Well hello there
Yeah, I think I'm back, at least for a little while - I've grown oddly attached to this fic and had a load of ideas for chapters lately so... here I am again
Sorry once more for how long I've been gone, but I hope this chapter is okay.
On another note, the GCSE exams start next week, so I likely won't be able to get anything out for a month or two after this chapter.
With a huff, Xero lets its snarl fade, ducking its head. Luna stands taller at the sight, turning her head back to nod at her company. She then steps forward, forehead pressing against Xero's for a few seconds, before she pulls back and, with a nod of their own, Xero dashes off into the shade once more.
"This way."
Grass crunches and swishes with each step the group take, the ninja barely daring to breathe too loud in the tranquil quiet. The occasional body starts to take form before noticing the humans and promptly retreating, and Cole sends up an eyebrow before Kai snaps.
"Okay, explain. What's the deal here?" Luna stops still, eyes narrow at the fire master's outburst.
"What do you mean about us being the ones to 'save your world'?" Nya chimes in, pointedly ignoring Luna's clear anger. "You never mentioned any of that before."
"Is that why we're here?" Zane's voice is just as calm and calculated as usual, and it feels almost unsettling in the context.
"Silence!"
The air ripples as Luna's voice floods their minds, huffing deeply. A low growl burns in her throat.
"Do you want to doom us all before we've even had a chance?"
Nature's saving grace appears in the unlikely form of Xero, the tension shattering unexpectedly. They nod to the wolf, whose ears prick back up, that same unusual grin overtaking her snout again.
"Now, I will explain everything if you will all be patient and follow me. For now, I think it may be time to pay my dear sister a visit."
The walk takes a fair while, the minutes slipping away like sand in an hourglass. The same vision of trees and shadows repeats endlessly, like trying to walk beyond the world's bounds in a video game.
Luna eventually brings herself and the group to a halt, casting an anxious glance to her right to find Xero, their expression set firm. Jay finds himself wondering how they can find their way around with such ease even with their eyes still closed.
With a reaffirming nod from Xero and a deep breath, Luna keeps walking but at a slower pace, head down slightly. Xero is close behind her, standing tall and proud, like some obscure breed of guard dog.
Zane gently nudges Cole with his elbow, gesturing down to the ground, where Pixal kneels. Before the earth ninja can speak though, the line of sticks and rocks along the grass catches his eye. On each side, lines of mushrooms and flowers run parallel. Hesitantly, the group continue on, feigning ignorance while keeping on guard. The other side of the line is just as eerily quiet and deserted as the first, not a single soul in sight.
However, this new space is built completely differently. In front of the ninja, right in the middle of this half of the forest, is a giant rocky structure, smothered in iridescent green vines and leaves, the sunlight bouncing off it in each direction to illuminate the surrounding area. The canopy leaves are thinner, the sun above beating through more noticeably. A gentle breeze blows through, and tiny flowers of all kinds sway between the vines and grass.
Luna's path is set like a prophecy, and the group end up at the base of the stairs built into the giant rock. The top has a hollowed out, circular den, brightened by dimly shining crystals in the walls and glistening golden-white vines against the stone. Two little outcrops guard the main entrance, on which sit two wolves, one a light grey with maroon markings, the other a darker shade with granite grey and similar dark red patterns. They stand in unison, eyes laser focused on the ninja before Luna forces their attention back on her. A few minutes of deathly silence and intense stares pass before the wolves sigh, exchanging quick but resigned glances, before they return to their posts. Luna looks back at the group and surges on, her head bowing when she passes into the den. Inside is surprisingly spacious, easily leaving enough space for the ninja. Xero leaps over the ninja with ease, expression firm when he looks back at them.
"You all stay here."
In the centre of the den is a circle of bright green leaves, a trail of them leading up to a pedestal at the back of the room. Atop it rests a curled up pale form, back turned to the entrance, gently snoozing in the warm light.
Its head lifts slowly at the sound of the leaves in the room rustling with each of Luna's steps, and the figure sits up before opening its eyes. Almost immediately, its gaze fills with rage and distaste.
"Luna."
"Tíra, dear sister."
"What business do you seek here?"
Tíra's eyes narrow a fraction further with each second Luna spends in her vicinity, an air of hostility quickly settling. Xero's fur threatens to spike up, a growl starting to build.
"I bring with me our potential saviours. The ancient texts point to them, without a doubt."
Tíra lets out an exhausted bark of laughter as she stands, the fur on her long cream-coloured legs rippling. It blends effortlessly with the sporadic grape purple and sky blue patches across her back and hind legs. Her bright green eyes roll with clear irritation.
"The sooner you grow up and forget about those silly little stories, the better off we'll all be. Our world is not doomed, Luna. Those texts are all full of fairy tales, nothing more. Your paranoia and naïveté have always made you hold them as gospel. I always thought you would grow out of this..."
"It's not my fault you're in denial!" Luna's defiance sparks outrage in her sister's eyes, and she leaps down from her stand to land firmly in front of her, noses barely an inch apart. Xero leans forward, claws and fangs bared, ready to protect Luna at a moment's notice.
"Get out."
"But-!"
"No. Get out."
Xero nudges Luna's hind leg with their shoulder, a pleading look on their face. They gently shake their head, and Luna sighs in resignation, turning with her tail between her legs. Xero trails a few paces behind her, Tíra not too far behind, seeing them out.
The second her long snout and narrow, piercing green eyes poke out from within the den, she leaps forward, a barked out roar tearing from her lips as she pins her sister down by the neck against the ground. The two wolves on guard stand to attention, blocking Xero from getting to the conflict.
"Traitor!"
"How many times will I have to tell someone this? They are the ones!"
Tíra bats her sister's forehead with a sharp swipe of her paw, stepping away from her with a furious huff.
"Take them, and leave. Don't bother coming back."
Honestly I have no idea how to end this chapter, so I'm just gonna cut it off here before I end up rambling for two thousand words and another chapter's worth of story. I don't wanna just info-dump about the world and lore of the shapeshifters and the Sanctum for my return and leave a bunch of questions unanswered.
Anyway, as I said before, the final exams start next week, on my birthday no less, but thankfully I don't have one on that day, so I likely won't be able to make another chapter for a while in between revision, exams, and my other stuff going on.
I'll probably try to get a chapter or something uploaded as a celebration for it, but currently there are no promises since I have no idea what I would even write about-
Anyway, hope this chapter is okay, and I hope to see y'all again in about two months...
-XeroZero