Chapter Text
Pawsteps echoed through the halls of Seabreeze palace. The pretty white marble walls shone as light leaked through the the pearl encrusted windows, decorated with hibiscus flower beds. A pretty white she cat with fluffy fur was padding through the halls. She had two pink checks under her eyes that indicated her species, a dolphin tailed Altecat. Adorned with a pink crystal and pearl necklace, her ears were pricked, listening for any signs of her brother.
She looked down her front leg, where a pocket strap had been attached. A letter was safely folded in her sleeve pocket. Anticipation to read the letter was killing her, but she wanted to share the exiting moment with her brother. She neared a door with a silver plaque labelled "training hall". As she wondered if her brother could be in there, she heard grunting and a triumphant howl on the other side. She nodded to herself as she pushed the door open with her head.
On the other side, a tan brown mixed wolf clawed away at some sentries. He dived under them and kicked one into another. He wore a blue pearl and crystal collar, which matched the colour of his dazzling eyes. He looked so different from her: he was a brown wolf while she was a cat, a strange anomaly that did not happen often. He was sleek and short furred, while she had long fur. However, they both had dolphin tails that marked their species, as most of Pearlia had, and he had blue watereyes that appeared to be marbles of water as they shone like a lake in the afternoon.
Allura was surprised to see Lance in this part of the castle , as it was above water. He always preferred roaming the depths of the lake surrounding the castle, where he could practice his water powers.
The she cat cleared her throat, and the male looked up. He mumbled something to the last sentry, and it dissolved into light. Allura remembered that these sentries were made decades ago by the last Aura spirit, a hero with the power to enchant objects. Allura sighed as she wondered if she'd be able to one day enchant something as difficult as a self powered sentry.
She snapped out of her thoughts as he made he way towards her, wearing a happy smile, slightly panting from the fighting.
"What's up, sis?" he said casually. He wiped his paw over his forehead, and began licking his other one to smooth out his fur. Lance always made sure to groom his fur to the point where it almost glowed.
Allura lifted the letter out of her sleeve pocket using magic, causing the envelope to glow pink.
"Well, Lance, just this morning I found a letter addressed to us, from Serenia!"
Lance stopped licking his paw at that last word. Serenia was one of the most famous kingdoms in the land. It was huge, with residents from all over the world. It was especially famous for its queen, Moonlight, who put a stop to the possessing of many innocent animals caused by a dragon. It was a long story, one that Lance and his sister Allura loved to listen to when they were young. But Serenia didn't have a large connection to Pearlia, so why the letter?
"So... what does it say?" said Lance.
"I guess we're about to find out! Said Allura, excited but slightly nervous. What did the queen want with Pearlia?
She unfolded the letter, with had been sealed with a red seal that depicted a rose, with slight silver tints. Allura cleared her throat and began to read.
Dear Prince and Princess Lance and Allura of Pearlia
We would like to inform you that Queen Moonlight has invited you to join an elite group of heroes called the Hero Guard. You two, along with five others from different kingdoms will be tasked with fighting against the Villainous Crystals, a group of anti-heroes that have began to terrorize nearby kingdoms. Your spiritual skills will be greatly needed, as you will be the Aura and Aqua of your team. There will be a meeting for the guard in a week: it is recommended that you arrive a day early to familiarize yourself in our kingdom. We thank you for your time, and we hope that you consider our invitation.
Salutations,
His Magesty, King Jay
The siblings were silent when Allura finished reading. Then, the two looked at each other, eyes gleaming.
"Allura, the queen invited us! The QUEEN! To join the HERO GUARD! Can you believe this?!" Yelled Lance, grinning.
Allura smiled back.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go show dad!"
The two ran through the halls, Allura clutching the letter in her jaws. They burst into the throne room, where King Alfor, their father, was talking with Blaytz, head of the Pearlia royal guard. They turned around when the siblings ran up to them.
Lance spoke first.
"Father father, look!" he yelled, "We got a letter from the Queen of Serenia!"
Alfor gave Blaytz an exasperated look, as if to say, kids will be kids. Allura handed him the letter. His eyes flew over the words, and a smile spread across his face.
"The Hero Guard? That's splendid! I'm so proud of you both!"
He pressed his paw against their heads. Blaytz spoke up.
"Same here, kiddos! I remember when your father and I were members of the Hero Guard. We were about your age." He sighed. "Good times. Your father was reckless, charging into situations without thinking. We always had to hold him back."
Lance nodded vigorously. "I think we should leave soon. It takes about 5 days for rift magic to begin working, and I'm not sure how close their water source is."
Allura nodded in agreement.
"Well, you two should be off." smiled Alfor.
The two gave a final look at their father before running off.
"Make sure to prepare your luggage! Pack light!" Alfor called after them.
Rift magic was a powerful magic that allowed people to travel from place to place by water. It is the power of an Aqua spirit and an Aura spirit that allows these rifts to be created. It had been decades since an Aura spirit had been born, the last being their great-great grandmother, so there were no remaining rifts. But now that Allura was skilled enough, they could use her power to access Serenia in a flash.
Five days had passed. Four animals were standing by a waterfall: Blaytz, Allura, Alfor and Lance. A light emanated from a hole in the water, which was the rift that Lance and Allura had created. It had finally formed.
"Well, I guess you kids are off now." said Blaytz, ruffling the fur on their heads. "You best do me proud. Ya gotta really blow we outta the water." he smirked, earning a giggle from Allura. Lance rolled his eyes, but was smiling. Alfor padded forward.
"I hope you've packed enough," he began, "because this is going to be a fun, but dangerous job. The Villainous Crystals are not to be messed with. In fact, just be careful for Longtooths , they are known to be a dangerous breed. Be careful."
Lance frowned. "You shouldn't judge the breed just because of the Villainous Crystals, Dad." he said.
Alfor signed.
"You're right, but the Longtooth species originated from the very first group of Villainous Crystals. Crow was a Longtooth."
Lance remembered the stories of Crow, the very first anti-hero. He killed his own brother, who was the first Hero, and created the Villanous Crystals, a group that aimed to eliminate Heroes once and for all.
Alfor began to speak again, snapping Lance out of his thoughts.
"Have a safe adventure. Good luck." he said.
The two siblings dipped their heads, and padded forward.
They plunged into the waterfall, but no water splashed their fur as they travelled by rift to Serenia. Lance howled happily as they were sucked in. This was where their new lives began.
Lance was greeted by the not so pleasing feeling of shooting into the sky and landing heavily on the dirt.
A feminine groan suggested that Allura was in the same pain.
Nevertheless, Lance pushed himself to his paws, and raised his head. It took him a few seconds to register what was before him, but when he did, he gasped, as did Allura.
Serenia was unlike anything he had ever seen.
Pearlia was a beautiful kingdom, but Serenia was breathtaking. Houses and shops were lined up on the side of the road, where a river ran straight through, decorated by plant life. The houses were cozy and cottage like. Flowers of different colour decorated the windows. As Allura and Lance padded further down the road, they came across a park decorated with gorgeous flowers. But the most breathtaking part was the white marble castle not far on the horizon. It shone in the morning sun, making Lance squint. He looked at his sister and, eyes sparkling, tore down the road.
Cats and canines of all breeds walked around the kingdom. Lance saw a few dolphintails, lynxears and many more. Alteafauna of all patterns padded around gracefully. The sound of chatter filled the air of the kingdom. Lance and Allura skidded to a halt.
"This is amazing!" yelled Lance. "It's... enormous!"
"Just a quick question," began Allura, "where are we supposed to go?"
As she spoke, a golden retriever in pretty jewel encrusted armour perked up as she saw them. She made her way over to them.
"Ah, you must be the queen's guests! The prince and princess of Pearlia, correct?"
They both nodded.
"I am Sunflower. Please, follow me. She has been expecting you.