HotMK Epilogue

As Symphony leapt into the portal, that fuzzy feeling as her body turned to strips of light overcame her, and she lost consciousness as the portal carried her to the checkpoint. As she drifted away in the red beams, her final thought was "I'm one step closer, Fey... I'm coming..."
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Hernando scrambled forwards and put his hand on the portal just a moment too late. It's once glowing surface had gone dark, and the beams of light had disappeared, leaving Hernando stranded in the collapsing temple. He backed up from the ancient statue that was crumbling into rubble, screeching profanity at it, but no matter how much he insulted it, it would not return to it's former, solid shape. Large chunks pounded the dead portal into a mangled pile of broken glass and expensive machinery.

Hernando spun on his heel, desperately searching for a way out, but the avalanche had blocked all exits. He dropped his sputtering lighter, and it went out as it hit the dusty floor, the same time Hernando's knees did, accepting his fate. But... fate chose a different path for him. Instead of the rocks crushing him, they screeched to a halt as they ground against each other, just feet from his head. He uncovered his head in disbelief, and his beloved fedora immediately popped back into shape. He laughed, forgetting about all other troubles, and just basking in the miracle that he was ALIVE! As a celebration of sorts, he opened his bag, preparing to feast on the sandwiches he had stolen earlier, and have a nice smoke. However, instead, a rank scent of gasoline and bile assaulted his nose.

"....Ew."
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"MARK! MARK, GETCHUR FURRY BUTT OVER HERE!" Fey screeched at the lethargic Rocco. You see, while the planet known to the rest of the universe as Eshryxen (to the Fairy Cats, known as Carulius) was best known for the Fairy Cats, it actually hosted six intelligent races. The Rocco's resembled Kangaroos, except without pouches, and with large, colorful beaks. Fey's insults went unnoticed by Mark and Eilan, a member of another one of the races, the Listalis.

The enraged Fairy Cat shoved the two to the side "What're you two looking at? It's certainly not more important then what I've got to tell ya. Symphony's been kidnapped! Kidna-." Her jaw dropped as she saw what they were looking at. Mark was a trader, you see, of anything from anywhere, and what he and Eilan were crouched over was a small, wireless television, showing a grainy image of Symphony herself, stepping out from a glowing red machine. A large blue and orange dragon welcomed her arrival, and a large, bipedal, wolf-like creature came up and congratulated her, along with a two-legged dragon and squirrel.

Fey pressed her head right up against the screen. "THEM! I bet THEY kidnapped Symphony!" Eilan attempted to calm the furious she-cat, "Now, now, Fey, she could have gone on her own... we don't know if they..." Fey hissed. "There were signs of a struggle, three scents, Symphony, and two others I didn't know, and I could tell weren't from Carulius, and bits of burlap on the surrounding bushes." Eilan began stammering, realizing that his theory wasn't holding up. "Well, uh... she could have..." with a glare from Fey, he was silent.

Mark spoke up instead. "We can't rescue her anyways. It's illegal for Carulians to go off-planet without The Queen's permission. You know that." Fey grinned, and it wasn't a friendly smile.

"We'll just have to go and pay The Queen a visit, then."