Chapter 8~ Aftermath

        Nebula's cape fluttered to the icy cold earth, flapping half heartedly.

         Charcan whinnied and bucked, keening for his stolen master, straining with all his strength against his harness. Lunar held on with all her might, but it was to no avail. Charcan broke free of Lunar's grasp, galloping after his master, into the moonlit forest. Lunar started forward.

       Pluto spoke up, the first of all of them, breaking the shocked, empty silence.

      "It's no use. Don't bother going after them, any of them. We haven't found the Beast after searching for years, there is no way we could find it at night, with no torches, barely any weapons, no armor, and half our horses. We go tommorow at dawn, as soon as the sun shines over the mountain peaks of the North. Meet at the Starlight Castle."

       The others agreed, silently, still shocked at the loss of their friend. And as shocked as they were, they also realized something about the Beast. If the Beast was strong enough to take Nebula, the Guardians strongest warrior by far, who knows what else it could do.

        A cold wind blew through the dark trees as the Guardians departed for their respective castles.

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       Lunar led Cavallo on foot, trudging somberly beside him. She stroked his sleek, purple/black coat. Murmuring nothing's to him, she fitted the sole of her silvery metallic boot into the stirrup. She leapt onto his strong, back, grasping the reins in one had, smoothing his soft mane with the other. Digging her feet into his sides, she urged him faster and faster towards Twilight Castle.

         Back at Twilight Castle, she took Cavallo back to his stable. Lunar fed him some grains, oats and apples. She hung his saddle and bridle on a tack. Giving his soft muzzle a pat goodbye, Lunar herself walked on towards her home.

         Lunar was greeted by Diamond ramming into her. She laughed sleepily. It was almost four in the morning, and she had had a few to many sleepless nights for her liking. A feeling dejavú spread over her as she crawled into bed.

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        Pluto walked to Midnight Castle alone, through the pitch dark forest. When she arrived, she was surprised to hear a shrill chirping sound. Walking to the window upstairs, she saw a sleek, beautiful raven in the outside windowsill. It seemed to be hopping on one leg.It's

        As tired as she was, she couldn't help opening the window and letting him in. Cupping the small bird in her arms, she wrapped a tiny bandage around his bleeding leg. He tried to fly down from her bed, but his trailing leg was a dead weight. Pluto picked him back up, set him on a light grey blanket, and placed him carefully in a small, black, wire basket.

       Then, she herself stripped off her old pajamas from yesterday, and pulled on a long, black, fresh. nightgown, and laid down in her black, canopy bed. Her new bird, Jųodas, as she decided to call him, cooed softly, easing Pluto into sleep.

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       Solar stood, shell shocked, after watching her friend, and fellow Guardian get taken. Seeing no argument with Pluto's plan, she walked over to Sunshine.

       Sunshine nickered when she neared, as if sensing all the tension, shock, and fear in the cold, moonlit air. She petted his golden coat, leaning into the soothing voice he provided. Mounting him, she started back to her home.

       Sunlight Castle greeted Solar's tired, stricken face. It's normally shining gold towers seemed dull in the faded starlight. After leading Sunshine to his pen, she slowly made her way up the staircase.

        In her lavish bedroom, she faceplanted on her cosy, inviting bed. Sighing grandly, Solar dragged herself back up again. Ridding herself of her sweat soaked nightgown from before, she pulled on a sunny yellow tank top and pajama shorts. Brushing her teeth and hair, she flopped back down on her bed, for the second time that night.

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       Flare stood shocked, a single tear fell down her cheek, as she watched Nebula struggling against the Beast. This was a big blow to the Guardians. She vaguely heard Pluto talking. Flare nodded, numbly. Trudging back towards Dawn Castle, she couldn't get the image of Nebula, screaming, out of her head.

       Dawn Castle stood, shimmering in the morning air. Flare walked in, upstairs to her room, almost mechanically. She changed into a warm, fresh, light orange nightdress, pulling her golden hair into a neat braid.

       Walking over to her simple, yellow bed, she pulled back the sheets. Crawling into the bed, and nestling into the warmth of the fluffy blankets, Flare desperately tried not to worry about Nebula. She could take care of herself. It was to no avail, for as soon as Flare drifted into sleep, it was plagued by nightmares of terrible things. Little did she know, the others were all having similar dreams.

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         Lunar trudged to Starlight, not at all groggy with sleep, but alert and ready. She was carrying a cross-body bag, filled with all types and lengths of sharp knifes, along with one's in her pink combat boots and strapped to her thigh. Lunar led Cavallo, so to not exhaust him before the long search sure to come.

       Arriving at Starlight Castle, Lunar saw the others had similarly stuffed bags of weapons. Pluto was already astride her horse, Astrid. Flare and Solar mounted their horses too. Lunar hopped on to Cavallo, riding him over to her friends.

          "We'll search the woods, together, starting at the West side to Starlight River. If you see anything, don't make a sound. Motion to us." Pluto laid out the plan. Lunar nodded, as did the others.

           She lightly kicked Cavallo, and they started forward towards the woods, the moon, still in the early morning sky, shining through the trees, lighting their path with a silvery glow.

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         They searched through the West side of the Starlight Forest, hacking through the thick brush, Pluto leading them on Astrid.

            The guardians were just arriving at Starlight River when Lunar heard a frantic neighing. It was Charcan, Nebula's stallion! Lunar sprung into action, urging Cavallo forward to the river. Charcan was stuck in some roots over hanging the river bank. He was struggling against them, but only succeeding in getting more tangled. Cavallo wasted no time wading into the river. Lunar grabbed a nine inch hunting knife from her bag, surging towards Charcan. Petting his mane with one hand to relax him, she started cutting away the roots. Once Charcan was free, he and Cavallo swam out of the river.

          Back on the banks of the river, Lunar regrouped with the others. They continued on, Lunar, leading Charcan in the back of the group.

         An hour of futile searching later, Pluto, who was in the lead, thrust her arm out. The rest of the Guardians all halted their stallions, peering to see what Pluto had seen. In front of them, yawned the gaping mouth of a cave, dripping stalagtites like teeth.

         It was the Beast's lair!

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