To Be Proud: Revamped

Chapter 60: Tricks Up a Sleeve - Part 2

~Bona~

      "It's here...i-it's actually here!"

Giving the prism back to Thwok, I stood up in pure astonishment. The entrance, the lone stairwell I saw in the vision, was standing right there in front of us. It was hidden in plain sight, just like everything else had been, and I felt like a fool for not thinking of such a possibility sooner. Walking towards the hidden passage, I could faintly see the crystals curving inward in accordance to the arching shape of the doorway. I glanced back at Thwok, who was looking through the prism still. He peered through the prism at me, then quickly placed it down.

      "Oh, whoops! Sohwy. I wahs juhst twying to see ihf thehre was a secweht way to open the dohr." I chuckled.

      "I could probably just knock this down, no big deal." Thwok made a sour face, his eyes reflecting the amount of concern he had.

      "Ahe you shure? Aquanine is pwetty wesistahnt."

      "I'll be fine, Thwok. The aquanine might not be once I'm done with it."

      "Oh, Galvana." He glanced away, unwilling to witness what would happen next.

Disregarding his warning, I turned to the closed-off passage and placed a hand on the rough crystal. I pondered the idea for a bit, wondering about whether or not I should actually go through with what I had hastily planned, but I was a fool to let confidence overtake logic. Taking a deep breath, I clenched and unclenched my free hand to prepare myself for a false expectation. A rising energy started to form, and as I wound my arm back I focused on that energy. My mind was able to sense that something was wrong just as my fist made contact with the aquanine.

CRACK!

The crystal didn't budge one bit, just as Thwok had suspected. I fell to my knees, the sudden shock being too much for me to handle. Holding my hand close, I shivered and trembled as a sickening pain shot up my arm and through my spine. My teeth clicked against each other as my jaw uncontrollably shook, but the more I tried to stop it the worse it got. In a desperate attempt to get myself under control, I stood up and stumbled back towards the opposite wall. Feeling a hand grab my own, I glanced over at Thwok who was examining my claws.

      "Ow!" I winced, trying to pull my hand away, but he held on tight.

      "Oh, Ony. I hate to say it, buht—"

      "You told me so, I know."

      "Mhm." He pushed back a bit of fur, examining a large crack that had formed on my center claw. "Galvana, this is a deep fissuh. Muhst've hit a cwystuhl diwehctly ohn the point."

      "Mm." I shivered and trembled as Thwok continued to examine my hand for any extra damage. Once he was sure that everything was analyzed, he took his tongue and proceeded to wrap it around the broken claw.

      "We dohn't have accehs to either a Toe Jammuh or a Spuhnge, so this will have to do untihl we cahn geht owuh hands ohn a bandage."

      "Alright." Thwok's eyes darted towards something behind me, and he tilted his head back to get a better look at it.

      "Uh, dihd you awlways have a lahge bwue spoht on the bahck ohf youhr head?"

      "Hm?" With my free hand, I felt around until my hand landed on an abnormal lump of fluff. Pulling it off the back of my head and bringing it in front of me, I tilted my head in confusion as I examined the small puff of blue fur. Three eyes suddenly appeared, and out of fear I yelped and threw the ball into the air.

      "Puhtite?" Thwok questioned as the ball of fluff landed on two pointed feet. We watched as the ball unfolded itself, revealing itself to be the small energetic monster that made up our trio.