Chapter 17- A Movement
"You lost them again!" The head Ryori sat on his throne, fuming.
"Y-yes sir." A Ryori quivered below him, seemingly smaller than the king.
"You fools!" He roared. "You're telling me," He said. "A large group of Sylesties somehow disappeared from the radar without any traces?"
"E-exactly sir." The Ryori nodded
"You'd better find them or you're disappearing without a trace." King Asether bellowed. "Leave me, NOW."
The Ryori scrambled out of the room.
"Fools, the lot of them." He grumbled.
******************************
The female Zolnixi smiled. They had vanished off radar, how, she didn't know. But they all managed to.
"Get up, Queenie." A Ryori jailer snarled. "And stop smiling you loathsome thing." He growled.
The female Zolnixi got up. "What is it? And do call me by my name." She looked at him, eyes locked with his.
"The king needs you." The jailer said, turning his attention to the chains. "And your name, your title is gone." He laughed a short, cold laugh.
"A name never goes, but a title could." She half agreed.
"Whatever." He growled. "Stop with your wretched mind games." He unlocked the chains that held her and yanked them forward. "Follow."
"Like I have a choice." She mumbled
The Ryori dragged her over to the King.
"Well well well, our esteemed guest." The King said.
"What is it you want now, Asether?" She asked.
"You're being let go." He growled.
"I see no point in that." She coughed. "Kill me now. Get it over with." She said, taunting him.
"As pleasing as that sounds," He said. "You're kingdom demands you back for alliance. Not like I care, but you're going back." He said.
"Get ready, your escort will be here in say, a couple of minutes. Oh wait. I forgot to tell you a couple of minutes ago."
A male Zolnixi, a color of warm sun stepped out of the shadows, armored in gold. "Well well well, Queen Crystal." he snorted.
"Sun." She growled.
"My offer still stands, you know." He said. "Under protection she could be fine. All you have to do," He said.
"It's her choice. Not mine." Crystal said.
"But do you know where she is?" He asked.
"I may."
"Come then." The Zolnixi snorted, walking out.
Both Zolnixies boarded a carriage garnished in gold. "Do you know where she is?" Sun asked Crystal.
"I do," she said as the carriage began moving. "But she's only there until sunset." She said. "And she's very protected."
"Zolnixies, I assume." He said.
"No," Crystal said. "Not one is her friend there. She doesn't need to learn her heritage anyways."
"What?" He barked "Doesn't know her heritage? What was she, raised in a cave?"
"Sort of." She mumbled. "I had no choice! She wouldn't have been safe in the kingdom. And I couldn't get there anyway." She informed him.
"Now I remember why the kingdom voted you out." He said, amused.
"Ha ha. Very funny." She snorted.
"It is." He said.
"Whatever."
"You know where she is, tell me." He demanded.
"In the Mirage Forest. Again though, she's protected." She said. "By a huge group of mingled Sylesties, even some Ryories." She said.
"Wait, the Mirage Forest?!"
"Yup." She said.

Chapter 18- Future Queen
"We'll find out what she wants, but I'm not 'selling' her to you for marriage." Crystal argued.
"Oh shut up, old hag." Sun growled.
"Old hag? I'm still a queen. Who knows, I could've been lying to you about where she is, even." She sneered.
"I should've known you'd play your old mind games like this again." He sighed. "It's a wonder Vine ever took a liking to you."
"Maybe I wouldn't be so annoying hadn't I been given up by my own kingdom, imprisoned by Ryories, left my child alone in a cave hoping for someone to find her, and tortured. Because those things are completely normal!" She shouted, frustrated.
"I suppose I get your point."
The old queen trembled and shuddered.
"What is it now?" Sun asked angrily.
"I'm dying." She gasped. "I'm dying."
Sun looked at her, concerned. "B-but you can't! You haven't arranged the marriage yet!"
"Oh give it up!" She snarled, her breaths coming shallow. "If she likes you, she likes you. So shut up and let me finally join my husband once more." Her body shuddered once more, and the light seeped from her eyes as she fell asleep for the last time.
Suddenly the carriage rumbled to a stop.
"We're here, your majesty." A Zolnixi guard said.
Sun stepped out of the carriage. "She's dead," he said coldly. Then he padded into the forest.
~~~~~~~~~
"Your family's not that bad." Amaria remarked after she had finished meeting them all.
"You think so?" Frog asked. "Normally they're obnoxious and in your business every waking moment." He said drearily.
Amaria carefully morphed back to herself.
"Do you hear that?" Frog asked
"Hear what?" Night suddenly jumped into the conversation. "Hope you don't mind if I pop in for a chat." She said.
"We don't mind, right Frog?" Amaria asked
"Right." He responded gruffly.
"What are we hearing?" Amaria asked Frog.
"That noise. It sounded like a Qitari-drawn carriage." Frog said.
"But how?" Night asked. "Only Sylestian royalty have qitari-drawn carriages."
"Do you think the Ryories found us?" Amaria gasped.
"No." Frog said. "If it were the Ryories, I'm sure they'd be much more subtle so as not to alert the enemies."
"Who else would it be?" Amaria asked.
"We're just going to have to find out." Night said.
"But-" Frog got cut off
"Oh come on, what if it is the Ryories? We could stop them from surprising us." Night argued.
"Fine." He grumbled.
"Come on then!" Night said, racing in the direction of the noise.
"Come on Frog!" Amaria called, gleefully following her best friend.
"Coming!" He called back, spreading his wings to soar near the canopy.
Night skidded upon him first. A male Zolnixi the color of the sun. His gaze was cold. She crashed into him with tremendous force, Amaria following onto the jumble.
Frog landed near the pile of sylesties, clearly amused.
"Sorry!" Amaria squeaked, getting off of Night so Night could get up.
The male Zolnixi stated at the three of them. "What a disgrace." He said, disgusted. Amaria cocked her head in confusion. "A princess, a future ruler of her kingdom shouldn't be racing around in a forest getting her paws dirty." He scowled.
"Who are you?" Amaria asked.
"Prince Sun of the Zolnixi Kingdom, soon to be King."
"That's great and all, but we really don't care." Night said.
"Well Princess Amaria should, as she is soon to be a Queen." He said.
"WHAT?!" The shocked gasp came from all three sylesties at once.
"You can't!" Frog said, then, looking awkward, he responded. "The Ryories would find her!"
"I've made a deal with them." He said. "As long as she does not pursue the prophecy, she can live." Sun said. "Meaning she comes with me and stays in the Zolnixi Kingdom to rule, never seeing you lowly peasants again." He growled.
"Never!" Night snarled. "She's my best friend, I won't let you take her!"
"It's ok, Night." Amaria sighed. "It's best for all of us. The Ryories will stop pursuing you guys, and my species will be safe for now. It's a win-win."
"But we won't ever see you again!" Frog complained.
"Yeah, you won't see me." She winked.
"Ohhh." Night said. "I get it-" she said. "Umm I mean- I get why you're doing this. It's really kind of you to give up your freedom for our happiness."
"If it's for you guys, I'd do anything." Amaria said. "Bye guys."

Chapter 19- The Zolnixi Kingdom
Amaria boarded the carriage with the snooty looking Zolnixi. As the carriage pulled away, Amaria called, "Bye guys!"
"Ha." The Zolnixi said. "You think you're friends with them. How funny." The sun colored Zolnixi laughed harshly.
"It's because they are." Amaria said.
"Yeah right. They're already forgetting you." He said.
"What's your name, anyway?" Amaria asked, changing the topic.
"I already told you," he snorted in amusement.
"Did you?" Amaria asked. "I guess I was too busy saying goodbye to my friends to notice."
"Prince Sun of the Zolnixi Kingdom." He said firmly.
"Amaria of Forestpack." She said.
Sun laughed. "Yeah, it's not."
"Yes, it is. They raised me, I'm from them."
"It's not. You were born Princess Amaria of the Zolnixi Kingdom and you will be until the wedding." He said.
"What if I don't want to?" She asked.
"Then you're title is stripped and you'll go back to the wild."
"It's a good thing I would prefer that in the first place." She laughed.
"Y-you would?!" He asked, shocked.
"Yeah. My friends and 'family' are there. They're the only ones I've had in this world and they mean more to me than any stupid title."
"Well, then you can leave this carriage right now."
"Sure." She said.
"Wait!"
Amaria turned back to look at him. "What?"
"Surely you know- if you leave this carriage the Ryories with ruthlessly hunt for you again?" He asked.
"I do know. Just as they have been for my whole life." She said.
"Let me rephrase it, if you don't stay in this carriage until we get to the Zolnixi Kingdom, your 'friends' will be hunted down and killed one by one." He growled.
"What?!" She gasped.
"I'll inform the Ryories. I'll tell them what it'll take to destroy you. The torture that you'd go through. You don't even know. Not even your mother stood a chance. She's dead now, by the way." He said.
"No," Amaria said. "No." She began softly crying. "They're monsters! The lot of them!" She growled.
"This world is harsh. If you don't have royalty, money, or protection, you're worthless. A pawn in the game. No one cares for you, friendship isn't real. It's false lies meant for you to trust, but they never work out. Love, friendship. And you know what?" He growled. "The more you trust, the more it hurts to fall. Eventually you just stop trusting, stop having friendships because all they do is let you down."
"That's not true! Love and friendship are real, and they are necessary for life. Without love, without hope, sylesties could just become shells of themselves, hollow, vain, and selfish."
"But don't you see? The world is that way already."
"Not everywhere." She whispered. "The wild is not that harsh. In fact, it's the place of true friendship."
"You don't get it." He said. "You have a responsibility and you can't abandon your kin." He said.
"But then what happened to my mother? If you can protect me from the Ryories, why couldn't you protect her?"
"Because, it wasn't up to me." He sighed. "And all that matters in this world, is money and fame. No one cares about kin."
"Then why should I? If this world is like that, why should I protect mine?" She asked.
"Because, if we let all the lights go out, then we are all at darkness' mercy. I see why you're the chosen one, you have light enough to make Sylesties spirits become happy again. I would still be just as cold. See what happened to me now? You have that way on Sylesties, on beings around you."
"But how?" Amaria said, thinking about things.
"If your prophecy says your supposed to banish the Ryories, the spawn of darkness itself, then I see why you'd have the ability of light. Think about it, have you made any Sylesti happy by no reason whatsoever?"
"Well, sort of." Amaria said.
"We're here." He announced. "The marriage is tomorrow, but today's the tour of the castle."
"Do I have to do this?" She asked. "Please."
Sun sighed. "Could you stay for a day? The Ryories are on my tail and I need to make sure it seems like you don't want to go anywhere."
"A day." She agreed. "No more."
"Fine." He said, gesturing to a royal blue Zolnixi. "This is Midnight, he'll be the one showing you around the castle."
"Princess." He bowed.
"Hi." Amaria said sheepishly. "Are you ok?" She asked when she noticed him staring at her.
"You should really do something about your pelt, Your Highness." He said.
Amaria had realized her fur was still slicked with mud and had branches sticking up out of her fur. "Oh, right."
"Come this way and we'll draw you a nice bath, or four." Midnight said, leading the way through a maze of hedges.
"Are you sure this is the quickest way?" Amaria asked.
"This is the scenic route, your Majesty." He said.
"Can we- whoa." Amaria gasped. Before her was a brilliant white marble palace, twisting and turning magnificently into the sky. Two stained glass windows propped up the door, which was shaped like a leaf, and encrusted with gold swirls and patterns. "This is the castle?" She gasped.
"Yes, your majesty." Midnight said. "Come so we can get you those baths."

Chapter 20- Mixed Emotions
"And this is all technically mine?" Amaria asked Midnight, touring through the hallways.
"Indeed," Midnight replied. "This was all your parents' before your father died and your mother got kicked out." He said that final part a bit uncomfortably.
"About that," Amaria said. "Why and how exactly did she get kicked out?"
"Um," Midnight looked around for an excuse. "Don't you need-"
Amaria looked crossly at Midnight, stopping him from saying anymore.
"Alright," he whispered, looking to make sure there was no one around. "Your mother, Queen Crystal, was one of the kindest and best rulers we've had in a long time, ruling alongside your father, King Goldleaf. The kingdom loved them, but, as tradition, we had another three sets of rulers, all rotating their positions within a few months." He said, looking at Amaria. "Your parents were one, Sun's parents were one, and there was another unrelated group. It was the time of Sun's parents' rule when we received the threat from the Ryories. Being the way we are, we cast a vote through the council. Though everyone agreed Crystal was amazing at being Queen, they had decided it would just be a burden to the kingdom if Ryories attacked."
"What?!" Amaria gasped.
"Shh, not so loud."
"Sorry," Amaria whispered this time. "I can't believe that! Zolnixies are supposed to care for their kin, so why would they do this? From my readings of scrolls, I always read kin comes first here!"
"These are troubled times." Midnight agreed. "With the appearance of the Ryories' foulness, as they used to be better before, most happiness and cooperation has gone in all the kingdoms. Negativity floats in the air, and catches even the lightest of thoughts and consumes them, leaving nothing but darkness and despair." Midnight's eyes widened as he said this. "Wh-wh?" He looked shocked.
"Hmm...?" Amaria asked.
"Y-you managed to remove my negativity. You're aura is pure white. How?!" He asked.
"There's a prophecy about me." She laughed. "I'm here to make even he most negative sylesties hope again, dream again. What other power would be useful to have against creatures of darkness?" She asked, looking at Midnight carefully.
"I-I suppose that is true!" He exclaimed. "Now, you have a busy schedule, getting fit into the dress and picking out the assortments." He said. "I'll lead you to your room, where the servants should be, ready to help measure your size." He said.
"A-a dress?" Amaria asked.
"But of course. You're a to-be Queen, and it's your wedding. You need a dress." He said. "Now, Sun was thinking something Crystalline, would diamonds and silver work?" He asked her.
"Umm.. I guess?" She said, looking bewildered.
"Tell me you've heard of those ores!" Midnight looked Amaria in the eyes.
"N-no." She answered.
Suddenly, a deafening crash sounded and the ground shook. "What was that?!" Amaria asked.
"I don't know!" Midnight shouted over the noise.
"Give me back Amaria!" A voice shouted... A very familiar voice...
"Frog!" Amaria shouted.
"Frog?" Midnight asked.
"My friend." She explained.
"Amaria?!" Frog asked, coming down the hallway. A large amber Ny'vene was behind him, mottled with brown. "Oh thank goodness you're safe!" He said, rushing over to Amaria.
"We were worried when you didn't come back for a while. It's almost evening!" The orange Ny'vene added.
"Wh-" Amaria began to say, but just then she was crushed by one of Frog's giant bear hugs. The amber Ny'vene glared at Midnight, who squeaked before running off. Then the amber Ny'vene began to talk, in a completely different voice.
"It's me, Amaria!" Night said, looking at her, relieved.
"Ahh," Amaria said. "I was wondering."
"Quick, get into a Ny'vene morph!" Frog urged. "We don't have much time before e Ryories get here."
"What?" Amaria asked.
"Had you stayed any longer," Frog explained. "The Ryories would've captured you."
Amaria gasped. Had Sun known about this?! Quickly, Amaria morphed, into a make Ny'vene, black and red with golden armor and many scars. "I'm ready," she said in a gruff, deep voice.
"Let's go." Frog said, spreading his wings as all three flew out the now broken glass roof of the palace.

Woot woot! Twenty chapters and still going! Alright, I'm going to let comments and anything else be posted here until I make the next chapter! ^-^

BONUS:
Chapter 13- What in the world?!
Amaria and Night were just finishing up eating with the rest of the group when suddenly two Ny'venes (guards of the Ryori Fighters) came into the cafeteria with a blue Lupora. Her fur was bedraggled and matted, and even her glowing white markings were dull. Both Night and Amaria gasped. "Star!" Amaria rushed over to her.

Ok so I was digging around the place I write in, and I found this. I guess it's the starting to a scrapped chapter thirteen.

Alright, back to work.

Chapter 21- Surprise Visit
"What happened to you?" Frog asked, looking at Amaria, who was now clean and has small-cut amethysts in the shapes of hearts embedded in her tail.
"Oh, these?" Amaria asked, looking at the small jewels. "Apparently it's a mark of royalty in the Zolnixi Kingdom, especially since Zolnixies are ore diggers. Since there are three sets of royalty, three gems represent them. Topaz, Garnet, and Amethyst." She explained.
"And the necklace?" Night asked, looking at the new pendant Amaria wore above her morphing one, a simple silver chain held a golden leaf.
"Oh, well, there are a few reasons for that. First off, it's the symbol of the Zolnixi Kingdom, and apparently Ryories know magical objects when they see them. So Sun said that maybe wearing a necklace over the pendant, since I profusely refused to take it off, would restrain the sensing abilities of Ryories and maybe they wouldn't notice it." The three sylesties had morphed back into themselves, except for Frog of course, and had taken camp for the night, just at e outskirts of the Mirage Forest.
"I guess that makes sense." Night said.
"So, where did we move?" Amaria asked.
"The Crystal Cave." Frog said.
"You mean that big crystalline cave in the Mirage Forest?" Amaria asked.
"Yup. Very deep in Mirage Forest, the magic there is pulsating so much the Ryories can't tell a sylesti from a magical embodiment in there. We'll be safe." He assured.
"Did Mist send you guys after me?"
"Umm.. Sorta?" Night said, smiling sheepishly.
"We asked Mist but she said not to go. We went anyways." Frog answered. "But we did get permission from Cornflower, who said he'd smooth things out with Mist. Everyone misses you, even Haunt."
"You guys!" Amaria said, laughing.
"So you're a Princess..." Night said, changing the topic.
"I..I guess?" Amaria said. "But to be honest, I couldn't be happier with you guys. Of course, assuming I complete the prophecy, I'd eventually go back to the Zolnixi Kingdom." She answered.
"And I'd most likely go back to Forestpack." Night murmured.
"And I'd stay in Mirage Forest, with my relatives." Frog said.
"Hey guys! I have an idea!" Amaria exclaimed. "You guys could stay in the Zolnixi Kingdom if you wanted. There are sooo many rooms in the palace I'd think there would be room for you guys!" She explained.
"That sounds- Ow!" Frog said.
"We wouldn't want to intrude." Night said, shoving Frog.
"Oh! It wouldn't be intruding at all!" Amaria said. "I could use some friends there. And without you guys, it just wouldn't be home. And I could invite the rest of the party there from time to time." She giggled.
"Can I say it now?" Frog asked, looking at Night irritatedly.
"Sure. We'd love to!" Night interrupted Frog's train of thought.
"We should get some sleep." Frog grumbled. "I'll take the first watch. You guys can sleep morph, right."
"Right!" Amaria agreed. She began morphing into the Ny'vene she had been for meeting Frog's family, a pink bodied Ny'vene with elegant golden markings.
"Alright." Night said, dipping her head to Frog before morphing herself, she became a honey colored Ny'vene, with white blotches.
"Goodnight, Frog, Night." Amaria said, settling herself comfortably on the ground.
"Night." Both agreed, before Amaria was sucked into the world of slumber.
~~~~
"Amaria!" A voice shouted over the usual prophecy voices Amaria had become accustomed to. It was her mother.
"Amaria! Yes keep thinking of me." Her mother said. Suddenly the voices began to fade, and she appeared back in the Zolnixi Kingdom, at the gates to the castle. But in front of her was... Her mother! Standing there with her kind eyes and warm smile. She looked young and healthy, nothing like how she had been before, when she was being tortured by the Ryories. "Oh Amaria! I never thought Sun would turn... No matter how ignorant he can be." She said, standing at the top of the steps. Suddenly another Zolnixi appeared next to her. He had a regal posture and his fur was gold, tinged with greens and blacks. "This is your father." She said, looking at the male. He dipped his snout towards Amaria.
"H-hi." Amaria stuttered, her eyes were watering. Her father looked at her, semi-amused, before he faded again.
"He can't talk to you." Crystal explained. "He's too far gone."
"Oh." Amaria said, disappointed.
"Don't worry, you'll meet him someday." She assured her daughter. "But I'm here to warn you. One you trust most will turn and one you would have never expected will become a powerful ally."
"What? Who?" Amaria asked.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." Crystal replied. "Just be wary!" Her mother began fading away.
"Wait!" But it was too late, Crystal was gone, and so was the dream world.

Chapter 22- Crystal Cave
Amaria awoke, to find Frog missing. "Huh?" She asked wearily, still in her Ny'vene morph. Night was sleeping on the ground next to her, the honey colored Ny'vene morph snoring away. "Night!" Amaria whispered, nudging her friend awake.
"What?" Night grumbled, stretching the sleep from her body as she awoke.
"Frog's missing!" Amaria said, looking panicked. "The Ryories must've taken him!"
"I doubt it, Amaria." Night said tiredly, her eyes still drowsy.
"But where could he have gone?" Amaria asked, wild eyed.
"Relax," a third voice said, cool and amused. It was Frog.
"Frog! We were worried!" Amaria exclaimed.
"No," Night corrected. "You were worried. I was sleepy and I still am." With that, Night fell back asleep again. Amaria giggled a bit at Night's lazy behavior before turning her attention to Frog, who was setting down a catch, a few mice and a plump bird.
"Breakfeast." Frog explained sheepishly.
"I'll get her up," Amaria offered, taking a mouse in her jaws and waving the juicy morsel in front of Night's nose. Night suddenly got up, her jaws snapping on the whole mouse, bones, fur, and all.
"I'm up! Jeez!" Night said, spitting the mouse out before dissecting the meat portions and gulping those down. After that, Night began morphing back to herself, shaking out her black and gold fur.
"Here." Frog said, nudging the plump bird toward Amaria, while himself eating the other mouse. Amaria didn't complain, she just devoured the bird hungrily, before morphing herself back.
Amaria didn't bother telling the group of her dreams, or of the warning. Because neither knew of her prophetic powers. Either one could be a traitor, according to mom. Also, I bet they would freak out if they found out. It's just better to keep it a secret. Amaria thought, gazing at her best friends. The thought of her mom's warning made her shudder. She couldn't imagine how either of her best friends would betray her, it was impossible to.
"We'd better hurry back." Frog suggested. "The cave is just up ahead and I bet everyone wants to see you back." Frog said.
"Everyone was missing you." Night added, gazing at Amaria with her warm honey eyes.
"Like us, for one. Everyone in the Amethyst Party is worried sick about you." Frog said.
"I didn't mean to worry you guys! I just wanted to protect you from being hurt. I would've done that."
"Don't speak nonsense." Night said, looking at her. "We can protect ourselves just as well as you can yourself. We'll protect you with all we can because we're a team. And a team stays loyal through thick and thin."
"Oh, you guys!" Amaria said, tears welling in her eyes. "You guys are the best friends a sylesti could ask for!"
The rest of the trip to the cave was taken in a happy chatter, the three sylesties almost never disagreed and even then the arguments lasted no longer than a minute.
Finally they reached the crystal cave, a bare cut in the earthen rock with jagged stalagmites and stalactites. Carefully they walked through the area Frog called 'Monster Mouth' before reaching the main cave, set alight by many crystals, flowing with raw magic. They glowed in all colors imaginable, sometimes showering down dust. The crystals were jagged, however, and would cut through even steel had it to. Slowly the friends made it to the main area, a large circular room, with a basin of water and a small island, with a sleeping cave and a ledge. There, Mist was perched, speaking to Cornflower. Her expression was angry and worried, while Cornflower's was calm and steady.
"Should we?" Amaria asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah." Frog replied.
And with that, the three friends walked toward Mist and Cornflower.

Update: I will be starting a new series called The Magic Within. It is also a FanFic and will start off with a lot of lore. I may take a break from this story to continue aspring the other one, but I may also continue this series along with it. If you have any questions, feel free to ping me before I post the next chapter.

Edit: here's the link to the thread if you'd like to check it out. https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=28232

Chapter 23- Back
"Cornflower, you know we can't risk any other members getting hurt!"
"But-" Cornflower was cut off as he rushed to meet Amaria, Frog, and Star. "Amaria! Frog! Star! You guys are back!"
Suddenly Skye, Magenta, and Haunt appeared; all in a good mood. Somehow even Haunt was happy. Cornflower shot a smug look at Mist, who shook her head. She seemed tired and weary, but her posture and expression were as proud and as calm as could be. She began to walk over to the group.
However, Amaria was too busy to notice. The Amethyst Party (and loads more sylesties now) were pestering her, with rapid-fire questions. Amaria was doing her best to answer them, but she was getting overloaded with questions.
"Guys," Mist announced, her voice loud and clear. "Let Amaria have some space. I'm sure she's weary from her trip." There were loads of grumbles following this statement, but eventually everyone cleared out.
"This place is beautiful." Amaria marveled. Crystals adorned the stone walls filling the room with light. Glowworm silk hung from the roof of darker areas, and in some areas it even illuminated water.
"It is," Mist agreed. "May I have a word with Amaria, alone?" Mist asked.
Reluctantly, the Amethyst Party agreed and made their way to the sleeping quarters.
"We're glad to have you back." Mist said.
"I'm glad to be back." Amaria agreed.
"Do you know why you came back?" Mist asked.
"What do you mean?"
"You could've lived in the lap of luxury. But you chose not to, bluntly."
"My loyalties lie here. I don't care about money, of jewels. I care about friends. I care about happiness."
"There's a reason you're the chosen one," Mist murmured. "Go get some rest. You must be exhausted. We'll have a banquet tonight highlighting your return. I'll go spread the news."
"Alright." Amaria dipped her head respectfully. She began padding back to the sleeping quarters.
The Amethyst Party were chatting together, as if they were always a team without Amaria. The prospect made her a little sad, but she was shook out of her thoughts when Frog spoke.
"Hey, Amaria's back!" Everyone turned attention to Amaria, and they spent the afternoon chatting happily.
In the evening, everybody gathered for the banquet. The hunters had been out extra, and piles of veggies, meats, fruits, nuts, berries, and all else imaginable stacked the table. Everyone chowed down, happy and hungry.
"To Amaria!" Mist announced.
"To Amaria!" Everyone said gleefully.