Explorations of a Lost Civilization -- COMPLETED

Xiuhcoatl thought for a moment and then chuckled. "I'll let you two go and get ready like you wanted to do a few moments ago.." he said with a bit of a laugh. "I'm honoured to have met you and don't worry about those questions I had for you two. You two deserve to be here, a koopa is a koopa, regardless of what planet they come from."

Thanking Xiuhcoatl once more, Hazel smiled to both of them. "We just need to take a quick trip back to our home planet to get what our belongings and we'll be right back here for you." she assured the new Koopa King. Offering a hand to Orinda, she was ready to walk back to their ship.

"Thanks again!" Orinda said to Xiuhcoatl as he gave him a wave farewell. Taking Hazel's hand, they both began the relatively lengthy walk back to their spaceship under the clear, star filled night sky.

Xiuhcoatl waved back as he watched the two go on their way. He felt like skipping home because he was so happy over what had occurred tonight, something so rare he hadn't done it in a few thousand years. "Come on old man.." he said to himself with a chuckle as he decided to walk back towards the ledge and out of sight for home.

"You know, Orinda," Hazel said softly as they walked, "there is one thing I feel silly about now. I try to see things as they come but it doesn't always work that way.."

"Nothing ever ends the way we plan," Orinda responded. "The process might be what we imagine but the ending never is. It isn't something to feel silly about.."

Hazel nodded in agreement. "I suppose your right.." she said as they had now approached their ship. "Speaking of ends, here we are at where we started. Assuming we're ready to get back on board?"

Orinda released Hazel's hand and took a seat on the grass, resting back against the ship. "Not quite yet," he responded, looking at her. "I have one more question for you. Please sit with me."

Hazel not only saw Orinda was being serious, but felt something just as serious coming on. Taking a seat next to him, she patted him on the hand and looked in his eyes. "What's your question?" she asked him softly.

Orinda smiled a little as Hazel's hand touched his. "It's about your sister Starla," he replied. "The other day, she and I talked about spiritual bridges. I've also noticed that she isn't here now and never met up with us at the station back home after the initial report. Where is she now?"

Hazel had saw this question coming for quite some time now. She had felt this back at the station's conference room and it had been a steady presence, though it was temporarily pushed aside during their investigation of this planet. The time was now, she mentally took a deep breath and let it go.

"My sister is a very special case," she said to Orinda, placing her hand over his now to keep both of them calm. "She brings hope and energy to every place she touches with her presence. She always has done it and with every other world she comes across she'll continue to do it. Her time is short when she comes, but her impression is forever lasting when she is moving on to her next." Taking a deep breath, she continued on. "The spiritual bridge is how the universe is connected. No matter where we travel, no matter how far apart we go, we have that connection.. built of stars, spirits of those who have been with us and no longer walk among us, they bring us together when we need each other most. Not only does it connect the universes, it connects our hearts as to say, we always have each other. My sister did her job here and she's doing her job on her next assigned planet. Does that answer your question?"

"Yes," Orinda responded with a smile. "But I noticed that she said that when coming here she had a sense of excitement but also sensed fear. When we came to this planet again, I felt both of those from you too. Why is that?"

"We're sisters," Hazel simply responded. "Big sister leaves footprints, little sister follows. We experience similar fears and worries but like you said, the ending is different. She went on to find the next world, with you along I've helped relight a candle that had long gone out on the Koopa Empire."

Slugging Orinda in the shoulder playfully, Hazel let off a giggle. "Dude, you should of gotten that!"

"Ow!" Orinda responded in surprise as he rubbed his shoulder, totally not expecting that from Hazel. Right when he was about to say he was ready to go home, he felt something nibbling on his foot. A wet, tingling sensation but not quite painful like someone was biting, at least not yet. "Hazel?" he called out, the world beginning to fade to black in front of him. "Something is trying to eat me here!" he said in a panicky voice. The world was completely black now, he couldn't see anything. "Hazel! Hazel!"

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"Hazel.." Orinda moaned out, finding himself in a bed as he was flopping around. The wet, tingling sensation continued on his right foot as he mumbled something incoherent and began to open his eyes. "Hazel?" he said as he sat up, waking in a bit of a cold sweat. He could still feel something nibbling, someone was in the bedroom with him. His right leg hanging over the side of the bed, he looked over and became horrified at what he saw.

Iggitarian was the one trying to eat Orinda's foot. Looking up at him, he wiped drool from his mouth and let off a giant burp. "Om nom nom!" he chirped in with a toothy smile.

"ZOMBIE!" Orinda screamed as he flailed his right leg around frantically, sending Iggitarian flying across the room and smack into the wall behind him. "GET AWAY ZOMBIE BOY!!" he yelled as he leapt out of bed and ran from the room.