The Best Night Ever (Private with The_Pariah)

The tentacles battered away at his shield, wearing it steadily away, but the flow of energy to Insight resumed.

Thank you. A cocoon of white power began to form around the unicorn, the world further disintegrating.

Theria shifts awkwardly on the shrinking floor. "Will we need to fly once everything is gone?"

I'll leave a floor. Insight promises. An invisible one, but a floor.

"Right well, I'm ready and waiting."

Almost done. The last of the colour fades away from the world, leaving nothing but Paladin, Theria, Insight, and the monstrosity. The gale borne of Insight's efforts, however, still remained.

Hold still! He shouted, the white power in his eyes moving to his horn, as did the rest of the energy around him. I need a clear shot from me to you!

Paladin grins and teleports next to him. "Clear enough?"

It'll do. Insight touched his horn to Paladin's head, and at once Paladin was overwhelmed with a veritable avalanche of magic, bringing a very, very large amount of pain and then... a bright flash blinded everyone temporarily.

As the light faded, Paladin was left standing there. He opened his eyes, now glowing white.
He blinked and then grinned, stretching out a pair of soft wings. "Well now. I must say I didn't expect this much power." He gestured and trees and leaves flowed outwards, creating a field. He turned to the cancer and grinned. "Shall we dance?"

The wind that had been whipping around Insight earlier was now centred on Paladin, but the gale-force winds had faded to a more pleasant breeze.

Don't... waste your power... Insight said weakly. The monstrosity began to extend its roots once more. It'll drain anything it can get its roots into...

"Woah." Theria watched Paladin. "Impressive."

Paladin chuckled and walked forward, the field vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. "Don't worry. I got this." He grabbed the tentacles in his reach and turned them to dust, destroying them in an instant.

The other tentacles fight back fiercely, tearing away at him. Although it had been deprived of its source of power, it was still a monster in its own right. The monstrosity retreats backwards and into the air, loosing powerful bolts of lightning at Paladin.

He caught them and absorbed them, stretching his wings further as he launched into the air, destroying what he could.

The tentacles flail and strike, a few of them turning to dust as Paladin destroyed them. The monstrosity rears its tentacles and fires even more powerful bursts at their enemy.

Paladin again caught the bolts, still absorbing them as he mercilessly advanced on the plague.

The snarl backed up a little further, but then did something unexpected. It rounded on Paladin and unleashed a cone of darkness, chewing away at and neutralising Paladin's pure magic and weakening him.

Paladin chuckled, closing faster now, destroying the last of the tentacles.

All of a sudden, a new set of tentacles, these pulsing with red lightning, spring out from the void, attacking Paladin with renewed vigour and powerful blasts of lightning.

Reserves! Insight croaked. It had reserves! Be careful, there's no telling what they'll do! He paused. Give me a moment.

Paladin weaved between them, reaching the core, grabbing hold of the core and trying to tear it apart.

It resisted its attempts, instead trying to suck him into the void he had been in earlier.

Suddenly, dark tendrils of energy began to snake away from the snarl - but not to Paladin. They were being sucked towards Insight, whose horn was awash with a dark aura. Give me... a moment...

"Stop that. Get away from here. This is my fight. I will wake up and get another shot." He growled as he started to rend it in two.

Not... strong enough! I will... do... my... part... Finally, Insight slumped over and the flow ceased, the dark energies dissipating into the void. But it was enough. Slowly, a large crack began to form in the centre of the snarl.

Paladin grinned and his horn exploded in white light, blinding everyone again. He growled as the snarl was destroyed.

The snarl dissolved into nothingness, torn apart by the force of his power. Eventually, order was restored to the void.

"Not bad." Theria whistled.

Okay... Insight began, from his slumped position. Now we've got to figure out how to get your powers out of you and back into your head.

"Easy enough." He gestured and in an instant, everything was restored. Paladin trotted over to the ground. "Can we all get out of my head now?"

Theria turned to Insight. "Can we?"

I'll try. Insight closed his eyes and faded slowly away. This might, ah, hurt a little, Paladin.

"It always does Insight."

Yes. A briefest of smiles appeared on Insight's face before he faded away. Yes, it does.

A few moments passed. Then, Paladin was abruptly and rudely brought back to the realm of the living by a sharp slap to his cheek.