Beneath the Dark Crystal

Chapter 14

"Kensho?" The father asks, smiling, "S-Sir, a gelfling called Kensho gave us his birthstone so our child could be healed. He saved our baby!"

"And 'fire-monster'? You mean the fire gelfling they say cured the blight? With respect, Mighty Jen, princess Mavra ran away with those two you call 'heretics.' She is such a sweet gelfling who always comes around to help all clans when they need it. Do you truly believe she would run away with these so-called 'horrible thieves,' or 'kidnappers'?"

The mother questions, gesturing to the garthim Jen sits upon. "Plus, you do sit at the head of a garthim swarm. Just like the ones who decimated my people. The only monsters here ... are yours."

Jen stays in a stunned silence from the podling's words. What she said was true. Was he truly doing the right thing?

~

The two gelfling and fireling continue their journey down a path of broken columns and ruins. Thurma shivers, holding Tumby closer to her chest. "Brr! I-Is it getting colder?"

"Colder? I hadn't noticed," Mavra says, walking besides Thurma, who kept her distance from Kensho.

"Tumby thinks it's colder," Thurma says, petting the tumbeloth's shell.

"Tumby?" Mavra asks, giggling at the cute name.

Kensho laughs lightheartedly at the name, turning around to face the two. "That's a strange name. Why do you call him that?"

Thurma glares daggers at Kensho, snapping at him, "Because that's his name."

Kensho's smile falls and he quickly looks ahead of him, feeling awkward from Thurma's aggressiveness. Mavra glances at Thurma in worry and tries to say something to wash away the rigid atmosphere happening between her two friends, "W-Well, I like that name. It's very cute, Thurma."

Thurma looks up at Mavra and smiles in joy. "Thank you! I think it's a cute name, too. And Tumby agrees."

Kensho starts to walk next to Mavra, still staring at their surroundings.

"These ruins are amazing! I wonder how old they are."

"Probably a couple centuries old," Mavra says, looking around as well.

"Hm ... what do you think our ancestors were like?"

Mavra shrugs in response. "I don't know. I've heard about many ancestors. There are the ones from the Dousan clan, of course, there are the ones from the Vapra clan, the Stonewood--"

"Whoa! Look!" Kensho exclaims, pointing over to the large volcano quite a distance from them.

Mavra's eyes shine in curiosity as she peers over the bridge to look at the volcano. "Is that--"

"--Mount Thranir. The entrance of my world," Thurma states, standing next to Mavra.

Kensho smiles and takes a hold of Mavra's hand. "Guys, we're almost there!"

Mavra smiles up at Kensho and holds his hand back. She looks over at Thurma and notices her fretful expression.

Mavra's smile falters as she questions Thurma, "What is it, Thurma? Aren't you happy? We're almost there!"

Thurma's ears droop low and she continues to stare at Mount Thranir. "It was spouting fire when I left ...," She turns to Mavra and Kensho with a serious gaze, "We have to hurry! It's still a day's journey to the passage!"

Mavra smiles at Thurma sadly. "Hey, we'll make it. I know we will."

Thurma stares at Mavra and blushes a little, feeling flattered about how much Mavra seemed to care. "Mavra ... I truly couldn't have made it this far without you. You're sacrificing so much for me and my people. I don't fully understand why, but I want you to know I am so thankful you're here."

Mavra looks at Thurma in surprise from her words before nodding.

"Thank you, Thurma. Kensho and I both are here with you, through and through."

Kensho nods, adding, "Yes. And once we all reach the pool of tears, we'll never need to be apart again."

Thurma eyes Kensho and smiles gently at him, silently forgiving him.

"Kensho--"

Thurma is cut off by the loud and thundering boom from Mount Thranir. Large fireballs explode from the volcano and crash down onto the bridge, throwing all three of them in different directions. Thurma screams as she starts to fall down with the debris and fireball, but is surprised when a hand of pure light catches her wrist. She is shocked when she finds herself caught in another firefast.

Thurma sees Mavra walk around the Crystal and lay her hand on it, hearing the thoughts that ran through the young gelfling's head.

"The shard ... Thurma's people. The ... light of Thra. Deep ... deep below. Father. Mother. My people. I think--no, I believe Thurma was destined to take the shard from the Crystal! ... Wait ... Th-That's me! But ... what happened? Am I ... am I ..."

"Thurma?"

Thurma hears Mavra's voice echo through her mind.

"Mavra? Wh-What's happening?"

"I think we're in a dreamfast!"

"But ... how?"

Thurma sees another vision of Mavra fighting off a skeksis, protecting Kensho and collapsing to the floor of her home world; dead.

"Mavra ... what is this?"

Mavra's thoughts come out muffled and loopy.

"The Crystal ... I dreamfasted with it. I was destined to help you. I was destined to die for my world and yours. I'm sorry I ... couldn't ... tell you ..."

The two break out of the dreamfast/firefast. Mavra's hand gripped Thurma's as tears sprung to her eyes. Kensho was struggling to hold both Mavra and Thurma up on the bridge, trying his best to pull them up. Thurma stares up at Mavra with wide eyes, mouth agape.

"Mavra ... w-why didn't you tell me?"

Mavra starts to cry, the light from her hand vanishing as she feels the burning of fire on her palm. Kensho huffs, staring down at the two in question.

"W-What is she talking about, Mavra?!"

Mavra looks back up at him and hesitates to answer. She looks around and spots a ledge.

"J-Just swing us to that ledge, and I'll tell you everything--"

Ka-crrrack!

The bridge collapses and all three of them scream in terror as they start to fall down to the cold floor, but not before Tumby outstretched his tentacles and caught all three of them, roughly landing all of them onto the ledge. Mavra rolls and hits her head against the wall. She groans as her vision blurs. Before she can get completely knocked out, she reaches a hand out to her other friends, who were completely passed out on the ground.

I'm sorry, she thinks, seeing black dots and drifting into unconsciousness.