Forest Of Destiny

Chapter 3- Longing

As the duo stayed up well into the night talking, laughing, and chilling, a Princess in a faraway castle looked out into the woods hoping to catch a glimpse of the brave warrior her cruel mother had exiled. That Princess was Princess Corrine of the North Star Kingdom, also known as the daughter of Queen Hope.

"Princess Corrine, you've been staring at the Ash Forest for nearly three hours now! Perhaps instead of that, you should just play a game of Catan with me. It'll certainly take your mind off of this whole... Cruxian situation." Nova, Corrine's royal advisor, told her. Corrine looked back at the jackalope hybrid with a sad look in her eyes.

"I suppose you're right." She sighed. "I'm just worried about her. The stab wound Cruxian received from that guard Lance was awful, and we both know she can't heal so much as a paper cut."

"I suppose you're right. Anyway, how's about that game of Catan?"

"Of course!" The Princess and her advisor sat down on the plush bed and pulled out the game board and the pieces. The game went well, and the two had a good, relaxing time to just talk and play without a care in the world.

"And I won again!" Corrine exclaimed. They had been playing for nearly two hours, and the moon had nearly reached its peak in the sky.

"It's already so late! We should get to bed."

"Milady, Opal and Iris wanted us to come down to the library for a meeting about what we should do now that Cruxian's gone." The duo stood up from the bed and walked out of the bedroom and down to the library. Iris and Opal were waiting in a hidden back room behind a bookshelf.

"Okay, so I suppose all four of us have heard about Cruxian's banishment and Apollo's death." Opal said.

"Yeah, obviously. Who hasn't? Oh, and don't forget about Queen Hope's near assassination." Iris added.

"If only Cruxian had succeeded." Nova said. "After that stab she got from Lance, I doubt she lived to see the sunset." The four of them looked down sadly. Cruxian had been friends with them for around six years now, and her death hit the four of them differently.

"Wait guys, don't give up yet! Cruxian's strong, she could have lived. And if she did, we'll be ready!" Opal reassured them. "Iris, can you go and make sure that all nineteen of the secret passages are working?"

"Even the hidden one in the roof garden?"

"All of them. Oh, and Nova, you go with her. You have to make sure nobody questions what Iris is doing outside of the library for the first time in like, four months."

"Okay, but what about Corrine?"

"Yeah, I need something to do too!"

"Good question... Corrine, can you just make sure your mom stays in her room and doesn't try to make any more war plans?"

"Will do. And don't call her my mom. She's my adoptive mom."

"Sorry!" Opal apologized before leaving the meeting to go do some training now that they were the leader of the Royal Guard. Cruxian's abrupt banishment had left them the position of leader in the Guard, but because they were new they had not been invited to the meeting like the other leaders. "Stupid adults." They thought to themself. Opal walked down the stairs and out into the cool nighttime air. Nobody else was in the training courtyard considering it was nearly midnight, so they took it as a chance to practice their sword skills. As they slashed through straw dummy after straw dummy, they began to disassociate. Reality felt like a fever dream, and everything seemed like they were looking from a third person view. Suddenly, everything began to get dark—well, darker. The night sky began to fade, and the stars were beginning to dissipate before their very eyes.

"What's happening?" Opal thought to themself. They could feel themself falling, their sword slipping from her hand as everything went black. They just managed to catch a glimpse of the moon, coldly shining down. They tried to call for help, but their words were met with silence. Nobody was there. Then there was a sound. Laughter. One of the voices sounded familiar, as if they'd heard it all her life. Actually, perhaps they had heard it all their life!

"Cruxian? Is-is that you?!" No response. Their vision slowly began to clear, and they saw two young girls sitting by a small fire in an otherwise dark cave laughing so hard they could barely breathe. One had a long white fluffy tail resembling that of a snow leopard's, and the other had two familiar dark brown wings.

"Could it be... no way..."

"Oh my gods Cruxian, that was the funniest thing I've ever heard. Where the hell did you get the idea for that game?!"

"A couple of my friends and I used to play it when days got boring. You would love them."

"Seems like it. Oh by the way, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Minty, what is it?"

"When will we go there? To your friends, I mean."

"If everything goes according to plan? Soon. I promise you."

"I'll hold you to that!" 

"I won't let you down."

The image of the two girls began to blur and fade from Opal's vision. They tried to reach out to the girls—no, to Cruxian and Minty. They were out there. Cruxian was alive. Opal had to tell the others! Their vision began to return, and they were lying on the ground in the training courtyard. Looking up at the moon, they noticed only a little bit of time had passed.

"I have to tell the others!"