Aughra sits down in front of Jen and Kira, who were resting on their comfy seat atop of their high pedestal. The Eminence stands closely, next to the elders.
"...one world dies; another made right," Aughra repeats the prophecy, breathing in the smoke from her long cane.
"What does it mean, Aughra? This new prophecy," Jen asks, his hand held tightly around Kira's.
Aughra lets out a puff of smoke. "Huuuh ... always want meaning, don't they? Never straight with prophecies! Always twisted. That's how stars think, gelfling! But ... seems to me the only thing it can mean. Hmph!" Aughra responds, brows narrowed. "Fireling takes shard inside Thra. Fireling saves her people. Fireling dooms us. We must act."
The Eminence nods in agreement, his hand held in a tight fist. "She's right! Every moment the shard is gone, the skeksis claw at their bonds! But using the garthim we could--" He gets cut off by Aughra's cane poking him away from the Elders. "Quiet, sliterskull! Hmph! Let those with hearts hear their own minds!" She yells.
Kira lifts her head off of Jen's shoulder, staring at him in concern. "Jen, what has happened to our shining world? The scrying bats see lush woodland, but there are shadows at the edges of the view. In the dreamfast, I felt frost. I see great cracks, as if Thra were shrinking into itself. When did we last step outside of these walls?" She questions, giving her husband a long stare.
He only sighs, staring at the floor. "All I know is our daughter and ... and that boy, Kensho--"
"--the traitor!" The Eminence cuts in.
Jen and Kira glare daggers at him, making him keep his mouth shut. Jen shakes his head, looking back down at the floor.
"They were the only ones in years who's dared tell us something we didn't want to hear. Oh, poor Mavra. We've missed so much. She's grown up without us, Kira. She probably knows all of Thra better than we do ..."
Kira smiles at Jen sadly, lifting up their hands. "We must see for ourselves."
Jen sighs, leaning his forehead against hers. "No, Kira, please. The Crystal brought you back to me, blessed us with a beautiful daughter ... but now? As it's light wanes, so do you and Mavra. A journey could kill you. I fear our child doesn't have long either."
Kira hums and nods in understanding. "Then you, my love ... you must be our eyes," She says softly.
~
One of the scouts flies overhead and gasps when she sees a light running down across the burnt strip. She points with her long staff. "There! There!" She yells, flying down towards the light with her partner.
Kensho continues running down the burnt path, gasping for air a bit while running hard. "Th-They'll listen. They have to. They're not bad. They'll understand. Th-They'll forgive," He says, the shard clutched tightly in one of his hands while the other has a stronghold on the stick with fire. He slows down his running, staring down at the shard. "Though, I don't expect Thurma or Mavra will when they find out I took this."
He turns back around, holding the shard high above his head. "H-Hello up there! Listen! I-I've got it! I've brought it back! If we all work together, I'm s-sure we can help Thurma, w--" His sentence is cut off by the large splash of water hitting his face.
As he stumbles back, the scout whacks his face with her long baton weapon. She scoffs, realizing it's not Thurma. "It's not the demon! Look! It's just some acolyte from the castle," She says.
Her partner frowns, saying, "A diversion! The traitor's helped her escape with the princess!" She shouts.
Kensho groans, rubbing his cheek, and shakily standing up. "N-No, listen, stop! Please, listen! I've got th--"
"Get him!" The scout says, flying towards him with her partner.
Kensho yelps, scrambling from the ground, and running back into the woods. The scouts groan, flying overhead of the woods to search for him. "Where are they, scarskin?! Where's the devil who stole the shard and kidnapped Princess Mavra?!" One shouts from the sky. "We always knew you were a fool, Kensho, but a heretic?" The other shouts.
Kensho shakes his head, continuing his speeding pace. "B-Bullies. Thurma was right. Thurma was riiIIiaaAAAaaa--!" Kensho abruptly stops his running when he comes to an edge.
"He's cornered! We've got him!" A scout cheers.
"Wait. What's he holding there?" The other asks.
"Could be a weapon. Clear the way!" Another voice joins.
Kensho curtly turns around and slowly starts to back up as soldiers riding giant landstrides start to make their way to him.
"We'll handle him," The Commander says, glaring at Kensho.
~
"LAZY LUGGARD LOLLZGRUBS! WHY WON'T YOU HELP?!" Aughra screams at the urRu, who only stare at her calmly.
"It is not our way, sage. You know this," urAc answers, his four hands mended together.
Aughra grumbles, shaking her finger in his face. "Not their way! Huh! Not their way, he says! World's about to end, skeksis out for blood, stars and riddles and ratspits and rotfrogs and what we need's brains and action but no--huh!--NNNooo, mnNHRRrAa, no!" She scolds, waving her hand in urAc's face, "It's! Not! Their! WAY!"
urAc sighs, saying, "The world is a dream, wise Aughra. We are but it's dreamers."
Aughra huffs as the urRu go back to singing in deep voices around the Crystal. "'We are but it's dreamers, we are but it's dreamers.' Hmph! Of all the stinkthink stupid n--"
"Aughra ..."
She pauses and turns around when she hears an urRu call her name. Her eye lands on urZah, who speaks to her telepathically.
"They cannot hear me, sage. I speak only to you. Listen now ... not all who dream choose to drift. But a single steersman cannot guide the course alone. Others will pull an oar."
He flicks a tiny tune to Aughra, who easily catches it. She stares down at it and hums curiously.
"You will know when, sage. And it shall be soon. For time is running short."
Aughra frowns and grips the tiny tune, huffing and puffing as she wobbled away from them.
~
Mavra feels her wings start to tire as she flies next to Thurma. She looks down at the Tumbeloth and scratches his neck. "I hope Kensho's all right. I don't know what I'd do if he got injured, or even ... even killed," She says to Thurma, holding back her tears. "He's the only person I knew who would actually listen to me. Only recently did I realize my parents were willing to as well."
Thurma looks up at Mavra sympathetically before turning back to the road. "Do you ... have feelings for him?"
Mavra's cheeks immediately turn red, her blue eyes widening. "Wh-What?" She stutters.
Thurma furrows her brows. "Do you have feelings for Kensho?" Thurma repeats clearly.
Mavra turns away and scratches the back of her head. "W-Well, I ..." She sighs deeply, landing down next to Thurma, and walking with her. "I think I do. B-But you can't tell him I said that!" She exclaims.
"Why not?" Thurma asks.
Mavra pouts, staring at the ground. "Because ... I want to tell him when I'm ready. I need it to be special. I feel it's ... more meaningful when you tell the person how you feel yourself."
Thurma's mouth forms into an 'O' shape, nodding in understanding. She smiles and has a little skip in her walk. "Well, that doesn't mean I won't help you both and play matchmaker. Back at home, I was the best at that," She says.
Mavra smiles and chuckles lightly. "Really now?"
"Mmhm! I can sense when someone else is in love. I have a theory, actually. I think maybe--juuust maybe--Kensho loves you, too," Thurma says.
Mavra can't help but smile from Thurma's support. She tucks a piece of her light brown hair behind her ear. "Thanks, Thurma. You know? You're really not a bad--"
"--MMmAAAAAAA!" skekSil's voice rings behind the two girls, making them both scream and stumble away from him.
Thurma glares daggers at skekSil and stands in front of Mavra protectively, her flames lit. "Stay back from us!" Mavra gasps, holding onto the tumbeloth tightly. "Thurma, be careful!"
~
Kensho's ears perk up as he senses something wrong with Mavra. "Mavra! Oh no ... they're in danger!" He yells, staring up at the Commander in fear.
~
skekSil hisses as one of Thurma's flames burn his skin. "YaaaAAAaaahotHOT! Hot!" He shouts, cowering away from the two of them.
Thurma's glare deepens as she stands her ground.
"Pleeeaaase, please not hurt! Skeksis friend! Mmm."
Thurma eyes the revolting creature up and down as Mavra stands up behind her.
"Thurma, don't listen to him. He's lying! He's cruel--"
"No, no. This--This is confusion, Fire girl. Misunderstanding! Mmm ... was startled! Defending self!" skekSil interrupts moving closer to the two as they back away.
"Thurma, we should go ..." Mavra whispers to her.
"Am ... alone. Hungry. Lost. Want only, yes ... mmm ... friend. Gelfling caused this. Mean gelfling telling lies--mmm. Bully Gelfling!" skekSil says.
Thurma stares him dead in the eye. "Well ... they ... they are mean--"
"Thurma, no! Don't trust him!" Mavra yells standing in front of skekSil so Thurma can stare at her.
skekSil hums and snatches the tumbeloth from Mavra's grip, shoving her to the side. She topples into the water and winces when her back hits the stones. "Ow!"
Thurma's flames reignite as she grows defensive. "Mavra! Why you--oof!" Thurma says, getting shoved back into the water with Mavra by the skeksis, who only cackles. "Shard is mine! Power is mine!" He cheers.
Thurma screams in pain, quickly stepping out of the water. "Ahhh! W-Water!" She shouts.
Mavra glances from Thurma then back to the skeksis. She narrows her eyes and lifts herself out of the water, fluttering up, and reaching her arms out to the tumbleloth. "Tumbeloth! Come to me!"
The tumbeloth outstretches its tentacles and latches itself to Mavra's arm, swinging over into her embrace.
skekSil growls, shouting, "No! Horrid creature! Give me shard!"
Mavra lands back next to Thurma and quickly tugs on her puffy sleeve. "Come on! Hurry!" She shouts, running away from the skeksis with Thurma quickly. skekSil glares as he hums longingly for the shard.
~
Kensho continues backing up against the cliff, the guards and landstriders closing in on him.
"Oh no ... Ma ... MaaaavraaaAAA!" He shouts as a piece of the ground underneath him cracks and he falls off the cliff, not knowing where he was going to land.
~
Jen sits next to Kira on their bed, stroking her cheek softly with his hand resting on hers. "This separation will be hard for both of us. We haven't let go in so long ..." He says, watching as she fell asleep.
He only sighs and turns to the acolytes as they hand him the Garthim sceptre and put on his armor. Fizzgig follows close by Jen. "No, Fizzgig. Not this time. Stay with your mistress," He tells the furball, who only growls and starts barking loudly in protest.
Jen groans, rolling his eyes, and saying, "Oh, fine. Stop yelling. You can come, Fizzgig. One last adventure, huh, old friend? Though ..." He glances up at the Garthim and frowns, "I'm not sure we're the heroes this time."