-Two weeks before Ascension Night-

==Prunea prepare for the Big Night.

It was a mostly normal night for the clade with everyone hanging out at sometroll's hive but a palpable tension was running through the group they were waiting on the last troll in the clade to come out of their first adult molt, so everytroll is clustered in Helker's hive. This is the first of two molts that all trolls go through when they become adults at 8 sweeps old. This molt determines things like height, any final mutations that haven't developed yet, the final strength and boosting of any powers, and kicks off the start of eye color filling in. The next molt doesn't happen until 9 sweeps and focuses more the final development on reproductive parts and the pheromones needed to fill buckets to make grubs. Of course Prunea already knows this and is just stating it in their head because they are nervous about their friend who is a little bit late coming out of their molt and if something is going to go wrong during a molt it will be this molt.

They need something to do anything right now just not to focus on how their friend is late. "Seskis, we sent in the request form for Helker to the Grand Narrator right? Cause there is no way the Grand will allow a non-faithful to live on planet without having paperwork in as soon as possible!"

"Yes sugar,"

"And and my papers are in right? And Doskaa's and Cospix's and-"

"YES" came the chorus from the other trolls as they all sat on the floor of Helker's respite block staring at the lime-tinted mass in the corner. Even Cospix spoke above a whisper which is a rare sound. Eventually Seskis pulled them into her lap shooshing them stroking their face careful of the paint. Finally they relax melting into their moirail's lap reluctantly still pouting. Once they had mostly calmed down Cospix pulled out their portable husktop pulling up the clade's paperwork tab.

Getting Prunea's attention he handed the husktop to them. On the screen showed a list of document name's with little green checkmarks next to all but the very last one titled "Helker 1st Molt Confirmation"

"-see we wait for Helker now" He signs to them "-later after molt we send to empire only need final stats"

Prunea clicks a worried but affirmative noise at Cospix just as a cracking sound comes from the lump in the corner. They squeal wriggling from their moirail's arms. Bouncing in front of the cocoon they make encouraging chirps and clicks letting their clade member it's safe, a hold-over from before trolls became civilized, with everytroll else joining though from a bit farther back. As the crack widens Prunea steps back allowing Doskaa and Xedzia take their placex.

"Oh Seskis! It's finally happening!" they squeal "He's late! I was so worried"

Finally a darker gray arm poked out covered in bright green slime. Doskaa and Xedzia careful grabbed the arm and allowed themselves to be used as leverage. Finally their friend was standing in front of them tall and lanky, his blunt boxy horns standing tall. Doskaa and Xedzia quickly cover him up in large fluffy absorbtionplane before shuffling him off to wash as everyone else heads to the meal preparation block to fix up food.

Once heaps of cluck-beast eggs were being place on the table the three missing clade members entered the meal block. Helker now stood a few inches shorter than Xedzia now, much to Doskaa's obvious dismay, though Prunea didn't much care having always been extremely small for a purple-blood. Popping up from their spot at the table they ran over to Helker throwing themself at him.

"HELKER!" They chirped, "Oh messiah's you grew so tall! You're almost as tall as Xedzia now! And you're skin-spots are glowing! That's so cool I heard only sea-dwellers skin-spots glow."

He grins catching his friend "Yup I did grow pretty tall huh? Let's fill out the last of the paperwork so I can eat." Quickly the Cospix starts firing the post-molt questions as the other consumed his food, if they happen to be a little extra snarky and growly with each other well everytroll else just giggles at the exchange. Finally after standard paperwork the entire clade moved to the entertainment block and collapsed into a cuddle pile.

"So two weeks huh?" Helker asks

"Yeah we're almost headed off planet." Cospix replies in his usual whisper

"Well at least we can visit, I mean I want to head off planet but I'll miss it here." Xedzia adds

"I wonder what the church will be like." Seskis says

"I wonder what the ascension ceremony will be like. I hear that the entire clade of the Empresses will be there!" Prunea wonders

"Me too! I saw on Chitter that their clade is the largest in the entire empire and they found each other because of defeating Her." Doskaa

"At least we're staying together, we're all going to the church!"

"Didn't they used to break up clades unless they were of the same blood color?"

"Yeah back before we were hatched back when the hemocaste was used for everything. Her Imperial Advancer and Her Imperial Observer changed that though. Most of their clade lives in the palace even though they travel around doing their jobs through the empire. And the ENTIRE hemospectrum is represented." Helker responds

"You really know everything, huh Helker?"

"Not really, it was in the school-feeding course for history" He replies

Suddenly everytroll's palmhuks pinged with an incoming message. Looking down they realized it was an official notification from the Ascension office.

"I'm scared to look! Seskis you read it first!" Prunea looks to their moirail pleadingly. Seskis breaks down easily opening the message before taking a deep breath and begins shakily.

"Dear Seskis Udjuze, We are pleased to inform you that you and your clade will be going to planet C-0413 colloquially known as Church of the Mirthful Messiah's on this upcoming Ascension Night. You and your clade are expected to arrive at the Ocean Dock Center no later than 9:30 at night on Ascension Night where you will proceed to docking bay 0612 to board the ship to take you to the Ascension Ceremony. You are expected to have all belonging with you and properly marked with your Hatchname, Sign, and your planet or ship assignment as to minimize loss of said belongings. After there ceremony you will me directed to the docking bay assigned to the ship that will take you to your new home. Congratulations on your Ascension. Her Imperial Observer, Feferi Pexies and Her Imperial Advancer Roxxie Lalnde."

"It said clan does that mean Helker and Doskaa are coming with us?"Prunea whips around to look at the two in question. "Are you?"

Helker rolls his eyes and pulls out his palmhusk. "Dear Helker Eizliz blah blah you and your clade will be going to planet C-0413 blah blah blah even though you are not part of the church your petition to live on planet C-0413 has been accepted as to not separate you from your clade blah blah blah You have also been recruited to work for the animationterrorist company Studio Ghastly you will receive information about training after the initial settling period blah blah blah Congratulations on your Ascension, Her Imperial Observer Feferi Pexies Her Imperial Advancer Roxxie Lalnde and ….. The Grand Narrator Gamzee Makara!"

Into the stunned silence Cospix whispers "Thats some real fucking miracles right there, we're purple faithfuls and not even we had our letters signed by The Grand. Congrats little lime"