Rushing home

“Well… I guess I’ll see you in a few months, then.” Marana said. As the soft rain hit the sand of the beach Twinkle Star was pretty sure the water on Marana’s face wasn’t just rain. Twinkle Star felt oddly sad, as well. She had grown rather fond of Marana over the last few days.
“Yes… I guess so.” She replied. The Queen’s Crown was resting inside her bag, wrapped in two blankets, but even so Câlin refrained from getting too close to it.

“You know the way, right? You got the map I made for you?” Twinkle Star asked.
“Yes, of course. And I got the letters.” Marana replied, patting her own bag.
 “Good. I hope your journey is pleasant, Marana. Please tell the queen I am truly sorry I cannot visit her right now.”
“I will. Well… goodbye then, Twinkle Star. Goodbye, Câlin.”
“Goodbye.” Câlin said, and Twinkle Star did the same.
Marana turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction. Marana would simply follow the beach, but Twinkle Star and Câlin would leave it as soon as possible.

“We’ll walk until Marana is out of sight Câlin. From then on, we’ll fly as much as we can, even in daylight. We’ll have to be careful, but I want to get home as soon as possible, so I guess I’ll have to take a bigger risk.” Twinkle Star said as soon as she was sure Marana could no longer hear them speak.
They turned around and began to walk. Twinkle Star looked back occasionally, to see Marana advance. She was surprised that she felt hurt, somehow, that Marana was leaving them. She really liked Marana, as far as she had gotten to know her these last few days. She felt she was looking forward to the day marana would meet them at the castle.

They had had to stay a lot longer than Twinkle Star had expected in Marana’s little house, which in the end had made it possible for them to leave at the same time as Marana. Câlin had needed quite a few days to recover, which had made Twinkle Star feel even more concerned about the little girl. But, as far as Twinkle Star could tell now, Câlin had not lost any of her memories. She had questioned her several times, but nothing seemed to be missing.

Except for what happened the moment Câlin had touched the crown. Câlin could not remember anything of what had happened to her what had left her so exhausted, except for some faint feelings and emotions that did not seem to leave her, even now. Twinkle Star got the feeling the girl was more closed now, somehow, as if she was trying to shield herself against another similar situation. She did not talk as much as she used to, which Twinkle Star thought was a shame; she had been so glad Câlin was finally opening up to her. But the sleepy girl that had been lying in that large bed for so long had once again closed herself to the outside world.

But in the end, everything had turned out alright, or at least, so it seemed. Câlin was feeling fine now, and she had assured Twinkle Star several times she was definitely able to travel again. And even though Câlin was more silent than ever now, there was nothing physically wrong with her, as far as Twinkle Star could tell. So they had decided to leave together with Marana. It had been hard, to watch Marana say goodbye to the little house that had been her home for so long, but Marana had decided it was best for her to leave the place behind now.

Twinkle Star could not help but feel guilty over this. She had entered Marana´s live and changed it forever without even considering what it might do to Marana herself. But she had to consider the greater good. The fate of the crown, Marana´s last moments with Medina… she felt these stories had to be brought back to her mother the queen. With or without changing Marana´s life, and Marana had chosen to help her, it had been her decision, in the end, to leave…

`Come, Câlin, make your wings appear. We will fly now.” She told Câlin when the image of Marana had faded into the endless sand of the beach.
Câlin’s little wings immediately appeared on her back, and Twinkle Star made her own shimmering wings appear, too. They both began to run and flapped their wings, which took them into the infinite sky. The ocean looked even deeper and more outstretched from up high, making Twinkle Star wonder briefly what, if anything, was at the other end of the great water.

But she did not have much time to give this a great deal of thought. She decided to head inwards almost immediately, and get back to the main road as fast as possible. Marana had already told her the dunes here were completely deserted, so the chances of them being seen were really slim, and the moment they would get into a more populated area, nightfall would already be upon them.

They soared over the sandy dunes and the small forests, stopping only briefly once an hour to rest their wings. Twinkle Star could not help but wonder why nobody lived in these parts of the continent; it was beautiful and she was sure crops would grow well here. Late in the afternoon they crossed the old bedding of the Fiume river, to Twinkle Star’s surprise. She had not thought they would have already advanced this far.

She decided they would pause there for a moment. She felt drawn to the old bedding, somehow, even if it was only her natural curiosity.
“Why are we stopping here?”  Câlin asked as they descended upon the earth. The sun was shining in the west, already quite low to the earth. High grass grew on the banks of the old river still, as if the holy waters of Fiume was still the source of their lives, somehow. But the water was gone, and the sound of the river waves gone forever from this deserted place. The trees that once stood further away from the river looked dry, with hardly any green leaves even in winter.

“I just… want to be here, for a little while.” Twinkle Star replied when they had finally landed.
She heard Câlin sigh and unpack her bag, but Twinkle star simply took her bag off and put it on the ground. She approached the old river bank, and she noticed how the depths of the old river still looked like the water had left them only a few hours ago. There were no plants growing on the bottom, no grass, nothing. “Fiume…” Twinkle Star whispered softly to the deserted space in front of her.
“If only you were here… I could really use your guidance right now…” she remembered the times when she had met the new river, how it had mysteriously spoken to her, as if it had been truly alive… no, it still was, when she had touched it waters. But without the water…
“The dead cannot speak, right?”

“Maybe they can… if you listen deep enough.” She had not even noticed Câlin had approached her, but the girl was standing next to her now.
“Yes… maybe so, Câlin.” She whispered. Câlin did not say more, but there was no need to talk anymore. A strange silence covered them like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. A peaceful moment before a storm of which she did not know when it would end, or whether it had even started.

Never alone… you are from now on. Don’t forget, princess Twinkle Star of the Friendship Lands.

A few moments passed before Twinkle star realized it had not been Câlin who had spoken to her. The voice had sounded in her mind only, like Câlin’s could, but it was not her. And she had no doubt Câlin had heard it, too.
“You see?” Câlin smiled mysteriously, leaving her no doubt that it had been Fiume who had spoken to her. Maybe, even though the river in front of her had died a long time ago, this was still connected to the spring of which Fiume was born still.
Even so, she asked “How did you…?”
 “I did not. You did.”
It was clear to her that Câlin did not wish to speak any more of this, as the girl went back to her food that she had unpacked earlier.

This had been the deepest contact she had had with Câlin in over five days, and even if that had been all it was Twinkle Star felt glad about it. And if Fiume had really spoken to her… something which she did not doubt even in the debts of her heart, she might not know what she would have to do with his words, but even the fact that the river was still out there, alive, was comforting.

“Are you coming? Dinner. You need it.”  Câlin called from behind, and Twinkle Star knew it was best to do as she said. No good could come of standing there only. She turned her back on the river, and walked to her bag out of which she fetched her own dried seaweeds Marana had given them. She still was not very fond of sea weeds, but she preferred them dried over fresh.
“we will fly on tonight, Câlin. I prefer to rest early in the morning. Darkness is still our best cover.”

She did not tell Câlin that they would travel tomorrow at daylight, as well. She had to hurry home. She would have to bring the crown back to her mother. She did not like traveling with it even a little bit. It felt dangerous, somehow. It was powerful in the hands of those who knew how to use it, and the fact that she was not even sure how to protect it frightened her even more, possibly. No, the crown had to be brought home, quickly… for only there it would be safe.

She was getting tired, so very tired. And not only because her hoofs felt as if they could not carry her further, but because of the silent one that was traveling with her. Of course she carried on. It had been His orders, and she would do as He wished. But her following her, ever silently, made her unable to even think clearly. Her flowing powers were reaching out al the time, blinding her thoughts. She was constantly afraid they would be detected because of this, but her warnings had had no effect. She simply didn’t care… the one following her on His orders.

“When?” A voice suddenly asked, and it took her a while to register that it was her who asked. She did not see her in the darkness that seemed to make the forest close in on them, but she could feel her light all the same.
“When what?” She asked while she stepped over a particularly large tree branch.
“When will we be there?”
“ten, eleven days maybe. I don’t know. Something like that. We must hurry, okay?” She replied annoyed.

But it was not okay, apparently. She stopped walking as she felt the powers getting further and further away from her. Yet she did not say anything. They would be there soon enough and she did not owe her partner any answers whatsoever. He had asked her not to share any information, and she would not. And she knew she did not do it only because He asked her to, even though that would have been a very good reason already. She did not trust her herself, either. For some reason… She had to be careful. She would not risk his wrath, so she kept her in the darkness as much as she possibly could. So she walked on in the dark of the night, under the trees where even the moonlight could not touch them, on her way to the Friendship Lands, where she would wait… until she could take the crown of the Queen to Him, so He could start… and take his revenge, not only upon the living, but also upon the faded Guardians in the heavens.