Beneath the Dark Crystal

Chapter 24

"So. Another age of Thra dawns close. But perhaps--this time--it's the last. The chant grows louder every minute. Just like the song of the shrookil my Master spoke of. A moment's beauty before the end," Jen speaks, looking out towards Thra with his beloved by his side, Fizzgig snuggled tightly between their arms.

"It's no shrookil that sings, Jen, my love. It's not even the mystics who guide the melody. Not now," Kira says, closing her eyes and smiling at the sounds all around her, "All of Thra has come to sing its own dirge."

The Crystal's dark light dims and shakes. Kira and Jen groan in pain, losing strength in their legs and falling to the ground with one another. The soldiers rush over to help their Elders up while Aughra wobbles over to them and huffs. "Hm! The heart of Thra. That's what the Crystal is! All life, from its light. Ehnn."

Kira and Jen look over to her with pained expressions on their faces.

"When Crystal is corrupted, Thra is corrupted. Land! Water! Sky! Beasts! Plants! Connected to all! Huuuhmmm! You two and your daughter most of all."

Jen's face scrunches in worry and he stares down at Kira, who only buries her face into his neck to shield her worried look.

A guard walks over to them with a blank stare. "Elders ... the skeksis are breaking through."

Jen frowns and nods curtly. "Ready the guards. A last stand. Let us bring this dirge to its end."

~

Mavra feels her arms become heavy and shake. She continues to try and walk forward while keeping a tight hold around Thurma. She felt Tears prick her eyes from all the pain in her body. Kensho takes notice of Mavra's shaken state and puts a hand on her shoulder.

"I can carry her. You look faint, Mavra."

She shakes her head and heaves Thurma closer to her chest. "No! I-I'm fine ... I can do this."

She marches forward and let's a worried Kensho follow behind her. The two look around some more for any firelings. "Where is everyone?" Kensho questions.

Mavra frowns and looks down at Thurma. "What happened to everyone?"

Thurma can only look around with the same amount of confusion.

"Thurma?" A male voice asks.

Thurma's ears perk and she turns her head to the voice, smiling a little in relief. "Asheka!"

Asheka sighs happily and runs over to them. "Thurma! You've come back! But ... what ... what are they--"

"--They're gelfling from the surface. She's Mavra and he's Kensho. Asheka, please, where is everyone?"

Asheka looks down and remains quiet. "A lot's changed since you left, Thurma. I-It's grown colder every day. The last shekta lies frozen in the lava lake. The plasmii hardened as they flew, one-by-one--and fell to the ground like stones."

Thurma feels her heart break in pieces from the shocking news brought to her.

Ashekta starts to tear up, choking on his words a little, "And ... and the firelings ... Thurma, I'm so sorry. Almost ... n-none of us remain."

Thurma's eyes widen and her grip around Mavra's neck tightens. "Where are the Elders? Where's my mother?"

Ashekta gestures to one of the melted houses, saying, "She's the only Ember Queen left. But ... she doesn't have long."

Thurma's ears twist back in worry as her brows knit together. "Take me to her."

Ashekta nods and leads all three of them over to the small hut. Thurma's mother slowly looks up and smiles weakly, holding out her stone gray arms towards her daughter.

"Thurma. Y-You've come home ..."

Mavra glances at Kensho before carrying Thurma over to her mother's bed and laying her down on it. Thurma's mother looks up at the two gelfling and smiles.

"And not alone, I see."

Thurma nods while pointing to her friends. "This is Mavra and that's Kensho. They're gelfling! I-I couldn't have made it without them," She says, pulling the shard out of her pocket, and showing it to her mother, "L-Look, I did it! I have the Crystal shard!"

The Ember Queen smiles gently and nods. "I never doubted you, child."

Thurma smiles sadly and let's the tears run down her cheeks.

Her mother wipes away her tears, adding, "B-But your work is not done yet."

Thurma's smile falls and she tilts her head in confusion, sniffing.

"Thurma ... I was scarcely older than you when I became an Ember Queen. I've tried so hard to be a mother to our tribe. But you are my only daughter. What remains of my fires, I now pass to you."

Thurma gasps while shaking her head. "M-Mother, no!"

Thurma's Mother grunts a little while sitting up. She sets Thurma down in her lap while lifting her head up by her chin.

"I wish we had more time, child. But our people need us today. Take the fire that is my love, and reignite the mother sun with the light from the outer world," She leans her forehead down and rests hers with Thurma's, closing her eyes while continuing to speak, "You are our Ember Queen now, child. Remember ..."

Her mother glows into bright flames that mix and match warm colors. She lets her powers seep into Thurma.

" ... When the mind is unclear, listen to the heart."

Thurma's mother places a chaste kiss onto her daughter's head, completely turning gray until she vanished into nothing but dust. Thurma's eyes widen as the tears kept pouring down her cheeks, her mind completely wiped. She reaches her hand up to the dust shakily and mumbles, "Mama?"

She cowers back and starts to sob, the Crystal held tightly in her two hands. Kensho and Mavra let Thurma mourn quietly before finally sitting down beside her. Mavra gives Thurma a gentle embrace. "Thurma ... I'm so sorry ..."

Kensho nods in agreement and rubs the fireling's shoulder. "But ... but your mother. She did it! She saved you!" He says, holding onto her hand and lifting the shard up high. "We can still do this," He says reassuringly.

Mavra smiles kindly and puts her hand on top of theirs. "Together."

Thurma glances between the two and takes her hands back slowly. She looks around at the last of her people, staring at her with loss of hope. She sniffs and looks back down at the shard. Her expression grows stiff as she wipes her tears and stands up, her hands balled into fists.

"Follow me," She plainly tells Kensho and Mavra, leading them outside of the hut.