Chapter 13: New Developments

They awoke in their beds, and immediately converged to the living room. Mosor asked the hard question first, "Was that all a dream?"

Simply a midnight maundering? That was the hope, but no, Vanos shook his head as he read the diary. "It says here Dependability. That, and I have this."

He held up the goblet of winds they took from Lantorn. This meant she now had two treasures, and they had only one treasure left. They were losing the war. At least they had this.

"Now what?" Vanos asked. "Are we keeping this safe until something happens? Until eternity passes?"

Kyofi said, "We've been on the proactive for a while now. It's about time we step down, and let Lhyna resolve this on her own."

"We've been collecting for Lhyna," Mosor said. "Now we know she's kinda crazy herself. We're stuck between a rock and a hard place if two powerful beings are vying for these artifacts."

"Lhyna had them originally," Vanos said. "She scattered them for a reason. We need to know what's going on, and why she's trying to collect them again."

Kyofi said, "She might not remember where she buried them. Like, you know, maybe she has a different side of herself? Call me crazy, but I'm supposing, when you're talking about a goddess of the moon, wouldn't it make sense if she changes?"

"Not at all," Vanos concurred. "It's rather common that Ascended tend to have different forms. Usually they don't change personalities, but there's a first for everything."

Ahmond asked, "Does that mean Lhyna might be good? Then she kinda wanes into being not that good?"

"That's exactly where we're getting at," Kyofi said. She stared down the bannister at the living room below. "Not that we should put these treasures back in her hands."

Mosor said, "She was only evil when inside our dreams. Then we factor in changing of the moon itself. We're in the middle of the month, meaning she's going into dark moon status." Dark moon meaning a new moon.

Ahmond said, "Well she has to be a good guy in some way? Or else she wouldn't allow us to unlock all these treasures with our good traits." Kyofi nodded.

Vanos said, "What if she's seeking traits she needs from us? Lost empathy, lost willpower, lost dependability, what do you have then? Paranoia, hatred for others, zero motivation to continue on."

"Willpower is probably bottom of the barrel," Mosor said. "You start with needing the will to move forward. Then you need others to depend on you, then you need others you feel for."

Kyofi said, "Or, you need empathy to get dependable as you don't feel like making anyone upset. Then that empathy wills you forward."

Ahmond said, "Good we've figured it out. Do you think we can keep unlocking new worlds with our powers?"

Vanos said, "That's an interesting point. Already we unlocked two worlds with these vines, maybe you two have your own individual worlds you never opened up?"

Ahmond and Mosor stared at each other. Willpower sent them to the moon, and all three sent them to a pocket dimension.

"I don't feel like taking chances," Mosor said. "I get a feeling like Lantorn and I won't have much choice except go on a collision course again."

"Let's stay low for a few days," Kyofi said. "It's gonna be a long night. Or was a long night. It's still night. Couple hours left." Dawn hadn't broken yet. It would soon. The past few days' stress caught up to them.

*

It had been several days. Roughly day thirteen into their adventure, and only seventeen until the end of the month.

Vanos, standing behind the counter, waited for any arrival. That's when Mynt stepped in. Kyofi jumped in front of her growling.

"You have a lot of nerve showing your face around here," Vanos said as he stared at his older sister. The pink wolf offered cool composure, staying put.

"I need you to know that I've left a certain someone, actually." She rolled forward a dark blue gem they immediately recognized. Mosor ran over and snatched it, before Mynt could take it back.

Vanos said, "You brought back the Gem of Storms, but why?" Never give her an inch, she might be a double agent.

Mynt looked down. "I didn't mean to cause you any pain. My employers had been quite questionable in character. I left without warning."

"Are you on our side then?" Mosor asked. "What did you tell the rest of our family about the Ahmond situation?"

"I told them Ahmond is in fine hands, and they should be proud of their daughter. Does that work for you?" she asked, almost teasingly. Mosor growled and Mynt returned a laugh.

Vanos said, "I guess that's good. You're on probation definitely, and we don't feel like seeing you again anytime soon. How about you go on?" He waved his paw at her like she were a fly. "Go away."

Mynt said, "I think you may like to know more information about the books. You've only uncovered half the mystery."

Kyofi said, "I doubt Lantorn told you everything, she was probably busy using you. If you think for one second that we think you're privy on something, you're definitely hitting the punch too hard."

Vanos said, "You're the one who hits the fruit punch too hard, Kyofi. Who even gets drinks from a ice cream shop?"

Mosor said, "I once proposed a milkshake sorta thing. I think that it looked and tasted quite good, wouldn't you say?"

Vanos said, "I wouldn't, because it lost to my idea. For obvious reasons, because no one gets drinks from an ice cream shop."

Mynt shouted, "Can you guys stop talking over me, and start listening!? I don't know how much you already know, but I know what I can tell you."

Vanos said, "Shoot." He sat down, figuring it wouldn't hurt to listen.

"Don't trust any of her misinformation," Kyofi warned, but allowed Mynt to continue speaking, still eyeing her suspiciously.

Mynt said, "Alright, basically, the Goddess Dragon of Lightning created a sword. All the Dragons did, and they scattered them across the worlds. Lhyna found the sword, and shattered it into three pieces which she scattered across her domains."

"Wysdom, the moon, and a pocket dimension where we'll never find it," Mosor said, nodding.

Vanos said, "Alright, you're expecting us to believe that the Creator of Lightning has to do with this?"

Mynt said, "It sounds hard to think of, but yes. These three pieces are the three treasures. You can combine them into the sword, and once the sword is completed, you have control over lightning magic."

Kyofi said, "Sounds like a good perk. Then your leader must need that because it would make her powerful."

"Try godlike," Mynt said. "You can easily take on an Ascended with that power. Lhyna made sure that only those with three major qualities can hold the individual parts. The willpower to not use the sword, the empathy to understand why, and the dependability to protect the sword."

"I thought they were three virtues that went together," Mosor said. "Three that were important to her in some way?"

"They are," Vanos said. "They're important in that she thought they'd be important to protecting the sword. Seems like she's placed the book in a few wrong hands."

Mynt said, "There are several books, yes. Problems being that simply having one good trait won't make you a good person. Therefore, that's why it's supposed to be teams of three, that way one person stops the others. You can tell that doesn't work out if someone grooms the other two."

Vanos said, "Glad we didn't get the treasures and sell them. Now we've got two treasures, and no idea on what to do with them."

Kyofi said, "We could become gods." An eerie silence entered the room like a phantom and stole everyone's voices. It was time to consider the options...

Vanos felt tantalized by the offer inwardly. The idea of being a god intrigued anybody. To flash around lightning with absolute mastery, and to shine the way. It'd be a way to protect everybody. It'd be a way to stave off Lantorn. It wasn't right. It was corrupting. He said finally, "I think we shouldn't do it."

Mosor said, "I second that. We can't use this power. We shouldn't let anybody with that power. All of us should bury the treasures somewhere, and not tell the others."

"Why not tell the others?" Kyofi asked as she stared at Mosor. "Are you saying you think we'd dig them up later?"

Mosor said, "Well, yes. Someone could read our minds too, and then they find all the treasures that way."

Vanos said, "Different suggestion instead of godhood or burying them. What about simply keeping the treasures safe somewhere, in a vault? Make sure one of us knows the location, and one of us knows the passcode, that way no one stumbles on it."

"We're not much for big safes besides the one keeping the cash," Kyofi said. "Then again, could always stuff the treasures in that."

Mynt said, "If I'm still an outsider, you can ask me to leave you know." A collective stare speared into Mynt and she backed out the door. Not much left to do.

"Time I choose my own path." Mynt walked away, knowing all that was left was for her to walk away.

She wandered for a few miles. Traveled down to the train station. The giant machines bustled and blared.

Steam vented from the tops and formed a thick air, and Mynt could only think of her next destination. "Time I go back home, right?" She asked herself a question no one would answer but her. She knew the right thing to do would be to head back home, but instead, she thought of her options. Her family needed her.

Maybe the family needed family. That letter she sent told one version of reality, paved in diamonds and glitter. Truth was harsh, like paper erased with pink rubber. It wouldn't look pretty, only a disturbed mess with a splash of vanity. Going home and coming back would take two days by train.

"We'll be seeing each other in a few days," she told mentally to her family. She purchased the tickets and sat in the benches outside the station. "It's time to assemble an ice cream family reunion. As I should."

The train rolled into station, and Mynt boarded. It's horn screamed out and the locomotive took off, towards the sunset.

***

It was moonrise that occupied Mosor. She couldn't fall asleep in her bed. Not because of any annoying moonlight going into her eyes. Nor was it because of the snoring from Vanos. It was the thoughts of the power.

To be a god. To control lightning. Many magic users existed in Voto or its twin planet Vytyl. Many magic users lived in Wysdom. None of her family had ever had the time or money or lineage to harness and learn magic. A talent nonexistent.

Controlling lightning meant controlling lightning. It meant controlling wind, and the power of storms. That lightning would easily reduce the electricity bill to zero. Could help the business, and her children would be rich enough to afford to learn magic. A magic that anybody could possess.

"Is this how power gets to us?"

Vanos stirred in his sleep, and mumbled, "Mosor, shut up." She got up from the floor, and shook him awake. He growled, but woke up. Then slapped Mosor on the head to shut her up.

"Bed, now," he said.

Mosor opened her mouth again, but he slapped her again. She growled back at him, and settled down, knowing tonight meant a new path in their destinies. A path not necessarily good for others, but good for them.

Then her empathy kicked in. Would this be the greatest for her family? If Vanos woke up, she'd ask his thoughts on it. She wasn't sure it would help everybody. The hunters could chase them. Someone more deserving might be chasing after the same goal.

Maddening prospects versus terrifying conclusions. Which was right? Could anybody bother to know? Only one entity, and she was still in the night sky, Lhyna.

*

Lhyna fought with herself. Literally. She was in an altercation on the moon with herself, not that anyone could tell the difference of the two. One had a yellower coat, while one was glowing white, but that was it.

"I can't let you get away with what you're doing!" the Yellow told White, who was pinning her down.

"There's no mercy left in my heart. It's time I take over. Let's the dark side of the moon come and get down."

Yellow bucked white off with two feet in the gut. She sprung to her feet, and shot a Flashbang at White. White kicked the orb of light back. It blew up and Yellow blasted away into a rock.

She grunted as her side collided against the wall. Yellow struggled back up, only for White to jump into her. The space stone cracked as Yellow could barely regain breath.

White straddled her back and bit down on the back of her neck. "You and I both know you need those treasures back."

Yellow growled and kicked off the space stone, forcing both onto their sides. Impact caused a bit of separation between the two. Yellow stumbled away from her counterpart.

"Where are you going?" White shot several pink threads at various rocks. They rose in the air before, with a flick of her wrist, they shot down.

Yellow's eyes widened and she dodged the hail of rocks. None bigger than meteorites, and still caused miniature explosions on the moon's surface, summoning craters, and kicking up debris. White couldn't see far ahead.

White tackled her back again. Flipped her over. Spread her arms and went for a throat bite now.

Yellow's eyes widened as her counterpart bit into her throat. Her eyes caught sight of a rock. Grabbed it. Bashed in White's muzzle with it.

It caused separation. Yellow returned White's favors, giving a comeuppance by biting her throat.

Yellow kept White pinned, trying to rip out some of her soul. The winner would take over the main vessel. Only needed to win this fight.

The White disappeared, shattering into thousands of pieces. Only a mirage, a type of light magic.

The illusionary construct deterred Yellow. She crawled forward, exhaustion in every part of her movement. Sweat streamed down her body, stinging at the many scars accumulated. Until White ran at her again.

White went for the final throat grab and shoved her into the rough, rocky moon, ripping her apart.

Yellow shattered into a million pieces. White jumped back, only to get her ankle bit by Yellow.

Two could play at that game apparently. Yellow twisted around, and got White into an ankle lock. White kicked back at Yellow's face, forcing disengagement. For a final time, White used pink threads to magic up a boulder.

"Good night," White said as she smashed the boulder down. Her telekinetic prowess unmatched, that surely ended the fight. Moondust rose up, preventing White from truly seeing a winner in the match up.

Soon as the dust faded, she saw the particles of yellow. A second mirage, apparently. She twisted around to see Yellow coming at her.

Crafty, White admitted mentally. She jumped over Yellow. With less gravity, that jump allowed her to reach a distant cliff. Yellow came at her again, but White received her and flipped both over, off the cliff.

They elegantly turned over, and landed on two platforms. Between the platforms, sharp rocks that could pierce either one to death.

"It seems we've reached an impasse," White said. "Or perhaps, only one of us can go back to Voto." She stared at the distant planet, and pretended to hold it in her hand. "I could teleport away."

"Only both of us together have that magic," Yellow said. It required insane amounts of magic energy to pull that trip off.

"That's right," White said. "Who says I need to include you?" She held up a gem, and Yellow didn't recognize it.

No chances to take, and Yellow jumped at White who threw a simply ruby at her head. Yellow blinked and fell into the spiked abyss below.

White stood over the cliff and absorbed Yellow's soul with a grin and a wink. "Who said I didn't need to include you?" Yellow figured White had a magic gem full of Psychic energy. Nah, White punked her out.

White said, "I'm the new Lhyna. The Nightmare Bringer instead of some benevolent deity. Time I bring everyone what they need to hear."