Divine Lives - 3rd Life and Empires Crossover

Mythical Trance

Lizzie and Joel are the first to leave, although regretfully. As Joel lifts off and soars into the clouds, Gem is pulled from Pearl by Fwhip. Her face is still wet with tears but she has stopped crying. Immediately she gives Grian a hug, he returns it willingly and the hug becomes something like a safe place. They hardly know each other, yet the hug takes a lot off of both of their shoulders. She pushes something slick and cold into his hand.

"Your secret's safe with me," she whispers. "Thanks for the help." He nods and pulls away, the stone-like object pressing against his palm.

Fwhip takes his sister's hand and pulls her away.

"I'm taking you home."

"Are you sure you can handle that?"

"Positive," says Fwhip. Gem turns and waves at everyone, they wave back; then looks down the hill. Grian can just see the broken remnants of her staff shattered there. He watches as they vibrate in the grass, then lift up and soar towards her and into her outstretched hand. She slides them into her nightgown pocket.

That's when Grian opens his own hand and sees the soft glow of a broken crystal inside. A smile tugs at his lips as he closes his fingers over it.

Pearl approaches the ice cage and looks inside, pressing her mouth into a thin line.

"What's wrong with him?" she asks Scott, who raises his arm and pulses. The ice pulls away, forming a hole that they can better look through. Sausage just stands there, completely immobile as he stares into the far side of the cage.

"He must be fighting the corruption spell."

"I wish we could help him," mutters Pearl. "Why is he fighting it now?" Scott shrugs.

"Gem hit Xornoth fairly hard, My guess is that it was just enough to chip at the spell." Nodding, Pearl reaches through the hole in the ice and grabs Sausage's arm. Scott melts the rest of the ice so that she can pull him out.

"What if we got Katherine over here?" She wonders. Scott shrugs.

"Something tells me she won't be able to do much. I can still send her an owl." He takes a whistle from his pocket and blows into it. Seconds later a snowy owl flies down from one of the surrounding evergreens and lands on his shoulder. He winces slightly as its massive talons sink into his flesh. He holds up the arm that has a special pad specifically for the owls and it hops onto that arm instead. Hooting innocently.

"Fifi, you know exactly where you are supposed to land, you nuisance," says Scott with a smile. He taps at the owl's beak and she nips at his finger in response. "Pearl, do you have any ink, I have some parchment left." She shakes her head, reaching out to stroke Fifi's white feathers, she claps her beak together and moves her head into Pearl's hand.

"Alright, I'll be right back."

"Can I hold her?"

"Sure but it kind of hurts."

"I'll be fine, Scott. Give, give." Pearl holds her arms out. The owl climbs from Scott's arm and into hers as he walks away. She cradles the bird gently for a few seconds before it hops onto her shoulder, she grabs Sausage's wrist and they walk back towards the group.

"So what now?" Grian was asking Jimmy.

"We have to find a way to get you two home."

"How are we meant to do that?" Jimmy shrugs.

"I haven't the slightest idea." He gasps when he sees Pearl. "Birdie!" He trots up to her and strokes the Fifi's feathers. The second the owl sees Grian she chirps angrily at him.

"No, don't be mad at me," he whines in response, "I'm sorry."

Scott comes back outside with a scroll of paper in his hand. He calls for his owl and without hesitation, she flies to him, smacking Jimmy in the face with her wing in the process.

"Fifi!" he exclaims, to which Scott laughs. Jimmy is her favorite person and doesn't even know it. Scott takes a white, silk ribbon and ties his scroll to her leg. She nips at his ear while he does it.

"Take this to Katherine for me?"

The owl takes off.

Eventually Katherine flutters down from the clouds and lands in front of them; pink fairy wings twittering excitedly even though she's already touched down. Pearl greets the queen.

"Hello, Kat!"

"Hi, Pearl! Where is he?"

"Over here." Sausage sits in the cold grass on his knees, staring into the distance. The fairy kneels in front of him, lifting his chin so she can look into his dormant eyes, then closes her own. They wait in silence until she opens her eyes and stands up.

"Yeah, there isn't much I can do for him," she says, looking around. "The most I can do is take him off your hands." Scott nods and Katherine takes a light gray vial from her pocket. She uncorks the lid and tips it into Sausage's mouth, instantly his eyes close and he rolls back so that he lays flat.

"What's that do?"

"Keep him asleep while I move him."

"You sure you can take him? Need any help?"

"Nah I got it," she says with a smile, pointing at her wings that flutter eagerly. "These babies are stronger than they look."

"You're a lifesaver," says Pearl, and Jimmy nods in agreement.

"I try."

In a few more minutes or so, they are gone. Grian thinks that Katherine looked very very sweet, and he appreciates that. He doesn't see that in people often.

"She seems nice," he says to Scott.

"She's great!" he agrees. The broken crystal vibrates in Grian's hand. He lifts it up to get a better view of it and is slightly surprised to see it glowing a pink color. Suddenly it shoots upwards and comes to a screeching halt about two feet above his outstretched hand.

"Wow this day just keeps getting better," says Grian, stumbling away from the floating amethyst shard. It vibrates once, then shoots a wave of some sort of energy at them.

"What is that?"

"I don't know!"

Grian is struck by the wave and light flashes at him, completely blinding him.