ART BY:
 Nishi

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Cappy, Fritter, Scuttle, and Bubble quickly made their way to the front of the room where Ducky, Binky, and the Peace Bringer were each wobbling about aimlessly.

“Ducky?” asked Cappy. “Binky?”

“No one knows my pain,” moaned Ducky.

“No one knows my sorrow,” sighed Binky.

Bubble placed her hand gently upon Cappy’s shoulder and said, “I don’t think there’s anything we can do for them right now.”

“This is terrible!” cried Cappy. “What will we do without our mommies and daddies?”

Scuttle made a fist and grew a most serious expression across his face as he proclaimed, “We won’t have to worry about that, because we’re going to fix this!”

“Right!” exclaimed Bubble as she raised her hand triumphantly and pointed towards the crowd. “Now let’s get to helping everyone who hasn’t been affected by this mist!”

***

“Amazing,” Emino said as he and Lucky made their way down a short flight of stairs in which lead to a small, dimly lit room.

Lucky’s mouth hung open as he took in the sight that was before them. They had somehow uncovered a hidden chamber. At its center sat a statue of a Haposaur in which was covered in dirt and vines. Above it was some sort of magical light that shined down like the sun would through an open window. Surrounding the statue were tiny fountains in which watered the artificially lit statue.

Emino inspected the statue. It’s right hand looked as if it were at one time holding something while the left held in its open palm a dark, yet transparent, circular crystal that contained a tiny, green flame that flittered about within it.

“What is it, Emino?” asked Lucky.

“Hold on,” said Emino as he knelt before the statue. “I think there is some sort of writing here.”

Lucky walked up alongside Emino to see what the cloaked blue bird was looking at.

“Hmm,” hummed Emino as he put his wing to his beak. “Can you make any sense of what is written here, Lucky?”

Lucky moved forward and looked at what Emino was now pointing at.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m just now learning how to read.”

“It’s alright,” said Emino as he reached for the crystal that was in the statue’s left hand. “This is all I-“

FZZT!

“-YEOW!” cried Emino as the green flame from within the crystal grew in size and singed his feathery fingers.

“Ah!” shrieked Lucky as the room became basked in lime green light while Emino flapped his wing about to cool down the burning feeling he had in his feathery fingers. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” groaned Emino. “There appear to be magical safeguards placed upon that Mind Stone. Protections I’m hopeful my psychic powers can overcome.”

The cloaked blue bird took a deep breath, put his wings together, and closed his eyes.

Lucky watched in awe as a blue light began to form around the green crystal.

“What the…!” Emino gasped as he felt something enter into his mind.

“THOU SHALL NOT TAKE MY SOUL!” a mysterious voice commanded. The voice was quite loud but only audible to Emino who couldn’t help but cover his years for how loud it was.

“What happened?” asked Lucky in panic. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he gasped as he stared at the statue. “There is a consciousness lurking within that Mind Stone.”

“A what?” Lucky asked.

“Someone or something is alive inside that Mind Stone,” stated Emino.

Lucky walked towards the statue and stared at the mysterious crystal.

“Do you really think someone’s spirit is inside that crystal?” he asked.

Emino smiled as he stated, “Your knowledge of fantasy certainly is of benefit in this particular situation, Lucky. After all a lot of that in which is often deemed as fantasy is rooted somewhere in reality.”

“Really?” asked Lucky.

“Indeed,” said Emino. “Now stand back. I am going to attempt to communicate with the spirit within that crystal using my psychic powers. Better yet get behind me. I’ve dealt with many a wayward soul and some aren’t very friendly.”

Lucky gulped before quickly running behind the giant bird man.

Emino closed his eyes and focused himself on the crystal.

“Greetings,” he spoke telepathically. “My name is Emino and I mean you no harm.”

Lucky watched as his friend seemed to freeze in place as the orb in the statue’s left hand shot a green beam of light towards Emino’s head as the flame within it grew in size.

“Why does thou art disturb my rest?” the spirit of the orb asked.

“A foul force has invaded your world,” stated Emino. “I ask to borrow your power so that I may defeat it.”

“Thou shall not take my soul!” proclaimed the spirit. “Rather, I shall accompany thee in vanquishing this force!”

“How?” asked Emino. “You are but a spirit in an orb that is attached to a clay statue.”

“Thou art dim of wit for one whom possesses such great psychic power,” the voice stated. “Have the Saurral bring me the Saurral Staff and I shall show thee what I mean. If thou art truly noble and true you will fulfill this request.”

FWUMP!

Emino fell to the ground as the spirit within the orb abruptly ended their discussion.

“What happened?” asked Lucky. “You just froze in place and I thought something bad happened.”

Without saying a word, Emino grabbed the young, yellow haposaur and began running out of the room.

“We may have found the help we were looking for,” said Emino. “All we need to do is find your father’s staff.”

Lucky paused for a moment as he tried to take in what had just happened before saying, “I know where he left it before the wedding,”

“Great!” cried Emino. “Let’s get it!”