The Three Crystals

Chapter 6

It was dark. So dark that even when the sun fully rose in the sky, it just barely made the woods walkable. Another thing was that it was silent. Each step they took was an echo through the woods, making it impossible to know if they were being followed. There was nothing they could do because if they decided to walk anymore lighter, they would be stuck in the woods forever. 

Both kids opted to be lookouts. While the Keepers walked, they swept the area for anything suspicious. Wolf kept them on the thieves' scent while Tiger led them around in the dark. If any danger was to happen, Unicorn was to fly the kids out of there. Hopefully, none of it came to that.

"How's the scent coming along," Unicorn asked Wolf.

"Same as last time. Faint."

Tiger grumbled head, "We should have left right when we saw them."

"We'd be dead then."

"Maybe you, but I'd fight them off."

"I can fly and not everything needs to result in violence, Tiger."

"Then why didn't you fly your way to them and snatch up the crystals, hm? Could have saved us the trouble. Oh right, because you're all about peace and love."

"Knock it off, you two! Always acting like little offsprings."

Unicorn stomped her foot and huffed in annoyance while Tiger barred his teeth back, but neither continued their bickering. Suddenly, Tiger froze. They all froze. 

"Is it-" the boy started right when the flash of green quickly disappeared. 

They ran. The sudden change of pace had the two kids gripping the necks of the Keepers for dear life as they ran after the small glowing ball of light. As they got closer, they could see it floating through the air before it disappeared and then reappeared a few feet away. 

"Maybe I can take a shot at it, using the new freeze-" the girl yelled over the noise.

"No. We can't risk damaging the crystal!"

They did not need to worry because, abruptly, it stopped. It dangled in the air, and when Tiger tried to jump and swipe at it, it moved upwards and out of reach. 

"Give us the crystal thieves. This is not a game," he growled while pacing below the crystal. When nothing happened, he turned to Unicorn. "Care to use those wings and grab it finally?"

She nodded and lowered the boy off her back. With wings outstretched, she reared back and launched into the air. The crystal was just within reach as they tried to pull it back. Head out, she snapped at it but was met with empty air and glowing red eyes. Sharp canines flashed at her neck while red saliva dripped from its mouth. 

"Zombie Plants!" 

Numerous red eyes appeared around them and encircled them. This was undoubtedly new behavior, and they were outnumbered. Heads snapped at her wings and head as she dove to the ground, the crystal gone. 

"We have to get the humans out of here, Unicorn-"

"Can't. They blocked the opening. It's just as unsafe in the air as it is on the ground."

"They aren't supposed to climb! How are they climbing?!" the young girl shrieked as one came a little too close to her leg. Wolf snapped at it, biting the Plant's stem. It shriveled up immediately.  

The warrior boy pressed against Tiger's side and swiped at a plant that dared to get close to him. "We can clear a path and head back to the main road."

"We need that crystal, though. Unicorn, search for the crystal while the rest of us clear a path," Tiger growled before swiping a line of Plants that stood in his way.

"You know I can't see that well in the dark!"

A body landed on her back just right before something slid over her eyes, illuminating the area like it was daytime. "There, now you have even better night vision." The girl gave her a thumbs up before making her way back onto Wolf's back. A new gadget coming from her backpack, and she made eye contact with the fellow boy. "Catch! It's a freeze gun!" 

With her wings spread, she took to the sky again.

Now that she knew they were in the trees, it was not much of a surprise to her. She headbutted, swiped and smacked at any of the Zombie Plants. They were not as strong as they were on the ground, seeing how it must be new territory for them.  She searched for any sign of the crystal, but there was no bright glow. That was until one snipped at her, and a bright glow emerged from its mouth. The crystal was wrapped around its oozing tongue, which dimmed the glow. 

With it caught, it wrapped its orange root legs around the branch before swinging itself to another. Unicorn twisted and dodged the others that tried to get in her way, but she needed that crystal. The Plant's pink petals puffed up in anger as she flew closer. 

Until it was just the two of them. This Plant was quicker in its attack. Its root leg lashed forward, gripping tightly to her leg, and launched forward. She couldn't pull back, forcing her to defend herself with her horn. She swiped at it to cut its cheek mid-attack. Hooves pushed against the Plant causing it to lose grip on her leg and instead grab hold of the tree. That was until she took her hoof and smashed its leg that gripped the branch. 

The Plant fell.

And fell.

The green crystal came into contact with its sharp teeth before the Plant collided with the ground. With one powerful snap, the crystal exploded into two pieces. The power was so mighty that the plant disintegrated while Unicorn was knocked off balance. The ripple of power pulsed through the air as trees around her fell to the ground one by one. 

"No. No!" she galloped towards the broken crystal. The green color was gone and was replaced with transparency. She tried to mend it back together, but nothing happened. All the while, the lush woods were slowly dying and replaced with empty trunks and branches. Even the grass around her has turned to a crunchy brown color.

With the Health crystal gone, good health was slowly fading.