Fate of the Stars: A WoF AU

Chapter 3 (Fatespeaker):

"Three moons!" Fatespeaker yelled out as she noticed what the object was.

"What, did you find something?" Starflight loudly asked.

"Oh, no... I just tripped on a rock," Fatespeaker explained awkwardly. If I tell him what it really was, he might get all worried, and-

Her thoughts were interrupted by a scraping sound again.

Starflight's ears perked up, and he turned his head towards the noise.

"What... what was that?" he asked shakily.

"I don't know," Fatespeaker answered truthfully. "Maybe we should turn back-"

She turned around to face where the door was, and was surprised to see that it was gone.

The door vanished? What kind of magic could do this? Maybe animus magic... but we don't have any animus dragons in the school.

"Hold on, Starflight, I'm going to try to have a vision." Fatespeaker warned him. She sat down, and he sat down beside her. He didn't let go of her talons.

"Fatespeaker, don't push yourself." Starflight told her calmly. "We'll make it through, somehow."

Fatespeaker noticed that something in his voice hinted that he thought otherwise, but she didn't want to break concentration.

Fatespeaker's head was pounding, and she felt a headache coming on.

Starflight grabbed her talons tighter, which snapped her out of the future-seeing.

"There's no use trying if you get hurt," Starflight told her. "Who's going to be the one to lead me then?"

"I guess you're right," Fatespeaker muttered. "Well, since you're probably going to find out anyways, the door that we came in is gone."

It was silent for a moment.

"It's... gone?" Starflight questioned hesitantly. "How is it gone? Is it just not there, or is there a mark where it once was?"

"Woah, slow down," Fatespeaker cautioned.

"I would be able to answer these questions if I could see." Starflight grumbled.

Fatespeaker sighed loudly. "I don't know how or why it's gone, there's no trace of the door being there, and there's literally just a smooth wall in its place."

"Great. Just great." Starflight said sarcastically. "Sorry, I don't usually act like this, but I didn't expect to get lost and thrown into a sealed cave today."

"Neither did I, Starflight." Fatespeaker answered. "Well, there's nowhere to go but further into the cave."

She began to lead Starflight further into the seemingly-doomed tunnel they had entered.

To be honest, if the door hadn't been sealed on us like that, this place might have actually been fun to explore. Now, we just have to find a way to get out.

"Oh, there's a sign!" Fatespeaker yelled happily, tugging Starflight along with her.

"What does it say?" Starflight asked as they had stopped.

"Uh..." Fatespeaker's happy expression slowly started turning to one of unease as she continued to read what was written.

She cleared her throat. 

"Shore's Cave, beware, to all that enter,

from the mountain so high in the sky.

For many troubles await you,

as soon as you come by.

These troubles can be avoided, 

and the shores shall let you pass.

But you must stick together,

or this poem may be your last.

Signed, Shore, The Animus Prince."

The tunnel was filled with silence for a moment.

"I've never heard of Shore before, and I read a lot of scrolls before I went blind..." Starflight muttered, breaking the quiet. 

"He's an animus? And a prince? You'd really think he would be more widely-known, but I guess not..." Fatespeaker pondered aloud. "Do you think... maybe... he didn't want to be known?"

"One thing's for sure, poetry definitely isn't one of his skills." Starflight chuckled. "I don't mean to be rude, but there were things that didn't quite rhyme or fit in..."

"Alright, Starflight, no time to be analyzing creepy animus poems." Fatespeaker replied, cracking a smile.

"It helps me take my mind off of the fact that we're literally trapped in a doomed animus cave," Starflight shrugged.

"That's fair," Fatespeaker responded. She began to walk again, leading Starflight all the while.

This is one of the the only times I've really been able to spend time with Starflight. He actually needs me for once.

Fatespeaker felt a stone touch her talons, and was spooked. Once she saw what it was, she was relieved.

"At least it wasn't another skull," she muttered softly to herself.

"Hmm?" Starflight asked. 

"Oh, uh, nothing?" Fatespeaker replied.

"I forgot to tell you, I left Coral's scrolls by the door," Starflight admitted sheepishly.

"You... did?" Fatespeaker asked.

"Yes, why?" Starflight asked.

"Starflight, I think those scrolls are long gone." Fatespeaker answered.

"Seriously? But... we needed those for the library!" Starflight answered sadly.

"They'll turn up, maybe..." Fatespeaker told him.

They probably won't. I think they disappeared with the door.

"This cave is terribly structured. Whoever this Shore dragon was certainly wasn't a designer either," Starflight pointed out.

"First the poem, now this?" Fatespeaker asked. "Gosh, Starflight, you should hope that this dragon can't hear you..."

Wait... can he?