Double Rainbow

Spritz-6

"Welcome." echoes a voice.

I open my eyes. All around me is light, pure and powerful. I breathe heavily, drinking in its sweet essence.

Torch is the first to get up, but he has flickering light on his head too. Not light, I realize, a flame. A blazing fire adorns his head, and mine is light too, but not the same light. I see a reflection of myself on the ground below, like I'm walking on a mirror. I have a glowing trident on my head. Avery looks largely the same, but she has a sharp white horn like a unicorn's coming out from between the curls of the fluffy fur on her head. She blinks and feels it with her wings. "It's real." she says finally. She turns to look at a being of pure light. "Am I dreaming?"

"I guess you could call it that." the light being says. "I should introduce myself. I have no name, at least not in your language. It can only be pronounced in Ancient Dreamlandian, to translate roughly, or as we call it, Veralinglossa. I am what you call a Unknown Canira."

"From the legends?" Avery asks.

"Yes, little one. Do you recall the legend about the stardust?" The Unknown Canira asks in a condescending tone.

"Well, three Canira had to collect stardust so Verhamera could make PPS, right? Something like that. Then PPS defeated the Obsidians." Avery looks up at the light being, transfixed as she says it.

"Yes. Well, I am sorry to tell you that another war is upon us. You three are the only ones who can stop it. You have the qualities of the three ancient heroes, the Imperial Three-"

She points to me, "Leadership-"

Then to Avery, "Love-"

Finally Torch, "And Determination."

We all gaze on at her for a while, and then I burst out laughing. "You have no idea who you're talking to, do you?"

She looks unamused. "I know everything about you. I've been watching you and your kin since the original Three were born."

"Okay, not to disappoint you, but I'm no leader. I just stepped up because of Snow Hare... and... she's gone." I say, suddenly somber.

"I don't embody love! Plus, if I'm going to stop a war, I should be able to fight, which I'm kind of really bad at!" Avery bursts out.

"I honestly don't think I'm worthy of this honor." Torch says, "I've never done anything spectacular."

The Unknown Canira watches us with amusement. "Alas, you are all very wrong. You do show your qualities, even if you do not believe it yourself. Listen, there is a sign coming. I will say no more, because your destinies are yours and yours alone."

All the light draws in to her, her head up, mouth open in trancelike intensity, and her eyes glowing. The light flashes for a second, and she's gone and the three of us are back at our willow tree.

"Was it... all a dream?" I say.

I reach my paw to my head. Where there would usually be skin is pure, hard metal- a golden trident.