Beneath the Dark Crystal

Chapter 25

The doors to Kira and Jen's bedroom pound and break. The guards hold their shields up high and ready their weapons to protect their Elders.

skekUng throws a large stone at the doors, laughing when they finally open. "Ha! No where to run gelfling!"

The skeksis stop in their tracks and hold their heads in pain as their counterparts sing and chant louder and louder.

"Ohh! That awful noise!" skekEkt whimpers.

"Feel it in my bones!" skekAyuk exclaims.

skekUng growls lowly, shouting, "Rotten worm chanting! Stop that!"

But the mystics do not stop. They continue to chant and sing in another private room, sensing another Great Conjunction.

~

Mavra pants while looking around the large well of fire that Thurma had taken them to. "Hey ... I remember this place! You were here when you were just a baby, right?"

Thurma nods while slowing down her pace so her friends could catch up.

Kensho takes a long look at the well in awe. "What is it?"

"The wishing well. When I was little we threw shiny stones down there and we made wishes. The ledgends say the first flame rose up--right there--long, long ago," Thurma explains, turning towards them with the shard held tightly in her grasp, "But we're not here for the Well. That same flame's nearly out. And it's up to us to bring it back."

She inspects the shard closely while running her fingers down the indents made in it. Mavra looks over at the tall and skinny geysers standing all around and near the giant Well. "Hm. Well, what are those?" She asks, pointing to one.

Thurma turns to where she's pointing and smiles a little, walking over to it.

"That's what we're looking for. It's called a gas geyser. Or ... grandfather rock blowing kisses, if you believe in the tale. They erupt once every day straight towards our mother sun," She explains once again, pointing up towards the large black sun in the yellow sky.

Thurma frowns and looks back at the shard. " 'Only a sliver of the Great Light--the Great power of the outer sphere--can reignite the inner fire'," Thurma quotes, strutting up to the gas geyser with determination written on her face. "It's too late for my mother. Too late for a lot of my people. But not too late to save my world." She places the shard inside the geyser gently and steps back with the other two, waiting for it to launch into her mother sun.

~

Thra rumbles and shakes with great intensity as the brother suns start to slowly collide together. The castle starts to break and crack in every corner, the mystics smiling in rejoice as they continue their chant.

Aughra looks out towards the brother suns and gasps. "Impossible. A great conjunction comes! Hmph! When single shines the triple suns! Huurhm! Alignment change! No signs! No warnings! No portents! Huh! How could--" She cuts herself off, listening to the continuous humming and singing before opening her eye widely.

"The mystics?"

KA-RAAACK!

The castle completely breaks apart and pieces of it float in the air, some carrying the skeksis high above and away from the gelfling and pilgrims. The most shocking was the large, Dark Crystal that floated high above its pedestal of junk and shined brightly upon the suns.

"The castle!" skekShod exclaimed.

"Turned! Turned inside out!" skekNa shouts afterwards.

skekUng glares deeply at the gelfling below while pointing. "Worm magic! Filthy gelfling tricks! Kill them!"