Chapter 17 - Destruction

Queen Mau and Queen Nya sat at a long wooden table with a delicately embroidered silk tablecloth, its designs featuring all the different species of cats found on Mau.
As Queen Mau sipped her tea, a tear rolled down her cheek. Queen Nya's eyes were red and puffy from days of crying.
"Really," She explained to Queen Mau, "I hate leaving Nyanko alone, she's probably as upset as I am, but I had to see you.
"Your sister's condition is heartbreaking for everyone, Nya." The Queen assured her. Queen Nya stood up and crossed the marble floor to a stone archway leading out onto a balcony. Queen Mau stood up to follow her, her long silk dress trailing behind her.
The two Queens looked up at the beautiful moon that was Meow, and let their tears flow freely down their cheeks.
"We can't-" Nya sobbed, "We can't just stand here crying. Young Meow will need our guidance. We have to be strong." She turned her head to her own moon, Nya.

"What was that?" Queen Mau said sharply. Nya squinted to see better where Queen Mau was pointing. She could see a small spark of light amidst the lush green of Nya. As she stared, the spark seemed to grow bigger. Her eyes grew wide.
"GET DOWN!" Mau screamed as she flung her arms around Nya's waist and threw her roughly down behind the low wall of the balcony. The two queens heard an ear piercing sound, followed by a rumbling so deep that they could only feel its vibrations. In an instant they were showered by rock and dust.

When they felt the rumbling stop they slowly kneeled to look down at the courtyard, over the edge of the balcony. Mau was covered in a light powder of dust and rock, as far as they could see, but otherwise seemed unharmed. They saw a pair of Palace Guards covered in dust.
"Guar! Bob! Are you both alright?" Queen Mau called to them. The guards turned to look up at their queen.
"Fine, Your Majesty." The taller one replied. "The real question is, are *you* alright?"
"Yes, thank goodness!" Queen Mau clasped her hands together and turned her eyes upwards in a silent prayer. Her face suddenly morphed into a twisted look of sheer horror. She screamed loudly struggling not to vomit as she did. Queen Nya and the palace guards quickly looked upwards to see what had shocked their queen.

Above Mau they could see Meow floating erratically through the sky, and just beyond it, were a dozen large chunks of floating rocks.
"That's where Nya used to be!" Bob the guard shouted up at the two queens. "What does this mean?" Beside him, Guar fell to his knees.
"My sister..." he whispered "My nephews..."

There was a thump, as Queen Nya fainted to unconsciousness on the marble floor of the balcony. Queen Mau was still too shocked and confused to help her. She could only gaze down at her courtyard where a blanket of dust and debris, the remainder of the moon Nya, lay. It was Bob's sharp, echoing cry that brought her back to her senses.
"DOWN!" Queen Mau saw Bob pull Guar down to the ground, and she hid herself again behind the low edge of the balcony. She heard the same ear-piercing sound, though perhaps louder this time? She wasn't sure. But the rumbling was much more violent, and she felt her head knock against the balcony wall.

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