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Fight or Flight

Fight or Flight

Crouched in the shadows, Lahar presses her finger firmly on the trigger. The shot hits the crack on Statue's side directly. She feels she might regret what she has just set in motion. Statue slowly gets back on his hooves—the clashing sound of pieces of his armor hitting the ground, the furred body revealed, his hooves slamming the ground as his nostrils flare. Lahar now knows she regrets the decision.

Statue searches frantically. Lahar whispers a spell with her eyes fixated on a droplet of water falling from a stalactite above. As the drop falls, it freezes and then hits the ground. The Beast turns to the direction of the clanging sound. Lahar uses the opportunity to move, sticking close to the shadows.

She moves toward a boulder and hides behind it. Every move must be calculated if she wants to make it out with her life. Statue's hooves slamming on the stone floor are muffled once they hit the grass surrounding the pond.

Statue listens closely for anything that will give away her location. Lahar covers her mouth to hide the sound of her breathing. She peers from behind the rock to find him still standing by the pond. Her leg shifts and hits a pebble, causing a soft noise.

The Beast stays still. Lahar's heart skips three beats out of sheer fear. She hides behind the rock. Then she rises to move. Where she's at, her plan won't work. Suddenly she can feel hot air blowing on the back of her neck. Statue's nostrils flare as his head peers from behind the rock.

Lahar isn't fast enough to avoid whatever he'll do at this close range. Lahar bites her lip as she aims her water gun at the base of the rock. She pulls the trigger.

Pieces of stone fly in the air, and the blast sends both of them flying in different directions. A cracking sound comes from her shoulder as Lahar slams into the stone wall. "Of course, with my luck," she says. Pain surges through her when her bandaged fingers touch her shoulder. She can't move her arm without it hurting too much. She grits her teeth and picks up the water gun with her bandaged hand.

Severe pain pulsates from her hand as she tightens her grip on the handle. It may hurt, but it hurts less than moving her shoulder.

Lahar stands as the burning stare of Statue pierces her. White steam emits from the Beast's mouth as his breathing echoes in the cavern. Lahar fires a shot above the Beast, hitting the stalactites above. Statue avoids this with ease, but it gives Lahar the distraction she needs to run to the pond. Hopefully it is because of the adrenaline, but Lahar is able to bear through the pain of her shoulder moving as she sprints forward.

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His armor is too strong for her shots to damage it. She was lucky Pie cracked it before, giving her a weak spot she desperately needed.

It takes all her concentration for her to run to the pond and not for another spot to hide. She crouches down in front of the pond, in an area directly across from Statue. She places the hand in pain over the water while keeping the water gun aimed at the flames of its eyes.

Statue stands still, cautious. They stand there, each waiting for the other to move. Lahar says a spell as she dunks her hand into the pond. Statue's eyes blaze with an engulfing heat as he sprints toward her.

Lahar fires a shot. Statue is pushed back momentarily, with a few small scratches. Statue continues the charge but is too late; Lahar finishes her spell. The water sparkles as her hand shines in it.

Suddenly the water launches at the Beast. His body becomes entangled with streams of water wrapping around him. Lahar says one more spell. With that, the water freezes. Statue is trapped in a glacier. His head is the only thing not covered in ice. The ice around Lahar's hand thaws. She pulls it out, unaffected by her spell. Her body relaxes as she lets a deep breath out.

Statue struggles to free himself but to no avail. Lahar doesn't move closer to him; she simply stares at him. This is her chance. He can't defend himself, and she has a shot in her tank specifically for this moment. A peach potion slushes in there, ready to be used. "It could be easy," she thinks.

With the pain in her shoulder pulsing, she stands up and turns. This isn't who she is. She won't kill him if there is an option not to. Statue watches her walk away, his eyes burning as intensely as his anger inside.

Statue's body starts to grow. Ice cracks as his growl shakes the ground. Lahar sprints forward. Then a sudden crash echoes in the chamber. Lahar turns to face the charging Beast. Statue's jaw is wide, seconds away from Lahar's throat.

She pulls the trigger, and peach water flies into the Beast's jaw. She shuts her eyes and falls back, trying to avoid him. Silence falls, and then she opens her eyes. Statue's body stands still.

The flames are gone from his eyes. Ripping through the crack is a large piece of coral. Small pieces of coral can be found piercing his armor all over his body. Lahar stares at her work in guilt and horror. His mask peels off his face and falls to the ground. "Why couldn't he just stay in the ice?" she whispers.

Deep in the fields, far from anyone, Toothpick sits on a hill. He looks up as the rain pours on him. He lets out a howl louder than thunder itself. The raindrops roll down the Beast's mask as he sits there like a broken pup.