Our Beginning
Chapter 13: Fate's Choice
Starshine sat in the crumbling courtyard of the once grand temple, holding her arms out in front of her. She eyed them with shock and derision. Only minutes before she'd held her brother's body in her arms as he'd died. She shook with anguish and pain as another tremor shook the temple. Now she understood, understood WHY the Great One had looked so tired and weary at the last meeting. This was all her fault. All because she'd trusted Dark Heart once, and all because she'd been too afraid to tell the Great One of his plans. Why didn't she say anything? Why had she allowed things to get so awful? Where had things gone so terribly wrong? Tears poured down her cheeks as she pulled those shaking arms in to hug herself. Everything was over now. Everything they'd worked for was falling down around her, and it was all her fault. It was her job to protect the temple and her world from evil, and she'd failed and this is what had come of it.
Meanwhile, yet another storm was rocking the wooden ship as they neared their destination.
"BEAR! TIE DOWN THE SAILS, WE'RE IN FOR A BIG ONE!" Horse shouted to his mate. As if to emphasize his words, a large wave drenched them both. Horse gave the dark skies a dirty look.
Bear hurried to do as he asked. She thanked her lucky stars that the cubs were safe and sound in the cabin. She'd never be able to keep track of the ship and them too.
These storms had gotten somewhat routine now that they'd had to deal with several per month on their long journey. But somehow, this one, it seemed different.
"Horse," Bear began as she finished her task and hurried to help him hold the helm. "I'm worried, this storm isn't like the others. It's more like that one we faced the first time." She shuddered as she remembered how frightened she'd been. Horse shuddered to remember how close he'd come to losing her.
Horse looked up at the forbidding skies. The storm grew worse and a large wave threatened to capsize their vessel.
"AHHHH!!" came Bear's cry. Horse turned to see one of those terrible demons back again holding onto Bear. "HORSE LOOK OUT!!"
Horse forced himself to turn back. There in front of him was Dark Heart. Horse didn't even have to be told to know that this man was the cause of this terrible storm. "What do you want?"
"For you to surrender the cubs." Dark Heart stated simply.
"Never!" Horse spat.
"I'll simply take them by force if you do not surrender them. And if I have to do that, than the both of you will die. However, give them over without a fight, and I will spare your lives."
Starshine looked out over her land.
"I am sorry…" came the soft, gravelly sound of an old man behind her.
Star turned to saw the Great One, looking older than ever. "Great One! What is happening? Why?"
The Great One shook his head. "I have been a fool, my daughter. I sought to be more of a friend and indulging parent, than the ruler I should have been." He lowered his head in shame. "I should have known better than to give those two so much power over everyone else. Absolute power only corrupts absolutely. And because of my folly, you and the rest are the ones to suffer. Forgive me child." He knelt down to the floor, losing strength.
Starshine went to his side. "Great One, what will happen?"
"Etheria will cease to exist, as you know it. But, I will use the last of my strength to save it, in essence. Flora and Fauna will become little creatures to help the next inhabitants. Their bid for power will not go unpunished, they will no longer have the power they once had. Your brother will be reborn on Earth as a mortal. The Seasons and the Elements will go to various parts of the land, separately, it will be unsafe for them to be so near one another anymore. And what happens to you, is up to you."
"But what about you?" Star asked.
"I will still be here, but I will no longer be able to take a human form. I will remain a star hung in the sky." The Great One paused. "Now, as I work on changing this land, you are needed on Earth. Go, dear child, fulfill your own destiny…."
The Great One vanished although Starshine tried to keep him from going. "No, don't leave me all alone, please." She stood up and went to what was left of her room.
The star bed had been crushed by a piece of alabaster fallen from the ceiling. Her small vanity mirror was cracked. But on the table of the vanity, a small picture lay unharmed. It was Dark Heart, the one she'd fallen in love with.
"But he's not the one I fell in love with, not anymore…" She lamented. "Brother…..you left me too soon. I don't know what to do." She picked up the picture and looked at it. The picture reminded her, not only of their love, but everything she ever wanted from her life. A life just like the fairy-tales the humans told. "I suppose, all of that, was nothing more than a dream." A tear trickled down her cheek. "Oh, Great One, you told me that my love would save him, but…..so far it's done nothing but destroy everything."
"HORSE!!!" Bear cried out trying to break free of the demons holding her as Dark Heart threw Horse to the ground with ease.
The impact rendered Horse unconscious. Dark Heart stood over him preparing to deal a finishing blow. "It wouldn't have come to this if you'd simply obeyed me."
Bear fought as hard as she could to get out of the demons' holds. "Leave him alone, you monster!"
Dark Heart turned towards her. "Oh, I nearly forgot about you. I was going to kill you as well but perhaps you would be more useful to me alive. I will take both you and your precious cubs." With that decision, Dark Heart snapped his fingers and an explosion sounded deep in the hold. "First some insurance that this one can't come after you." And another snapping motion took the rest of them, Bear, the cubs, the demons, and Dark Heart himself, away from the ship, leaving Horse to die on a sinking ship.
AN: Uh oh. And Dark Heart strikes again. How will Horse get out of this one? Will Bear and the cubs be saved? And what about Starshine and Dark Heart? Stay with me, and you'll see.