Time slowed, as it so often does in battle.

Of course the Resolute would meet her charge - she had expected as much. After all, the skyrat was renowned for her prowess as a fighter, lending even more to the Lady's concept of her as a brawny, brainless idiot. The ground was hard under her hooves as the beats echoed off the rocks at her back, the firm footing it provided acting as an advantage for her opponent. Kri was ready for the Empress' horn as it sliced toward her shoulder; realizing her miss and feeling a stab of disappointment, for her bloodlust was not yet sated, Psyche continued the motion, pulling her head sharply up and to the right. The kick was fast, but not quite fast enough; the skyrat's smaller stature allowed the sharp jerk of the shade's head to evade the buck, and then the legs were gone and out of her reach. Perhaps, if the lesser had met her target, the Dark Empress would have been able to do some damage, but between her hasty dodge and the pure speed of the flying hooves, there simply hadn't been time.

A weight slammed into her rear end and she snorted angrily; reflexively, her hind legs whipped upwards and left. To be truthful, her fury did not inspire any particular aim, but she hoped the direction of her kick would be towards the skyrat's shoulder. This time, though, it was not only an attempt to disable the limb, but also a hope for revenge. More than anything, the fae was furious that the Resolute had been allowed to strike the first blow - and with one of those disgusting wings. Later, she would have a nice bruise across her rump, the kind that would make her think twice about taking on a male suitor (if she had had any). For now, though, the adrenaline pumping through her system warded off the majority of the pain.

The world was turning red; her heartbeat drummed loudly in her ears. How dare this bitch come into her land and demand some skewed form of justice? How dare this inferior hornless waltz through the lands acting as though she were some god? The shadow-mare's anger grew, pulsing from somewhere deep within and spreading through her limbs in a rush, moving without giving her actions a thought, acting on pure instinct. If this feather brain thought that she could use the hard ground to her advantage, she would soon learn that two could play at that game. Within a few seconds of her back hooves landing, the Dark Empress took a step forward before rocking back on her haunches and wheeling again toward the skyrat. Using this momentum, she propelled herself in what she thought to be the direction of Kri's left hindquarter. Again, she lowered her horn to drive into flesh, hoping to stab through muscle and sinew before tearing her jagged horn up. Such a wound would not be irreparable, much to the shadow-mare's dismay, but it would at the very least be disabling.

"Talk talk talk."

[W/C | 513]
[2/4 Attack] [0/2 magic]
[Defense: Jerks head up and right to avoid Kri's kick; feeling the wing across her rump, kicks out in the direction of the retreating limb.]
[Attack: Turns on the spot and uses this momentum to push off, aiming her lowered horn in the direction of Kri's left flank.]