Epilogue.
Unsolved mysteries...
Moonlight entered to the throne room of her grandmother, and stopped in front of her throne.
He was one of the most beautiful which she ever seen... and she did not think so just because belonged to Nightstorm.
Back of the throne was decorated with a stunning fan of long horns, curved like a Iratus jaw, and between them were spread semi-transparent skin, resembling the blue wings of insects. He was standing on a double podium, on the background a slightly luminous walls.
She always liked to look at him. And her grandmother always caught her on this... just like now, entering to the room by the side entrance, leading to her private chambers.
- About what are you so think? - asked suddenly Nightstorm.
Mo almost jumped, looking at her, clearly surprised by her presence. Mature Queen smiled slightly, amused by her reaction.
- About a certain thing - almost muttered.
- Must be important, since so much preoccupies your mind, that you even did not sensed my presence - she said, standing in front of her. - Well? What is it?
She lowered her gaze for a moment.
- I do not know where to start.
Nightstorm again smiled slightly and walked to the podium to sit on it.
- The best from the beginning... as my father used to say always - she said jokingly. - Sit down and talk. What exactly is bothering you, that you come with this to me?
Young female sit next to her grandmother, but did not speak right away. For a moment she seemed to think about something, as if she weighed the words which she want to use.
- It's about some things what told me Midsummer - she said finally slowly, glancing uneasily at her.
- Oh... And what said to you this crazy female - Nightstorm sighed.
- A couple of things.
- I still listen - she encouraged her.
Moonlight took a deep breath, still looking at her shyly.
- Well... She said, that after my case began to examine all children. In this way detected more cases of Protheu... One of them had to be Sunblaze, but his mother asked Mid for help. Apparently they injected him a substance, which artificially caused Eulerus.
The Queen seemed to be a little dissatisfied with this question.
- Yes, it's true - she almost muttered. - Silverlight and her mother very much tried to Blaze has not been Protheu... and that no one knew about it.
- So, you are in possession a substance, which allows to the transformation in adult Wraith form?
- Yes - she nodded. - We have it for a long time, ever since were detected the first cases of Protheu.
Young female frowned.
- Then why did not you use it on me? - she asked with a slight reproach, although the tone of her voice and her reaction surprised herself.
Nightstorm sighed heavily.
- We thought about it... but there was too much risk of failure - she said after a moment. - You see, in the Wraith female Iratus genes are stronger, and therefore more difficult to change... New Lanteans said the same thing. Their retrovirus did not work on your mother... The same thing applies the other way. In the body of the female is much harder to force conversion.
Mo's eyes widened, suddenly realizing what about was talking her grandmother.
- You tried that, did you? - she said. - I'm not the first female Protheu?
The Queen shook her head slightly.
- No... You are not - she said gravely... and sadness in her voice.
- What happened? - she asked. - ...Please, I want to know.
Nightstorm looked straight into the eyes of her granddaughter.
- It was thousands of years ago - she began slowly, as if the story of this restored back long forgotten, but still causing pain memories. - She was younger than you, when we realized, that she will not pass Eulerus... So, we decided to use the serum... It took almost a day. She writhed and screamed in pain... She screamed, that fire burns her from the inside... We tried to soften her pain... but none of us endured long connection with her... Her pain was worse, than the one, which we feel during the greatest hunger... Finally, her mother could not stand it... and she twisted her neck...
Moonlight held her breath for a moment.
- ...As a consolation, we could only say, that according to research, transformation and so would not have made... Her body rejected the serum. Internal organs began to bleed... Her mother just shortened her suffering... But it was not any consolation - she said, and her voice broke slightly. - So, the second time, we did not want to risk.
Young female clearly saw, that this memories evoked of many strong emotions in her grandmother. She gave her moments to cool down.
- ...Who was she? - she finally asked cautiously.
The Queen took a deep breath again.
- Her name was... Brightstar...
- As the main hive of Snowflake? - Mo surprised and suddenly her eyes and mouth widened. - She was the daughter their... They called hive in her honor - she said.
- Yes - nodded older female. - Brightstar was born at the end of the Great War... She was only fifteen years old when she died... That why Snow so late gave birth to Alabaster. She was afraid, that the same thing happens... We all were afraid this...
- They lost two children - said sadly Mo. - And then Starburst also lost Snow... Now he has only Alabaster and Darling... It's no wonder, that he so protects them.
At the moment again fell silent between them.
- Why is nowhere any mention of her? - asked after moment young female.
- Well... the Council decided, that it would be better for the Wraith, that any information about Star and her case will be carefully erased, and telling about her story, strictly prohibited... We were hope, that this will never happen again. And in those days, an additional panic was the last thing, what we needed.
- It repeated?
- No... not in the case of a female... Until to your time.
- That's why you were so upset then - she said, remembering those moments.
- Yes. Dawned to us, that it might be something more, than a mere coincidence.
- Midsummer called this regression... Why? - she asked curiously.
But Nightstorm only smiled slightly, as if slightly patronizingly, and got up from podium.
- It's a very long story, my dear... With sad ending... And I do not have time for spinning tales of ancient times - she said mysteriously and she walked across the room, toward the exit.
- What story? - called Moonlight, moving behind her for a few steps, but older female did not react. - Please tell me, grandma! What's the story?
The Queen paused in the doorway, when a large double door spread apart in front of her, and she looked sideways at granddaughter.
- Maybe another time... When comes the right time - she said, and went out into the corridor.
- The right time?... But for what? - she said, and she looked to the throne of her grandmother. - Last you constantly repeat it.
She sighed heavily, recalling a meeting with Nightstorm shortly after the Council issued its judgment in her case. Mo already then noticed, that since those events, her grandmother changed approach to her. Always serious, with a stern look, now she has become calm, pleasantly mild expression on her face and eyes full of feeling.
At those time, they spoke about the First Wraith... and the Queen parents.
Moonlight always very intrigued the stories from those times... And in particular, how similar she is to the Light in Darkness - the First Mother. Pillar of their society. It was hard for her to imagine those female, as she repairing hyperdrive or burned link. In the historical record she was presented as a proud and dignified Queen... and not as dirty female, breaking through the technical channel to the damaged systems…
.
"- …Grandma? - she asked after a moment of silence. - You told me, that I'm like she... What was she like?
Nightstorm smiled a little tighter and garnering a lock of hair behind the ear of her granddaughter. She seemed to think about something.
- She was proud and confident, but not arrogant to the others. She treated everyone in the same way - she finally said calmly, with a note of nostalgia in her voice. - Mostly she was nice for others, cheerful and full of compassion... Although she had a sharp tongue and sometimes she did not mince words. It was difficult to irritate her. But provoked, she could quickly show her other side... that it is not worth to mess with her - added Queen with a little more seriousness. And then she smiled again. - She was full of various ideas, just like you and Blaze - snorted lightly. - My father often got mad, that she starts something, and he must end it... But she could also be very conscientious and responsible, even though on every day she was... uh... my father used to say, that butterfly, but she just was full of life and joy. She did not care what others say or think about her... That's why I told you that you really remind me of her. You have many of her characteristics - she added, again with nostalgia, looking into her eyes. - Better yet, I remember her smile and eyes. When she smiled, at sight it got warmer in the heart and all the sorrows seemed to disappear... And her eyes were full of love... That's why we called her: Light in Darkness... because she could always comfort us and to reassure... She rarely raised voice for us. She repeated that, it is just unnecessary nerves, because we always let in her words by one ear, and releasing a second - she joked lightly, and Mo smiled. - Father tease her that we have this ability after her, because she does exactly the same thing, when he was angry about something at her... I wish you had heard how they arguing. But very rarely serious. Usually it was a very playfully, almost ironic - these memories triggered by Nightstorm wide smile, but then she again little serious. - After the war, those behavior of male to female was becoming increasingly unthinkable. But then... then we laugh heartily, listening to their mutual arguments... I think they both liked these their mutual teasing... As my mother used to say: "the quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love"… But it was just joking ... In serious moments, both very much supported each other. And their mutual devotion and feelings for the other person, was be seen, when they looked at each other.
Mo snorted slightly, then looked at her grandmother.
- I noticed, that when you talk about them, in your eyes shows a sparks.. You have a lot of beautiful memories with your parents - she said.
- Yes. It's true... They... as if to say?... It was fun with them.
- Fun? - she repeated with a slight disbelief at the same time amused. - We are talking about the same persons?
The Queen smiled mysteriously corner of her mouth.
- Once, before the war, we were completely different, my child... It war so changed us and we have forgotten how to laugh and play - she said, smiling sadly. - But then... Then, life was simpler. We were able to enjoy it and benefit from it... That taught us Avatars and this passed to the next generation the First Wraith... Until the outbreak of the Great War - she added at the end sadly.
- I'd love to meet them... your parents - she explained. - Somehow it is hard for me to imagine laughing and joking Wraith.
- Well, you just look at yourself or Blaze, and you'll be able to imagine it - she said.
- And your father? - she asked. - What was he like?
The Queen again seemed to think about something for a moment. As if searching for the right words.
- Everyone always told me, that their first impression was, that he is the exact opposite of my mother. He seemed to be very proud, gazing haughtily at all... raw. Especially when he was looking at you with those green eyes. As if he could overexpose you through. You immediately felt a small. Until shiver passed on the back... But when you get to know him better... well, it turned out, that he can be as funny as my mother - she smiled at the memory. - ...Anyway, as he repeated: "Who keeps company with wolves, will learn to howl"... It was his little digression, that carefree, as seemed to be, behavior of my mother, get into the spirit even as serious Wraith as he - she added with a slight amusement.
- And he was raw?
- No... We never did not feel it in this way... He could be sharp, it is a fact, but only when someone really deserved reprimand. Then he seriously felt his anger... Anyway, my mother was the same... But every day they both showed us the same feelings. Sometimes I even feel, that my father was more... forgiving, calm... He joked, that he had to learn this because of my mother, or else a long time ago he would twisted her neck - she snorted lightly.
- Well, I think often it was really... fun... with such two different characters - said slightly amused Mo.
Nightstorm slightly raised eyebrow.
- As my mother used to say: "Apparently opposites attract"... I think that is a lot of truth in this... Me and your grandfather also were diametrically different and at the same time... both very independent. As my parents... As I said, in those times relationship between males and females were different than now, so the relationship as two independent and different characters often require a lot of work from both sides to... did not kill each other in the meantime - he joked lightly.
Mo smiled broadly, then looked at her grandmother. Her face showed a slight sadness.
- I regret, that I can not meet them. That would be a truly remarkable experience... not as a legend... but as an ordinary persons.
The Queen laid a gentle her hand on cheek granddaughter, moved her face closer.
- Well, who knows what awaits for us. The universe is huge and full of surprises, my dear - she said mysteriously, undertone, then moved toward the side entrance to the chamber.
Moonlight looked at her, slightly confused, not knowing what she meant... "
.
...Just like now, on the words of her grandmother.
She sighed again and turned slowly, wanting to move toward the exit of the room, when suddenly the corner of her eye she saw the writing on the side monitor.
.
When thousand years pass,
And death will come with the night,
There will come a dark times,
And the Great will turn in the dust.
.
When thousands years pass,
And the light returns from the stars,
It will be end of the dark days,
And Avatars again dwell among us.
.
Moonlight frowned and looked around. But beyond her there was no one here.
She also not feel anyone's presence. Even in the vicinity of the chamber. Within a radius of tens of meters was not any Wraith or human.
She was completely alone.
But after all, someone had left this inscription...
And she was sure, that sooner screens on both sides of the room were turned off.