Krystal stared in awe at the massive mural the Queen Earthwalker took her to see underground, telling of a sequence of events that was terrifying to conceive of even without understanding. It began with a sun in a lake exploding, with a figure leaving the lake on foot without righting itself. It then showed hosts of demons consuming the stars, a planet broken into pieces, a swarm of locusts doing battle with the light of stars, the figure returning to the lake...and a demon and angel doing battle as the sky burned, and a sleeping demon sealed within the conflict. There were symbols around and between the pictures that she recognized as the Saurian Runic Language, though she did not know how to read it.
"<This is the prophecy I mentioned,>" the Queen explained as Krystal took it all in. "<It speaks of events none thought would occur, because the first part was thought impossible. However, you speak of ways one can perceive oneself beside a still lake?>"
Krystal nodded. "<It is called a> mirror," Krystal explained. "<It is made of fired sand laid over silver at its most basic.>"
The Queen grunted ruefully. "<And your daughter...she came from such a> mirror?"
"<At high velocity, I understand,>" Krystal allowed. "<Hit her father right in the head.>"
The Queen managed a chuckle, but it was plain her heart wasn't in it. She turned her eyes to the mural. "<The prophecy begins...'The Last Light of a Dying Sun will step forth from the world's reflection, and this shall herald the coming of the war. Thrice around the suns, and peace will shatter. The Demons will rise upon the Stars to consume all life to multiply, and this will be the first of many wars. The World will shatter, and only the Krozoa know the way to repair it...but beware the voice that guides, as the Demon waits to return stronger than before with the Secret he sought. He will hold the heart hostage to trick the knight, and his power will be unleashed. The swarm shall come to Lylat, to wipe out that which it is not and consume what is left, bringing corruption in its wake. And Fire will give rise to the Demon's final face, and only the Angel of Flames can drive him back...but beware the power that will bring the Angel, for misused it will bring a worse Demon to rise.'>" The Queen turned to Krystal. "<It is a prophecy of death...and I fear it speaks of your daughter.>"
"<'Thrice around the sun, and peace will shatter,'>" Krystal quoted from the prophecy. "<It was exactly three years after> Sunset <arrived that> Andross <brought war to Lylat.>"
The Queen nodded gravely. "<Then it surely speaks of your daughter,>" she confirmed. "<That is grave indeed.>"
"<But...what am I to do with this?>" Krystal demanded worriedly. "<It doesn't speak of anything I can do, or how these events can be handled or avoided. Just...that they'll happen.>"
"<Focus on the figures,>" the Queen offered, gesturing first from the figure that represented 'The Last Light', and then to the figures of 'The Demon's final face' and then to 'the Angel of Flames'.
"<They're the same,>" Krystal deduced. "<And? All the figures representing people->"
The Queen pointed to the figure of the sleeping 'worse Demon', which showed distinct differences.
"<Then...the Demon's final face, the Angel of Flames, and Sunset are all connected somehow?>"
The Queen nodded. "<That is what the prophecy indicates. This is not known for sure, as it is an ancient prophecy...but I believe part of it is meant specifically as a warning for your daughter. That something is going to happen in the future, and it will be up to her to save us all in the end. The rest of this->" She gestured to everything between 'The Arrival' and 'the Demon's Final Face'. "<Are events that will happen with or without interference, and are warnings that the final event is approaching.>"
"<Then I need to show her this->"
"<NO!>" the Queen snapped out firmly, stomping the earth beneath her and releasing some of her magical energy, creating a small shockwave that knocked Krystal from her feet. "<Tell a child that young of such a great destiny? You would doom us all! She would either become terrified of her fate and flee, or besotted with the idea of power and greatness and actively seek it out!>"
Krystal tensed up as she suddenly remembered Sunset constantly badgering the whole family when she wanted 'wings'. Looking at the image of 'the Angel of Flames', that desire suddenly took on a different meaning. "<Then...what?>"
"<Do what you would have anyway,>" the Queen explained. "<Raise her well. Train her to master her power. Teach her good values. Help her to care about others. And when you think she is ready and can understand the scale without being overwhelmed by it...only then are you to bring her here, and show her this prophecy.>"
Krystal nodded slowly. "<I...I understand...>" She looked around nervously, suddenly wanting to find her little girl and pull her into a tight embrace.
"<Let's go find our children, shall we?>" the Queen suggested. "<I feel the need to hold my son close, and I am certain you are of a similar mind.>"
Krystal smiled softly. "<You are right on that...>"
Krystal found the dread the prophecy had filled her with fading as she reached Thorntail Hollow alongside the Queen. The peacefully burbling river, the swaying plants, the trees so similar to palm trees as to be easily mistaken, the warm sun shining down on her fur, the magical energy in the air...it felt almost like she was back on Cerinia.
"<Bookface!>" the Queen called out as they caught sight of the guard. "<Where are the children?>"
Bookface grinned eagerly back. "<They went shopping!>" he declared happily, pointing to the large temple-like structure nearby.
"<But Tricky doesn't have his own Scarab Pouch yet...>" the Queen pointed out wonderingly.
"OUT!" Shabunga roared out as Sunset and Tricky raced out of the structure, Shabunga right behind them as he waved his hands at them in an angry shooing motion. "No more games! No more Double or Nothing! Out of my store, you little cheat!"
"Didn't cheat!" Sunset insisted angrily. "Played gooder!"
"There were 700 purple scarabs to ten gold ones that last round, and the arena could barely hold them all!" Shabunga snapped angrily.
"Didn'a say couldn't float!" Sunset called back.
"<Cloudrunners hover!>" Tricky added, having seen what had pissed Shabunga off so much even if he hadn't understood the words being shouted.
Shabunga clenched his fists and muttered angrily under his breath. "Fine! You didn't cheat! But no more games for you!"
"Store credit?" Sunset demanded petulantly.
"Yes, yes, I'll honor your store credit of..." Shabunga pulled his Scarab Slate open to see how much 'Credit' he now owed Sunset. His eyes widened and his jaw fell. "...655,360 Scarabs...sun and moon, I'll never break even..."
Krystal shook her head ruefully as she walked up to the giggling filly and scooped her into her arms. "Played gooder, huh?" she asked playfully.
Sunset squealed happily as she threw her arms around her mother's neck. "Played bestest!"