The Bell Tree Fire Festival: Closing Ceremony

A group of teenagers sat around a campfire, on one of those hazy summer evenings. Their whole town was practically a forest, so it wasn't difficult to set up a fire and a cozy atmosphere. They weren't the rowdy kind of teenagers you see in reality TV shows and films. No, they were the toasty-marshmallow and giggles kind.

For the most part anyway.

There were six of them. They all worked and lived in the same town: some had been riding the town rails since 2002, others since 2013. But they all shared the same earnest hearts and loyalty, and enjoyed spending time together despite their different personalities.

"Isn't this a beautiful night? I'm so glad that we picked the meteor shower to camp under," the blonde girl babbled. Her locks were bunched together with pink ribbons, with little bells to keep it all intact. As she moved to grab another marshmallow, she jingled.

The scruffiest member of the group smirked, grabbing the easel and paints he had bought earlier. He then started to sketch the sky. "Perfect for a picture, cousin. I can see it now. Starry Night, Van Gogh, three thousand bells. The villagers will lap it up."

After scanning the picture briefly, the red-eyed boy Rover piped up, "But that looks nothing like Starry Night. I've travelled loads, and believe you me I've seen way better counterfeits than that, Redd."

"The villagers aren't going to know that," he shrugged, continuing to work on his masterpiece. "At least I'm doing something creative, unlike Tom over there."

Sure enough, Tom was fiddling with his phone. When he realised all of his friends were staring at him pointedly, he awkwardly explained, "I left my nephews in charge of the family shop you see..."

"I can feel your stress energy from all the way over here." Katrina glanced at Tom from underneath her eyelashes. The boys all grinned hazily. They hadn't got over her recent transformation yet. "Tell him, Izzy."

The pink-ribboned blonde, Isabelle, huffed a little. She didn't like being told what to do by anyone but the mayor of their town. "Tom, we all came out here to have a good time, okay?" She slightly smiled at him. "I'm sure the boys will be fine."

"...yes, yes," Tom murmured. He tucked his phone into his trouser pocket, and turned towards them all. "So what are we all going to be up to this summer, hm?"

Isabelle tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "Busy, busy. The mayor is going on holiday, so she has extended my internship. I have to make sure that the bug-off goes off without a hitch, as well as the fireworks." She beamed brightly. Then, sparked by an idea, she swivelled towards the pale boy in the corner. He was nodding his head, strumming his guitar gently. "K.K.? I could really use your DJing skills for all that."

The guitarist stopped abruptly. "You know I dislike DJing, Izzy. I can't afford my rent without it, that's the only reason I do it. Those fat cats don't understand how difficult it is for us students to survive."

A melancholy feeling swept across the group. It was an unspoken fact in the group how lucky Isabelle, Rover and Nook were. When the town was all but tumbleweeds, Tom's family had moved in and started to control the local economy with their degree-level minds. Rover was one of the few villagers that didn't suffer from travel sickness. This, along with his charisma, allowed him to become a permanent tour guide. Even Isabelle had simply bowled over the Town Hall executives, practically having the internship given to her on a golden platter.

Katrina, Redd and K.K. though?... They were free spirits. But free spirits don't tend to do well in the real world.

"Yes, well, bad times are only times that are bad. You'll be a full-time musician soon enough," Katrina purred. "Now this negativity is really throwing off my senses. Could you play us a little camping tune?"

K.K. started to say something in retort, but he stopped as he saw Katrina looking at him pleadingly. Although she acted like a cool cat twenty four seven, he knew she was a sweetie really. So he began to play one of his own songs, K.K. Forest, humming and clicking merrily. The other five all knew this song, and they soon joined in. Rifts in the group never lasted too long.

Briefly exiting his groove, K.K. opened his eyes to watch his friends. His heart sunk. Katrina was swaying her hips, and her waist was gently being grasped by Redd. After strumming the final chords, K.K. muttered, "I'm feeling tired, you guys."

"Ho ho, cousin," Redd grinned. "The fun is only just about to start." He hopped over to his backpack and slid out a bottle of white chocolate and raspberry vodka. "Bought it from the market this morning."

Rover inspected it, his red eyes scanning the label intensely. He knew what was the best of the best, including with alcohol. The perks of being a tour guide. "Not too shabby, Redd. Are we going to be glugging it from the bottle or have you blessed us with shot glasses?"

"I think it'll make a nice little truth or dare bottle. A glug for the spinners. You guys in?"

"Of course."

"Sure!"

"Sounds fun."

"Yes, yes."

Isabelle bit her nails. "I...I guess..."

They all gathered around in a circle, just on the edge of the campfire. Rover handed the bottle back to Redd, who placed it in the middle precisely. "Alrighty. I'll spin first, and then we'll each take a turn clockwise to spin. Whoever spins gets to set the dare or truth for who it lands on. So it'll go me, Rover, K.K., Tom, Kat and then Izzy." With that, he sent the bottle whirring.

After a dizzying few moments, it landed on Tom. He chuckled, took the bottle into his hands, and unscrewed the top. When he started to 'drink' it, Isabelle noticed he stuck his tongue in the neck of the bottle so he didn't have to taste it all. She made a mental note to do the same.

"Dear Tom. Truth or dare?"

Tom knew how mischievous Redd was. He had nothing to hide, so a truth would have made sense. But something about the night and the excitement around the circle made him say, "Dare."

Without hesitation Redd said, "Chuck your wallet and phone into that swamp over there." He indicated with his thumb.

A sickly-white colour crossed Tom's face. "But my wallet has my credit card in there, and thousands of bells. Plus I have an iPhone 6S, and Timmy and Tommy might get out of control if I can't badger them."

"First off, iPhones are ****. Second off, live a little." Redd winked. "Be the rebel your parents never let you be."

Something about that sentence rung true with Nook. All his life he had been told he had to grab bells. Whether this was through fair or illegal means, his parents didn't really care. Bells were the centre of his life. To throw them away...sounded sort of fun. He stood up, scrounging in his pockets for his phone and wallet. Once they had surfaced, with all his might he threw them. Just like that they were gone. Tom Nook, the most promising entrepreneur in town, collapsed into a heap of childlike giggles. The rest of the group joined in.

It was Rover's turn next, and with a flick of his wrist, the bottle soon landed on Isabelle. When she opened the bottle, she was suddenly torn in two. She had initially wanted to stay sober, but just by watching Tom she knew what difference a leap of faith could make. So she tilted it and swallowed. It tasted amazing. "Dare!"

Rover laughed. "Eager beaver. Hmmm. I dare you to dance."

"That's not much of a dare," Katrina snorted. "Anyone can dance."

"True, but I haven't seen Izzy dance. Like ever. She's always too busy and uptight. Hit us with a tune, K.K.?"

Despite being a bit reluctant to play again after what happened with Katrina and Redd, K.K. did what his good friend asked. The melody to K.K. Ragtime soon echoed across the forest, and Isabelle stood up shakily. After side-stepping awkwardly for a few moments, Katrina grabbed her hands and danced with her. The rest of the group clapped them along as they swayed and shimmied. Isabelle's shoulders lost their tension, and she jigged carelessly. Once the song finished, they both collapsed onto the floor, exhausted.

The next three turns turned the game of Truth Or Dare into simply Dares. These involved skinny dipping, ant-eating and a ten-minute-non-stop guitar session. The last turn eventually arrived, and it was Isabelle's turn. She had had a few more cheeky swigs, and her cheeks were flushed.
But she still had a sound mind as she thought through the dare for K.K.. She still felt bad about the incident earlier, and wanted to make it up to him. "I dare you to kiss Katrina," she stated matter-of-factly.
K.K. and Katrina both showed flecks of nervousness briefly, and Isabelle smiled. It just confirmed that K.K. liked Katrina, and she was happy Kat liked him back.

As K.K. pulled himself together, Katrina nimbly made her way across the circle. She then sat herself opposite him, and leaned forward. He cupped her face as if it were china, and met her lips. The group held their breath, expecting it to be a brief peck and a few laughs. But K.K. soon had his hands entangled in her hair, and Katrina was in his lap.

"Get a room!" Redd laughed, chucking debris from the ground at them. The others followed suit, giggling hysterically.

After a few final moments, the two pulled away from each other. Katrina did not return to her place in the circle, though. She stayed put, snugly wrapped in K.K..

His eyes glowed, in a way none of the group had ever seen before. "I am genuinely super tired now. Shall we all call it a night?"

They all murmured and nodded, grabbing their respective sleeping bag packs and rolling them out. Before he climbed into his, Tom Nook said, "You know, I am very happy we did this. I have learnt so much about myself, and all of you tonight. Thank you."

"Agreed," Redd chipped in. "We should do this every summer. Whether Nook becomes a hotshot, or Isabelle becomes mayor, or Rover finds somewhere perfect on his travels, or K.K. starts a worldwide tour, or Kat's fortunes actually start coming true... Ow!" He rubbed his head from where Katrina's heel had hit him. "Or even if I become a proper artist! You guys in?"

"Of course."

"Sure!"

"Sounds fun."

"Yes, yes."

Isabelle yawned, smiling. "I'll put it in my diary."​

That summer began like any other. The morning dew shone just a bit brighter, the air had a mild sweetness to it that wasn't present the previous day, and the whole forest had this sort of ethereal glow that only happened after the changing of seasons. Things were exactly as she knew them to be; exactly as they had been for as long as she could remember, yet still she knew. This summer was going to be different, and all she knew was going to change. But for now, all was as expected, and there was comfort in that.

She knew not from where she came, nor how the forest had come to claim her. She didn't mind, for this was her place in the world as she knew it. While her existence was one of complete and utter solitude, it was a peaceful and idyllic one. She had never minded being alone; on the contrary, she found it to suit her rather well. There were times when she longed for even a skeletal memory of her past, as she knew there had to have been life before the forest, but she had long since accepted the fact that memories were a luxury she simply wasn't meant to have. While her past was long forgotten, seemingly erased from her conscious mind, her dreams occasionally awarded her a foggy glimpse of her future. Her dreams of late had taken on a darker, more ominous aesthetic, and that troubled her. She had dreamt of this summer, the summer that would change everything and take her away from the forest - her home, her place in the universe. Although wary of what was to come, she pulled herself out of her dwelling and breathed in a deep lungful of summer air.

The sun was warm on her face; a comforting heat that chased away the lingering nighttime chill. She felt herself relax as she took in her surroundings, reveling in the familiarity of the clearing. Everything seemed to be in its proper place, and the entire forest was aglow with life. Tall grasses danced in the fragrant wind, tiny insects buzzed happily as they pollinated the newly blossomed flowers, and the fungi that dotted the ancient trees were alight with a pink-orange glow. She took a few moments to revel in the beauty of her home, and then she was off - making her way toward the sparkling creek that ran down the middle of the forest. She absentmindedly grabbed a handful of wildflowers as she crossed through the field, bringing them to her face and inhaling deeply, savoring the scent of pure summer. The creek was a crisp cerulean blue, reflecting the sunlight in abstract waves. Cupping the cool water in her hands, she splashed her face and neck with refreshing glimmers of liquid, dampening her hair and skin. As she made her way back towards her clearing, she stopped to climb what had become her favorite tree; the one place she felt the most comfortable. With a trunk as thick as any she'd seen and ancient branches that meandered in all directions, it had become a sort of beacon to her; its wood worn smooth from her frequent visits. As she settled into the highest branches, she wove blossoms of honeysuckle and wild violets into the front of her damp hair, marveling at the way the summer had breathed life into all that surrounded her. She allowed herself the reprieve of a daydream, and before she knew it, dusk had nearly settled upon the forest, breaking her from her reverie. She headed back to her dwelling, thankful for the beauty and perfection of the first summer day, and she was entirely at peace in that moment. As expected, the moon was beautiful; resembling a blue mote of flame against the pure black sky, and she sighed contentedly as she let sleep take her.

Days turned to weeks before she knew it, yet all seemed calm. There was no obvious sign of the darkness of which she had dreamt; nothing to suggest that this summer would be unlike any other. She began to wonder if the subconscious imagery that had plagued her was nothing more than meaningless images, brought on by irrational fears of all that remained unknown. Yet still, the forest began to tell a much different tale as the days progressed. The birdsongs that she knew as a constant comfort became strained; less melodic than the calls she knew so well. The trees themselves seemed to whisper an omniscient warning with every rustle of their branches, and the hummingbirds and butterflies that would always flock to her, trusting her so implicitly as to sip sweet nectar from flowers held in outstretched hands, now fled when they sensed her presence. The forest felt lonely for the first time that she could remember, and nothing, not even days spent high in the branches of her favorite tree, seemed to fill this new and unfamiliar void. She wasn't accustomed to feeling afraid, and yet she was. There was a stirring in the air; change was becoming more and more imminent, and the cataclysm that had plagued her dreams was growing closer with each passing day. The summer was soon to end, as all things inevitably do.

She felt a deep chill in the air when she awoke this day, and she knew as certain as anything that summer would be gone on the morrow. The air around her felt charged and smelled of ozone, as though an angry and tumultuous storm was on the horizon. As she exited her dwelling, she was startled to see that the forest was cloaked in an ethereal darkness, rather than the golden pink of a late summer sunrise. There was a violent wind stirring, and phantom voices cried out to her in words she couldn't understand. Fear threatened to overtake her in that moment, yet a force stronger than her hesitation beckoned her forward. Her feet acting seemingly of their own accord, she made her way through the thick of the forest until she reached the small clearing where her favorite tree stood, a place that was as familiar to her as her own voice. Where her tree should have been, there was now a pool of obsidian water, lit by tiny flecks of rainbow phosphorescence. Glancing into its depths, she was struck by the realization that she no longer felt any sense of fear - only a burning curiosity. After only a moment of hesitation, she held her breath and slipped her body into the pool, letting the water pull her under.

As she was pulled into the depths of the oddly enchanting pool, she realized that she had lost all sense of direction and purpose; she was helpless as she flailed her limbs in a futile attempt to gain purchase under the black water. She closed her eyes as sheer terror threatened to overtake her, and it was in that moment that she was struck by an eerie sense of calm and lucidity. She began to hear voices; familiar voices, and they were the voices that she didn't know she had missed until this moment. As she slowly opened her eyes, she realized all at once that she was no longer in the pool, but standing on a warm, grassy knoll with a slight breeze tickling her skin, and two very familiar people standing in front of her. She knew these people: the woman with the warm, inviting face and the man with his kind eyes and open arms, arms she remembered jumping into during younger years long forgotten. A force stronger than anything she had ever known compelled her to jump into those arms once again, and she felt as though she had finally come home. She was back where she belonged at long last; she was filled with a sense of comfort and love, and that was all that mattered. All was well.​

The sound of gentle waves crashed on the shore of pale sand, making little noise. The only other sound he could hear was the faint chatter of the nearby villagers. He loved sitting at the dock on sunny days when the air was hot but the breeze was sweet and cool on his skin. Summer had always been his favorite season since he could remember. Business was usually booming this time of year and Kapp?n could tell this summer was going to be a busy one. He didn?t mind, of course. His favorite thing in the world was sailing and now that he was getting paid to sail his ship, nothing he could ever imagine would make him happier.

The summer sun beat down unforgivingly and Kapp?n was forced to wipe the sweat that began to form on his forehead. This day seemed hotter than the any other day of this summer so far. He noticed the nearby villagers weren?t as active as they had been the last few days and he watched as smoke billowed in the distance from the rooftops of the beachfront houses. Surely someone was going to want to take a trip today, it was way too hot to stay on land. Who wouldn?t want to sail to the island and spend all day diving in the clear blue waters of the ocean on a day like this? Kapp?n really began to feel the heat as the sun reached the middle of the sky, his body had become drenched in sweat and he hadn?t realized it. Luckily, Kapp?n always packed his cooler with lots of drinks and snacks for when the boat needed to stay at the village?s dock. As he turned to open his cooler, he immediately let out a sigh of agony. The cooler wasn?t there. How could he have been so stupid? Kapp?n recalled waking up late this morning and rushing to his boat to make it to the dock on time while Leilani, his wife, was yelling something after him.

Kapp?n was really kicking himself over this incident, wondering how he was going to survive in this heat, when he heard footsteps in the sand nearby. He quickly turned and was greeted by a silhouette of someone with a large hat on and quickly recognized him or her as someone from the village. The mayor of the village noticed how distressed Kapp?n was about not having anything to drink and shook down a coconut from a nearby tree. Mayor Majora took it upon herself to crack open the fresh coconut and offer it to Kapp?n as a drink. Kapp?n smiled with delight and thanked Majora for her kindness. Before she went back into the village, Majora removed the straw hat from her head and offered it to Kapp?n, insisting he take it because the sun was only going to get hotter throughout the day. Kapp?n thanked her once again for being so kind and offered a free round trip to the island as a token of gratitude. Majora smiled and ran off back to the village leaving footprints in the sand on her way.

The hot summer day continued as any other workday would for Kapp?n, villagers took trips to the island and Kapp?n got to sit inside the cool cabana and visit with his family while the villagers enjoyed some time in paradise. Sailing to and from the island was the best part for Kapp?n. He got to do what he had always loved doing and he got to sing some sea shanties along the way. He knew his voice wasn?t as smooth and appealing as that city slicker, K.K. Slider, but his passengers seemed to really enjoy his songs. He would sing, and villagers would sway back and forth to the music. Sometimes he thought it was just the waves and the motion of the boat making the passengers sway, but even on the calmest of days they still seemed to move with the music.

As the sun set over the village, Kapp?n took in the beautiful view from the dock. The sky was lit up with colors of fiery orange and bright yellow and as time passed, the colors faded into a summery, light purple with deep blues that reminded him of the deep ocean he sailed upon. The view was so breath taking, Kapp?n sat back and drank it all in. He could feel his eyelids getting heavy and a warm, salty breeze gently lulled him into a light sleep.

Booming, quick, thunderous sounds came out of nowhere and Kapp?n was so startled he fell over in his ship as he was awoken. Panic filled his body as he peeked over the edge of his boat to see what was happening. Everything was quiet for a moment, and then the booming sounds were back. Kapp?n let out a sigh of relief, and even felt a little silly when he realized what startled him so badly was the fireworks show the village held every weekend in the summer. He laughed at himself a little and went to take his seat back on the boat when he heard footsteps coming toward the beach. Mayor Majora?s figure was coming into view and she made her way down to the dock. She greeted Kapp?n with a smile and informed him the village was celebrating the wonderful season of summer with fireworks at the plaza. Everyone in the village was already there and she wanted to make sure Kapp?n attended as well. None of the mayors from other villages had ever invited Kapp?n to the local events and he felt a sense of belonging with Majora standing there, asking him to celebrate with the village. Kapp?n cheerfully accepted and followed Majora to the plaza.

Kapp?n was greeted with smiles and hugs from all the villagers and even Majora?s assistant, Isabelle, whom he had never met before. There was plenty of food and drinks for everyone there and Kapp?n felt so at home with these villagers who he was sure only knew him as ?the guy who drives the boat?. He watched as fireworks lit up the night sky and he even sang some songs for the villagers, who in turn sang along with him.

The night came to an end and all the villagers returned to their homes. Before she turned in for the night, Mayor Majora thanked Kapp?n for being such a great captain and ferrying the villagers to and from the island. Kapp?n felt like he really belonged in this village, like he was a part of the community, and it was a feeling that was new to him. He made his way back to his boat and prepared to set sail for his home until the next day. As he sailed across the dark water, Kapp?n thought of a new song to sing. The stars shone bright and reflected off the sea like twinkling lights and Kapp?n sung his heart out with his new favorite song.

?This world spins ?round, but I be here to stay.
And I got dreams I?ll follow some fine day.?​