The atmosphere in Dwarka was not at its best and no one except Kanha knew why.
Mainly because Dhriti was quiet. Quiet because fate had decided to keep her on the edge of everything.
From Nakul and Karenumati, Dwarka's relations with Shishupal to Panchali's feelings and Gauri's erratic behavior.
Every single thought was eating her.
She quietly stood at the balcony, looking at the sky slowly turning into a darker shade from its setting orange hues. One hand kept over her belly, partly feeling guilty for not giving the little one enough time that it deserves, while the other hand's finger swifty fidgeting with the flower decorated railings.

Kanha observed her from a distance. Blaming himself for agreeing to Lakshmi's promise back at Vaikunth. She indeed is strong. She's his Shakti, the Mul Prakriti but putting her through this all so suddenly was what he felt very wrong.
He took a deep breath before walking towards her.

"Priya....." He quielty called, putting a hand on her as she flinched turing around.

"Why did she took her Mahakali avatar?" She straight away asked, her watery eyes piercing into Kanha's sight.

"What?" Kanha pretended looking away.

"Look here Kanha, I know you know each detail about this." She gently held his arms.

"Its better when we find the answers ourselves, isn't it?" Kanha kept a straight face as Dhriti stared him.

"I should go then." She blinked, as she walked towards the exit of their chambers.

"Take your sword!" Kanha called.

"My Gauri won't hurt me." She replied finally getting out of his sight.

"Gauri won't, but Mahakali can....." Kanha closed his eyes in yog nidra, slowly holding a lotus in his hand, symbolizing Priya near him.

Dhriti kept walking away from the palace, away from the forest and away from the sea shore. The Gauri Temple was empty, not only due to the absence of her devotees at this odd time at midnight but also due to the sudden vanished spirituality.

On the other hand,
deep inside the greener forest of Dwarka,
where bloomed almost all kinds of flowers,
where the plants bore all kinds of fruits and whose huge trees provided shade enough to calm down the human soul,
Appeared the rudravtar of Mahakali.

Her hand carrying variously a sword, a Trishul, a severed head and a bowl catching the blood of the severed head. Her eyes, red with intoxication and absolute rage.
Messed up hair and protruding tongue enough for anyone to lose their life in fear of facing her.
She had a garland of the skulls of demons she had slaughtered, worn around her neck as her eyes searched for the one, whose dead child was what Madana wished for.

Dhriti had sensed her presence. She knew she had to face her. She was ready to pacify her back to the Gauri she knew.
What she didn't knew was the reason for her Mahakali avatar at this point. She wasn't even close to draw any assumption as to why her Sakhi had to take up this fierce form.

The unknown force of this universe kept bringing these two Shaktis near each other.
Kanha had put himself into yog nidra while Mahadev had immersed himself in tap back at Kailash.

Narad presented himself at Brahmalok in front of Brahma Dev and Devi Saraswati. His fear was in front of his eyes. Few more steps and Dhriti and Mahakali would face each other.
The Trilok Sanchari had absolutely no knowledge about the current situation. He was as helpless as a new born baby, trying to fit in this huge world.

Dhriti payals mildly ringed in the eeire silence. She and Mahakali stood facing each other. The latter's chest rapidly rising and falling while the former one stood calm, not really knowing what she was about to do.

"Gauri....." Dhriti finally opened her mouth.

"I am not Gauri!" Kali screamed.

"Devi Mahakali, the destroyer of all evils, tell me, why are you here?" Dhriti maintained the same divinely alluring voice with her bright eyes twinkling with hope.

"...... Mahakali has awoken, to end your unborn child." Her pitch raised itself with every word she uttered.

The words kept ringing in Dhriti's ears as tears started brimming near her eyes.
Lakshmi indeed was Shakti, but there's a reason why the entire Trilok calls her Mata Lakshmi and not Devi Lakshmi.
She was the epitome of maya and unconditional love towards anyone who asks refuge at her feet.
She's the nurturer of all living beings.
And right now, she's in her human form, carrying a child within her.

Neither in her celestial form nor in her human form, there stood a chance that Lakshmi's heart won't clench and get crushed around itself upon hearing the words uttered by her Sakhi.
She is the same Mata Lakshmi who had shed tears when her Narayan took the Narasimha Avatar to brutally kill Hiranyakashipu.

"What are you saying Gauri!" Dhriti shouted in the middle of her voice suppressing down due to her pounding heart as she covered her bump with both the hands, seeing Mahakali point her mighty sword towards it.

"I'll take away the life of your child. Mahakali was summoned to do so, and she shall do it. She shall complete her prime worshipper's wishes." She started, taking her mighty steps towards Dhriti.

"No Gauri! You can't do this Sakhi.
Think about it. Parvati!
How did you feel when Ganesha was beheaded?
I haven't even seen my child Parvati. I haven't got a chance to nurture and cradle it in my arms.
Which Mata deserves to see this tragic event where her unborn child, whom she's carrying in her womb for several months, is just brought to an end."

"And why? This innocent life has no taste of this world. Its so far away from its untidy sinful air and still you're here to destroy it? Answer me before pointing your weapons at me Devi!" Dhriti's cracked voice started controlling itself as her final words clearly demanded answers.

On the other hand, Mahakali had her blood red eyes fixed on Dhriti. She did not spoke a single word answering Dhriti's numerous question.
She just kept walking towards Dhriti with her three weapons raised at the same time.

"Kanha!!" She helplessly called, not realizing that Kanha had already taken his yog nidra, remembering how he had asked her to take the sword but she refused to.

"This mother is joining her hands in front of you Gauri. Don't take my child's life away.
Tale mine instead.
What does your worshipper need? A sacrificial life? Take mine! But save my child Gauri!" Dhriti pleaded joining her hands as she backed her steps, away from her.

"There is no escape from Mahakali! Your child life....... I shall end it. End it before it starts." Mahakali screamed raising her sword on her as Dhriti felt her back touching the mighty tree trunks, realizing that there was no escape.

'Because you never controlled your subconscious, Maate.
You had successfully gained your hold over your superficial mind but what about that subconscious mind who knows everything?
You fail to realize who you are Maate!' 
Dhriti remembered Devarshi's teachings as the usual twinkle of hope in her eyes was replaced with the shine of sheer strength.

What Narad feared the most was about to take place in front of his sight. Dhriti shut her eyes close to stop that bright light from burning the surroundings as she decided to take the fierce form of Mahalakshmi, far more different than what the gods had always seen Mata Lakshmi as.

One of her arms always carried a lotus while her other hand rested in a yog mudra, but not today!

"KALI! YOU HAVE TO FACE ME BEFORE TAKING AWAY THE LIFE OF AN INNOCENT CHILD!" Lakshmi shouted, as she was about to open her raged eyes which had suppressed all the energy enough to burn down the entire Trilok.

"Lakshmi!" Saraswati stood up from her seat. The vitality would bring an end to this world. Bhudevi had no bounds to her fear. Her shristi was about to end. The human race was on the verge of extinction.

Lakshmi took a deep breath as she finally opened her eyes. The next second would decide the fate of entire universe.

From her open eyes flowed the dense rays of spiritual power. Not at anyone else, but at her own feet. Kalyani had decided to take the consequences of these strong emissions upon herself.

A tear slipped down Kanha's face as his Ardhangini took all the pain for herself rather than putting an end to everything else.

The flow of this impulse physically transformed Lakshmi's appearance into that of Mahalakshmi.

Today, each of her four graceful arms carried four different weapon.
In her lower right hand was Kaumodki, Narayan's mighty mace with its head touching down.
Lower left arm sported a huge sword, as sharp as her sight which she had kept close to avoid any destruction.
Narayan's Sudarshan Chakra appeared on her upper right hand's beautifully pained finger and an invincible shield in her last hand.

Lakshmi's neatly braided hair now looked open and disheveled.
Her forehead was filled with bright red kumkum and the mild coloured lehenga she wore, now replaced with a bright red and green Sari showing her ferocity.
The Goddess of Wealth had manifested her unseen aspect as she flourished with a pure gold ear cuffs and Brahmani nose ring studded with while pearls and red gem in the centre
The long Mohan Mala hanging down her neck as each of its bead reflected her eternal beauty.
Adding up to it was the most divine form of a jewellery for any woman― the thick black beaded Mangalsutra and the four layered Lakshmi Haar.
Flat copper baajuband on both her arms drawing in all the positivity.
The green bangles out of glass gently clinking against each other as a Trilok Swamini Devi Mahalakshmi stood in front of Mahakali.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't have a good time finding pictures. Please bear with me and imagine her as Lakshmi's in her fierce form.

Mahakali screamed before clashing her sword with that of Mahalakshmi's. The first few weapons kept colliding with each other for sometime as the two divine entities, destined to be on each other's side for eternity fought against each other.

In a last attempt to conquer her rage, Mahakali raised her mighty Trishul inches near Mahalakshmi's neck but the latter held her wrist, stopping her from doing so as all her energy flowed towards Kali.

And that's when someone other than Mahadev himself had found out a way to conciliate Mahakali back to her Parvati.

Mahalakshmi flinched loosening the grip on the hand she was holding as she observed Parvati loudly sobbing, covering her mouth.

"Shri!" Parvati cried looking at her but Mahalaskmi's fury overshadowed everything.

"Where is Madana?" She whispered in complete rage as Parvati kept a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down Shri. Come back to your original form. Look who's here now. You wanted to meet me na?" Parvati shook her.

"She tried to kill my child. She won't be alive for a longer time now." Lakshmi looked at Parvati, her sight still piercing everywhere she looked.

"She has a boon, Shri. She can do all kinds of black magics. Not even God's can escape her spells." Parvati stated, stopping her.

"Who gave this boon?" Lakshmi questioned realizing it was Kali's boon. Parvati had lost all the remaining hopes of calming her down as Lakshmi's tone consistently remained the same.

"Time to break her spells." Lakshmi let out as she vanished from her sight leaving behind a bloomed lotus.

"I'm not letting you face this alone, Shri. I'm coming." Parvati mumbled, picking up the lotus as she disappeared.

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"Madana! Leave your elusive rites and come in front of me." Mahalakshmi shouted appearing in Madana's cave.

"Sakshat Devi Mahalakshmi!
Oh look at your beauty Mahadevi, your roop would be enough for anyone to surrender at your feet without any second thought.
This Navari Sari, your open hair and all the Mahalakshmi Shringar you're decked with, does not look like the way others dress themselves...........
Then why are you here?" She bitterly commented trying to take a forceful hold on Lakshmi's wrist but all she got in return was the sight of her burnt fingers.

"Look for a way to save your life instead of bitterly praising me." Lakshmi looked at her.

"I don't believe in finding filthy shelter at anyone's feet, unlike your devotees.
I am here to face you.
But you! All alone, can't face my black magic." She gave out an ugly laugh before throwing a skull at Lakshmi.

"She's not alone!" Shouted Parvati as she appeared beside Lakshmi, stopping the skull and turning it into ashes.

"Pranam Mata Mahakali." Madana's dramatic behavior suddenly changed as she bowed down to Parvati.

"You call me Mata, and how dare you call the place of devotees at our feet as filthy?
Just because you don't deserve that holy place does not mean it's filthy and inferior." Parvati raised her voice as Madana chuckled.

"You're insulting your prime worshipper, the one who can tie up all of you in her single spell.
For whom? For this Mahalakshmi. What is she? Just the goddess of Wealth, prosperity and beauty.
Everything purely materialistic. What's her spiritua―" Madana went on insulting as Lakshmi stopped her midway.

"Enough of your unwanted opinions you evil sorceress!" Lakshmi shot a beam from her palms knocking her down.

"Shri! She would chant a mantra and sacrifice it in the fire. That'll put us under her spell." Parvati looked at her.

"Its time....." Lakshmi looked at Parvati as they gave each other a profound smile before closing their eyes.

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Sorry for the half image I've put there showing Mahalakshmi's form. I seriously didn't find any good pictures and I also liked this one.

Hope you like it.
If you do, don't forget to vote and comment.
Thanks.
xx.