Waiting in hiding was getting unbearably long and Angelo, Lily and Ursu were beginning to lose their patience. The snipers flying over the Ni?fanat’s base were not showing any signs of backing out. Angelo was waiting patiently on overwatch and looked for any mistakes made by the snipers overhead.

  “This is getting infuriating,” whispered Angelo. “It seems that the only thing that can save us is either our luck or their stupidity.”

  “Then I guess we should start to pray,” said Lily.

  “And somebody better listens to that prayer,” said Angelo. “Because I ain’t no angel of patience.”

  Just then one of the snipers noticed something in the distance. It was something that they felt was too important to ignore so they focused on it. They took out their binocurs and began looking through it to observe the strange figure.

  This couldn’t have missed Angelo’s attention. “Let’s go,” he whispered.

  The three ran as fast as they could to reach the base before the sniper lost focus. While running Ursu noticed an open window. It was probably used by the snipers to fly in and out. She pointed at the window and they all ran to it. Angelo and Ursu struggled a little to get inside, but ultimately they climbed in. Lily flew inside just after them.

  They never learned what it was that the sniper was focused on, because they went back to patrol after they had any chance to spot them.

  The inside of Ni?fanat’s base was vast and filled with all the different military machines, both stolen and built by his men. All the different constructions made it look more like a museum.

  “So now we have to find that cannon?” said Ursu.

  “It looks like it,” said Lily and took out its photo.

  “So let’s waste no time,” said Angelo.

  And there was indeed a lot of time to waste thanks to the base’s sheer size.

  Meanwhile in a secret command room there was a fairy who, contrary to the stereotypes about his species, was astonishingly muscur. He was receiving a transmission through the radio.

  <> asked the muscur fairy.

  <> said the voice from the radio. <>

  <> said General ?aka. <>

  Angelo and Lily were searching through Ni?fanat’s base looking for the stolen superweapon. The base was giant and navigating through it was difficult. Not to mention there were literally dozens if not hundreds of war machines, both stolen and not.

  “It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Angelo.

  “Not if you know what you are looking for,” said Lily.

  “Oh yeah? I think I know really well what we’re looking for,” said Angelo. “And I can’t exactly see how it is getting us any closer to finding the damn thing.”

  “I guess that we just have to look closely at every machine until we find Sunset of the Gods,” said Ursu.

  “I salute your deduction,” said Angelo. “The only problem is that there are tons of metal that look the same.”

  “Kalinimjā Anpesn is actually very distinct,” said Lily. “We’ll find it in no time.”

  Just then someone entered the room. Not just one. A whole battalion of armed fairies flew in and aimed at Angelo, Ursu and Lily.

  “Meameni?ejā!” shouted the fairy in the front of the formation.

  “Was that no time calcution skipping fighting an entire fairy army?” said Angelo.

  “Yeah, probably,” said Lily.

  “Fāni!” shouted the fairy battalion leader.

  Angelo didn’t know what the word fāni meant, but he soon discovered its meaning. Right as the enemy fairies started to shoot their weapons.

  Sparks of every colour perceivable were jumping out of the barrels. The intruders scrambled and hid behind the first covers they could find. The barrage had no end.

  Ursu panicked out of the chaos. Was it really the reality of West Moonwing Isnd?

  “So this is how you live?” asked Ursu.

  “What do you mean?” asked Lily.

  “This is what a fairy’s life looks like?” said Ursu. “Rule of mafia, shoot outs, invigition and constant conflict?”

  Lily could see a lot of emotions in her sister. Sadness. Fear. Disbelief. Most importantly however, the feeling of lost trust. She knew she kept too many secrets from her.

  “It used to be better,” said Lily. “Trust me, it used to. And I believe we can fight how it is now.”

  “Could you two, please, leave this for ter?” said Angelo as he loaded his crossbow. “We’re being shot at if you haven’t noticed.”

  Angelo blindly shot his crossbow. From the scream he heard it seemed he hit a soldier. But there still were many.

  Lily took out her gun and started shooting sparkling bullets herself.

  “There’s too many of them!” said Angelo while reloading his crossbow. “I don’t think I can keep them busy much longer.”

  “Not much better on my end,” said Lily. “Help us, sister!”

  Ursu had to calm down from her panic. And it didn’t come easily. But after a few deep breaths she quickly took out a figurine. Dracu from Hell Song. A vampire with guns. Ursu put some animating cream on the figure and chanted the spell.

  “Through blood and earth and flowery seed, I give you life because I am in need. Make the fairies stop shooting at us!”!”

  The figurine jumped to life and disappeared behind Ursu’s cover. What could be heard after that were screams of the fairy soldiers and shots from the miniature guns. Soon the shots fell silent and there were screams of annoyance.

  Angelo looked out his cover and ughed. Each soldier was pinned to the wall by their uniform.

  “Now that’s a stylish finisher,” said Angelo. “Okay, let’s go search more.”

  The corridors and hangars in Omiāk’s base were getting endless. Angelo, Lily and Ursu were tired of browsing through an uncountable amount of war machines.

  Just then Lily saw a familiar machine. “I’ve found it!”

  And there was Twilight of the Gods in all its infamy. With its special energy gathering cannon.

  “So this is it?” asked Angelo. “We bring that toy to Omiāk and the gig is over?”

  “Yes,” said Lily.

  “Then what are we waiting for?” said Angelo and ran to the cannon. “Let’s hop on!”

  Angelo got to the pilot seat of Twilight of the Gods and tried to get to know the controls. He was unpleasantly surprised to discover the control panel had descriptions written in Moonwingian.

  “Not again…,” Angelo sighed. “Lily, you need to pilot this.”

  “No worries,” said Lily.

  The fairy climbed to the pilot seat. Instead of unching the machine however she looked at her companions.

  “Actually I’d like to talk to you for a bit before we go back,” said Lily.

  “Talk? Make it quick,” said Angelo.

  “Keep it between yourself, but I’d like to carry out my own coup,” said Lily. “Especially you, sister, because I might need to move to the human realm for a moment.”

  “What? What are you trying to do?” asked Ursu.

  But there was no answer, because the door to the hangar opened with a loud bang. A massive fairy soldier entered the room and armed his massive weapon.

  “Men an?itaku?e lil,” the soldier roared.

  Everybody gulped at the perspective of being gunned down by such a brute.

  “I’ll expin ter, now hop on!” said Lily.