast as she could. Minutes later, somewhere behind her in the distance, a fireball exploded in rage and some trees fell over.
Which was why she was over on the new island, poking around. It was just about the opposite of a good idea, but that never stopped Granny Weatherwax, so why let it stop her, right?
Oh, this was TOO perfect!
Perdita cackled and reached out with her magic to pin the sad sack of blubber in place as she swooped down on her broomstick. She descended through the trees effortlessly, perfectly, and smiled sweetly, waiting for realization to dawn on the pathetic lump's face.
Agnes desperately tried not to panic when she realized she couldn't move. She struggled against the force holding her in place and glared as her attacker came into view.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! You should never have come here!
"Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded.
Perdita laughed and twitched a finger, pulling Agnes closer. "You really don't know?" she asked. "You always were such a fat, stupid cow. I'm so glad I got rid of you."
Agnes frowned, confused. Only one person ever talked to her like that...
The woman was older, sure, and thinner -- much thinner -- and bitchier, and much more powerful, but it was still...
That's ME! It's ME!
"Hello, Agnes," she spat.
Bingo. Perdita smiled.
"Nooo, see, you're Agnes. I'm Perdita. And I'm SO much better than you."
Agnes rolled her eyes. Was this how she'd've turned out if she'd stuck with Diamanda? A total BITCH?
"I have magic, too, you know," she challenged, struggling harder against the force binding her in place. "I'm not someone you can just push around."
"Tricks, not magic," Perdita chuckled. "That's all you'll ever have. You'll never have the raw power that I command. Look at you, you can't even move."
No, she couldn't, and it was really starting to scare her. Fine, then, if all she had were tricks, she'd use tricks.
The first step in tricking someone was to figure out how they thought, to get inside their head... Which in this case shouldn't be very hard at all. Agnes couldn't hold her double in place, like was being done to her -- she didn't even want to think about how much power it must take to do something like that -- but she should be able to make Perdita think she couldn't move...
"You have NO idea what I'm capable of," Agnes growled, as she gently reached out and pushed with her mind.
Perdita squeaked as her joints stiffened and she fell over. "What have you DONE?!?!" she demanded, not realizing that she'd let go of Agnes in her astonishment. "This isn't POSSIBLE!!! It's not FAIR!!! It's just a trick!!!"
"Shove off," Agnes spat.
Quickly, before Perdita could get up again, she lifted her skirt and ran for home as fast as she could. Minutes later, somewhere behind her in the distance, a fireball exploded in rage and some trees fell over.