A/N: Hola amigos. I now bring you the 3rd part in the epic Trinity series. Expect this one to take a darker tone later on.
MUSIC NOTE: This story WILL be a musical. All songs are from the Eagles and from some of the individual artists who made up the band . (Henley, Frey, Walsh) Also, lyrics from some of the songs will be slightly altered to fit the story.
PROLOGUE
Darkness filled the halls of the temple, where a lost city awaited the four figures who lurked around in the shadows. A minor crack of light in the distance soon gave way to the trail that would lead them to the front gates. Three of the figures hurried down the copper plated path while the fourth lingered on behind, restrained from those that weighed him down.
"Hey, you guyth!" A lisped voice rang out across the hall. "Quit moving tho fatht! I can't keep up with ya!"
"Yo, doc! Keep movin', will youse!?" Said a squeaky yet gruff voice.
"You try running with all thith crap loaded on your back!"
"I don't run, I sprint!"
"Oh, I thee how it ith! Packing too much fudge, huh?"
"Hey, shut up!"
"You schut up!"
"Gentlemen, please!" An older, more refined voice silenced the other two. "Must you two bicker so much!?"
"Thorry."
"My bad."
"Good." The old man said as he rustled through his belongings. "I think we're here now. Everyone take a flare stick and turn them on."
After a few moments, sparks of red and yellow illuminated the entire hall, where Astral, Bob, the Professor and Dramatik stood in front of a large, circular doorway made entirely of gold. The pictures and markings on the hull confused the men except Astral, who easily translated the entire scripture aloud to his companions.
"It simply says for us to enter at our own risk." The old man explained. "That only those with a key may enter without harm or malice inflicted upon them."
"Well what are we waitin' for!?" Bob hopped on the old man's shoulder. "Let's open up that bad boy!"
"Very well."
Astral reached into his cloak and pulled out the gold key, which still remained at the end of a thin chain. He leaned towards the door and inserted the key into its proper place, gently turning it to the right and awaiting the sound of the gears clicking. A gentle pop almost startled the man but he knew the door was now open. With a heavy sigh of relief, he then pulled away from the door and watched as it rolled over to the left on its own and revealed a shimmering glimpse of hope he and his companions so desperately needed.
"Holy…" Bob's jaw dropped.
"Thun of a…" The Professor gasped.
"Ye Gods!" Dramatik went into another funk. "Never before have mine eyes laid upon such a glorious sight as this! It's as though my soul has been renewed and cleansed much like the pagans of yore. I bow gratefully to its presence and offer my services as--"
"SHUT UP!" They all screamed.
"All right, my friends." Astral stepped forward. "Let's see what's in there."
"In The Long Run"
Twenty years after "Who Do You Love?"
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…Nah, I'm just kidding. It's only one year. :P
Inside a familiar looking airship that stood watch over all of LazyTown, a pink-haired girl got out of bed and quickly hit the showers. When she was done, she headed for one of the wall panels and activated the closet mechanism, where her pink hero outfit awaited her. After slipping it on, she stepped out onto one of the ship's monitor platforms and waited patiently for any type of disturbance that may require her services.
"Well…" She shrugged. "I guess there's nothing to worry ab--"
"HEEELLLLLP!" A familiar voice cried out.
"Uh-huh." The pink-haired girl looked down on the crystal that was blaring on her chest. "Time to go to work."
With a confident nod, the now 17 year old Stephanie front-flipped her way off of the ship and dived straight into action as the pressure of the wind pushed her hair back.
"Sky chaser!" She yelled, releasing the ship's miniature transport vessel.
Stephanie twirled around and managed to hop on the machine, piloting it towards the ground. Once there, she ran across the streets and leapt over a wall then heard the cry again.
"STEPHANIE! HEEELLLP!"
"I'm coming!" She shouted back, heading for the playground.
It was there when she noticed her younger friends, Ritchie and Gloria, were trapped on an out of control merry-go-round. She could see the foundations of the ride were starting to give out as it shot out several nuts and bolts from the platform. Wasting no time, the girl in pink reached for a long, thick rope in her pack and lassoed one end to a tree branch and hurried over with the other end to the ride.
She took advantage of the ride's constant circular motion and used it to wrap the other end of the rope around the handle bars. It was only a matter of time until the pressure of the tree forced the merry-go-round to stop and when it did, Gloria and Ritchie went flying out of their seats.
"Oh no!" Stephanie gasped.
With her quick thinking and agility, Stephanie sprung into the air and caught the two children in her arms and landed them safely on the ground.
"Wow! Thanks, Stephanie!" Ritchie hugged his friend.
"Yeah, thanks!" Gloria did the same.
"No problem, guys." She smiled. "After all, that's what I'm here for!"
"Gee, Steph. You're always doing nice things for us. How can we ever make it up to you?"
"Just be more careful, okay?"
"Sure, Steph!" Ritchie giggle.
"I mean it, guys. Now that it's summer, there's no telling what could happen. But don't worry! Because I'll be looking out for you! For everyone!"
It was then when an upbeat song came into place and Stephanie started to sing to the two young children:
"The heat is on. On the street.
Inside your head. On every beat.
And the beat's so loud. Deep inside.
The pressure's high. Just to stay alive.
'Cause the heat is on."
She then twirled around and tap-danced to the music, entertaining the kids and continuing her song:
"Oh-whoa-ho, Oh-whoa-ho.
Caught up in the action, I'll be looking out for you.
Oh-whoa-ho, Oh-whoa-ho.
Tell me, can you feel it? Tell me, can you feel it? Tell me, can you feel it?
The heat is on. The heat is on-on. The heat is on.
Oh, it's on the street. The heat is--"
CRASH!
BOOM! BANG!
POW!
" On!"
As the music got more festive and exciting, more and more children showed up to dance with their resident hero. Stephanie smiled and led them in a simple dance routine under the blazing sun while her song went on:
"Oh-whoa-ho, oh-whoa-ho.
Caught up in the action, I'll be looking out for you.
Oh-whoa-ho, oh-whoa-ho.
Tell me, can you feel it? Tell me, can you feel it? Tell me, can you feel it?
The heat is on. Yeah! The heat is on-on. The heat is on.
Burning, burning, burning.
It's on the street. Whoo-hoo! The heat is…"
CRASH!
BOOM! BANG! POW!
"On!
The shadows are on the darker side.
Behind those doors, it's a wilder ride.
You can make or break. You can win or lose.
That's a chance you take when the heat's on you.
When the heat is on.
Oh-whoa-ho, oh-whoa-ho.
Caught up in the action, I'll be looking out for you.
Oh-whoa-ho, oh-whoa-ho.
Tell me, can you feel it? Tell me, can you feel it? Tell me, can you feel it?
The heat is on. The heat is on-on. The heat is on.
Burning, burning, burning.
It's on the street. Whoo-hoo! The heat is--"
BRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!!!
"Huh!? What!?" Stephanie awoke in a panic as the ship's alarm clock went off.
"Good morning, Stephanie."
"Hi, computer. What time is it?"
"I'm afraid you overslept again."
"You mean I'm going to be late to class again!?"
Like a bolt of lightning, Stephanie launched herself from bed and into the shower. Afterwards, she entered the closet and slipped on her usual pink outfit and wrapped herself up with her coat and mittens.
"Don't forget your hat."
"Oh, right."
The 17 year old hurried back into the closet for her pink cap then lowered herself to the surface via the Skutla. Contrary to her unusual yet pleasant dream, it was no longer summer but winter. The sun hadn't shown its face around since early October and now all of LazyTown was caked with snow. It didn't bother anyone in particular but the fact that it had been over a year since Sportacus left LazyTown gave everyone a feeling of doubt that he would ever return.
It wasn't that Stephanie was failing as LazyTown's hero; It was that everyone noticed she was working herself too hard juggling between schoolwork and her nightly duties as the town savior. She had been late to class now more than ten times but thankfully, today would be the last day until the next semester started.
"Sorry I'm late, Mrs. McGillicuddy." Stephanie said out of breath as she entered the classroom. "I overslept again."
"Oh, do you hear that!? She overslept again! How nice of you to join us, Meanswell! Please! Take a seat! Would you like a toffee?" The curmudgeonly old teacher said with a breath of fire.
"I said I was sorry."
"Not yet, you're not. Now, class…" The teacher stood in front of the class with a book in hand. "If there are any of you with so much as half a brain, you will read this entire novel and you will write a report about it. Do you understand what I'm throwing at you here!?"
"But Mrs. McGillicuddy!" Ziggy raised his hand. "Tomorrow's the beginning of our Christmas vacation!"
"Yes, I know that. So what?"
As the sugar enthusiast stammered, Trixie raised her hand next. "You can't expect us to finish the entire novel over a couple of--"
"Let me repeat myself. You will read the novel. And you will write a report. If not, your high school lives as well as your future will end up like my 3rd marriage: down the crapper. Understand?"
With a loud gulp, everyone slowly nodded and started reading. After class, the kids wasted no time to leave their teacher's presence except Trixie, who noticed her best friend slumped over her desk.
"Hey, Steph. Wake up." Trixie nudged the girl.
"Trixie?" Stephanie came around, yawning. "Oh no. Tell me I didn't fall asleep again."
"No need. You and I both know what happened. Now come on. We'd better get to our next class."
"Yeah."
When the school day ended, everyone came hurdling out of the building as if they were engaging in the running of the bulls. Loud cheers and screams of joy filled the air as well as bits of torn up paper and abused notebooks. Stephanie simply walked among the crowds of people as her friends caught up with her.
"Hey, Steph." Pixel greeted her. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm just tired." She yawned.
"How long are you going to keep doing this to yourself, Pinky?" Trixie put her arm around her friend.
"Until he comes back."
"It's been over a year now, Steph." Pixel sighed. "I don't think he's ever coming back."
"No way! Don't even say it!" Ziggy shook his head. "Sportacus will come back! He would never abandon us!"
"Ziggy's right." Stingy concurred. "Sportacus would never neglect my well-being or ignore my safety or---"
"Okay, we get the idea!" Trixie bonked him on the head. "Jeez, you think it's all about you."
"You mean it's not!?" He joked.
Trixie ignored the boy and turned back to her pink-haired friend. "Look, the point is that we all want what's best for you. You've got to take better care of yourself, you know? Don't keep pushing yourself over and over because if you do--"
"I know." Stephanie interrupted with a grin. "I'll end up like her."
Stephanie pointed across the field, where Mrs. McGillicuddy hurried along the snow, cursing and swinging a ruler at somebody who obviously wasn't there.
"Defy me, will ya!?" She took a swing at nothingness. "Stand still and fight! Raaaahhh!"
Stephanie and her friends just laughed and continued walking, their arms wrapped around each other. She took another glance at them and felt a warm presence in her heart.
"What would I ever do without you guys?"
Song: "The Heat Is On"