//------------------------------// // Adventure: It's Getting Hot In Here // Story: My Own Wings // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// Tricky stared at the several dozen Sharpclaws shooting into the sky in response to Sunset's frustrated howl. "So...is this like, the what not to do demonstration?" he asked in confusion. "Cause I already know going too high or too low is bad with flying." "Flying?" Sunset snapped angrily. "Yeah!" Tricky responded eagerly. "Mom gave me an explanation that made sense about why sometimes you wouldn't be able to explain things plainly with how you felt, and how to recognize it so I could act extra friendly and understanding when it happened, and Fox said if I told you about it, you'd give me flying lessons!" He grinned up at her from ear to ear. "So you're gonna teach me how to use my magic to float around like you do now, right?" Sunset stared at Tricky in disbelief for a time, then rounded on Fox. "Da~ad!" she screamed out in irritation, the two pools of lava to either side of the bridge to the Volcano Force Point Temple erupting upward in response to her emotions. "It's not my fault teasing sarcasm doesn't translate!" Fox called out defensively. "Not that!" Sunset complained. "You really think I'd toss my best friend about in my magic just because he's being an idiot? Especially after he just saved my life?" "Well not on purpose," Fox allowed apologetically. Sunset turned her back on him with a, "Harumph!" Sighing, Fox led the way into the Temple, knowing it'd be a while before Sunset got over her pique, and hoping marveling at the architecture might help. Fox smiled as he watched Sunset zoom around the inside of the Temple, taking in every side passage and squealing over how she could feel the shaping of the very stones to channel the magic the Temple was built to guide and contain. When they took the elevator to the deeper levels of the Temple, she skipped over the surface of the lava pools as she made thorough notes on how the channels were shaped to contain active lava flows without either damaging the stone paths or causing an eruption. As they moved into areas Fox and Tricky hadn't explored last time they were there, they found new flame-based puzzled involving extinguishing flames in the right order based on their color. Sunset wasn't able to assist there as while she could manipulate the colored flames, she couldn't absorb or extinguish them. "Flame magic...I can't use?" she marveled in surprise at discovering this. "I guess even magic as powerful as yours has limitations," Fox allowed. "Even where they aren't expected. You'll need to be careful of that in the future." "Right," Sunset agreed thoughtfully as they moved on, her expression oddly downcast. Thankfully, the next puzzle simply involved giving fireballs the right colors to activate gem switches by shooting them through a color-changing flame at the right angles and times. Sunset's hovering made that much easier, putting an excited smile back on her face. Just beyond there, the group reached the warp to the Heart Chamber, where the Choke resided. "So can I ask about what Sunset was talking about last time we were here now?" Tricky asked curiously. "I'd actually like more details on that myself," Fox observed calmly, turning to his daughter. "What did you-" "There are more runes!" Sunset gasped excitedly as she raced up to the Choke. "Placing the second Spellstone illuminated more of the inscription to make it legible." Kneeling close, she muttered under her breath as she traced the inscriptions, light shining in her eyes and from her horn showing she was using her magic to draw forth her memories of language lessons to contrast directly, rather than relying on normal recall. "...well, looks like I did read it right," she managed finally. "About the weapon?" Tricky asked in surprise. "Not the part I meant," Sunset explained. "This part revealed more...history. The Krazoa...they aren't native to this planet, they never were. They came from...somewhere else. They found...an immense source of magical energy, stronger than they'd ever seen. They knew such a power source would cause conflicts, so they built Dinosaur Planet around the energy to hide it. And they left structures on the planet to control the magical flow, as well as ways to release more of it. That's why certain parts of the land neutralize the Spellstone's magic absorbing properties. But..." She knelt down to another part of the inscriptions. "Sunset?" Fox asked worriedly as he approached. "This is the part I read as 'weapon'," Sunset explained worriedly as she traced her fingers over it. "Apparently, the Krazoa wanted a way to be able to use large amounts of the magic in the source all at once, to stave off...some sort of disaster they foresaw in the future. Something about...guarding reality from the Fallen Angel unleashed...I can't make sense of it." She ran her fingers over a seemingly blank portion of the Choke. "This part is still missing, I think it'd explain that-" "I think you should stop reading for now, Sunset," Fox spoke up carefully. "Huh?" Sunset and Tricky asked at the same time. "Why?" Sunset demanded insistently. "Yeah, this is super interesting!" Tricky agreed. "That sounds like a prophecy of some sort," Fox stated firmly, "and the last thing I want to do is get tangled up in a prophecy." He placed the Spellstone in its slot, where the energies of the awoken Choke triggered the Spellstone to begin absorbing the energies released from the planet's core. "Focus on the conflict in the now, deal with the rest of it later." "But-" Sunset gasped as the very segment she had been looking at lit with runes, runes she was immediately able to translate...but didn't dare speak out loud. Power comes from the land of the New Sun. The Dying Sun shall seek the power in the hour of need. If the Dying Sun rises alone, then the Angel will Fall. This weapon awaits, for if that comes to pass, only the power contained will suffice to erase the Fallen Angel and the Demon born of her power. "...Sunset?" Fox asked worriedly as they were pulled into the warp, to the entrance of the Temple. The group made their way back to Thorntail Hollow in silence. Despite urging from Fox, Sunset refused to speak about what she'd seen on the Choke, and Tricky couldn't bring himself to say anything as he watched Sunset in worry. As they reached the Hollow, it was raining heavily...and bat-like creatures dove to attack the Thorntails. "We have to help them!" Sunset cried out, getting ready to leap into action. "I have an idea!" Fox insisted as he pulled out his gun. Holding it tight, he focused carefully through it, then swept the targeting site over the bats that were circling each Thorntail, pausing briefly on each one. Once he'd done so, he closed his eyes, focused his energy, and pulled the trigger. A tiny bolt of lightning leapt from the gun barrel, locking onto the first bat before leaping to the others, frying them all in a flurry of chain lightning that echoed in the storm. The nearest Thorntail breathed a sigh of relief as the threat passed. "Thank you for saving us yet again," he offered warmly. "Is there anything I can do to repay you?" "Happy to help," Fox offered readily. "Though...any clues as far as what we should do or where we should go next would be welcome." "I hear Shabunga has some new inventory," the Thorntail responded with a smile. "That help?" "Only one way to find out," Fox replied, glancing worriedly as Sunset remained uncharacteristically quiet.