My Own Wings

New Warnings

Krystal stared in awe at the massive mural the Queen Earthwalker took her to see underground, telling of a sequence of events that was terrifying to conceive of even without understanding. It began with a sun in a lake exploding, with a figure leaving the lake on foot without righting itself. It then showed hosts of demons consuming the stars, a planet broken into pieces, a swarm of locusts doing battle with the light of stars, the figure returning to the lake...and a demon and angel doing battle as the sky burned, and a sleeping demon sealed within the conflict. There were symbols around and between the pictures that she recognized as the Saurian Runic Language, though she did not know how to read it.

"" the Queen explained as Krystal took it all in. ""

Krystal nodded. " mirror," Krystal explained. ""

The Queen grunted ruefully. " mirror?"

"" Krystal allowed. ""

The Queen managed a chuckle, but it was plain her heart wasn't in it. She turned her eyes to the mural. "" The Queen turned to Krystal. ""

"<'Thrice around the sun, and peace will shatter,'>" Krystal quoted from the prophecy. " Sunset Andross "

The Queen nodded gravely. "" she confirmed. ""

"" Krystal demanded worriedly. ""

"" the Queen offered, gesturing first from the figure that represented 'The Last Light', and then to the figures of 'The Demon's final face' and then to 'the Angel of Flames'.

"" Krystal deduced. ""

The Queen pointed to the figure of the sleeping 'worse Demon', which showed distinct differences.

The Queen nodded. "" She gestured to everything between 'The Arrival' and 'the Demon's Final Face'. ""

"" the Queen snapped out firmly, stomping the earth beneath her and releasing some of her magical energy, creating a small shockwave that knocked Krystal from her feet. ""

Krystal tensed up as she suddenly remembered Sunset constantly badgering the whole family when she wanted 'wings'. Looking at the image of 'the Angel of Flames', that desire suddenly took on a different meaning. ""

"" the Queen explained. ""

Krystal nodded slowly. "" She looked around nervously, suddenly wanting to find her little girl and pull her into a tight embrace.

"" the Queen suggested. ""

Krystal smiled softly. ""

Krystal found the dread the prophecy had filled her with fading as she reached Thorntail Hollow alongside the Queen. The peacefully burbling river, the swaying plants, the trees so similar to palm trees as to be easily mistaken, the warm sun shining down on her fur, the magical energy in the air...it felt almost like she was back on Cerinia.

"" the Queen called out as they caught sight of the guard. ""

Bookface grinned eagerly back. "" he declared happily, pointing to the large temple-like structure nearby.

"" the Queen pointed out wonderingly.

"OUT!" Shabunga roared out as Sunset and Tricky raced out of the structure, Shabunga right behind them as he waved his hands at them in an angry shooing motion. "No more games! No more Double or Nothing! Out of my store, you little cheat!"

"Didn't cheat!" Sunset insisted angrily. "Played gooder!"

"There were 700 purple scarabs to ten gold ones that last round, and the arena could barely hold them all!" Shabunga snapped angrily.

"Didn'a say couldn't float!" Sunset called back.

"" Tricky added, having seen what had pissed Shabunga off so much even if he hadn't understood the words being shouted.

Shabunga clenched his fists and muttered angrily under his breath. "Fine! You didn't cheat! But no more games for you!"

"Store credit?" Sunset demanded petulantly.

"Yes, yes, I'll honor your store credit of..." Shabunga pulled his Scarab Slate open to see how much 'Credit' he now owed Sunset. His eyes widened and his jaw fell. "...655,360 Scarabs...sun and moon, I'll never break even..."

Krystal shook her head ruefully as she walked up to the giggling filly and scooped her into her arms. "Played gooder, huh?" she asked playfully.

Sunset squealed happily as she threw her arms around her mother's neck. "Played bestest!"
Next Chapter