Purple String {EDITING}

Alive and Kicking

A lock of purple hair streamed down in front of Juniper's face, the rest of her brown hair fluttering about in the wind blowing around the tearoom from before.

She was still slumped over the spear that'd killed her, only this time, there was an unconscious Black at her feet.

"Shhh." A silver-haired woman clutched him to his chest, whispering unheard words of comfort. "It's OK, blondie."

Rage built up in Juniper's chest.

It was Rust's fault.

All of it was Rust's fault.

"We should at least get that spear out of her and take her body down to the morgue." Elder Riley sighed, glancing at the brunette Elder standing next to him.

"I'll kill him."

"Silver?" Riley glanced down at his mate. "Did you say something?"

"Huh?"

Juniper's hand closed around the spear still sticking through her, yanking it loose, ignoring the silence that fell between the three people watching her in abject horror.

Blood trickled down her chest, the wound already healing as she freed herself from the wall.

"Juniper." Finar was the first to break the silence.

A flaming purple broadsword materialised in her hands. "He's soooooo dead..."

"That sword..." Riley whispered, his eyes wide.

"Stef!" Juniper turned to the red horse that'd appeared out of the swirling shadows at her command. Her feet were in the stirrups before anyone could blink, her hands clutching the reigns of her purple-eyed horse. "Hiya!"

"Did she just say hiya?" Finar mumbled, watching as the horse shot off.

Riley blinked, completely dumbfounded. "Yeah... She did..."

"I've always wanted to say that." Juniper grinned, having heard every word with her enhanced senses, her purple eyes glowing with glee. "You OK, Stef?"

He neighed in response.

"Let's go, then." She said, eyeing up the army of clones the other Elders were currently battling, broadsword at the ready.

"They just keep spawning..." The black-haired Elder grumbled, glaring at the clones of Rust with glinting green eyes as he continued throwing them back with wind.

"Hopefully Thorn will be able to defeat the real one..." Leopold said, glancing up into the sky. "He's the only one out of us who has a shot of beating him... well, aside from Riley, but he doesn't want to really use his powers..."

"Yeah." The black-haired Elder mumbled. "You remember what happened last time, don't you?"

"It was bloody terrifying..."

"I know."

"And we were the ones on his side..." Leopold shook his head, freezing when a shadow passed over him, cold shivers wracking his body for a few seconds as he spotted the red horse racing towards the army. Pale blue eyes locked on the purple ones, widening as they realised who the rider was. "Juniper..."

"Wait..." The black-haired Elder glanced back, confusion written across his face. "I thought she was dead..."

"You can't kill a Horseman, Lucian... at least not with the kind of weapon Rust used..." He said. "They can regenerate from those kinds of wounds."

"But Finar confirmed she had no pulse..."

"Well, apparently her Blood of the Apocalypse tethered her to life." Another voice sounded. "And Juniper didn't like Hell very much, so she came back."

Lucian swung around. "You're-"

"Nobody of importance." Blue reptilian eyes narrowed, daring the Elder to challenge him. "I just came to inform you that the Seven Signs will all be awakening soon, thanks to this little ride of the Second Horseman..."

"Well..." Leopold sighed, watching as the guy disappeared in a swirl of blue flames. "I'm just glad I've retired."

"Same." Lucian echoed, watching as Juniper swiftly sliced through the clones, reducing them to piles of dirt.

Juniper scowled, immediately knowing that the Rust she was really after wasn't on this field, seeing as she had destroyed every single clone in the vicinity. She was about to go and search the forest, but then a flash of white lightning above her made her change her mind.

Her eyes locked on the blonde-haired figure hovering in the air above her, widening when they spotted the guy opposite him. White glowing hair rustled in the wind, fluffy feathered white wings flapping to keep him in the air.

"Thorn..." Juniper mumbled, staring up at the almost unrecognisable Alpha. She shook her head, pulling her attention away from him and onto his opponent.

Rust.

The man who'd killed her and sent her to hell. The man who'd hurt one of the few people she'd loved.

Her eyes burnt, the rest of her hair turning purple, flames eating away at her dress, changing her into a set of purplish red armour. Black horns erupted from either side of her head, tinged in red as though they'd been dipped in blood. A red crown appeared on her head, locked in place by one of those curved horns, just as two purple wings burst out from her back, and then she was ready. "See you later, Stef." She said, launching herself up into the air.

"You're going down, Rust." Thorn's voice reached her as she silently drew closer to them, flaming broadsword at the ready.

One more flap of her wings and then she was behind the Light God's Chosen, swinging her gigantic sword, singing. "Oh, Rusty!"

He spun, and that was what saved his life.

Blood sprayed from the gigantic cut across his chest, his eyes wide as he shot upwards – that being the only direction he could really go.

"You..."

Thorn blinked, staring at her in shock. "Juniper..."

"You're dead."

"Take a good look, Rusty boy..." She grinned. "I'm well and truly alive."

"I suppose I'll just have to kill you again." He muttered, and before Juniper could blink, there was a gaping wound in her side. "Truth to be told, I never thought I'd have to use it against you."

"Oh." Juniper tilted her head, glancing down at the cut, watching as broken skin knitted back together.

"What?!" Rust stared at her in shock.

"You can't beat me." She said. "Not now. Not ever."

"Regeneration..." Thorn mumbled. "Just like Lyra..." His eyes narrowed on her wings, his red eyes glowing. "Those wings..."

Purple fire crackled to life around her hands, a wide smile across her face as she flew towards Rust, completely ignoring Thorn's mumbles as she swung her gigantic broadsword about.

"The one who excels at slaughter..." The winged Alpha mumbled, staring at her in shock. "One of the Four Heralds of the Apocalypse..."

Juniper turned, winking at him as Rust stabbed her through the chest. "Slaughter. The Second Horseman."

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