As the trio made their way back through Moon Mountain Pass, Sunset kept glancing worriedly at Fox until he finally stopped to face her. "What's bothering you?" he asked firmly. "Aside from there being some spiritual power apparently manipulating the conflict here and us via holding Krystal hostage? I already know about that worry, as it's one we share."
"You have a spiritual life form cohabiting your body," Sunset pointed out blandly. "You expect me not to be worried that, if nothing else, the high level of magical energy your body isn't adapted to might be altering you?"
Fox blinked in surprise. "Okay, that part's a worry I hadn't thought about, and possibly valid," he allowed thoughtfully as he turned to lead them along again. "And here I thought your concern along that regard would be the spirit affecting my mind or trying to take control of me."
"I'd already thought about and dismissed those concerns," Sunset countered flatly, smirking in amusement. "After all, the Krazoa are benevolent and passive unless awakened in concert. That's one thing that's constant throughout the writings. How do you feel magically?"
"Overfull, but otherwise unaltered," Fox admitted. "A bit like being near you when in Solaar orbit, but otherwise no different than normal."
"...then you should be fine," Sunset allowed thoughtfully. "If it were any stronger, that'd be a concern, but you're already adapted to that level from raising me."
"You're as strong as a Krazoa Spirit, Sunset?" Tricky gasped in awe. "Wow!"
Sunset rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. Chuckling, Fox led the group the rest of the way back to Thorntail Hollow.
"Ah see ye have a Krazoa Spirit!" the Warpstone declared jovially as the trio approached him. "Ah take it that means ye be headin' ta Krazoa Palace next?" He held out his left hand.
"That's right," Fox agreed as he leapt onto the hand, Sunset and Tricky following. "Not only do we need to return the Spirit, we need-"
"Ah need ta stop ya raight there," the Warpstone interrupted. "One o' ya's gonna need ta stay here."
"What?" Sunset demanded angrily. "Why?"
"Cause ah can only transfer three souls through the void safely at a time," the Warpstone explained, "and in its current position, the only way ye can get back from Krazoa Palace is if ah leave the void link open for ya, so ah can't send anyone after ya."
"What if-"
"Any body I warp without a soul is lost ta the void," he interrupted Sunset. "And the jewel that lets Tricky use mah gates only works if you and he both stay th' same, so tryin' ta combine the two of ya into one body - or one o' ya with yer Dad - wouldn't work either. And the magical fields are too unstable fer ya to try remakin' the stone to allow it."
"How are you anticipating her so well?" Fox asked in awe as Sunset pouted.
"Ah was crafted by the Krazoa ta serve a specific purpose," the Warpstone explained readily. "They put a lot o' thought inta makin' my powers work right, and the safeties involved. Ah just asked meself what one of the younger Krazoa would have come up with tryin' ta game the system."
"It's alright, Sunset," Tricky said as he stepped off the Warpstone's hand. "I'll wait here. I'll be fine."
"If you're sure..." Sunset allowed worriedly.
"I'll just go stay with Mom!" Tricky agreed. "She's still here in the Hollow after all. You go check on your Mom, and I'll do the same!" With that, he turned and scampered off into the Hollow.
"If'n ya both be ready?" the Warpstone demanded firmly. When he got a nod from both of them, he lifted his hand and sent a beam of energy from the crystal embedded in his forehead into the pair, sending them into the void.
As the pair exited the void, they immediately found themselves drenched as the pouring rain flowed over them. The warp platform they arrived on was outside, and the most ancient structure either of them had ever seen was just visible in the distance, all grays and blues with brighter colored stained glass windows. Flames of various colors sat in torches along a bridge over emptiness that crossed to the main structure from the warp pad, and odd floating creatures that somewhat resembled jellyfish floated back and forth in patrol.
"Other than being soaked and c-c-chilled, this is amazing!" Sunset managed to stammer out as she shivered.
"Let's get you inside where you can dry yourself off, quick," Fox said firmly, hastily leading Sunset forward as he shot the jellyfish-like creatures with fireballs from Krystal's staff.
Once they were under an overhang and out of the rain, Sunset flared her power to get the water out of her fur. "Ah...that's better-" she began, only for her fur to instantly floof up.
Fox did his best not to burst into laughter at the sight. The four Sharpclaws that had leapt out in ambush out of strange light showed no such reticence...and once Sunset demonstrated how she felt about that with her magic, Fox was glad he'd kept his own amusement internal. "You okay to move like that?" Fox asked carefully.
"Yeah, I'm good," Sunset confirmed as she shook herself enough to get her fur to start to settle. "It'll go back to normal on its own in time. But I'm asking Shabunga for an umbrella before we come here next."
The first chamber of the Palace past the overhang was in complete darkness, and Sunset quickly lit her sunstones to give them light. A cracked wall was the only way in, so Sunset stayed by it with her lit sunstones so Fox could find his way back with an explosive fuel barrel, using a firefly from his lantern to trace his path.
A few more flame-based puzzles with more explosive barrels lined the path forward beyond that, leaving the pair to marvel at the architecture as they walked through. The chambers soared upward, brightly lit in blues and golds to the point it was hard to tell what was actual structure and what was light-created illusion. Further along, they entered a chamber that went straight up all the way to the roof, powerful wind turbines generating updrafts to lift the pair to higher levels. Sunset, recognizing these modes of conveyance from her time in the Cloudrunner Fortress when she was younger, leapt into them. Seeing they were safe as a result, Fox happily followed.
The last wind tunnel took them out onto the roof, back into the wind and rain. Sunset went flat eyes as a result of being soaked once more, but followed Fox around the roof...only for them both to gasp at what they saw.
In the center of the roof was a raised platform with a ramp leading up to it from either side. In the center of the platform was a glowing pink crystal trapped in circling machinery...and Krystal could be seen trapped inside, with a single Krazoa Spirit orbiting her.
"Krystal!" Fox called out worriedly.
"Mom!" Sunset screamed out as she rushed forward, gathering her magic in an attempt to reach through the crystal to try and save her.
No!
Sunset winced as she was forcefully knocked back before she could get in range of the crystal. "M...Mom?" she asked, confused.
Power...wants...not...stay...away...
Fox quickly grabbed Sunset and pulled her away. "Sunset, until we can get your Mom free of this, you need to stay as far away from that mechanism as possible," he stated firmly.
"What?" Sunset demanded angrily. "But-"
"I'll explain later!" Fox snapped as he forcefully dragged her away. "Let's find where I need to release this Spirit, and get back to the Hollow."
As he spoke, a stone carving of a Krazoa Spirit extended from the side of the platform. Walking over - dragging Sunset behind him as she struggled - he approached the stone carving...and the Spirit left his body as he gasped and struggled as that wracked his whole system. The Spirit superimposed itself on the carving, only to appear orbiting the crystal above.
"Dad, what-" Sunset began, only for them both to be pulled forcefully through the Void and back to the Warpstone.
As soon as they arrived, Fox turned to Sunset. "Whoever is manipulating this conflict is after magic power," he explained firmly. "He's using Krystal as a medium to tap the power of the Krazoa Spirits and the core of the planet, but he'll only get what he wants if we gather all six together...or if he manages to get ahold of you. Your power dwarfs Krystal's, after all."
Sunset's lip quivered. "But...what'll happen to Mom?" she asked worriedly.
"...I don't know," Fox admitted finally. He then turned to the Warpstone. "But I know Krystal would agree with me that keeping you safe takes priority there...so until we've gathered the last Krazoa Spirit, you aren't to go to Krazoa Palace again, understand?"
"But-" Sunset began angrily.
"As ye say, Fox," the Warpstone agreed readily. "Ah won't send her without yer say so."
Sunset frowned up at the pair, then sighed. "Okay..."
"For now, ye two need ta head to the seaside," the Warpstone explained helpfully. "The next part of yer quest lies that way..." He paused as he looked Sunset over. "Though ye might be wanting ta tumble-dry yerself first."
Sunset glared up at him flat-eyed as Fox once more suppressed his snickers.