Shades of Pale

3

Setting: Purgatory

The glow in her womb starts to fade slowly as she engages the onslaught of persistent spirits that are eager to take her unborn's place. She slashes away at the shadow like creatures, one by one she vanquishes them with the cut of her sword, and they turn into dust. Starting to feel fatigued, the bloody glow in her eyes fades back to its brown norm. As she grows tired, the amulet's grip on her slowly fades, and she once again regains control of herself. Snapping out of her blind rage, she freezes as she can no longer see the shadows taking form around her. 

"What? Why- I can't... move!" she says in shock as she feels the tightening grip of hands holding her by the ankles, slowly pulling her under the cold deathly soil. 
The blinding darkness overwhelms her, and the many shadows converge and form one giant monstrosity. Its grizzly roar spreads violently through the forest, slowly approaching Joy as she struggles to get free. With all of her might she breaks free, but several more arms rise up and grabs her as she tries to run. She drops her sword as she trips over one of the arms, falling to the ground. More and more arms wrap themselves around her struggling body, trying to pull her into the realm of the dead.

Her amulet starts to glow bright, and in her peripheral she spots the hilt of the sword she just dropped. Flinching about to escape the grasp of the cold lifeless arms about the ground she positions herself to struggle towards it.
"I- I can do this," she thinks to herself as she tries to sit up with all her might. 
Her brown eyes turns blood red once again as she struggles to sit up, ripping some of the arms out of the ground with her. Grabbing the sword once again and struggling to her feet, she backs up slowly as she feels the shadowy monstrosity's hot breath right in front of her. With the amulet taking over again, she can now see its form through the darkness. She stares gallantly into the four red eyes of the giant bear like beast. As it raises its arm to strike, Joy dodges it hopping onto a petrified branch of a nearby tree.
"You're mine!!, back to where you came from!" She shouts as she jumps from the branch, ready for a downward strike.
Before she can make contact, the dark clouds above break apart and a bolt of lightning appears, dissipating the beast's form, breaking it up into the smaller spirits that formed it.
Regaining control once again, she hides behind the tree she just jumped from, watching in awe as she sees the lightning bolt retreat into the purple sky, leaving behind a winged figure. 

Her eyes opens wide as the hooded entity, with big black wings, heavily clad in glowing blue armor stands atop one of dark spirits.
"Heh... filthy wretched," he says before 
Taking it out with his scythe. 
"Where is the unborn i sensed." He asks looking around. 
He looks around the thick petrified forest, failing to see any sign of the innocent spirit. He lowers his white hood, revealing his skinless, pale cracked skull.
Joy quickly kneels down, placing her hands over her mouth as to not make the slightest sound. As she tries to creep away, the blade from the creatures scythe cuts through the stone hard tree, right above her head. She screams in fear as the armored skeleton looks at her, its blue flaming eyes piercing her soul. 
"My amulet!! And an unborn soul!! Hahahahaha!!!!! I knew it was here," It says with a voice of many haunting voices. 
Joys backs up slowly from it, before getting up to run away as fast as she can. Seeing the tip of the golden pyramid peering from the top of the petrified forest, she runs towards it.
As she runs aimlessly under the cold purple sky, the shadow of her winged pursuer hovers above. He throws his scythe, letting out a taunting laugh as it lands right in front of Joy, stopping her in her tracks.

"Now Now," He says, hovering slightly above the ground in front of her, his huge black wings flapping softly in the air. "You have something that belongs to me, and i want it back."
Joy looks down at the amulet, "fine you want this, you can have it," she says before trying to unhinged it from her arm. 
She tries hard to remove it, but no success. It gives off a blinding glow, and the crescent burns red. 
"No no no no no...not now!!!" She says as she feels the amulet taking over her soul again, but this time is different than before.
"Do not worry Joy, let me take over from here," A soft feminine voice echoes inside of her head. "I will keep you safe, give into me."

"Wha- what? Get... out of... my.. head!!" She says falling to her knees, covering her face and laughing maniacally as the amulet completely takes over her soul.
"So you want me eh.... hahaha?" She says as she stands tall, revealing the hot red glow which had returned to her eyes once again. Taking her assailant by surprise.

"Come back to your rightful owner Sabit!!" He demanded.
Joy confidently walks towards him, daisies blooming and dying within her tracks. 
She calmly opens her mouth, and Sabit''s warped voice responds, "No, My purpose is to bring life into the realm of the living, not take from it, i won't let myself be abused by you any longer."

"Nonsense!!! You will come back to me this instant," he demands again. This time cocking back his scythe, preparing to strike.
He tries to parry her with his glowing scythe, but is shocked to see Her standing on its blade. 
"I told you NO!!!!" She says as she jumps off of it, punching him with a downward strike.
He stumbles back from the force of the punch, the blue flames in his eyes grows bigger with rage. Once again he positions his scythe, ready to strike.
"Have it your way then," he says. "first I will get rid of you, then i will absorb myself with the unborn, and take this fight to the living realm." 
"You talk too much," She replied. "Come on so i can shove that skull up your boney ass."
"Why you- you'll regret this! How dare you choose another!!" he says charging at her with all of his blazing fury. 

Meanwhile....

An endless gust of wind wakes luke. His blurred vision spots the blue sky falling from beneath his feet he looks up to see the barren terrain above heading towards him.
"What the- am I- I'm falling!!! He says panicking as he approaches the ground below.