Fate of the Stars: A WoF AU

Chapter 6 (Fatespeaker):

"I guess you're right," Starflight replied softly.

"We probably should continue, then..." Fatespeaker muttered, leading Starflight further into the tunnel.

I wonder how many of these old traps are left before we finally leave. I don't even know how long we've been in here, since we can't see the sun. We can't tell how far we've really traveled, either. Are we even under Jade Mountain anymore?

"Shore, is the sun out right now?" Fatespeaker asked.

"You tell me! I've been stuck down here for all these years, I can't even tell time anymore." Shore chuckled.

Well, that didn't work.

"I can't tell the time either, but I feel tired." Starflight yawned.

"Can we rest here?" Fatespeaker asked Shore.

"I suppose so, but I should probably mention that you're kind of... sitting on a trap." Shore explained.

Fatespeaker looked at the ground, and saw nothing.

"Fatespeaker, I seem to not be on the ground anymore." Starflight trembled. "I can't feel the floor."

Fatespeaker looked up, to discover Starflight caught in a net.

"Hold on, Starflight, I'll try and get you out." Fatespeaker panicked. "This might take a while. I don't have anything sharp but my talons, and it's not easy to do while flying."

"I'll be alright. I'm not hurt, just caught." Starflight replied.

"Actually, wait." Fatespeaker reached into a pouch that she wore as a necklace. She felt an object, and pulled out what seemed to be a sharp shard of glass.

Oh, this was that piece from the frame I broke earlier. I forgot that I kept it with me.

Fatespeaker flew up, and began using the shard to cut the rope netting.

"I'm going to try and free you with a sharp piece of glass I found." Fatespeaker told him.

"Just tell me when you finish freeing me, so I don't fall," Starflight responded worriedly.

"I will, I promise." Fatespeaker reassured him. "You can trust me."

"Thanks, Fatespeaker." Starflight replied softly, with a genuine smile.

Fatespeaker finished cutting one of the ropes, and took Starflight's talons in hers.

"Starflight, walk out of the net in the direction you're facing." Fatespeaker instructed. "I'll guide you. I've managed to cut a dragon-sized hole in the netting, but I don't want you falling if you can't tell where the rope ends."

Starflight nodded, shaking. He slowly began walking out of the netting. Once his talons hit air, he began flapping his wings.

"You're out!" Fatespeaker cheered. She lowered Starflight to the ground.

"Thank you." Starflight replied happily, giving Fatespeaker a hug.

Fatespeaker smiled, her happiness almost outweighing the fear that they wouldn't make it out of the tunnel.

"We should probably rest now." Starflight suggested after a moment. "It's a bit chilly, and the floors are rough, so we'll have to choose a good spot."

"Ha! There won't be any good spots here, that's for sure." Shore laughed. "I've been sleeping on stone for the entirety of my life here."

"So we have to sleep on stone?" Fatespeaker asked.

"Yep!" Shore responded.

Starflight grumbled. "Maybe we should just try to get out of here first, and then rest." he suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." Fatespeaker agreed.

Fatespeaker tiredly led Starflight past the net they were sitting under.

"How many more traps are actually here?" Starflight wondered aloud.

"Traps?" Shore queried. "Traps-wise, there's only a few. There are more obstacles than just traps, though..." Shore said ominously.

"Like what?" Fatespeaker asked.

"I'm not telling you that!" Shore responded, annoyed. "I've already given you too much information."

"What kind of information?" Starflight questioned.

"Nothing! Now, let's keep going deeper into the tunnel so you can stop asking me questions and focus on the traps instead!" Shore announced, with a hint of sarcasm to his voice.

Fatespeaker chuckled. "Annoying him is fun," she whispered to Starflight.

Starflight laughed quietly. "It's better than being annoyed by him."

"What did I just hear?" Shore asked threateningly. 

"N- nothing!" Starflight responded, stuttering while trying not to laugh aloud.

Wow, I haven't actually laughed since we entered this tunnel. It feels weird. Almost... unsettling...

Are we going insane from being in here so long? Is there even a real way to get out of this tunnel?

The smile on Fatespeaker's face dropped as quickly as it had came, and she stopped laughing.

Starflight noticed the absence of Fatespeaker's voice after a while, and his smile dropped as well.

"Is something wrong?" Starflight asked Fatespeaker gently. "I noticed you stopped laughing."

"I'll be alright, Starflight." Fatespeaker muttered quietly.

At this point, I don't know if I'm trying to convince Starflight that I'm ok or if I'm trying to convince myself-

"You don't seem alright," Starflight replied. "I mean, no offense, but you stopped laughing really suddenly. It didn't seem normal."

"Yeah, well, this whole situation isn't normal." Fatespeaker sighed.

"I understand." Starflight whispered.

The two kept walking along, their fear and sadness increasing the farther they went in.