Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Another world, another time, in the age of wonder.

On the planet Thra, there is a Crystal that serves as the heart of the world. Since the land was young, Aughra protected the Crystal for she knew that it connected to all life on Thra. But closest to her heart were the Gelfling. Seven Gelfling clans call Thra home.

The proud Vapra of the mountain city of Ha'Rar. The most cultured of the Gelfling who rule over the seven clans.

The fierce Stonewood of the endless forests. Renowned for their prowess in battle.

The gentle Grottan of the underground caves. Caregivers of all the creatures of Thra and almost forgotten by the world above.

The amphibious Drenchen of the swamps. Warriors known for their combat on both land and water.

The mystical Dousan of the deserts. Shamans who value life and death above materialistic needs.

The knowledgable Sifa of the seas. Seafaring explorers who continuously search for new wisdom to add to their collections.

The bold Spriton of the grasslands. Warriors who know the land more than any other Gelfling and use it to their advantage.

For uncounted millennia, all of Thra existed in perfect balance. Until the Crystal cracked, for a single piece was lost, a shard of the Crystal. Then strife began and two new races appeared: the Skeksis and the Mystics. The Skeksis bewitched Aughra with stories of the universe and built her an orrery so that she might learn the mysteries of the cosmos for herself. And so, Aughra turned her eye to the stars and here, in the Castle of the Crystal, the Skeksis took control.

Now the Skeksis gather in the sacred chamber, where the Crystal hangs above a shaft of air and fire. The Skeksis with their hard and twisted bodies, their harsh and twisted wills. Almost a thousand years have passed since the Skeksis declared themselves rulers of Thra. Today once more they gather in secret as a new day begins to steal life from the Crystal they have sworn to protect. So they may replenish themselves, cheat death again, through the power of their source, their treasure, their fate, The Dark Crystal.

But today, fate has a different plan in store for the Skeksis. Today, fate has drawn new life forms to Thra. Today, these visitors will change everything.

As the first sun climbed to its peak, the Skeksis noticed something odd was happening. The Crystal's purple light suddenly began to draw away from the Skeksis and to a single spot on the ground. The Skeksis watched as something very slowly appeared in the light. Something resembling a Gelfing with blonde hair was lying down face-first on the ground and wore strange clothing. Even stranger were the ears, they were short and round, not long and pointed like a Gelfling's.

"What is this?" demanded skekSo the Emperor.

"I...I don't know," skekZok the Ritual-Master said honestly.

"Can we eat it?" asked skekAyuk the Gourmand. He gave the creature a sniff. "Ugh! Doesn't smell good!"

"Perhaps it's dead," skekLach the Collector snorted. "Too bad."

"Wait," skekTek the Scientist gasped. "It's waking up!"

Slowly, the creature raised itself up and looked around in a daze. Its face was like a Gelfling's but it was more flat than pointed. Its icy blue eyes looked around and then it laid its eyes on the Skeksis. "Oh, crud..." was all it said.

In the mountain city of Ha'Rar, Princess Brea was in the library, reading her scrolls when she heard a thud behind her. She turned to see the librarian panting as he placed a pile of books on the table behind her. "Here are the tomes you requested, Princess," he said.

"Oh, thank you!" She took one of them off the pile and brought it to her desk.

The door to the library opened and a Gelfling that resembled an older version of Brea entered. She had the same blonde hair and blue eyes, but the older Gelfling had on warrior armor. "I knew I would find you here, sister."

Brea turned around and greeted her with a smile. "Tavra!" The two sisters embraced. "Oh, it's nice to see you! I have to tell you about Dousan prophecies," she gestured to her books. "Did you know that-"

Tavra held up a hand. "Not now, Brea. I've been called to a disturbance in the middle of the city. Apparently, some strange creature has been sighted in the square."

Brea's eyes widened. "A strange creature? Oh, can I come?"

"No. It might be dangerous. Just stay in the library until I know it's safe."

Brea just scoffed. "You get all the fun."

Tavra made a chuckle. "I never have fun. You and Seladon know that." Tavra put her helmet back on and left. Brea grumbled and folded her arms. Then she made a smirk. "It can't hurt just to see."

Tavra found a group of Paladin soldiers gathered at a shop. "What's going on," she asked.

"We've cornered the creature in here," a Paladin responded. "We've blocked all the exits."

"I'll take it from here," Tavra said, readying her spear.

"Be careful," another Paladin said. "It managed to overpower one of us and steal his sword."

Tavra slowly entered the shop with two Paladins by her side. There, they found the creature backed into a corner with a sword in its arms. It had dark skin, dark hair and brown eyes like a Dousan Gelfling, but its clothing was strange, nothing like they had seen on Thra. The most curious thing however, was its face. It sort of looked like a Gelfling's, but it was flat instead of pointed and its ears were small and round. It pointed the sword at Tavra and snarled, "Stay back!"

"Stand down, creature," Tavra ordered. "You're surrounded."

The creature swung the sword, but Tavra blocked it and knocked it out of her opponent's hand. Now disarmed, it was easy for the Paladins to hold it down and bind its hands with ropes. "Take it to the cells," Tavra shouted. "I will alert the All-Maudra."

"Get off me," the creature shouted as the Paladins dragged it off.

Deep underground, Deet gathered some glow moss for the Nurloc worms waiting to eat deep below. She could hear one of them bellowing. "I hear you, I hear you! You're really fussy today, aren't you?" She spread her wings and flew over to where the Nurlocs were impatiently waiting for food. "Here you are, enjoy!" She dropped her moss onto the ground and the giant worms began eating them.

Suddenly, one of the Nurlocs made another noise. Not one of hunger, but of alarm. Deet looked down to see a creature lying down on a rock. It sort of looked like a Gelfling, but it had a flat face and short, round ears. It had black hair and pale skin and wore strange clothing. Deet hovered down to get a good look at it. Then it slowly stirred and opened its eyes, looking around in a daze. "Where am I?" it asked. Then it laid its eyes on Deet and it leaped back in shock.

"It's okay," Deet assured it. "I'm not going to hurt you." The creature didn't look assured. Deet reached into her bag and handed it some glow moss. "Here." The creature didn't take it. "It's alright. It's not toxic. I feed Nurlocs this moss all the time."

The creature slowly took the moss in its hand and began to eat it. Then it smiled. "This isn't bad!" It began to eat more. "I kind of like it."

Deet smiled. "I hoped you did." She asked, "What is your name?"

"My name? It's..." Suddenly the creature let out a cry as its skin started to glow blue. "What happened to my hands?!"

"That's what glow moss does. It turns your skin blue depending on how much you eat," Deet said with a giggle. "You act like you've never been on Thra before."

"Uh...that's because I haven't."

Deet's eyes widened. "Really? Then, where do you come from?"

The creature made a silly grin. "Would you believe me if I said another world?"

Chapter Text

Natasha was having a bad day. She thought for sure this was all a bad dream. But as the Skeksis surrounded her, she knew right away that she wasn't. skekSo the Emperor spoke to her, "What...who are you?" he asked with a mixture of curiosity and authority. She did not respond. Instead, she backed away from them.

"Do not touch me, you putrid lizards," she growled.

"How dare you speak to our Emperor like that," skekVar the General roared at her. He lunged at her, but the girl rolled out of the way and ran down a hall. "GRRRAUUUGH! GUARDS!"

Natasha didn't have any clue where she was going, really. She had to get away from those monsters. She ran down a passageway, but she stopped when she heard footsteps coming down the end of the hall. She turned and ran down another stone hallway before running up a flight of stairs to what looked like a balcony. She gasped at what she saw.

A vast landscape that looked nothing like what she saw back home. And when she looked up, she knew she had to be dreaming. Three suns in the sky: a large white one, a medium sized red one and a small purple one. She shook her head. "I have to be dreaming. This has to be a dream."

A fluttering sound suddenly made her turn around. Pointing a small sword at her was what looked like a blonde haired elf wearing armor. "Don't move," she said.

"How did you get up here?" Natasha asked. It was only then did she notice the elf had wings folded behind her back. "Makes sense."

"I said not to move," the elf said. "The Skeksis ordered the guards to bring you to them. They have a lot of questions for you."

"Yeah, not happening," Natasha said, turning to run back where she came.

"STOP!"

The girl ran with the elf pursuing her. Before she could turn another corner, someone tackled her to the ground. "Get off me!"

Mira came to see Gurjin and Rian pinning the creature down. "Well done, you two."

"A little help would be appreciated," Rian said, struggling to keep the...whatever it was down.

"Hold on." Mira knelt down and bound the creature's arms together. "There."

"Finally. Ugh!" The creature suddenly kicked Gurjin below the belt and ran again. "Sorry," he groaned to Mira.

"It's fine. I'll go after her."

Natasha came to a rest behind a pillar and panted heavily. "I'm definitely not in Kansas anymore. Hell, I don't think I'm on Earth anymore!" She noticed a sharp rock poking out of the ground and used it to cut her binds. She heard more footsteps approaching and ran again. But she didn't get far when a fist punched her in the face and all she saw next was black.

Mira, Rian and Gurjin followed the noises when they came across Ordon, standing over the creature. "That was impressive, Captain," said Mira.

"Yes. I'm surprised she managed to get away from you," said Ordon with authority.

Rian looked at the creature and nudged it with his foot. "Father, what do you think it is? It looks like a Gelfling, but its ears are small!"

Ordon tied ropes around the creature's ankles. "It doesn't matter. The Skeksis wish to bring her back to them."

"How do you know it's a her," Rian asked. "Does it have wings?"

"No. But there are a lot of other ways you can look to check if it's a female," Mira said as she and Gurjin carried the creature out. "Like in the chest." Rian blushed a little.

Natasha groaned as she slowly awoke to new surroundings. Either this was the longest dream ever or this was real. Now it looked like she was in a dungeon. Cages filled with squawking, squealing and mewling animals were either bolted to the walls or hanging from the ceiling. She tried to move only to realize her arms and legs were shackled to the floor of the cage she was in.

A scratchy, raspy voice said, "Ah, the specimen has regained consciousness."

Natasha grimaced. The creature before her looked like one of the vulture-lizard hybrids she met earlier, the Skeksis, those elves called them. He wore a tattered robe resembling a lab coat and his right arm and leg had been replaced with mechanical prosthetics. But the most disturbing thing about him was the series of transparent tubes that had replaced his jugular vein, letting her see his blood and other juices flowing through them.

"Are you going to dissect me," she snarled at him. "Because I will die fighting if I have to!"

The Scientist chuckled. "Easy, creature. I simply wish to know you better. The Emperor is just as curious as I am."

"I am no creature. My name is Natasha."

"Natasha? Is that the name of your species?"

"No! I'm a human!"

"What is a human?"

"What is this, twenty questions?"

SkekTek growled a little. "You should be grateful you're still alive. The General wanted to have you tossed down the shaft for your rudeness, but the Emperor decided it might be best to keep you alive. Of course, I could persuade him to change his mind if you're uncooperative."

Natasha decided it might not be best to upset this thing. "How about this then, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours."

The Scientist nodded his head. "Very well. Ask away."

"First of all, where am I, what are you and what are those elves that captured me?"

"This is Thra, a planet circling three suns. As for what I am, I am a Lord of the Crystal, a Skeksis. I am skekTek the Scientist. So you better not show me disrespect..." The Scientist held up a small scalpel. "...if you want to live."

Natasha frowned at him, but said with a sort of mocking respect, "Of course, your majesty."

"And as for the...elves, did you call them? They are Gelfling. They were simple creatures until we came to Thra and gave them gifts of knowledge and power. Now they live in harmony, but they do not forget where they got those gifts."

"So, you're the kings of this world?"

"That title belongs to our Emperor, skekSo."

"I see."

"Now, tell me, human, how did you come to be here and where do you come from, may I ask?" And so, the Scientist began to learn of the planet this creature came from, how many humans there were, what it was like, and other boring details he did not really need to know. "How did you come here?"

"Well, let's see, I was on a geology trip with two friends of mine...that's the study of rocks and minerals."

"I know what geology is," skekTek snapped. "I am not an invalid!"

"Hey, I didn't say you were," the girl insisted. skekTek glared at her. "Anyway, we found this cave full of these crystals, but this one stood out. It...come to think of it, looked like the one I saw in that chamber. Only it was white, not purple."

That caught the Scientist's attention. "Oh, really? Tell me more."

"It was...it was floating in the air. No wires, no special effects. And there was a hole in the ceiling. When we touched it, it started glowing and..." It was at this point Natasha started to worry. "And here I am and I have no idea where I am and where the others are! Heck, I don't even think they were there with me!"

"There, there it's..."

"Don't you dare say it's alright, vulture! Because it is not!"

The Scientist frowned at her "The specimen is acting frantic again," he muttered to himself before saying out loud. "I was going to say it is not all bad. You are alive, yes? And who knows? Perhaps your friends are around somewhere?"

"Why do I not believe you?"

"Believe it or not, but the fact is, you don't have a choice in the matter. The fact is, this is in fact the safest place in Thra there is." Well, that's the story he was going with any way.

Natasha exhaled, seeing that she had no choice. "Fine. But that doesn't mean I have to like it here." She stood up. "Alright, where do I sleep?"

"Here."

She thought she heard that wrong. "Wait, what?! But you said-"

"I never said you'd be free to roam the castle. The Emperor doesn't trust you enough. And I know you'll run out as soon as the guards alert us." The Scientist turned to leave, only to stop to say, "Oh, and welcome to Thra, Natasha."

Natasha glared as she watched the Scientist leave. "Some welcome, you moldy vulture," she grumbled.

"A crystal?" the Emperor asked the Scientist when he came to report his findings.

"Similar to the Crystal of Truth. It almost reminds me of... Of..." The Scientist paused. "Of before."

The Emperor tightened his grip on the Scepter of Office. "You know I do not like talking about... Back then. I can barely remember that time anyway. What else is there to learn about it?"

"It?"

"The creature! And her planet's crystal!"

The Scientist had to admit, "Other than she and her companions were in the wrong place at the wrong time, nothing. And that she has a foul mouth."

"Peh."

SkekTek stammered, "L-Let's not be so hasty! There could be more to learn from her!"

SkekSo narrowed his eyes at him. "You had better keep that scientific curiosity on a leash."

"I cannot help it. It is my nature as a scientist."

The Emperor scoffed. "Still, I am curious myself. To know if it has use. Bring it to me tomorrow."

"Of course Your Majesty! I'll let her know right away."

Natasha was let out of her cage the next day and brought to the throne room. "Be on your best behavior," the Scientist warned her. She took note of the other Skeksis, particularly the way they were eyeing her with oily suspicion. Except for one wearing red robes. He was making a smile that made her shiver for some odd reason.

She also noticed a couple of Gelfling standing guard, and she did not like their distrustful glares they were giving her. She hoped that would change if she got on the Emperor's good side. Although, looking at his ugly appearance, it was kind of hard to tell where his good side was.

"Kneel, bow!" the Scientist ordered her, which she quickly did.

"Oh, she's even uglier up close," a Skeksis wearing multiple pairs of glasses said.

Ignoring that rude comment, Natasha asked, "You... You called, Your Highness?"

SkekSo said, "Yes. I wished to know how it was you came here, creature."

"My name is Natasha and I assumed your Scientist told you what I told him."

"Rude thing," a Skeksis wearing gold high priest's robes commented.

The Emperor pointed his scepter at her. "I want to hear it from your words alone, else there's no way to tell if you're bluffing."

"Do you want the short version or the long?"

"Whichever keeps you from being executed for invasion. And believe me when I say this, our Ritual Master..." The Emperor gestured to the Skeksis wearing the golden robes. "...happens to know various ritualistic sacrifices."

"Can we eat it later," a fat Skeksis with a short snout asked.

Natasha's eyes widened. "Okay, okay! Uh... Where do I start?"

"Start with the crystal," the Scientist said.

"Right, right. Uh... So we, my friends and I, found this big floating crystal that looked kind of like the one you guys have only it was white, not purple." Hearing this, the other Skeksis began murmuring amongst each other. Natasha continued her story, "And while were studying it, the sun shone on it and one of us made the stupid mistake of touching it and suddenly I'm on another world with Skeksis and Gelfling. That's pretty much the whole summary."

The Emperor lifted her head with the scepter and looked into her eyes. "You spin quite a story. How do I know you're not lying?"

Natasha frowned at him. "I just came out of your crystal right before your very eyes the other day. How can I fake that?"

The Emperor lowered his scepter. "True. However, I still want you to prove your worth to me. What can you do?"

"Me? Well, let's see I can read and write, I know at least three different languages... Okay, only two and the third is mostly just curse words..."

"Can you fight," a large Skeksis wearing full body armor barked.

"Oh! I do know tae kwon do... Although I only took one lesson before I got bored."

"So you can't."

"Hey, I can fight, you rotten velociraptor!"

The armored Skeksis just scoffed. "Look at you! Your skinny little arms could barely hold a sword!"

"You want to say that to my face, you ugly vulture?! Ow!"

The Scientist squeezed her shoulder. "Show your respect towards skekVar the General, Natasha. His temper is unmatched."

"Temper, he doesn't know temper!" she shouted as she struggled to break free.

A whimpering sound made the Emperor turn his attention toward the Skeksis wearing the red robes. "What is it, Chamberlain?"

"It seems this creature requires a real challenge," the Chamberlain replied in a wheedling voice that made Natasha instantly hate him. "Podlings say there is a...small Arathim infestation in the castle's lower levels. Personally, Chamberlain believes they're just seeing things, but perhaps this creature clearing them out would prove its worth."

"What an excellent suggestion," the glasses-wearing Skeksis said.

"Ehhh, or at least shut it up if it fails and dies," a Skeksis with oozing warts all over his snout wheezed. Natasha took one look at him and grimaced. "WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!"

"Gelfling," the Emperor pointed to three guards. "Prepare the human and accompany it to the dungeon. However, should you encounter any Arathim, the human is to slay them alone. Then I may consider its freedom."

The Gelfling gasped. The female one, whom Natasha remembered being called Mira, protested, "My Lords, reconsider! She doesn't know how the dangerous the Arathim are and..."

"It's fine," Natasha said. "If it means proving my worth to the Emperor, so be it."

The Emperor slammed his staff and said, "Proceed."

Natasha found herself wincing as she put on a Gelfling-sized breastplate. "Is there anything...bigger?"

"It's all we have on short notice," said a Gelfling with green markings, dreadlocks and webbed feet and hands. She was told his name was Gurjin.

"Is she ready," asked Mira. Gurjin nodded. "Then come. Rian?" A Gelfling with brown hair and piercing blue eyes turned to her. "We're ready."

"I don't like this," Rian said as the four of them walked down the dark tunnels. "Arathim in the castle? This hasn't happened before. And why is she here?"

"Be nice," Mira said. "I want to see what she's capable of."

"So, these Arathim," said Natasha. "We're talking pushovers, right?"

"Not really," said Rian. "They're spiders three times a Gelfling's size and spray very sticky webs." He leaned in closer. "And they love the taste of Gelfling flesh."

Natasha stopped. Mira looked back. "What's wrong?"

"You didn't mention they were spiders."

"Why?" asked Gurjin.

"I hate spiders."

"Oh, this is going to be good," Rian said sarcastically.

The sound of water dripping echoed throughout the tunnel as the group ventured forth. "Wait," Mira said, pointing to what looked like huge cobwebs hanging on the wall. "Arathim sign."

"You know what," said Natasha, a little afraid. "I suddenly don't feel like doing this anymore."

Rian looked shocked. "You want to go back to the Skeksis and say you ran away?"

"No," Natasha insisted, though who she was trying to fool, the Gelfling or herself was beyond her. "I just want to fight for another day. That's..." Something slimy dripped onto her shoulder. Her heartbeat increased as she slowly looked up, then she screamed as something large and black leaped down from the ceiling and pinned her to the ground.

"Spitter!" screamed the three Gelfling.

Natasha tried her best to keep the spider from biting her, but it was too heavy. "Get off!" she grunted, but the Arathim responded by shrieking at her and gnashed its pincers at her.

"Come on!" Rian shouted as he, Mira and Gurjin pulled out their swords.

"No!" Natasha managed to push the Spitter off with her feet and ran into the wall before pulling out a large stick. "The Skeksis won't accept me if I had help! I have to do this alone!"

"Don't be foolish," Rian said as he jumped onto the Spitter's back and plunged his sword into its carapace. The Spitter let out an angry screech and thrashed about, knocking the Gelfling off. Mira flew up and dove down, slicing off one of the Spitter's legs. In response, the Spitter sprayed her with silk and pinned her to the wall.

"Mira!" Rian ran up to free her, but the Spitter sprayed him to the wall as well.

Gurjin gulped as the Spitter turned its attention to him. Then he exhaled and charged forward. "For the Lords of the Crystal!" Before his sword could penetrate the shell, Natasha slid under the Spitter and impaled its belly. It let out a screech of pain before it flipped on its back and twitched violently. Finally, it stopped and its legs curled up and went still.

"It's... Dead?" asked Gurjin.

Natasha frantically scrambled out from under the body and looked back. "It is," she panted.

"Uh... Gurjin? Could you get us down?" asked Mira.

"Ooh, sorry!"

After freeing Mira and Rian, the three Gelfling looked back at the Spitter. "How did it get in here?" asked Rian. "The Castle of the Crystal is so fortified that no Arathim should ever break in!"

"I don't know," said Mira. "Your father should investigate this further." The sound of a shuddering whimper made her turn around. "N-Natasha?"

"I... I thought it was going to kill me. I was going to die," Natasha wept. "I'm scared! I'm so scared!" She collapsed to her knees and cried. Mira did the one thing she could think of to comfort her. She walked over and wrapped her arms around her.

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. I'm stuck in an alien world, I don't know where my friends are and I don't know if I'll ever get home!"

"Well, do you want us to be friends?"

Natasha looked at her. "What?"

"You are strange, but I think we can be friends. Don't you think so, Rian, Gurjin?"

The two male Gelfling didn't look so sure. "But, she's not a Gelfling," said Rian.

"So? She is as brave as any Stonewood Gelfling that I've seen."

"She did hold her ground," said Gurjin.

Natasha shook her head. "I don't feel brave."

"Then why did you stay and fight?"

Natasha dried her tears. "I... I don't know. I guess because I didn't want to see you get hurt."

"And there you go. A coward wouldn't care if we got here."

Natasha smiled. Then she got up and said, "Well, what do we do with this?" She gestured to the Spitter corpse.

"We'll take this to the Skeksis," said Rian. "They'll be pleased to know your victory."

"But I thought they said they wanted only me to fight it. Won't they get mad at you for helping me?"

"They said they only wanted you to slay it," said Gurjin. "We just...er...what's the term I'm looking for?"

"Assisted on the sidelines?" suggested Rian.

"Yes, that."

"Come on," said Mira as she grabbed a Spitter leg. "Let's drag this thing back upstairs."

As the Gelfling and the human pulled the corpse through the tunnels, Mira asked, "So, what else can a human do? Can it dreamfast?"

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Dreamfast?"

"I take that as a no," said Rian.

"When Gelfling touch hands, we share our memories," explained Gurjin.

"Oh," said Natasha. "So, how come you have wings but Rian and Gurjin don't?" she asked Mira.

"I'm a girl," she said obviously.

Natasha muttered, "I wish I had wings." Then she said, "I wonder how the others are. I hope they're okay. How will we get home?"

"The Skeksis may know the way," said Gurjin.

Natasha made an unsure look. "Are you sure? Those guys are...scary. I don't like them."

"The Skeksis are the Lords of the Crystal," said Mira. "Without the Skeksis, there is no Crystal. And without the Crystal, there is no Thra. Aughra made it so."

"Who's Aughra?" asked Natasha. But no one responded.

"Well, what do you think?" Natasha asked as she presented the corpse to the Emperor. She hoped it would 

He looked from the Spitter to her. "And you've slain it by yourself?" He glanced at Mira, Gurjin and Rian with a suspicious look.

"Yes."

"Bah. She probably just stayed behind and let the Gelfling do the work," the General snarled. The other Skeksis murmured in agreement.

"Dreamfast with us," said Rian to the other Gelfling guards. "And see she's telling the truth."

"That's always the answer to all your problems," the Skeksis with the warty nose wheezed.

"Proceed," the Emperor said in a bored tone.

Ordon, Mira, Gurjin and Rian held hands. They shut their eyes and inhaled. While they waited, Natasha shuffled her feet. "So..." she said to skekSo. "Have I proved my worth?"

"I said I'll consider it. But if the Captain of the Guard finds some truth to your word, I might find a place for you to stay here."

Natasha bit her cheek to not argue with the Emperor. She was working hard to get on his good side and did not want to anger him.

The dreamfasting must have ended as the Gelfling let go of their hands. "They're telling the truth," said Ordon. "The human Natasha killed the Spitter."

"How did a Spitter get in the Castle anyway?" asked Natasha. "I thought you kept this place guarded."

"That is a matter that does not concern YOU," the General.

The Emperor said, "Still, this does require an investigation. I will have the guards look into this. And as for you..." Natasha held her breath. "You have done well, all things considered. Perhaps you can even become a guard."

"Then, will you help me find my friends and find a way home?"

"You have our word," the Ritual-Master said. "It will be interesting to find a planet similar to Thra anyway. And with its own Crystal no less."

"So, where will I stay?"

"In the Scientist's laboratory until further notice."

"WHAT?!"

"That was not a request. SkekTek, take the creature to her cell. At the very least, make her feel...comfortable."

"Why don't I stay where the Castle Guards sleep? I mean, they have to have real beds!" Natasha protested.

"They won't get used to you yet," said the Emperor. "They don't like things that are different."

"But what about those Gelfling?" asked Natasha as she pointed to Mia, Gurjin and Rian. "They seem nice."

"Perhaps, but the others won't take kindly to you yet."

Natasha thought for a while then nodded. "Okay."

As Natasha was led back in her cell, the Scientist gave her a look of pity and said to himself, "This may be beyond my capabilities. This is Aughra's area of expertise, traveling the stars."

"Who's Aughra?" asked Natasha. "I heard the Gelfling mention her, but didn't give me any information about her."

"Aughra is... I mean was the protector of Thra until we Skeksis came. Since then she turned her eyes to the stars and focused on her studies in her observatory."

"An observatory? Does that mean she could help?"

"Impossible. She has not left her home for many a trine."

"Oh."

"Do not despair. I'll make sure that you find a way home." In truth, the Scientist didn't want to let her go yet. What were the chances of finding a specimen from another planet? And one that literally landed at his feet?

"Can I have a book to read at least? If I am going to stay here, I might as well entertain myself." Unfortunately, the book she was given prompted a huge problem. "I can't read this."

The Scientist slapped himself in the face. "How can someone so smart seem so obtuse?"

Chapter Text

Martin struggled to get out of his bindings as the guards threw him into his cell. He wished he could curse at them but the gag in his mouth prevented him that privilege. "What are we going to do with this thing?" one of them, a female, asked.

"The All-Maudra wishes to inspect this thing, Tavra. See if it's friend or foe," her male compatriot responded. "Peh. It's so hideous. It looks like a Gelfling, but its ears are not pointy. And its clothes are strange."

Martin made a muffled shout of rage at him. "I think it heard you." Curious, Tavra removed the gag. "GET ME OUT OF HERE, YOU BUNCH OF ELVES! IF IT WEREN'T FOR THESE ROPES, I'LL SHOVE THAT SWORD OF YOURS UP YOUR-!" Martin didn't finish his sentence as the male guard slammed the base of his spear into his gut.

"Be silent, freak!"

"Buro, that's enough," said Tavra. "I'm sure the All-Maudra wants to see him in one piece."

"Bah, the creature looks like it's in one piece to me."

Martin glared at him. "My name is Martin!"

Buro slammed the spear in him again. "I said shut up!"

Martin wheezed as the air was knocked out of him and coughed. "Don't...tell me what to do..."

"Impossible," Buro muttered.

"Enough," Tavra snapped. "Buro, go fetch the All-Maudra. Tell her the creature is in the cells."

"Right away."

As she watched Buro go, Martin slowly started to rise up. "The All-Maudra? Who is that, the queen?"

"You will remain silent until she arrives. You can ask your questions then."

"Hey, I just want to know where the hell I am, that's all!"

"Achoo!" Tavra and Martin turned to look at the doorway and swore they saw a pair of eyes peeking from behind a corner before whoever it was gasped and fled. Tavra sighed and shook her head. "Brea..."

Martin was surprised to see a Gelfling that looked like a younger version of Tavra step out of the shadows. She was wearing regal garments and a gold tiara and curious eyes. "Oh, dear," she said. "I'll just go."

"Brea, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in the library until it's safe."

Brea turned to look at the creature in the cage. Strange clothes, dark skin and hair and a face like a Gelfling's, but its ears weren't pointy. "What are you?"

"M-My name is Martin. Are you the All-Maudra?" asked Martin. "You're kind of...small."

Brea chuckled. "Me? Oh, no! That's my mother."

"Brea," Tavra chided.

"What? I just want to know what it was."

"You'll find out when mother comes."

"Actually, I wouldn't mind answering some questions," Martin said. "It'll kill some time at least. Might as well pull up a chair."

Brea turned to Tavra who sighed in defeat. "You can talk for a while, but you have to repeat what is said to Mother."

"Deal." Brea grabbed a chair and sat in front of the cell. "Just who are you and why do you look like a Dousan Gelfling only...uglier?"

"Ugly?! I don't even know what a Dousan is," said Martin. "I don't even know where I am."

"Oh. Well, there are seven Gelfling clans. Dousan, Drenchen, Sifa, Stonewood, Grottan, Spriton and Vapra. We live in harmony on the planet Thra and the heart of the planet, the Crystal of Truth. The Skeksis, our lords, protect the Crystal and Thra. My sister and I are Vapra, the most cultured of the Gelfling and our mother is the All-Maudra, the one who rules all the Clans just beneath the Skeksis."

Martin couldn't believe it. "So, this isn't a dream at all. I've been pinching myself for a while now, wondering when I will wake up."

"Then, who are you? You are no Gelfling."

"I'm a human from the planet Earth."

"How did you come here?"

"I...I'm not really sure. The last thing I remember was taking a geology trip in a cave with some of my friends. We entered this room with a hole in the ceiling and we found this big white crystal floating in the air."

That got Tavra's attention, but before she could ask, Brea took out a sketch book and showed it to him. "Did it look like this?"

Martin looked at the drawing. A large white quartz crystal floating above a shaft of air and fire. "Yes. That's it!"

Brea looked down at her drawing. "The Crystal of Truth?" Then she looked up at the creature called Martin. "Your world has a Crystal of Truth?"

"I...guess? Anyway, while we were examining it, the sun shone through the hole in the ceiling and onto the crystal, and one of us made the stupid mistake of touching it and...here I am." He looked out the window sadly. "I wonder where the others are if it brought me here."

"I likely story," said an unfamiliar voice. The trio turned to the entrance of the prison to find a Gelfling woman garbed in regal blue and silver robes and wearing a silver tiara. She looked like a slightly older version of Tavra but her eyes were cold and calculating.

"Seladon? Why are you here?" asked Tavra.

"I heard rumors of that my sister capturing a strange creature resembling a Gelfling in the city square. I simply came to see it for myself." Her eyes turned to Brea. "And it seems my foolish younger sister thought the same thing."

"I just wanted to know more about him," Brea insisted. "Think of what we could learn from him! His people, his planet, his culture!"

"Why should we care about the life of another world when we have our own world's matters to tend to? And how do we know this thing is not a threat to the Skeksis' rule? It cannot be trusted."

"I have a name you know," Martin said. He clearly did not like this one.

"It is all right," Tavra insisted. "The All-Maudra will be arriving soon to decide Martin's fate."

Seladon seemed to agree with her. "Yes. Mother will know what to do with it. I hope she makes the right choice."

Suddenly, another guard came running into the room. "Princesses! Tavra!"

"What is it?" asked Tavra.

"Spitters! Three of them! They were spotted approaching the city."

"What?!" exclaimed the sisters.

"How?" asked Tavra. "The Arathim never dared show their faces in the city of Ha'rar!"

"The All-Maudra and her Paladins have already gone ahead to scout the area."

"I will go to the All-Maudra's aid," said Tavra.

"As will-"

"No, Brea."

"What?! But, Tavra, she's my mother too! I've been taking fighting lessons!"

"But you lack experience," Tavra said sternly. "Stay out of trouble. We'll be back. I promise."

"Tavra..."

"It'll be fine. Besides, someone has to keep an eye on him." Tavra gestured to Martin.

Brea balked. "You want me to babysit this thing?"

"Hey, I do not need that," Martin protested.

"Silence!" Seladon barked. "You will do as you are told, creature and stay! And Brea, don't mess this up."

Brea frowned. "Yes, Seladon."

As the two sisters left, Brea sighed and sat down on a chair. "I can help. I know I can," she said to herself.

This gave Martin an idea. "Well, why don't you?" Brea turned to him, confused. "I mean, why don't you go out there?"

"Can't. I have to keep an eye on you. Thanks a lot."

"How about this? Why don't you let me out but keep a very close eye on me. I don't recall them saying I had to stay here while you were watching me."

"I don't know. How do I know this isn't a trick to run away?"

"I have nowhere to go. Where am I going to run? Perhaps you could give me a tour of the city and put me back before anyone notices."

Brea thought it over, then sighed as she shook her head and took the key off the wall. "I'm going to get in so much trouble for this."

"It's not trouble if you're not caught."

"Mother." Tavra mounted off her landstrider and approached her mother who was accompanied by three Paladins. All-Maudra Mayrin was garbed in silver and blue robes and wore a platinum crown with seven petals on it.

"Tavra. It is good to see you arrived."

"Is it true, Mother? Have Arathim been spotted?"

"Yes. Strangely enough, it happened just after the creature you caught in the city earlier. Perhaps there's a connection."

"Perhaps. Martin spun a strange tale about a crystal on their planet bringing him here to Thra."

"Martin? What's a Martin?"

"That's the name of the creature, a human he calls himself."

Mayrin raised an eyebrow. "Well, I certainly will have to speak with the creature when this is over."

"All-Maudra, Tavra!" A male Paladin approached the two and bowed. "They're coming!"

"A direct assault?" Tavra asked, confused. "Strange. They haven't gotten this bold before."

"They have done tactics like this before," Mayrin said as she readied her sword. "They send in the weaker soldiers to ready the stronger ones."

The sounds of hissing alerted the landstriders, forcing the Gelfling riding them to ease them. "They're here," said Tavra as she drew her sword.

"I feel ridiculous," Martin said as he adjusted his hood. "You sure no one will recognize me?"

Brea said, "Just as long as they don't see the ears, they'll think you're a Dousan visiting. Though, truth be told, they still might not like you."

"Why not?" asked Martin as the two of them left the cell, careful to make sure no one was looking.

"Well...not all Gelfling are exactly welcome here," Brea explained as she led him to the market. "It's a part of the order of hierarchy the Skeksis put on us to keep us in line and make sure we don't rebel against each other."

"So I see," Martin said as he noticed right away that the Gelfling were already giving him suspicious looks. Others turned away from him when he tried to make a friendly smile. "You Gelfling must not like each other at all if that's the case."

"We are still allies," Brea said as she showed him one of the clothing stands. The garments had the Vapran colors of silver and blue, but none of them could fit him even if he wanted to wear them.

"Why don't the Skeksis or the All-Maudra do something about it?" he asked.

"This is why we have the Tithing Ceremony."

"Tithing?" Martin realized one of the Gelfling attending the store was staring at him and he realized his hood was down. Quickly, he put it back up and whispered, "I think we should continue this conversation elsewhere."

Brea led him to a tavern as they sat down.

"Anyway, what Tithing Ceremony?" Martin asked as Brea ordered placed a tray of strange meat with a siding of herbs on the table. It looked nothing like he had ever seen on Earth. Although, NOTHING looked like anything he had seen on Earth.

"Every trine the seven clans give the Skeksis a gift in exchange for their protection," Brea explained as she took a bite. "You're not going to eat that? Nebrie meat is high in protein."

Not wanting to be rude, he said, "Oh. Sorry." He took a bite and his eyes widened. "Wow. This is actually pretty good!" He took another bite before he said, "It sounds like the Skeksis are extorting the Gelfling. Similar to how gangsters in my world demand protection money."

Brea hissed, "You shouldn't insult the Skeksis like that. Without the Skeksis, we are defenseless." There was a look of uncertainty on her face.

"But you don't seem to believe that," Martin said.

"Well, it's just that I sometimes feel like there's more to this. When did this begin and why?" Brea shook her head. "Though Seladin and Mother say that those are the kinds of questions that do not need to be answered."

"Sounds like they're wrong. Every question must be answered unless there's a reason no one wants them answered."

Brea thought it over. "And it seems like no one wanted it answered. I once tried to find the reason why this started in my books but found nothing."

Before Martin could respond, a loud screaming was heard outside. "Oh, no! Did someone see my ears?" he asked as he tightened his hood.

"No," Brea said as she looked out the window. "Something's not right."

Tavra removed the spear from the Spitter's body and huffed. "Good riddance."

"The Arathim had gotten surprisingly more bold today," said Mayrin as she inspected the body. "They would never have gotten this close to the city."

"That is curious," said Seladon. "Why though?"

"All-Maudra, Princesses!" one of the Paladins ran up to them. "We lost one! One of the Arathim escaped!"

"You what?! You call yourselves Paladins? You're more like slow-witted Podlings!"

"Seladon, enough," scolded Mayrin. "How did this happen?"

"The Spitter tunneled beneath our feet. It's headed for the city!"

The All-Maudra and the princess thought one word in horror. "Brea!"

"Sounds like there's a party going on," said Martin as he and Brea walked out of the restaurant.

"This is no party. It sounds like..."

"SPITTER!" screamed a Vapran citizen.

"Spitter? What's a Spitter?"

"Arathim!" Brea exclaimed, grabbing him by the arm. "We have to go now!"

"What? What's going on..." Something big and black climbed onto one of the buildings and leaped down onto the street and let out a loud shriek. Martin let out a scream. "SPIDER!" He took off running, resulting in Brea spinning around falling to the ground.

"Martin! Come back!" Brea gasped when she saw the Spitter looming over her. "Ah! Ah! Ah! Stay back! Please! Stop! Someone help!" A knife as flung at the Spitter and it let out a shriek of pain. Brea turned to look at the Spitter looming over and saw that it was backing off in pain.

"OY!" Martin jumped into the air and threw a fork into the Spitter's eye, making it let out another shriek. "Stay away from her!" He charged at the Spitter and flipped it over onto its back. It struggled to get back up only for the young man to jump up and stomp on its head, killing it. He then fell onto the ground and panted heavily. "That was pretty exciting." He looked to Brea, who was giving him an angry glare. "What?"

"'What'?! You leave me and all you can say is 'What'?!" She turned away from her.

"Well, would you have done the same? I mean, I'm not a Gelfling."

"I didn't care! I wanted to learn more about you! Your people, your culture, your planet! That's all I ever want to do whenever I meet someone new. I want to know them."

Martin scratched the back of his head. "Brea, I... I'm sorry. I was afraid." He sighed. "Truth be told, I was planning on running away for a while. Heck, I wanted to run the instant you opened the door."

"Then why didn't you?"

"I wanted to know about this world too. I mean, there's a chance that my friends are on this world as well, and I have to find them somehow. And...when I saw that spider thing trying to hurt you, I just snapped. As much as I wanted to leave, I couldn't bear the thought of leaving knowing you would die." He shook her head. "You're the first friend I ever made in this world and I never wanted our last moments to end on a bad note. Can you forgive me?"

Brea turned to him and smiled. "What are friends for?"

The two of them shook hands and with that, a friendship was formed. And all it took was a Spitter attack. It was then Brea and Martin saw that all the Gelfling witnessing this had looks of shock and were whispering amongst each other. Martin realized why when he felt his hood was down and his ears were exposed for all to see. "Uh-oh."

"I think we should go back before someone tells mother that I let you out," said Brea, already afraid of what the All-Maudra, or worse, Seladon, would say to her.

"Agreed."

Later that evening, Martin awoke to the sound of someone rattling his cell's door. He awoke to see a familiar face. "Tavra?"

"It's time. The All-Maudra wishes to see you in the throne room."

"Really?"

"Be on your best behavior."

"No promises."

"I mean it," Tavra said as she led him out of the dungeon. "She's already been made aware of you and Brea's little adventure in the market."

Martin felt his heart jump at that. Then again, he shouldn't have been surprised, considering a whole bunch of Gelfling saw the whole thing. "And how is Brea?"

"She is doing her one of her princess duties."

"In other words, she's temporarily not allowed to be in the library anymore."

"Yes."

The throne room of the palace was a round with a brass archway over the platinum throne and white curtains hung from the ceiling. Sitting on the throne was the Gelfling Martin knew was the All-Maudra. Accompanying her were Seladon and a few Paladins. "Remove his bindings," she ordered Tavra.

"Yes, All-Maudra." Tavra took out a key and unlocked his cuffs. "Bow," she whispered to him.

Martin did so. "Your Majesty," he said as he lowered his head.

"Rise up." Martin obeyed the All-Maudra's command. "My daughters told me a strange story of how you came here. But I want to hear it from your mouth."

"Do you want the short version or the long one?" he asked. The All-Maudra raised an eyebrow. "Short one it is, then." So, he told her what he told Brea, Tavra and Seladon. How he and his friends found the crystal, how the sun shone on it and how it somehow brought them here. "And here I am. I just hope my friends are alright. Wait! I have a picture of them in front of that crystal. Maybe if you find them..."

"Stop!" The Paladins pointed their spears at him. "How do I know it's not a weapon you're reaching?" Seladon asked suspiciously. "I'll get it." He raised his hand up and allowed her to take it. She showed the All-Maudra who raised her eyebrows.

"By Thra... It looks just like the Crystal of Truth!"

"What does this mean?" Tavra asked.

"It means the Skeksis should know of this," Seladon said. "They should know of this 'human's' existence and know what to do with him."

"And perhaps they could find his friends," said Tavra.

"Indeed." The All-Maudra turned to Martin. "You have my blessings and my gratitude for saving my daughter Brea. For that, you are welcome in the city. But, I must warn you, though you have done a good deed, you are still an outsider. The others still won't take kindly to your presence."

He nodded his head. "Of course. Now, there is the matter of where I'm going to sleep. Or do you still want me to sleep in that cell again."

"I'll have a room prepared for you. In the meantime, I'll send a message to the Skeksis and let them know of your arrival."

Martin stared out the window of his room. The stars and moon looked so much like the ones on Earth, but it still seemed so alien. "I hope you guys are alright," he said as he looked down at the photo. "Why did we even find that crystal?"

"Why indeed?" He turned to see Seladon standing at the doorway.

"Seladon? What's wrong?"

"Do you think you're suddenly special just because my foolish sister took a liking to you? Or because you won Mother's favor?"

"Uh...no?"

"Good. Because I want to let you know something. You are still an outsider. If you become unpleasant to our eyes, step one toe out of line, and you will suffer grave consequences."

"Good night to you too, Princess." Seladon let out a scoff before leaving him. Martin made a laugh before he kicked off his shoes and hopped into the bed, which was a smaller than the kind humans had on Earth. "A little uncomfortable but still cozy."

The door squeaked open and another princess entered. "Martin?"

"Brea? I thought you were doing some 'princess duty'."

"Yes, doing countless amount of paperwork involving crop harvest. I thought I give something to you." She handed him a leather-bound book. "A history of Thra, unabridged. You're going to need to learn about this world if you need to find your friends."

Martin smiled. "Thanks, Brea." He opened the book and frowned.

"Is something wrong?"

"I can't read this language. At all."

Brea asked, "Do you want to learn?"

"What about your paperwork?"

"I finished that hours ago, thank Thra. So, where do you want to begin?"

"Start at the beginning."