The next day Luna awoke feeling much better. Finn was pleased to see her looking so refreshed.

"Hey you," said Finn.

"Hey." Luna replied.

"I was pretty worried about you." His tone was kind and caring. "How are you feeling?" He asked.

"I'm feeling...different. It's hard to explain." Luna replied.

"When I was using my magic, I felt like I had been using it my whole life. My body was alive and knew exactly what to do. And when I was leading the Fire Drakes away, as they tried to burn me with their flaming breath, I felt even more energized. It's hard to explain." She grasped her amulet tightly. "And then when I was no longer surrounded by the flames, and the urgency of the situation was gone, I was just- spent."

"Spent?" Finn asked.

"Yes, I don't know how else to put it." Luna replied. "And the other funny thing was, the dragons, they..." Luna paused for a second, trying to find the words. "They knew me." She sighed. "Once they started following me away and saw that I could not be harmed by their flames, they knew what I was." Luna was quiet.

"But they didn't want me around," she continued. "Why would that be?" Luna had a puzzled expression. "And the rest of the Dracornians, they supposedly live in the Crystal Mountains, right? Well, to get there we would have to go through all of the Fire Drakes territory, and they did not want me to go any further."

"How do you know that?" Finn asked. He was concerned and also a little confused. It was pretty amazing that she picked up on all of this without a single word or conversation between her and the dragons.

"I felt it." Luna said. Her expression was blank. "How will we ever find my father if we can't pass through them."

"We will need help." Finn replied. "We need to find others that can help us. I think we should go south to the ocean. I've heard there are other magical beings there, not humans like you or shapeshifters like me. Others that may have greater power than we can imagine."

"You're right." Luna said. She admired Finn for being so reasonable. She could be a little impulsive and unreasonable herself.

"A man from the village gave me a map and some supplies." He laid the map out on the table in front of them.

"We need to go southwest, and we could reach the shore in a week or two, if you are feeling up to it." He looked at her, evaluating her condition. She seemed better, but still seemed affected by what they had been through.

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Luna looked at him. She was thankful that he was there, watching over her. Even in the midst of everything that had happened, she looked forward to travelling with him again.

"Alright." She said. "Let's go.

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As they prepared to leave the village, Finn and Luna said goodbye to the villagers who had helped them during their stay. They thanked the old man who had given them the map and supplies, and set off on their journey through the valley.

The path was treacherous, just as the old man had warned. They had to navigate through the whispering plains for a long ways. The landscape all looked the same and oftentimes it seemed like they were going in circles. They hadn't seen another person for days. Luna wondered if they would ever make it across. But at least with them heading south, they knew that the threat of Fire Drakes was long gone. Finn stayed close to Luna, his senses on high alert, ready to protect her at a moment's notice.

Hopefully that moment wouldn't come for awhile. Finn preferred to travel in his Foxkin form where his instincts were amplified. He could hear further, smell everything, and run faster. Luna was humored by this. She thought his blue fox fur was adorable, and she enjoyed running her fingers through it as they trotted along.

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Each day Luna and Finn were travelled through the plains, with the sun beating down on their backs. The days were hot, and they were both feeling a little parched. They had been walking for hours and had not come across any water sources.

"I'm feeling pretty thirsty Luna." complained Finn, his fox tongue panting nonstop.

"I know, I am too." Luna remarked. They had hoped it would rain or they would come across a water source. They ran out of water the day before, so it was getting pretty urgent. What if they couldn't find any water? Would they die of dehydration? That would be a fitting end to their short journey. She thought about the letter she would leave behind with her final bits of strength.

"Girl hybrid who was supposed to save the world with her elemental magic died because she couldn't find a drink of water. Sorry everyone. Enjoy the apocalypse." She giggled and hoped it wouldn't come to that.

They could see a large tree in the distance, alone in the endless sea of grass.

"I have an idea." said Luna. She headed purposefully towards the tree.

"A tree could only get this big if there was a water source, right?" Luna stated.

"I suppose." said Finn. He looked around, but did not see any water.

"And supposedly I have the power to use all of the elements, right?" Luna suggested.

Finn cocked his fox head, trying to follow her logic.

Luna knelt down to the ground at the base of the tree.

She felt a deep connection to the tree, and she could sense the water flowing through the roots beneath the ground. She concentrated her power, focusing all of her energy on moving the earth and the water, and suddenly the ground rumbled. A small pool of water bubbled up from the earth.

Finn looked at Luna in amazement as she filled up their water skins with the water from the tree. They had never been so grateful for a source of water before.

As they rested in the shade of the tree, Finn noticed that Luna seemed to be in a trance. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was slow and steady.

"Luna?" he asked, nudging her gently. "Are you okay?"

Luna opened her eyes and smiled at Finn. "I'm fine," she said. "It seems like everytime I use magic to control an element, it takes a lot out me. It's kind of exhausting."

"Why don't we just stay here for the night. We can get our fill of this water and rest in the shade. Then we can continue on in the morning." Finn suggested.

But when he looked over at Luna, she was already passed out, asleep under the tree. The blue fox curled up beside her, and fell right asleep.