Hidden Powers

Ethereal

The End dimension was way less interesting than the tiny piece they traveled through. Zedaph's portal had landed them on a tiny floating island, made up of the endstone they didn't really like. Powder from the stones crunched under their feet as they landed.

"Well, where to?" Tango asked, dusting off the grayish yellow powder from his wings. He stood out like a sore thumb in the black and purple environment. Xisuma blended in so much that if you looked away, it would be hard to find it again.

"I expect that big island over there." Xisuma pointed at the blankness of the void.

"I can't see anything." Tango squinted in the direction Xisuma had pointed. If Tango couldn't see it, no one could.

Mumbo looked at Xisuma with apprehension. Was the admin feeling okay?

"I'm fine, I think the stone is telling me there is an invisible island in that direction. I'll go scout it out." Xiusma prepared for flight.

"I'm coming with." Grian put a hand on Xisuma's shoulder, making him freeze. Xisuma opened his mouth to protest when Grian interrupted. "I had the void stone at one point, remember? I'll be fine. Plus you shouldn't be out here alone."

Xisuma reluctantly agreed to let Grian follow him, and soon he was gliding off on his purple wings. Mumbo watched as they became smaller and smaller specks in the blackness until they vanished from sight. A quick glance at Tango confirmed that he couldn't see them either.

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Grian followed Xisuma closely behind as they flew away from the tiny island. Xisuma seemed to know where he was going, because he continued to gliding in the same direction. Grian was about to ask Xisuma to turn back when he felt a strange sensation take over his body.

The tingling subsided just as quickly as it had come, and a giant end island loomed into view.

"How?" Grian asked as they landed on the surface.

"The end is a strange place." Xisuma's periwinkle eyes twinkled. He took off his helmet and gulped in the air. "I missed this air."

Grian didn't quite understand what Xisuma liked about the air. It stung his lungs slightly and had an acid feel.

"Welcome Grian and Xisuma," a merry voice twinkled from behind them. Grian and Xisuma spun around to find a glowing female figure clothed in a white dress.

"Who are you?" Xisuma asked.

"I am Etherial, guider of the stones."

"Why weren't you here before?" Grian pulled at one of his feathers.

"I am here to deliver a message." She replied opening both arms to her sides. "You seek the end stone, thinking you are almost to your goal. But I must warn you, the darkness cannot be defeated without the seventh stone."

Grian and Xisuma glanced at each other, each of them thinking the same thought. Seventh stone?

"How do we find the stone?" Grian shuffled and worried that this mission just became next to impossible.

The woman smiled and her eyes glazed over slightly. "One of you has the stone, but to reveal itself is untold. You must find your mortal enemy and trust him three-fold. To break free the bondage, find the other self within the wreakage. Where worlds meet, the mortals keep, the stone of light away from blight."

With those words her eyes stopped being glazed over and she gave them a final piece of advice. "The end stone is beneath you." She vanished leaving a small stack of chorus fruit.