The moon shone brightly over the Avenue of the Dead. Stella Delacruz walked quietly along the dirt path, past the Temple of the Feathered Serpent. She reached a small cleft of rock and tapped her foot claw on the rock in a practiced pattern. In her mind, she felt the familiar question push in. She repeated the code phrase she had been given:
"Only when the stars stop falling."
A tiny red beam emerged from the wall and into her eye, then turned off. Stella walked into the tiny elevator that opened from the wall, curled up her tail, and waited for the doors to close.
Stella felt the elevator rumble as it descended about 25 floors. The steel doors opened again, and Stella walked into a makeshift, hollowed-out dirt room with a few computers and khaki-clad researchers milling around. The curly haired woman turned around, and gave the momentary shock that Stella was all but used to by now. Stella couldn't sigh or shrug as easily as before, sadly, so she continued forward in Spanish.
"Dr. Salvador. I'm Special Agent Stella Delacruz."
"Apologies, Stella. They didn't exactly tell me-"
"That I'm a literal dinosaur, yes. I'll make this quick, I just need to talk to 4959."
"Yes. We'll bring you down."
Stella stepped into the stone chamber, lit only by a large pair of glowing green eyes. She turned on a light, and set it down. The gigantic Quetzalcoatlus skeleton ambled towards the source of the light, then paused. A booming, creaky voice came from the shadows.
"Do my eyes deceive me? How good it is to see you, Stayla!"
"Hello, Jelrikam."
"It's Quetzalcoatl now. But- oh, which tongue would you prefer? I've eaten many speakers of español, but perhaps ingles is better for you? Or did you ever learn our words for yourself?"
Stella relaxed. "Kelmura's weave on our tongues ended when we left your time. Spanish will do."
"Very well! I had given up hope on ever seeing a familiar face eons ago!"
"I'm not here to chit chat. This is important."
"My dear. I outlived every species I ever knew. I have not seen my old tribesmen in millions of years. Please at least indulge me this rare opportunity."
Stella swayed her tail sharply.
"Now then. How on earth are you still alive?"
"Kelmura returned us to our own time after the Battle was over. For us it's only been five years since then."
The pterosaur circled Stella, towering over her. "I see. So what are you here for?"
"I don't know how much your minions can tell you, but the world is going to hell. My people are throwing anything and everything at this, and I'm just trying to call in any connections I have. You helped us once; I ask you to do it again."
SCP-4959 splayed its wings and bent its head down, eye to eye with Stella. "My magic is stronger than you give me credit for, child." The jovial tone was gone. "I know the Mother and the King battle to drown the world. I can feel the tug of war over the fallen souls that grow more numerous by the hour. And I also know they can't be beaten. One will finally win, and whoever's left will have to accept that."
Stella bared her teeth. "You don't know that we can't win."
"Child! You get a taste of power from the damned Witch Queen and suddenly you think you're unstoppable. She couldn't keep her own children alive!" SCP-4959 raised itself up and flapped its skeletal wings, knocking Ursula down. "Palsinnor and Armalore died in one day. Armalore gave himself up to serve The Sorrow and look how well that worked out. Kelmura killed her own half-dead children and created you abominations all because of an old prophecy!"
Stella said nothing.
"She relied on your kind's supposed strength. And what did it get her? The evil was suppressed for a time, yes, but where is Kelmura now? Long dead. I alone sought my own power and now I cannot die! I alone survived the extinction! I could kill you where you stand and make you my thrall, Witch Needle! Or you and your sisters could join me."
"Never."
"I think you would be much wiser to hide and wait out the inevitable than kill yourself trying to stop it."
"You underestimate us. Rot alone in your pyramid if you like, but we'll fight with or without your help." Stella turned and walked back to the tunnel exit.
SCP-4959 called out after her, igniting its fiery wings. "Remember me when your stolen life bleeds out of your dying heart, and maybe I will be kind enough to catch your soul before the gods eat it."