//------------------------------// // Adventure: Together // Story: My Own Wings // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Fox struggled to focus through the pain as Sunset began to excitedly babble about everything she'd been up to since he got knocked out, along with the plans she'd tried to make and how well - or badly - they had gone. He wasn't able to follow specific words despite his best efforts, but he was able to get the general thrust of events. He winced as he heard the description of 'Wilhelm's fate, glad Sunset would not be traumatized by seeing it any closer. The effects of purely technological explosive decompression were part of the training to become certified as a Pilot at the Academy, which is why those courses were restricted to students 12 years old or older. The idea of magically amplified explosive decompression sounded like something out of a slasher horror movie in terms of gore. Once Sunset had calmed down enough she wasn't trying to squeeze the life out of him on the spot she herself had injured - which meant she'd moved her limpet-like cling from the small of his back to just under his shoulders under his arms, not that she'd actually let go - he managed to get a few words in edgewise. "So you've managed to free the Queen Cloudrunner, save her children, give General Scales a black eye - figuratively and literally - developed a new way to use your magic, and done all that without getting noticed by any enemy soldiers?" "More or less, yeah," Sunset allowed, wrapping her legs around her father's waist as she shifted her grip for a piggy-back ride. "I have to say, Sunset, I'm very impressed," Fox observed happily. "I need to talk to Shabunga to see if he can put a rush on your ACSU suit without reducing functionality. Skill wise, I think you're ready for the Academy." Sunset gasped excitedly. "Does that mean I can get My-Wings?" she asked eagerly. "Sorry, Pilot training is restricted to twelve or older, and you're only eleven," Fox pointed out dryly. He couldn't help but chuckle when that resulted in an adorable pout from Sunset. In truth, he was just glad she was focused on the adventure and the future, and not thoughts about Krystal. It was hard enough for him to keep his thoughts from turning maudlin as he worried about his vixen love...and Sunset was a child missing her mother in that regard. It had to be harder for her. What a trooper, he thought to himself silently as he finished installing the keys to activate the Wind Lifts. "So which way to the Queen's roost again?" he asked aloud, trying to bring focus back to the present situation. "I'll show you!" Sunset exclaimed excitedly as she handed Krystal's staff back to him before scampering off, leaving him to run to catch up. With the wind lifts active and the two of them working together to get through what Sharpclaws were still willing to patrol the Sky Dock - few and far between after so many mysteriously fell to explosive deaths - it didn't take long for them to reach the Queen Cloudrunner's roost. She smiled down at them as they arrived. "It is good to see you two reunited," she spoke warmly. "Although it may take some time to repair the damage to the prison..." "Yeah, Dad!" Sunset scoffed playfully. "If I'm not allowed to randomly wreck the structures, I don't see why you are!" "Well the explosives were just sitting there waiting to be used..." Fox countered defensively. "Peace you two, I meant no censure," the Queen hastened to interrupt. "The energies that keep the Fortress intact and protected are in no danger from such minor damages, and the structure will be easily repaired. It will only be costly in time, not effort or resources." Once she had the pair calmed down, she spoke up again. "General Scales placed the Spellstone in the Treasure Room, where the sky energies of the Fortress are strongest, and keep the stone quiescent. I know not what other defenses he may have placed there beyond the Fortress' own security, or what of that security is still intact or normally functioning. I shall open the path for you...but do be careful." Spreading her wings, she flew up to a perch near the top of the roost...causing it to sink down on a lever, revealing itself to be a switch. "Sunset, you know which way the Treasure Room is." Her beatific smile changed to an impish smirk. "I had to chase you and Prince Tricky away from there often enough when you were both younger..." Sunset chuckled nervously as she rubbed the back of her head. "I wanted to see what was inside..." "And now you shall," the Queen allowed graciously as Sunset and Fox made their way out of the roost. Sunset led Fox to one side of the Sky Dock, where a ladder led to a lower level that hung precariously out over empty air, only a very narrow path against the side of the Fortress available if one could leap across the gaps. Fox took the leaps with speed and care, while Sunset crawled along the wall. At the end of the path, a gate blocked the way into a fully interior portion, the path to the Treasure Room. The gate lifted at their approach, revealing golden walls lit by torches. Sharpclaws patrolled the paths here, but Fox and Sunset were both readily able to deal with them now that they were once more working together. The path beyond had sand piled up in the corners, and several fireflies floating about. This then led into deeper caverns with rough hewn passages, rather than the stone and mortar of the previous passages. After switching off a wind lift in the middle of the path, the pair found themselves entering a dark cavern. "Don't light your sunstones!" Fox barked out in a whisper as Sunset raised her arms to do just that. "But it's dark-" she began in confusion. "Meaning that your lit sunstones will light you up as the perfect target should any of General Scales troops here have a weapon designed to shatter them to disable you," Fox hissed pointedly. "I've got plenty of fireflies for the lantern. We'll deal with less light while in an occupied fortification that could have a siege point around any corner." Nodding, Sunset moved behind Fox as he released a firefly, letting him lead the way through the darkness. She tried not to let fear show, as it was more than just the idea of a weapon waiting to shatter her sunstones and fry her mind with magic feedback that filled her with dread. Somehow she knew there were things in the dark that had nothing to do with living beings or technology...things that feared and loathed the light, that fed on the magic of those foolish enough to brave the dark unprotected. It was why she'd been so glad her focus outfit came with such clear, flawless stones perfect for holding light. Light in crystals was very good at keeping those things at bay... It didn't take long for Fox to find a crack in the wall they could blast through, and after peering through it to make sure there was nothing waiting for them on the other side, he let Sunset blast it open rather than making her face the dark again to backtrack to an explosive barrel. Behind it was a ladder that led deeper into the dark...only to light up as they reached a sandy area around two corners. Beyond, General Scales could be seen along with a few of his Sharpclaw troops...and a bright blue Spellstone. "Blast that filly!" Scales groaned as he clutched at his head with one large hand, covering his left eye. "If she weren't such a strong source of magic, I would order her disemboweled for this! She's more trouble than she's worth!" "Begging the General's pardon," one of his troops mumbled as they worked on something, the voice somewhat higher pitched than the sounds other Sharpclaws had made, "but if she weren't such a strong source of magic, she wouldn't be this much trouble, would she?" "If I didn't need your smaller hands for this job, I would break you where you stand," Scales snarled angrily. "That reminds me, once installed it will take about 30 seconds to fully integrate," the Sharpclaw offered quickly. "It's best you not engage in any strenuous activity until it settles, such as breaking any subordinates spines or bothering to keep track of them as they leap for the nearest speeder to be out of your way until your temper subsides." Scales' right eye gave the tinkerer a gimlet stare. "Eyepatches are far easier to deal with," he growled out. "Eyepatches don't prevent infection from having an eye melted out of its socket," the tinkerer observed thoughtfully as they handed Scales a strange construction shaped like a half-mask. "They also don't come equipped with lasers or the sonic weapon attuned to the filly's sunstones." Scales uncovered his face, briefly revealing the gaping hole that had been his left eye, blood and pus still dribbling out of it as the exposed flesh inside the socket pulsed with visible burns. As he put the half mask in place over it, revealing a crimson optic crystal that sat in place of his eye, he stared after the tinkerer as they leapt onto a speeder to race off. "That dino is worth fifty of her fellows for her skills," he grumbled to himself. "...it'd be 100 if she didn't have that attitude. Still, she took the Spellstone with her-" "Yoink!" Fox and Sunset called out together as they dashed past Scales and his other troops to snag two of the other speeders, chasing after the tinkerer. Scales stared after them a full 30 seconds until the cybernetic eye fully settled in, dinging as it became fully active. With a feral scream, he leapt to his feet, grabbed the nearest Sharpclaw, and hurled them against the wall hard enough to splatter. "AFTER THEM!" he roared at the remaining ones, who immediately leapt to the other speeders in pursuit.