Crystal Legacy - Generation 5 (Part 22)

 

Abandoned by her mother at an early age, Citrine has always been loved by her family and she loves them all the more in return. But even that love can't fill the hole inside of her, and chasing after her past only leads to more heartbreak.

(♫) Power has its price,

(♫) Some can live like gods,

(♫) Some must sacrifice…

(♫) Through the centuries

(♫) many backs have bent,

(♫) Many dreams are built,

(♫) Many lives are spent.

Blue Moon: GET OUT!

Moonflower: No! Those are our friends and we’re not leaving without them!

Blue Moon: I don’t care! Get out of my library!

Peppermint: Miss–

Blue Moon: Get out! You don’t know the danger you’re all in!

Lucky Penny: Then help us! We just want to find them!

Eternal Glow: You can help us–

Blue Moon: No I can’t! You have no idea what sort of person Sanguine Shadow is, and if you value your life you don’t cross her!

Blue Moon: So get out while you still can! Your friends are as good as dead and you will be too!

Eternal: We’re not just going to abandon them!

Blue Moon: Then you will die with them!

Moonflower: You–fine! Fine we’ll do this ourselves!

Lucky: Like we should have done from the start!

Peppermint: A complete waste of time!

Eternal Glow: Come on, guys. Let’s go.

Blue Moon: That’s right! Go, and never look back!

Blue Moon: Get out of this town, and never come back!

Penny: We’re coming back.

Peppermint: You’d better believe we are. There’s something in this town, and we’re going to find out what it is.

Moonstone: Did you find them?

Opal: No. Your Grams and I looked everywhere…they’re not anywhere in the Meadow, baby, I’m sorry.

Moonstone: but–but that means…

Opal: It means they’re still alive.

Moonstone: Oh…*sob* Oh…

Opal: Moonstone…

Moonstone: They’re alive and having who knows what happen to them! I don’t know what’s worse–dead or lost!

Opal: Moony…baby, so long as they’re alive, there’s still some hope. You can’t give up yet. All I know is they’re not here.

Moonstone: But if they’re not here, then where are they?!

Astral: I don’t know.

Ori: Mother–

Astral: I don’t know. Something…something’s hiding them from me.

Ori: Something, or someone?

Astral: …it could well be someone. He’s been quiet for centuries, but…stars and void, Ori, if it’s Obscuro, there’s nothing I can do.

Astral: Without Lucera’s powers, I can’t pierce that sort of Darkness.

Ori: And you can’t call her back? Even for a moment?

Astral: Ori…

Ori: I know she’s holding the seal, but just for a few minutes, maybe–

Astral: Not even for a moment. If the seal were to weaken enough that he could break through, then all life would be in danger, not just Citrine and Fern. I’m sorry.

Ori: ….there has to be something we can do.

Astral: I can’t find them if they’re shielded by the Dark, and no Oracle could pierce the veil, either. 

Ori: ….but…if you had the power, could you? Send an Oracle a dream?

Astral: With enough power, yes, but Ori–

Ori: Use me. Use my powers. 

Astral: Ori! Without those, you can’t hold physical shape–you’ll have to leave Moonstone!

Ori: I know. But I promised her. Whatever it takes.

Astral: ….okay. Whatever it takes.

Nova: I can’t believe that worked…

Calcite: Thank Kindle…if she hadn’t told Spangle about that second pass…*sigh* Here we are.

Nova: Here we are.

Nova: Now what?

Calcite: …now I call the kids.

Calcite: It’s me. I just sent you a map pin. How quick can you…okay. Okay, we’ll be here. I know. Love you too, kid.

(♫) Look and be humbled, learn what your place is,

(♫) Vampire slave no matter what your race is,

(♫) This is your future your life suspended,

(♫) And everything you knew before has ended,

(♫) You are ours now,

(♫) We have all control,

(♫) From your every step,

(♫) To your very soul

Lucky Penny: We have to go through this thing?!

Calcite: Yep.

Eternal Glow: Mr. C, I say this with all due respect, but–are you NUTS?!

Eternal Glow: We have no idea where this goes!

Calcite: Sure we do! The Realm of Magic!

Moonflower: As in, the Sages Realm?

Lucky Penny: As in…the Hunters Realm.

Peppermint: Wait, the Hunters Realm? Dad, are they gonna help us? I thought they weren’t…great with people.

Calcite: They can be statues, for all I care. They’re going to help us or I’m going over their heads.

Nova: We’re going over their heads.

Eternal: Yeah, I get that, but–a portal?! The portals to Sixam are bust!

Calcite: Yeah, well, this is different. *sigh* Look, EG, you can stay here if you want. I just wanted you all to have the choice.

Eternal Glow: Oh–oh, fine. Pep?

Peppermint: I’m going.

Moonflower/Lucky Penny: Us too!

Calcite: Okay then. Just…walk on through.

Nova: …maybe…say a prayer first.

Moonflower: Or a dozen.

Calcite: *sigh* Fine, fine, I’ll go first. Just, uh…it does kinda tickle, so brace yourselves.

Peppermint: Tickle?! Dad!

Nova: –Cal?!

Calcite: See? Told you it’d be fine.

Nova: Babe, you–ugh.

Lucky Penny: So this is the Realm of Magic, huh? Now what do we do?

Calcite: We need to talk to Sage Mandarin. They’ll be able to–

*alarm sounds*

Calcite: Oh. Great. Now what?!

???: Hands up! Stay where you are!

Nova: Uh…I think we tripped an alarm, babe.

Calcite: oh, great.

???: Nobody move! Who are you, and how did you get here?

Calcite: We came through Eagle Pass and entered the portal–

??: Eagle Pass is blocked!

Calcite: We found a way! Listen, we need to–

-

Eternal Glow: Four of them, six of us. Can we…

Lucky Penny: I dunno…there’s something weird about them…

Lucky Penny: Look at those tattoos….they’re like Fern’s.Hunters.

Peppermint: I don’t care. EG, you take the one on the left, I’ll get the one on the right.

Peppermint: Moony, you and Penny take the two in the middle. Don’t hurt them, just–

Nova: Don’t even think about it, kids. Listen, we don’t want trouble!

Nova: We’re here because we need your help!

???: You’re not the first ones to say that! We’ll ask again, who are you?

Calcite: My name is Calcite Crystal. I’m the grandson of Queen Firefly Serenade–we’ve come to speak with Sage Mandarin Ember! We don’t mean you any harm!

Stone: Grandson of–stand down, Guardians! They aren’t a threat!

Mandarin: Calcite? What in blazes are you doing back here, boy?

Calcite: We need your help, Sage. My daughter is missing.

Stone: Daughter–Mandarin, did you…

Mandarin: Sister, daughter, mother…Watcher, that line is cursed. *sigh* Stand down, Guardians. 

???: But, Master–

Mandarin: Stand down, Ardere

Mandarin Bring your brood inside, Calcite. We need to talk.

Chronos: We can be of no help to you.

Calcite: Excuse me?

Stone: Chronos!

Chronos: Eagle Pass was collapsed for a reason. How you got through it…

Terra: That pass should not have been collapsed to begin with!

Fulgur: And do not think you speak for all of us again, Chronos! 

Chronos: *sigh* Regardless. We do not know where Sanguine Shadow is based. We cannot help you find her.

Fulgur: We! Again with the we!

Ignis: Chronos….they have come all this way to seek our aid. What was the point of our powers if not to be used! And for this–

Ignis: To seek out Citrine Crystal, of all people! We cannot stand idly by and do nothing while the world is in danger once more! We must act before it is too late!

Chronos: Be that as it may, if they are in the custody of Sanguine Shadow, the odds of their survival are slim.

Mandarin: Which is why we must get involved now! While there is still any chance at all!

Lace: You cannot mean to sit on your tail this entire time!

Chronos: No, I do not. We must prepare to defend the Abyssal Doorway should Sanguine realize just who she has in her custody and do the rational thing.

Glacies: Rational?! RATIONAL?!

Calcite: ….you’re going to let Citrine die because you won’t risk anyone here.

Lace: Listen, you useless waste of air–we have sat this place since before you were an egg in the nest! We gave you that seat and we can take it away!

Mandarin: And I am of a mind to do so now!

Mandarin: And don’t think for one miserable second that any of us will hold back, Chronos!

Nova: That’s our daughter you’re talking about letting die. And even if it wasn’t, wouldn’t stopping Sanguine be worth the risk?

Stone: It’s supposed to be!

Calcite: What is it you’re so afraid of?

Chronos: …*snort* My decision is final. Mr. Crystal, accept my condolences for the loss of your child, but this is how the council has spoken.

Ignis: How you have spoken, Chronos. You do not speak, nor do you act, for the rest of us.

Lace: You miserable–get back here, Chronos!

Stone: *aggravated sigh* Time mages…

Calcite: …we’re not stopping. I’m bringing them home if it kills me.

Terra: It very well may! Sanguine herself is of little threat, as far as vampires go, but if Obscuro truly is her patron, then he will have granted her untold power. She will be difficult to defeat.

Calcite: I don’t care. We’re not leaving them there!

Nova: Where is she. One of you has to know!

Ignis: Would that we did. Sanguine’s base in San Marshmallow has been searched by both your authorities and our Hunters, but none know where she has none.

Fulgur: Blasted woman’s gone to ground. I’m not certain we can flush her out at all.

Nova: There’s got to be something!

Calcite: So what do you expect us to do? I’m not going to just–stand here doing nothing!

Fulgur: We don’t expect you to! We simply…

Ignis: We simply have another plan in mind.

Ignis: The Council cannot act without a unanimous decision, but that does not mean we cannot. Morte, fetch Delphine.

Morte: Yes, Master.

Calcite: And this Delphine is supposed to help?

Ignis: She should.A Seeress can breach many magical barriers, if given a chance.

-

Delphine: You summoned me, master?

Ignis: Yes. Delphine, this is–

Delphine: Calcite Crystal, grandson of Queen Firefly. I heard.

Fulgur: Ah, yes, things did get a bit..heated.

Mandarin: A bit. Hmph!

Nova: I don’t understand. How are you supposed to help?

Delphine: I’m a Seeress. With certain spells I can See into the future, and stop things from happening because of that. Master?

Ignis: Try to See Citrine Crystal’s fate, my dear.

Delphine: Yes, Master.

Calcite: ….now I’ve seen everything.

Nova: …babe, I get the feeling we haven’t seen anything.

Delphine: Watcher, grant me your Sight. Allow me to see through eyes uncllouded, to the future yet unlived…darkness. I see Darkness.

Nova: Darkness? As in black?

Delphine: As in malice and evil. The future is…Dark. Obscuro, freed from the Void. This is Citrine’s future. Oh…

Calcite: …how do we stop it?

Delphine: There is still time to stop the key from turning…but where is the lock? Where does this–mists, and mountains. A town frozen in time, watched over by statures and fangs…

Terra: Statues and fangs…wait–

Delphine: The sun rises bloody over the northern mountains. A manor lies in ruin, and beneath it…a hell of stone, blood upon the ground.

Delphine: …no, further. Further back….a single horn. A train? A single line going north past the falls, past a town forgotten by time–of course!

Terra: Forgotten Honeycomb. Oh, of course…we should have known!

Nova: Great! We take the train from Wineburg–we can be there by morning.

Glacies: No, this is a task for the Hunters now. Two of your brood can accompany them, but you two stay here.

Ignis: Vita, gather the others. Leave as soon as you are safely able, and take heed: this is a rescue, not a war. I want you all back here alive.

Vita: Understood, Father.

Ignis: Then go. And may the Ancestors look after you. May they look after us all.

*sounds of fighting*

Fern: Just–go down already!

Aconite: *laughter*

Citrine: Ack–

Citrine: Gah–

Nightshade: I’ve had enough of you!

Fern: Cit–ack!

Aconite: You’re done!

Citrine: *gasp*

Nightshade: No more wasting time.

Fern: Citrine! Cit! Get off her, you monster! Get off–

Citrine: *gasp*

Citrine: –no….

Sanguine: Oh, for the love of–

Sanguine: Nightshade! For goodness’ sake, stop playing with your food!

Nightshade: Ah….such a wonderful taste.

Fern: Citrine! Cit–no! Get off me, dammit!

Aconite: Oh, don’t worry. You’ll join her soon enough. 

Sanguine: *sigh* What a waste…take her to the pool, Nightshade. At least we can still salvage this mess.

Nightshade: Such a shame. They never do taste good once they come back wrong.

Citrine: Where…what is this place?

???: You’re not supposed to be here.

Citrine: *gasp* Mom?!

Amber: Oh, Citrine…this isn’t how it’s supposed to be.

Citrine: W-wait, if you’re here, then that means–

Amber: I’m afraid so.