Crystallized Dreams

Chapter 12: A Story from the Professor

About forty-five minutes later, Professor Palladium's class ended for the day and the students were dismissed. Katie was with Nicole, the two of them about to walk off to their next class when the professor called Katie back into the classroom. She and Nicole said their goodbyes to each other before Katie stepped back inside the room.

"You, uhh, wanted to speak to me?" She asked, trying to keep her fear bottle up inside.

"Yes," he replied, levitating a chair from one of the desks over to his desk. "Have a seat."

Katie nervously did so and waited for the professor to speak. After what seemed like forever, he folded his hands on his desk and began to speak. "Do you want me to tell you a secret?"

Not knowing if she should reply or not, Katie nodded slowly.

"Alright. So has anyone informed you about your home planet Crystallia?"

"Not really. Other than a coronation story, I have no idea what's the big deal about Crystallia."

"Then it's time I share with you something that has been kept secret for many, many years," Professor Palladium said and Katie braced herself for a long, long story.

"After Elvira's outrage at Queen Sylvine's coronation was cleared up, things on Crystallia went back to normal. All went smoothly until Sylvine finally found love. She married a beautiful and kind-hearted man named Alec, which caused an uproar of excitement and absolute joy to the whole kingdom. Eventually the two decided to have a child and it turns out that they ended up with twins instead of just one. And one of those twins... was you.

"But not too long after your birth, things began to get complicated between your parents. They eventually decided to divorce and they sure took their decision to the extreme. Your parents hated each other so much that they each took one of you and left their home planet to live a carefree, non-magical life. In doing so, they left Crystallia without a ruler, and the planet slowly slipped into chaos.

"You see, the kingdom of Crystallia obtained all of its energy from a crystal heart. And inside that crystal heart was the extremely powerful energy known as the Crystal Flames. With no one to protect these flames, the power soon fell into the wrong hands. That was when Crystallia began to suffer the same fate as Domino once did. The people of the planet were turned into mindless monsters made of crystal, and their only purpose was to serve their new ruler. The only survivor on Crystallia of the horrible incident was your aunt, Jemica.

"She was fortunately able to grasp some of what was left of the Crystal Flames and imprison the one behind all the madness and seal the planet off forever. But as a way to get back to Crystallia if hope was ever restored, she used more of the Crystal Flames to create a gateway with many keys that would lead to the planet. But unfortunately, Jemica wasn't able to choose where the gateway would end up. So if she ever wanted to go back, she would have to find it for herself.

"Then, before leaving the planet forever, she used the last of the Crystal Flames' power to erase Crystallia from the minds of all. But... she did spare a few people--such as herself, your parents, and few trustable others who had managed to escape."

Silence....

"But... if she only left Crystallia stay within the minds a few people, why do you know all this?" Katie wondered.

"Because she spared me as well. I do not know exactly why but my guess is that she somehow knew that you and I would be taking to each other like this."

Does that mean she can tell the future? Katie wondered skeptically.

"May I continue on?" the professor asked and Katie nodded in reply.

"So, as I said before, your aunt created a gateway back to Crystallia. Eventually she was able to locate it and went to see it for herself immediately. Upon her arrival, she summoned the gates to the kingdom and proceeded to find out how to open them. She discovered that she needed five gems, which she named 'gateway crystals,' to fully open Crystallia once more."

"That's what those five little holes in that plinth-looking thing were for," Katie realized. "The gateway crystals are supposed to be inserted there! And those paintings there must be the portals to where those crystals are found in!"

"I never got to see the gateway room with my own eyes, but I think that you are correct," Palladium grinned. "Now that you and your brother--the keepers of the Crystal Flames--are grown, hope for Crystallia is alive."