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Hero's Crossing
- Thread starter Nefarious
- Start date
- Status
King koopa
đ Balloons đ
I'm late to this, but here's my story!
Once upon a time, there was a young wolf named Chief. He was, to put it simply, a literal long wolf. None of the other wolves wanted to play any games with him, or even talk to him. They'd all run away at the sight of him. One day, Chief was reading a book about the legendary Knox. Knox was a proud warrior who protected his people, which is what Chief always wanted to do! So, he ran to the other wolves with familiar knight gear and a makeshift sword, and shouted "I am the great Chief! Fear not, for I shall protect everyone in this town!" But as expected, Chief was laughed at again! However Dobie, who was noticeably younger than he is now, came toward him. "Now now, while those other wolves wanna laugh, I think you have a good heart! But our island doesn't need saving! We're living in peace thanks to people like Knox and Sterling, so that's somethin' to be thankful for!" Chief took this advice to heart as he walked away sadly. While Dobie was right, he wanted to be different from the others. He wanted everyone to like him, instead of laughing at him. The next day, there was another attack. There was an accident at the museum, and all the bugs ended up escaping, leaving behind a very horrified blathers! Once Chief saw the news, he immediately wanted to jump into action. Though he remembered Dobie's words, and remembered that Sterling and Knox would surely save the day! Well, they couldn't. While Sterling and Knox, both powerful and graceful birds with beautiful armor, they were no match for the wasps! They forced the two knights back with many, many painful stings, which caused the two bird knights to retreat in pain. Chief watched the action in shock. He couldn't believe his idol was defeated by those deadly wasps! So, he decided that he wanted to take matters into his own hands. He wanted to learn how to be a knight! So, he asked the only person that ever gave him advice that was a wolf, Dobie for help. "Oh, so you wanna fight those wasps? Well, I can teach ya how! Just know that it ain't as easy at it seems!" Dobie took them to his house, that had a secret basement for Chief to train in. "Alright, me boy! If you wanna fight those wasps and send them back to wherever they came from, you gotta first learn how to use... THE NET!" Dobie pulls out an ordinary looking net from his pockets, and gives it to Chief. "What's so special about this boring old net?" Chief said, rolling his eyes at the thought of receiving a basic net to train. "Hee hee! You're a joker, aren't you? This net is special: it catch any pesky bug, even a wasp! Watch this!" Dobie then goes outside, shakes a tree which drops a birds nest, and runs with the hive. "Dobie, what are you doing? Put the hive down, and run!" Chief shouted from the window. "Don't worry, youngin' I got this!" Dobie then pulls out the net, and catches the wasps! "No way, how did you do that?" Chief asked, still in awe how Dobie managed to catch a wasp without the painful and itchy aftermath. "Oh Chief, it was easy! All ya gotta do is wait for the right moment, then strike! Why don't you try it? I have medicine just in case they getcha. So Chief tried, and tried, and after many wasp stings and many doses of medicine, Chief finally caught his first group of wasps. "Great job, Chief! I think you're ready. Remember, don't freak out, once you see those wasps, catch 'em! Those wasps seem to be hanging around the museum, so go over there and show 'em who's boss!" And Chief did just that. Proudly holding his net, Chief ran right to the museum, skillfully catching all the bugs that were blocking the way. However, once he got into the museum, he knew that there was no turning back. The museum was completely destroyed, museum paintings and statues were destroyed, and bits and pieces of Fossils were scattered everywhere. All of the doors to the exhibits of the museum were blocked off, except the bug exhibit. Once Chief got inside, two miyama stags blocked they way! The first one, with sharp pincers began buzzing loudly which meant: "Hey, there's an intruder!" The second one replied with "BZZZZZ" which meant "Yeah! Let's teach this wolf a lesson!" Luckily, the miyama stags were easy to catch, so one fell swoop, and they were gone. Along the way, Chief found Flick, and Nat! "Hey, those look like some very delicious- I mean delightful bugs! Can I have them, old bean?" "Dad, no! These bugs aren't for eating, these are to be put on display to be admired, receiving the best care imaginable!" Chief decided to give the bugs to Flick, so that they could be taken care of, and continued on with his adventure. Next up, there was a Hercules beetle blocking the path. The Hercules beetle led out a huge, loud "BZZZZZZZZ" which meant: "You're getting kinda close to where our boss is. But I'm not gonna let that happen! Surrender now, and I'll leave you alone!" Chief knew that there was no surrendering now, so he grabbed his net, and prepared for battle. Unlike the miyama stags, the Hercules beetle put up a fight, dodging some of Chief's attempts at catching it with his net, but eventually he caught it all the same. After more miyama stags and other bugs to battle, Chief finally saw the last part of the bug exhibit. He saw blathers in a cage, looking horrified with a scorpion. But, before he could battle the scorpion, he saw a golden stag! It gracefully flew near Chief, and let out a more quiet, but serious "Bzzzzzz" which meant: "So, you've made it this far... yet, you still won't be able to stop us! I saw how the other bugs you caught found you. I've seen the mistakes they've made. And.. I won't make those same mistakes! This is your last chance to surrender, otherwise I'll have to show you why I, a golden stag, am worth my weight in gold when it comes to fighting!" And so, the fight was on. The golden stag skillfully dodged all of Chief's net swipes, and tried to attack, but failed. While the golden stag was great at dodging, eventually the golden stag got tired, and Chief took his opportunity to capture the golden stag! Now he could make it to the final room. There was blathers in a cage, and books on everything the museum offered were scattered everywhere. "Oh, thank goodness you came to save me!" Blathers said at the sight of Chief. "I tried calling everyone I knew that knew all about bugs, but they couldn't help me! Not even Nat!" The scorpion then let out a quiet, but strong hiss, which meant "So, you've defeated those below me.. well, i am your final challenge! Unlike those other bugs, I am the king of them all, with my stinger! We have grown tired of always being captured and sent here by that "island owner". We had lives, beautiful lives, that were all thrown out the window when we we sent her. Since that weird owl is afraid of us, he rarely checks our exhibit, so when he wasn't in there, we planned our escape. And, as you've seen, we have. Now we are living our lives just like before, and if you dare into interfere, I shall poison you with my stinger!" And so, it was the final battle. Chief had learned about how to deal with a scorpion before, so he took small and careful steps as the scorpion kept hissing at Chief, daring him to move. Finally, the scorpion got tired of waiting, and tried to strike, only to be caught by Chief.
Chief unlocked blathers' cage, and helped him rebuild his museum.
Chief was viewed as a hero, and finally earned the respect of the other wolves! Everyone called him the legendary Chief, and it was everything he ever wanted: positive attention, and respect! However, his efforts came with a price: Because he was mostly famous from defeating the scorpion, everyone needed his help with bugs! If someone got stung by Bees, Chief had to teach them how to use a net. It someone got bit by a tarantula, Chief was tasked to fend it off. Eventually, Chief got tired of only being viewed as the things he did, so he decided that he wanted to be viewed as a true hero, one that doesn't just handle bugs, but anything. So, he decided he'd battle the legendary rooney, who was very furious, and began destroying trees and buildings with his punches. This time, Chief was gifted with a golden net, that would calm him down. So, the true final battle was on! Rooney punched and punched, sending pieces of wood from trees, branches, and anything you could think of on an island at Chief, who had quickly backed up to avoid all the derbies. Once rooney stopped punching, Chief hit Rooney with the net, as quickly and as fast as he could, untill..he caught a flea?! "Oh, that's what's been making me so itchy! Thanks, Chief!" Rooney then hopped away to his house. Ever since then, if someone was in need, bug related or not, Chief was always there to help! Eventually, once he got older, he decided that he didn't want to live the hero life, and decided to take a getaway package, to paradise!
Chief unlocked blathers' cage, and helped him rebuild his museum.
Chief was viewed as a hero, and finally earned the respect of the other wolves! Everyone called him the legendary Chief, and it was everything he ever wanted: positive attention, and respect! However, his efforts came with a price: Because he was mostly famous from defeating the scorpion, everyone needed his help with bugs! If someone got stung by Bees, Chief had to teach them how to use a net. It someone got bit by a tarantula, Chief was tasked to fend it off. Eventually, Chief got tired of only being viewed as the things he did, so he decided that he wanted to be viewed as a true hero, one that doesn't just handle bugs, but anything. So, he decided he'd battle the legendary rooney, who was very furious, and began destroying trees and buildings with his punches. This time, Chief was gifted with a golden net, that would calm him down. So, the true final battle was on! Rooney punched and punched, sending pieces of wood from trees, branches, and anything you could think of on an island at Chief, who had quickly backed up to avoid all the derbies. Once rooney stopped punching, Chief hit Rooney with the net, as quickly and as fast as he could, untill..he caught a flea?! "Oh, that's what's been making me so itchy! Thanks, Chief!" Rooney then hopped away to his house. Ever since then, if someone was in need, bug related or not, Chief was always there to help! Eventually, once he got older, he decided that he didn't want to live the hero life, and decided to take a getaway package, to paradise!
This ended up longer then I expected so I tried to cut some of it down, also definitely not a writer so hopefully it makes some sort of sense!
Lucy and the missing Stars
If the blinding light streaming through the window was any indication it was that Lucy had overslept. Shielding her eyes from the harsh brightness she checked her clock, it was further confirmation that she was a lot later starting the day than sheâd intended. Even despite the extra hours in bed Lucy did not feel well rested, her mind had been constantly replaying her recent conflicts with her parents over their plans to uproot all of their lives and move away, then once her thoughts had quietened down she was kept awake by the hooting of an owl outside her window which had become a frequent occurrence over the last few nights. Getting ready as quick as she could Lucy headed out for the day to run her errands, she had a long list to get through and wanted to get back home before it got dark.
Despite her best efforts to catch up on time Lucy still found herself making the walk back home once the sun had already gone to sleep for the day. During the day she loved the walks through the woods around her home but disliked the eerie quietness that greeted her at night, still it was the quickest route home. Continuing on her way Lucy was suddenly startled by hooting from above, looking up into the trees her eyes met those of a brown owl with a beige face, strikingly similar to the one that had been disturbing her sleep. The owl gave one more hoot before taking flight and although it headed in the opposite direction to her, Lucy felt an unexplainable pull and a strange curiosity that led to her following. Fixated on the bird she failed to notice the trees subtly changing as she ventured deeper into the woods, the sky above becoming darker and empty. It was as she lost sight of the owl that Lucy realised something was wrong, looking behind she was faced with a woods she no longer recognised and back ahead she was met with no woods at all, just a quiet field of grass.
âThank you for coming, I am in great need of some assistanceâ, if the voice letting her know she was no longer alone was a shock then the sight that greeted her was enough to have her questioning her sanity. The owl was at her side but now he was much larger, about half the size of Lucy, and appeared to have a chequered vest covering his chest, topped off with a green bowtie.
âApologies, my name is Blathers and I run the local museum hereâŚâ
âWhere is here?â Lucy interrupted, many other questions fighting to be asked.
âOh this little town,â began Blathers âthis is Adrastea, I suppose the place and inhabitants are not what you are used to seeing but it is a lovely and friendly placeâ, before Lucy could fully process what was been said Blathers continued,
âWeâve unfortunately been met with quite a problem recently though, you see my sister watches over the stars here but sadly she has lost some of her fragments, leaving her in a terrible state. Without these pieces and Celesteâs great sadness about the loss we have been facing unprecedented problems with our solar system, something we fear could spread even beyond our borders if not solved. The residents here have tried to help, most having no success while others fail to understand the urgency of the situation, which is why I have come to you in this time of need, will you come to our aid and find these fragments?â
Lucy stood in silence a few moments, trying to get her head around everything, before finally uttering a quiet âO-kayâ, even as her mind screamed no.
âThat is just brilliant!â exclaimed Blathers âLet us head on our way then and I will explain more of what we are looking forâ, he started making his way through the field and despite her inner reluctance Lucy found herself following, either sheâd soon find this was just a dream or she was in for one crazy adventure.
âWell I think that should be everything of importanceâ finished Blathers. Lucy was beginning to get a good idea as to how he got his name but at least she was sure sheâd picked up on the key points, they were missing three fragments and so far had a lead on only one. Theyâd travelled through the fields, past a little village where the towns residents were currently sleeping, walked down a street of quaint shops and finally headed down to the beach. There were ongoing rumours that one of the fragments was on a secluded island a short boat ride away however sightings of a small apparition had left the villagers too scared to explore the area.
âYou two! My saviours, how happy I am to see you!â shouted a voice from further down the beach, which Lucy soon discovered belonged to a seagull dressed as a sailor.
âYou see your beach seems to have acquired the great seafarer Gulliver but in doing so it has swallowed up my communicator parts like a great whale in the ocean, will you find them so I can return to my beloved ship?â
Lucy was about to politely decline the request when Blathers beat her to it with his own response,
âWeâd be delighted to help!â. As it turned out the term âweâ was used loosely, after finding her a shovel Blathers proceeded to keep watch while Lucy dug up countless patches of sand. The task seemed to take forever but eventually five communicator parts and many, many clams had been dug up.
"My handy dandy communicator is fixed! Now I can return to exploring the world and seeing all those wonderful sights!â proclaimed Gulliver âWhy donât you take this strange rock I found on my travels as a thank you, maybe it will be of some use to youâ. Lucy wondered what use a rock could be when Blathers eyes lit up at the sight of blue, glowing piece that Gulliver was handing over,
âHoot! Could it be?â Asked Blathers âthe missing Gemini fragment, this is a fine find indeed! Thank you great captain!â he called after Gulliver, whoâd returned to pacing the beach while awaiting his rescue.
âLetâs head for the island and find the next fragment, I feel that luck is on our side tonight!â exclaimed Blathers excitedly.
The short boat ride across the sea was rough and the singing of their captain left a lot to be desired but at least they made it safely to the island. The area around them was deserted and most of it had been recovered by nature, bundles of weeds and illuminous plants covered the floor while steep hills overrun by vines towered over anyone arriving at the island. From the stillness that greeted them Lucy wondered if the rumours had been wrong, until she caught sight of a faint glow weaving throughout the trees. A wordless agreement with Blathers, they began to follow the small apparition further into the island when it suddenly turned to face them,
âAaaaah!â it screamed, looking as if it had just seen a ghost âyou almost scared me to death!â
âWeâre very sorry,â Lucy began, while her mind questioned what she was actually speaking to âbut weâre searching for a missing fragment and were led to believe it might be around hereâ. The small ghost appeared to light up even more at this new information,
âI think we could help each other!â stated the apparition âsee, I was startled by this falling fragment which led to my spirits scattering throughout the island, one of which I believe consumed this piece you seek. Help reunite me with what Iâve lost and I can happily return it to youâ. Seemingly always eager to please, Blathers was straight in with a response,
âHoot! It would be our pleasure to helpâ.
Unfortunately the task played out strikingly similar to the one on the beach, Lucy was left to find the missing pieces while Blathers stayed with their new acquaintance, who it turned out was scared of nearly everything. Searching high and low, climbing vines she was certain werenât safe, carefully avoiding any creatures scuttling across the floor and strategically ignoring any strange rustlings from the trees, Lucy finally gathered up all the lost spirits.
âThank goodness!â exclaimed the apparition as he reunited with the spirits to become a large, spherical ghost, âPlease take the fallen piece for your troublesâ he continued, as a jagged item emitting a light blue glow was placed in Lucyâs hands.
âThe missing Pisces fragment!â Blathers proclaimed, âThis is a wonderful discovery! Letâs reunite these with Celeste, hopefully theyâll lift her spirits while we search for the last oneâ. Saying their goodbyes, they headed back towards the boat while Wisp, their new ghostly friend, went back to his travels, longing to explore somewhere new.
Drifting off to a song about treasures in the ocean, Lucy was suddenly jolted awake by a knock under the boat. A glance towards Blathers and Kappân, their captain, told her that they had not noticed the disturbance. Deciding to ignore it, Lucy closed her eyes to begin resting again when another knock, this time to the side of the boat, put her back on high alert. Daring a peek over the edge, Lucy was startled by the sudden appearance of red otter bobbing up from the water.
âWhat you got there?â he asked, confused Lucy looked back to the others for guidance when the otter clarified the question, âThat scallop of yours, mind if I have it?
âOne of me treasures?â asked Kappân âYe after takinâ from poor olâ Kappân?â
âYou have many lovey items,â stated Lucy âwould it hurt to let one go?â
âGifts for me family, lassie,â countered Kappân âcouldnât let any of âem goâ. Lucy sighed at the reluctance when the otter offered up a suggestion,
âA treasure for a treasure, nobody misses out then maaanâ
âIt is a fair offer, you wouldnât be missing out by accepting itâ encouraged Lucy. Kappân seemed to mull it over, before retrieving the scallop from his bag of goods and handing it over to the delighted otter.
âWhoa, thank you maaan! Here is a pearl to join your loot,â he handed the glistening item over to Kappân before turning back to Lucy âand for your support, please take this treasure found in the deep depths of the oceanâ, gifting her a glowing fragment in a soft, reddish hue. Lucy looked to Blathers to ask about it but the look on his face was all the confirmation she needed.
âThank you!â hooted Blathers âwith this Cancer fragment youâve completed the last part of our puzzle! I hope you find many more scallops in this sea!â
âThanks maaan, but Iâm venturing further than this sea,â explained the otter, âafter all if we were all meant to stay in one place then why is there so much world to see?â. The question obviously did not require an answer, as with that the otter bobbed of and floated away with the waves.
âHoot! Thank you so much, with your help we have retrieved all the missing fragments! We can take these back to Celeste and return the stars to the skyâŚâ looking up though had him stopping in thought, âoh dear,â he continued âI fear the night is ending, if the sun comes back up youâll no longer be able to get through the woods home. I apologise that our journey must come to an end but you must start your travels back and I have to return these to my sister, Adrastea will be forever grateful of your help tonightâ
âBut how will I know where to go?â asked Lucy, fearing sheâd get lost on her way.
âA short walk through the woods and youâll be home,â stated Blathers âand if you need help, look up the stars for guidanceâ
Lucy was exhausted and almost certainly lost, she was sure that sheâd traipsed the same area of the woods constantly and felt no closer to home than she had on the boat. She worried of night turning to day whilst she wondered amongst the trees, would she ever find her way out if it did? The quietness of the woods was in stark contrast to her recent adventure and she felt so alone, wearily she considered stopping for a break to regather her thoughts when a feint noise from above had her looking to the sky. Glistening dots now adorned a place that had previously been void of anything but darkness, constant shooting stars flew by amongst them and Lucy watched the shower in awe. Dragging herself away from the sight in the sky, she turned around with newfound optimism to continue on her way, only to find that the woods had changed during her fixation on the stars, sheâd made it home.
The clock in her room told her she wasnât late home, if anything it implied the journey had lasted merely minutes despite her knowing otherwise. Taking a moment at the window to admire the beauty of the night, Lucy suddenly caught sight of something that hadnât been there before - a large, glowing white star fragment on the windowsill. She smiled as she picked it up and thought back to her travels, sheâd been left with a greater curiosity and a feeling that moving away would not be as daunting as she initially believed, after all she could view it as another adventure and if she felt lost she had the stars to guide her. Feeling at peace, Lucy settled down for her first good nights sleep in a long time, whilst outside her window a red owl with a pink bow vacated the tree sheâd been watching from and flew off into the night, a trail of stars behind her.
If the blinding light streaming through the window was any indication it was that Lucy had overslept. Shielding her eyes from the harsh brightness she checked her clock, it was further confirmation that she was a lot later starting the day than sheâd intended. Even despite the extra hours in bed Lucy did not feel well rested, her mind had been constantly replaying her recent conflicts with her parents over their plans to uproot all of their lives and move away, then once her thoughts had quietened down she was kept awake by the hooting of an owl outside her window which had become a frequent occurrence over the last few nights. Getting ready as quick as she could Lucy headed out for the day to run her errands, she had a long list to get through and wanted to get back home before it got dark.
Despite her best efforts to catch up on time Lucy still found herself making the walk back home once the sun had already gone to sleep for the day. During the day she loved the walks through the woods around her home but disliked the eerie quietness that greeted her at night, still it was the quickest route home. Continuing on her way Lucy was suddenly startled by hooting from above, looking up into the trees her eyes met those of a brown owl with a beige face, strikingly similar to the one that had been disturbing her sleep. The owl gave one more hoot before taking flight and although it headed in the opposite direction to her, Lucy felt an unexplainable pull and a strange curiosity that led to her following. Fixated on the bird she failed to notice the trees subtly changing as she ventured deeper into the woods, the sky above becoming darker and empty. It was as she lost sight of the owl that Lucy realised something was wrong, looking behind she was faced with a woods she no longer recognised and back ahead she was met with no woods at all, just a quiet field of grass.
âThank you for coming, I am in great need of some assistanceâ, if the voice letting her know she was no longer alone was a shock then the sight that greeted her was enough to have her questioning her sanity. The owl was at her side but now he was much larger, about half the size of Lucy, and appeared to have a chequered vest covering his chest, topped off with a green bowtie.
âApologies, my name is Blathers and I run the local museum hereâŚâ
âWhere is here?â Lucy interrupted, many other questions fighting to be asked.
âOh this little town,â began Blathers âthis is Adrastea, I suppose the place and inhabitants are not what you are used to seeing but it is a lovely and friendly placeâ, before Lucy could fully process what was been said Blathers continued,
âWeâve unfortunately been met with quite a problem recently though, you see my sister watches over the stars here but sadly she has lost some of her fragments, leaving her in a terrible state. Without these pieces and Celesteâs great sadness about the loss we have been facing unprecedented problems with our solar system, something we fear could spread even beyond our borders if not solved. The residents here have tried to help, most having no success while others fail to understand the urgency of the situation, which is why I have come to you in this time of need, will you come to our aid and find these fragments?â
Lucy stood in silence a few moments, trying to get her head around everything, before finally uttering a quiet âO-kayâ, even as her mind screamed no.
âThat is just brilliant!â exclaimed Blathers âLet us head on our way then and I will explain more of what we are looking forâ, he started making his way through the field and despite her inner reluctance Lucy found herself following, either sheâd soon find this was just a dream or she was in for one crazy adventure.
âWell I think that should be everything of importanceâ finished Blathers. Lucy was beginning to get a good idea as to how he got his name but at least she was sure sheâd picked up on the key points, they were missing three fragments and so far had a lead on only one. Theyâd travelled through the fields, past a little village where the towns residents were currently sleeping, walked down a street of quaint shops and finally headed down to the beach. There were ongoing rumours that one of the fragments was on a secluded island a short boat ride away however sightings of a small apparition had left the villagers too scared to explore the area.
âYou two! My saviours, how happy I am to see you!â shouted a voice from further down the beach, which Lucy soon discovered belonged to a seagull dressed as a sailor.
âYou see your beach seems to have acquired the great seafarer Gulliver but in doing so it has swallowed up my communicator parts like a great whale in the ocean, will you find them so I can return to my beloved ship?â
Lucy was about to politely decline the request when Blathers beat her to it with his own response,
âWeâd be delighted to help!â. As it turned out the term âweâ was used loosely, after finding her a shovel Blathers proceeded to keep watch while Lucy dug up countless patches of sand. The task seemed to take forever but eventually five communicator parts and many, many clams had been dug up.
"My handy dandy communicator is fixed! Now I can return to exploring the world and seeing all those wonderful sights!â proclaimed Gulliver âWhy donât you take this strange rock I found on my travels as a thank you, maybe it will be of some use to youâ. Lucy wondered what use a rock could be when Blathers eyes lit up at the sight of blue, glowing piece that Gulliver was handing over,
âHoot! Could it be?â Asked Blathers âthe missing Gemini fragment, this is a fine find indeed! Thank you great captain!â he called after Gulliver, whoâd returned to pacing the beach while awaiting his rescue.
âLetâs head for the island and find the next fragment, I feel that luck is on our side tonight!â exclaimed Blathers excitedly.
The short boat ride across the sea was rough and the singing of their captain left a lot to be desired but at least they made it safely to the island. The area around them was deserted and most of it had been recovered by nature, bundles of weeds and illuminous plants covered the floor while steep hills overrun by vines towered over anyone arriving at the island. From the stillness that greeted them Lucy wondered if the rumours had been wrong, until she caught sight of a faint glow weaving throughout the trees. A wordless agreement with Blathers, they began to follow the small apparition further into the island when it suddenly turned to face them,
âAaaaah!â it screamed, looking as if it had just seen a ghost âyou almost scared me to death!â
âWeâre very sorry,â Lucy began, while her mind questioned what she was actually speaking to âbut weâre searching for a missing fragment and were led to believe it might be around hereâ. The small ghost appeared to light up even more at this new information,
âI think we could help each other!â stated the apparition âsee, I was startled by this falling fragment which led to my spirits scattering throughout the island, one of which I believe consumed this piece you seek. Help reunite me with what Iâve lost and I can happily return it to youâ. Seemingly always eager to please, Blathers was straight in with a response,
âHoot! It would be our pleasure to helpâ.
Unfortunately the task played out strikingly similar to the one on the beach, Lucy was left to find the missing pieces while Blathers stayed with their new acquaintance, who it turned out was scared of nearly everything. Searching high and low, climbing vines she was certain werenât safe, carefully avoiding any creatures scuttling across the floor and strategically ignoring any strange rustlings from the trees, Lucy finally gathered up all the lost spirits.
âThank goodness!â exclaimed the apparition as he reunited with the spirits to become a large, spherical ghost, âPlease take the fallen piece for your troublesâ he continued, as a jagged item emitting a light blue glow was placed in Lucyâs hands.
âThe missing Pisces fragment!â Blathers proclaimed, âThis is a wonderful discovery! Letâs reunite these with Celeste, hopefully theyâll lift her spirits while we search for the last oneâ. Saying their goodbyes, they headed back towards the boat while Wisp, their new ghostly friend, went back to his travels, longing to explore somewhere new.
Drifting off to a song about treasures in the ocean, Lucy was suddenly jolted awake by a knock under the boat. A glance towards Blathers and Kappân, their captain, told her that they had not noticed the disturbance. Deciding to ignore it, Lucy closed her eyes to begin resting again when another knock, this time to the side of the boat, put her back on high alert. Daring a peek over the edge, Lucy was startled by the sudden appearance of red otter bobbing up from the water.
âWhat you got there?â he asked, confused Lucy looked back to the others for guidance when the otter clarified the question, âThat scallop of yours, mind if I have it?
âOne of me treasures?â asked Kappân âYe after takinâ from poor olâ Kappân?â
âYou have many lovey items,â stated Lucy âwould it hurt to let one go?â
âGifts for me family, lassie,â countered Kappân âcouldnât let any of âem goâ. Lucy sighed at the reluctance when the otter offered up a suggestion,
âA treasure for a treasure, nobody misses out then maaanâ
âIt is a fair offer, you wouldnât be missing out by accepting itâ encouraged Lucy. Kappân seemed to mull it over, before retrieving the scallop from his bag of goods and handing it over to the delighted otter.
âWhoa, thank you maaan! Here is a pearl to join your loot,â he handed the glistening item over to Kappân before turning back to Lucy âand for your support, please take this treasure found in the deep depths of the oceanâ, gifting her a glowing fragment in a soft, reddish hue. Lucy looked to Blathers to ask about it but the look on his face was all the confirmation she needed.
âThank you!â hooted Blathers âwith this Cancer fragment youâve completed the last part of our puzzle! I hope you find many more scallops in this sea!â
âThanks maaan, but Iâm venturing further than this sea,â explained the otter, âafter all if we were all meant to stay in one place then why is there so much world to see?â. The question obviously did not require an answer, as with that the otter bobbed of and floated away with the waves.
âHoot! Thank you so much, with your help we have retrieved all the missing fragments! We can take these back to Celeste and return the stars to the skyâŚâ looking up though had him stopping in thought, âoh dear,â he continued âI fear the night is ending, if the sun comes back up youâll no longer be able to get through the woods home. I apologise that our journey must come to an end but you must start your travels back and I have to return these to my sister, Adrastea will be forever grateful of your help tonightâ
âBut how will I know where to go?â asked Lucy, fearing sheâd get lost on her way.
âA short walk through the woods and youâll be home,â stated Blathers âand if you need help, look up the stars for guidanceâ
Lucy was exhausted and almost certainly lost, she was sure that sheâd traipsed the same area of the woods constantly and felt no closer to home than she had on the boat. She worried of night turning to day whilst she wondered amongst the trees, would she ever find her way out if it did? The quietness of the woods was in stark contrast to her recent adventure and she felt so alone, wearily she considered stopping for a break to regather her thoughts when a feint noise from above had her looking to the sky. Glistening dots now adorned a place that had previously been void of anything but darkness, constant shooting stars flew by amongst them and Lucy watched the shower in awe. Dragging herself away from the sight in the sky, she turned around with newfound optimism to continue on her way, only to find that the woods had changed during her fixation on the stars, sheâd made it home.
The clock in her room told her she wasnât late home, if anything it implied the journey had lasted merely minutes despite her knowing otherwise. Taking a moment at the window to admire the beauty of the night, Lucy suddenly caught sight of something that hadnât been there before - a large, glowing white star fragment on the windowsill. She smiled as she picked it up and thought back to her travels, sheâd been left with a greater curiosity and a feeling that moving away would not be as daunting as she initially believed, after all she could view it as another adventure and if she felt lost she had the stars to guide her. Feeling at peace, Lucy settled down for her first good nights sleep in a long time, whilst outside her window a red owl with a pink bow vacated the tree sheâd been watching from and flew off into the night, a trail of stars behind her.
I'm not a writer but I need those tickets.
In the middle of the vast ocean sat a humble island named Usagi. An old rabbit named Gaston and his villager friends lived a comfortable but simple life filled with gardening and friendship. All spring and summer long the animal villagers tended to their flowers, vegetable crops and fruit trees. As a team they worked together over the warmer months to collect all the fresh produce. The flowers bloomed brighter then ever infront of each house. There was plenty to go around and even enough food to save for the winter. As the summer came to an end, Gaston awoke one morning to take a leisurely walk on the beach. He noticed other villagers already standing by the pier watching a distant unknown ship coming towards their island. They all whispered amongst themselves wondering who the mystery ship belonged to. Soon the boat was pulling up to the dock with only one lone cat aboard. Gaston and the other villagers helped tie down the boat and greeted their new cat acquaintance. "Ahoy everyone" said the strange new cat, "My name is Punchy." Everyone in the crowd waved to their new acquaintance. "I have travelled many nights to ask you for your islands help", said Punchy. "The number of animals in my village have thinned and there is no one else left to help collect the last crops before autumn, which is why I travelled across the water to Usagi to ask for your help. Is anyone willing to accompany me back home to gather the final harvest?", continued Punchy. All the villagers in Usagi were in disbelief of the enormous favour asked of them by a stranger. Many quiet no's murmured across the crowd, no one wanting to leave the comfort of their homes and friends. A frown stretched across Punchy's face. He had clearly hoped for a different reaction. "If I have to return home alone, I probably won't make it through the winter", said Punchy. A looming feeling was growing over Gaston the rabbit. He may be old but he couldn't let Punchy's crop die. "I will join you", exclaimed Gaston. The crowd gasped. A single villager walked through the crowd to face Gaston. He was a brown and white bulldog by the name of Mac with a gruff aesthetic. "You cannot go alone Gaston for you are too elderly. I will join you and Punchy on this sailing adventure. If no one else from Usagi will join us, then I ask you all to help us pack supplies for our voyage to Punchy's village", said Mac bravely. The other Usagi villagers agreed to quickly gather a few lunches and sun hats so that Punchy, Gaston and Mac could safely travel. The group knew they had to leave within a few hours if they were going to beat some stormy weather. After a few hours of packing, afternoon had arrived and the three animals were standing on the dock waiting to set sail on Punchy's ship. The remaining Usagi villagers had agreed to watch Gaston and Mac's houses while they were away. After some quick goodbyes they all boarded the ship and headed towards the horizon. Punchy told them it would take about 2 full days to get to his home village of Meow. The first day of voyaging was smooth and the three animals got to know each other a little better. "Why would all the other villagers of Meow leave when there are still crops being produced?", asked Gaston to Punchy one day during their sailings. "It is the weather chasing animals away", said Punchy. "The stormy rain and lightning scared off my friends and fellow villagers. The constant lightning strikes were burning down crops and putting the land at risk. I am the only one left" explained Punchy. Gaston and Mac felt sympathetic for Punchy the cat. "Are you sure Meow is worth going back to?", asked Gaston. Punchy was clearly offended by the question. "That's where I grew up and where my father grew up. I can't abandon Meow", Punchy said sterny. Gaston felt guilty for asking the question. With a swift apology to Punchy, Gaston promised the three animals would do everything they could to save Meow and the essential crops. The animals had been sailing for over a day when the sky started to change. The blue calm turned an uncomfortable grey, warning of a coming storm. Gaston worried if it was safe to continue but kept it to himself so as to not upset Punchy again. With only a few hours left to travel to reach Meow, the guys hunkered down hoping to ride out the rain but then the lightning started. It boomed in the sky, sending all three animals running to tighten the ropes of the boat. They fought against the raging ocean water, doing everything they could to batten down the hatches. "I can see the shoreline ahead!", exclaimed Punchy. Relief swept across them as they approached a violent shoreline. A single dock stuck out in the water, beckoning them to safety. It was a great struggle pulling up to the dock with water splashing everywhere. Punchy was the first to jump from the boat to the dock taking a great risk on the slippery surfaces. Gaston and Mac onboard threw down the ropes to Punchy to anchor the ship. With rain and salt water spraying them in the faces, they struggled greatly to tie down the boat. They were all amazed at how they accomplished such a hard task using bravery and team work. With the boat finally secured, Punchy called to the other two animals to jump down onto the dock. Mac went first with ease but Gaston hesitated worrying about falling into the ocean. "Hurry up Gaston! Before a wave knocks you over", yelled Punchy. Gaston took a leap of faith and jumped off the ship onto the wet dock. Immediately the old rabbit felt his leg crumple underneath him and he slammed against the wooden boards. "I've broken my leg!", Gaston cried, looking to his two friends for help. "NOO!", screamed Punchy. "Now who will help harvest the crops?", cried Punchy. "Who cares about that anymore? Our friend Gaston is injured!", exclaimed Mac. The cat and dog argued back and forth about the importance of each issue. "Gaston was willing to drop everything to save your village but you don't care about his well being?", barked Mac at Punchy. A look of remorse washed over Punchy's face. "My apologies to you Gaston. You have been nothing but kind to me and now I'm going to return the favour", said Punchy. The village of Meow was a decent walk inland and everyone knew Gaston couldn't walk, especially in this rainy weather. Mac and Punchy agreed to carry Gaston all the way to the village depsite the stormy weather and lightning striking in the distance. They laid Gaston on a blanket and used it to carry him. They left to dock with their few supplies and headed up the rocky beach towards the village. It was a steep incline but Punchy assured them that once you got to the top, you could see Meow in the distance. They trudged on. All of them were soaked but happy to at least be ashore. Mac had doubts about just how much fruits and vegetables they could save with just the two of them working instead of three but he knew Punchy needed something to store away for winter. The trio finally reached the top of the hill when lightning striked the land ahead of them. Loud booms and crackles echoed in the distance. Punchy and Mac carefully put down Gaston on their make shift blanket carrier and Punchy ran off into the distance to see where to lightning had struck. He looked forward in horror to see the lightning had struck the precious crop fields of Meow in multiple places. Even with the rain the earth smoked dangerously, warning the animals of a coming wildfire. "We have to go back to the beach!", yelled Mac to Punchy. "The land is no longer safe", continued Mac. Punchy wanted to refuse but knew he couldn't put Mac and Gaston in anymore danger. He reluctantly agreed and they set off quickly back down the massive hill towards the beach. Punchy looked back one last time at the village he did everything he could to save. It torn him apart knowing all his childhood memories and belongings were left behind. They went at a fast pace and arrived back at the beach. Punchy pointed to a cave in the distance and they marched through the wet sand to a hole in the side of the neverending cliffs. All three animals were grateful to be somewhere dry. Mac wrapped up Gaston's leg as well as he could to. Gaston would have to wait until he got back to Usagi to see a proper doctor. Punchy began to cry knowing his village of Meow had taken it's final breath. With him being the last villager standing in Meow and no food for the winter Punchy knew he couldn't stay and rebuild even if he wanted to. Gaston patted Punchy on the back trying to bring him comfort. "The storm should calm down by tomorrow and then you two fellas can leave and head home with my boat. It's my gift to you for all the trouble I've put you through", said Punchy to Gaston and Mac. "You aren't coming with us? I want you to come make a new home in Usagi", asked Gaston to Punchy. "You're gonna offer me to be apart of your village even after you broke your leg cause of me?", said Punchy in disbelief. "I thought I was gonna have to live in this cave forever all alone", continued Punchy. Gaston shook his head. He didn't blame Punchy for his leg. He had gone on this adventure knowing the risks. "My leg will heal, and so will your heart if you come make new friends in Usagi", beamed Gaston. Punchy knew he had found real friends he could rely on. He happily agreed to come back to Usagi and have a fresh start. Punchy knew he would never have to be alone again. As the night went on, the trio rested and slept as the storm slowly died out. By morning the sun was beaming but they could smell the smoke in the distance. The village of Meow had not survived the night. Punchy couldn't bring himself to take any final looks at his old village so they packed up their stuff and set sail for Usagi as fast as they could. As they took off from the dock Punchy took one last look back at his old life and turned to look ahead at his new beginnings. He knew he would never feel alone again as long as he had his new friends in Usagi.
The Adventures of Alice Mushroomhat The Adventures of Alice Mushroomhat Despite the minor role owning a hat has in the running of a village, the residents of Marigold were adorned the name âmushroom-folkâ by other forest dwellers, for as long as can be remembered. A group of uniquely small folk, in a forest with uniquely large mushrooms, the mushroom-folk were best identified by the mushroom caps they wore on their heads for shade. These humble and industrious folk had built their homes from the trees, bark and mushrooms of Florea forest, and though they were free to come and leave as they please, the village sufficiently provided for everyone, and every family had something important to contribute.
Alice Mushroomhat was the young daughter of hat makers. Her cap, like her parents, was distinctly red with white spots, and it sat atop her long, chestnut hair. On this morning, like most mornings, Alice was charging up the hill to her best friend Sola Shepherdwoolâs house. The Shepherdwoolâs were wool farmers, collecting wool from their sheep and sending it to other mushroom-folk to be turned into wool cloth, and then into clothes for the townsfolk. Short-statured people, Sola and Alice were nigh on one sheep tall, and Mr. Shepherdwool stood about one and a half sheep high.
When Alice reached the top of the hill, she saw Sola was already outside. Sola helped her parents care for their sheep. Her job included letting out the flock first thing in the morning and putting them to bed at night. Despite her early age, she was already a great herder, and well-liked by the sheep.
âNo! No, no, no, no!â Sola yelled as she rushed downhill, holding onto her orange mushroom cap, with her braided charcoal hair trailing behind her in the wind. Alice was still racing toward the house.
âHey, where are you going?!â Alice yelled after her.
âSheep!â Sola yelled back. âMrs. Toffee, come back!â
Round and woolly, Mrs. Toffee was at the bottom of the hill, where sheâd climbed through a broken plank in the wood fencing, and was lazily making her way toward a nearby wooden suspension bridge.
âDonât you do it, Mrs. Toffee!â Sola screeched after her, while Alice hurtled back downhill after Sola.
The suspension bridge crossed a narrow river running between Marigold and the dark forest. Though still part of Florea, the dark forest was named so from returning travelers, speaking of unusual sightings and strange happenings from the other side of the river. Mrs. Toffee exited the suspension bridge to the other side, and made her way to the riverbank to graze on flowers. At the bottom of the hill Alice and Sola stopped. âI donât think we should go across thereâ Alice said.
Sola, described by her mother as boisterous and unbridled, thought about it. âBut thatâs my sheep! Itâs my job. Iâm a sheep herder!â
âBut mushroom-folk donât go in there.â said Alice softly.
Sola kept walking, and Alice apprehensively followed. As they approached the bridge, there was a great gust of wind. The branches of the tall trees in the forest shook. Spooked, Mrs. Toffee bolted deep down the path into the dark forest, and the wind and trees unnervingly returned to calm. After some thought, and back-and-forth glancing between the dark forest and Marigold, Alice followed Sola, who was already making her way toward the entrance of the dark forest. âOk, I can do this. This is important.â Alice reassured herself in her head.
The path inward was dark. Trees and dense foliage blocked the light from illuminating the path, and the forest was covered in rich greens and browns. The wind whispered with intimidation, and the light from the forest entrance was quickly fading. With no sheep in sight, Alice slowed down. âWhat now?â she asked. Sola looked around.
âWe just gotâta keep going, I guess.â Sola kept walking resolutely, though less rambunctiously than her usual demeanor.
Alice hesitated. The darkness quickly filled the air where Sola had once stood, and within moments Sola was out of sight. âSola?â Alice murmured. âSola?â she yelled in a whisper. âSola?!â she said slightly louder, and the wind stirred, the branches of the trees started shaking, and Alice knew it was best to remain quiet. Afraid to lose herself, or Sola, to the forest forever, she sat beneath a short, but rather wide, fig tree and sobbed.
âHmph? Huh? Oh my, what is that? Ooh, what a racket.â Alice looked up and came eye to eye with the tree.
âAah! Who are you?â Alice yelped.
âI beg your pardon, but who, are you?â the fig tree replied courteously.
âIâm Alice. A Mushroomhat, from the village.â Alice mumbled, pointing in the direction from which she arrived.
âOoh, a mushroom-folk. I see, I see. Now we donât have many of your kind come through here.â the tree said, bustling her low-hanging branches. âWhat are you doing here?â
Alice spluttered between sobs. âFinding Mrs. Toffee. I mean, Iâm lost. But Iâm looking for a sheep. But I canât find my friend. And itâs her sheep, you see.â
âOh my. A missing friend and a missing sheep. What a predicament. And what are you to do?â the tree asked.
âI donât know.â Alice sobbed louder.
âHmm. Do you know how old I am?â the tree asked. Consumed with her tears, Alice couldnât think of an answer. âIâm very old you see, and Iâve lived here a very long time, so maybe I have something to help you.â The tree spoke slowly but kindly, and her branches did not shake wildly like the other trees.
âYou do?â Alice asked, looking up at her.
âYou must be very brave to come to this part of the forest, and even braver if you plan to keep going farther. Do you?â The tree asked.
Alice thought about Sola and Mrs. Toffee. âI have to.â
âYes, I thought perhaps that was the case. A good friend. Listen carefully now. There is always light. The only darkness to fear here is darkness itself.â And with that, the elderly tree gently bustled her branches, encouraging the resident fireflies to make flight, providing a dim light around the tree. She bustled her branches a little more toward Alice, pushing her to stand up.
Confused by the advice and bothered that the tree said she would help when she didnât, Alice got up off the dirt floor, thanked the tree politely and made her way down the path. Once out of sight of the tree, the path was dark, and only dimly lit through small cracks in the trees above. Scared, but cautiously determined, she continued walking, one slow pace at a time along the narrow dirt path, with trees, ferns and shrubs to each side, all rich and vibrant in colour.
After what felt like ages, tired and feet sore, Alice approached a clearing. The narrow dirt path opened, but the trees above still shielded over the clearing. She spotted Sola hiding behind a rock. âSola!â she yelped, slightly too loudly.
âSshh!â Sola whispered, gesturing for Alice to also come and hide.
âWhat are you doing?â Alice whispered as she ran and kneeled behind the rock.
âHiding from that.â Sola responded.
Aliceâs eyes went wide. She froze, unable to think, then quickly looked around in all directions. On one side of the clearing, Alice and Sola hid behind a rock, and off to the other side, there was a great log house, not particularly wide, but about as tall as you might expect was needed for the troll standing in the front yard. The garden was surprisingly fenced, with flowers and shrubs that looked like they had been planted thoughtfully, and a vegetable patch off to one side. A troll was pacing back and forth across the yard with a very large broom. To Alice, there were two options. Sneak back the way they came, or stray from the path and into the thick of the forest to escape notice of the troll. On the narrow path that led out of the clearing and deeper into the forest, Alice could see the silhouette of Mrs. Toffee in the distance. She was so close. âWeâll go this way.â Alice whispered, as she got up and started to sneak behind the trees.
âNo!â Sola whispered at her, âIâve tried that!â The wind stirred and the branches of the trees above began waving heavily. The troll turned to face the rock.
âNow Iâve found you!â the trollâs slow voice boomed. Alice and Sola shrunk to the ground, as they felt his thunderous footsteps approach. His eyes slowly but methodically searched the surrounding forest. Sola made a run for it into the thick of the forest, and Alice quickly followed, but it was too dense and impenetrable, and they were forced back into the clearing. The trollâs wide steps meant by the time they reached the other side of the clearing, the troll was stood across the path, blocking their way forward. âEnough!â the troll boomed. âEnough of you travelers! Always disrupting the peace, stealing my fruit, picking my flowers, moving my things! Get out! Get out of the forest!â The troll took a step toward Sola.
âWe canât!â Alice roared, as best as a small mushroom-folk could, surprising herself. âWe need to get our sheep!â
âI donât see any sheep!â The troll roared back, looking around the clearing.
Mrs. Toffee was nowhere in sight. âWell sheâs that way, and weâre going to get her!â Alice replied firmly.
âIs that so?â The troll stamped his foot on the dirt in front of the path exiting the clearing. The ground below rumbled, and Alice and Sola wobbled as they held themselves upright.
Alice looked at Sola and nodded then said, âWell⌠I guess weâll stay here andâŚâ and with that Alice ran toward the trollâs garden and Sola bolted toward the path exiting the clearing deeper into the forest. Sola hid at the edge of the path, and Alice stood next to a shrub full of blossoming hydrangea. âPick your flowers!â she finished as she pulled a hydrangea from the stem. She ran to a large table where some large gardening gloves sat. âAnd move your thingsâ she yelled as she threw one glove in one direction and the other glove in another. The troll looked around for Sola but thundered toward Alice. She ran to the vegetable garden, which was enclosed by a large log fence. âAnd Iâm going to kick these vegetables all the way up to the sky!â Alice raised her boot back exaggeratedly.
âNo!â the troll boomed, thundering his way inside the vegetable patch.
And with that, Alice climbed under the log fence, and ran her fastest down the path toward Sola. âRun!â she yelled at Sola as she passed the shrub behind which Sola was hiding. The troll tried to follow but by the time he had exited the patch and made it to the path, the girls were nowhere to be seen.
The small mushroom-folk ran for as long as they could bare, and then walked until their feet could carry them no longer. They slumped down on a log. The forest only seemed to be getting darker, and colder, the farther they went. Solaâs belly growled. âIt must be dinner time by now.â Alice said.
âLetâs get Mrs. Toffee and get out of here.â Sola replied. She was no longer boisterous and spirited, but she was still determined. She helped Alice up, and off they went.
After walking ages more, Alice and Sola approached a glade, the centre of the forest, where Mrs. Toffee was tiredly lying in a patch of grass, nibbling on the flowers around her. Sola ran to the sheep and laid over her torso hugging her and sobbing. No words would come out.
With no rope or harness, they had no way to lead Mrs. Toffee out of the dark forest, and Alice mentioned as much. A re-spirited Sola thought for a moment, and then replied with âIâll just have to hold onto her wool! Itâll be ok!â It didnât sound like it was worth the risk to Alice.
âIâm going to get some of that vine.â Alice pointed toward a large vine with off-shoots hanging off a tree. She walked over to the tree and started tugging at an off-shoot. The forest stirred and soft whispers were carried through the wind. Sola and Mrs. Toffee were both on high alert. Alice kept tugging, pulling from one side to the other, hoping the vine would break off. The force of the wind grew stronger, and the branches of the surrounding trees started to bustle.
âI donât think this is a good idea!â Sola yelled at her nervously.
Feeling the urgency, Alice pulled with all her might, while Sola held on tightly to the sheep, determined that even if she was spooked, Mrs. Toffee would not get away again. With an almighty tug, Alice freed a thin vine off-shoot just long enough to tie around Mrs. Toffee as a harness. The wind roared, the trees shook violently, and strange noises echoed around them. Alice quickly ran to Sola and helped her tie the vine around the sheep, and then around Solaâs wrist. âLetâs get out of here!â Alice yelled over the strong wind. Sola couldnât hear, but she got the message.
The unseen sky above crackled and thundered. The wind swirled around the trio, and the trees gave an almighty sway. Alice felt she was being watched. Branches and leaves broke from the trees, and twigs and dirt were swept up from the forest floor and carried by the wind in a whirl around the girls. Disorientated by the force of the forest and the darkness, the mushroom-folk could not see right from left, entrance from exit. Cryptic messages were carried by the wind, but Alice couldnât make out what they were saying. Suddenly she noticed one set of piercing red eyes, then another, and then another. âWere they coming from the trees? No, between the trees.â she asked herself. âPerhaps both.â she resigned, as pairs of eyes continued appearing in the darkness. Unnerving creaks sounded like they were moving toward them.
The trio could not move themselves with the force of the wind surrounding them. Alice did the only thing she could think. She picked up a rock at her feet and threw it at a set of eyes that seemed to be approaching. The forest stirred harder, but the eyes backed farther away. She picked up another rock and targeted another pair of eyes. The force of the wind got stronger again, but this time, the pair of eyes disappeared completely. Alice picked up the last handful of rocks she could reach. âGet ready to run.â she said nervously. Sola held onto the vine harnessing Mrs. Toffee tight. âGo!â Alice yelled. Sola pulled Mrs. Toffee as hard as she could towards one direction of the path, while Alice pelted the remaining rocks at any eyes she could target. She then ran as hard as she could toward Sola and Mrs. Toffee, who was doing a better job at leading Sola, than Sola was at leading her. Sola held out her hand to Alice, and Alice held on tightly to Sola as Mrs. Toffee pulled them down the path against the wind.
The farther from the center of the forest they moved, the more the wind calmed. All light had been stripped from the forest as the trees enveloped the sky above the earth. As the force of the wind softened, Alice stopped and sighed, holding herself up with her hands on her knees. Sola slouched on a rock. âWhat now?â Sola asked. She wasnât entirely sure sheâd chosen the right direction to run, and itâs clear Mrs. Toffeeâs navigation skills were not to be trusted.
âThat way.â Alice pointed toward a small, floating light.
âHow do you know?â Sola was exasperated.
âIâve got a feeling.â Alice replied, walking toward the light.
As they closed in on the light, Sola exclaimed in a whisper, âWhat are those things?! Theyâre not fireflies. There must be at least a dozen of them!â Alice didnât reply, she just followed the migration of the lights. Their bodies let off a soft yellow glow that illuminated the vibrant purple and blue of their wings. Alice didnât know the answer.
As they approached the forest edge, Alice and Sola could see a light at the end of the dirt path. The lights could see it too, because they fastened their speed and quickly flew upward and outward. Relieved, Alice and Sola walked quickly down the path. Alice could feel the pressure of the forest intensifying, and she could see Sola felt it too. The forest stirred with wind and whispers. Sola noticed more sets of eyes on them in the darkness. âAliceâŚâ she whispered quietly, but Alice already knew, and she had remembered the elderly tree.
âJust keep walking.â Alice replied firmly.
As they reached the end of the path, they raced as fast as they could, out of the dark forest, across the grass, and over the wooden bridge. They didnât stop until they were back within the Shepherdwool pasture. Sola untied Mrs. Toffee, who wandered toward the rest of the flock as if nothing particularly exciting had happened that day. Alice looked around her. âThereâs sunlight.â she thought. âLower in the sky, but still sunlight. Is it a new day?â Mrs. Shepherdwool came out of their cottage and looked at each of the girls. They had cuts on their elbows and hands, and looked like they spent the day rolling in dirt. Mrs. Sheperdwool wasnât particularly surprised by their appearance, as she expected as much from Sola and Alice. âWhere have you been all day, Sola? Itâs almost supper. Best you both get inside and clean up. I canât send you home like that Alice.â Alice and Sola shared a look, and then did as they were told and went inside to clean up.
Alice Mushroomhat was the young daughter of hat makers. Her cap, like her parents, was distinctly red with white spots, and it sat atop her long, chestnut hair. On this morning, like most mornings, Alice was charging up the hill to her best friend Sola Shepherdwoolâs house. The Shepherdwoolâs were wool farmers, collecting wool from their sheep and sending it to other mushroom-folk to be turned into wool cloth, and then into clothes for the townsfolk. Short-statured people, Sola and Alice were nigh on one sheep tall, and Mr. Shepherdwool stood about one and a half sheep high.
When Alice reached the top of the hill, she saw Sola was already outside. Sola helped her parents care for their sheep. Her job included letting out the flock first thing in the morning and putting them to bed at night. Despite her early age, she was already a great herder, and well-liked by the sheep.
âNo! No, no, no, no!â Sola yelled as she rushed downhill, holding onto her orange mushroom cap, with her braided charcoal hair trailing behind her in the wind. Alice was still racing toward the house.
âHey, where are you going?!â Alice yelled after her.
âSheep!â Sola yelled back. âMrs. Toffee, come back!â
Round and woolly, Mrs. Toffee was at the bottom of the hill, where sheâd climbed through a broken plank in the wood fencing, and was lazily making her way toward a nearby wooden suspension bridge.
âDonât you do it, Mrs. Toffee!â Sola screeched after her, while Alice hurtled back downhill after Sola.
The suspension bridge crossed a narrow river running between Marigold and the dark forest. Though still part of Florea, the dark forest was named so from returning travelers, speaking of unusual sightings and strange happenings from the other side of the river. Mrs. Toffee exited the suspension bridge to the other side, and made her way to the riverbank to graze on flowers. At the bottom of the hill Alice and Sola stopped. âI donât think we should go across thereâ Alice said.
Sola, described by her mother as boisterous and unbridled, thought about it. âBut thatâs my sheep! Itâs my job. Iâm a sheep herder!â
âBut mushroom-folk donât go in there.â said Alice softly.
Sola kept walking, and Alice apprehensively followed. As they approached the bridge, there was a great gust of wind. The branches of the tall trees in the forest shook. Spooked, Mrs. Toffee bolted deep down the path into the dark forest, and the wind and trees unnervingly returned to calm. After some thought, and back-and-forth glancing between the dark forest and Marigold, Alice followed Sola, who was already making her way toward the entrance of the dark forest. âOk, I can do this. This is important.â Alice reassured herself in her head.
The path inward was dark. Trees and dense foliage blocked the light from illuminating the path, and the forest was covered in rich greens and browns. The wind whispered with intimidation, and the light from the forest entrance was quickly fading. With no sheep in sight, Alice slowed down. âWhat now?â she asked. Sola looked around.
âWe just gotâta keep going, I guess.â Sola kept walking resolutely, though less rambunctiously than her usual demeanor.
Alice hesitated. The darkness quickly filled the air where Sola had once stood, and within moments Sola was out of sight. âSola?â Alice murmured. âSola?â she yelled in a whisper. âSola?!â she said slightly louder, and the wind stirred, the branches of the trees started shaking, and Alice knew it was best to remain quiet. Afraid to lose herself, or Sola, to the forest forever, she sat beneath a short, but rather wide, fig tree and sobbed.
âHmph? Huh? Oh my, what is that? Ooh, what a racket.â Alice looked up and came eye to eye with the tree.
âAah! Who are you?â Alice yelped.
âI beg your pardon, but who, are you?â the fig tree replied courteously.
âIâm Alice. A Mushroomhat, from the village.â Alice mumbled, pointing in the direction from which she arrived.
âOoh, a mushroom-folk. I see, I see. Now we donât have many of your kind come through here.â the tree said, bustling her low-hanging branches. âWhat are you doing here?â
Alice spluttered between sobs. âFinding Mrs. Toffee. I mean, Iâm lost. But Iâm looking for a sheep. But I canât find my friend. And itâs her sheep, you see.â
âOh my. A missing friend and a missing sheep. What a predicament. And what are you to do?â the tree asked.
âI donât know.â Alice sobbed louder.
âHmm. Do you know how old I am?â the tree asked. Consumed with her tears, Alice couldnât think of an answer. âIâm very old you see, and Iâve lived here a very long time, so maybe I have something to help you.â The tree spoke slowly but kindly, and her branches did not shake wildly like the other trees.
âYou do?â Alice asked, looking up at her.
âYou must be very brave to come to this part of the forest, and even braver if you plan to keep going farther. Do you?â The tree asked.
Alice thought about Sola and Mrs. Toffee. âI have to.â
âYes, I thought perhaps that was the case. A good friend. Listen carefully now. There is always light. The only darkness to fear here is darkness itself.â And with that, the elderly tree gently bustled her branches, encouraging the resident fireflies to make flight, providing a dim light around the tree. She bustled her branches a little more toward Alice, pushing her to stand up.
Confused by the advice and bothered that the tree said she would help when she didnât, Alice got up off the dirt floor, thanked the tree politely and made her way down the path. Once out of sight of the tree, the path was dark, and only dimly lit through small cracks in the trees above. Scared, but cautiously determined, she continued walking, one slow pace at a time along the narrow dirt path, with trees, ferns and shrubs to each side, all rich and vibrant in colour.
After what felt like ages, tired and feet sore, Alice approached a clearing. The narrow dirt path opened, but the trees above still shielded over the clearing. She spotted Sola hiding behind a rock. âSola!â she yelped, slightly too loudly.
âSshh!â Sola whispered, gesturing for Alice to also come and hide.
âWhat are you doing?â Alice whispered as she ran and kneeled behind the rock.
âHiding from that.â Sola responded.
Aliceâs eyes went wide. She froze, unable to think, then quickly looked around in all directions. On one side of the clearing, Alice and Sola hid behind a rock, and off to the other side, there was a great log house, not particularly wide, but about as tall as you might expect was needed for the troll standing in the front yard. The garden was surprisingly fenced, with flowers and shrubs that looked like they had been planted thoughtfully, and a vegetable patch off to one side. A troll was pacing back and forth across the yard with a very large broom. To Alice, there were two options. Sneak back the way they came, or stray from the path and into the thick of the forest to escape notice of the troll. On the narrow path that led out of the clearing and deeper into the forest, Alice could see the silhouette of Mrs. Toffee in the distance. She was so close. âWeâll go this way.â Alice whispered, as she got up and started to sneak behind the trees.
âNo!â Sola whispered at her, âIâve tried that!â The wind stirred and the branches of the trees above began waving heavily. The troll turned to face the rock.
âNow Iâve found you!â the trollâs slow voice boomed. Alice and Sola shrunk to the ground, as they felt his thunderous footsteps approach. His eyes slowly but methodically searched the surrounding forest. Sola made a run for it into the thick of the forest, and Alice quickly followed, but it was too dense and impenetrable, and they were forced back into the clearing. The trollâs wide steps meant by the time they reached the other side of the clearing, the troll was stood across the path, blocking their way forward. âEnough!â the troll boomed. âEnough of you travelers! Always disrupting the peace, stealing my fruit, picking my flowers, moving my things! Get out! Get out of the forest!â The troll took a step toward Sola.
âWe canât!â Alice roared, as best as a small mushroom-folk could, surprising herself. âWe need to get our sheep!â
âI donât see any sheep!â The troll roared back, looking around the clearing.
Mrs. Toffee was nowhere in sight. âWell sheâs that way, and weâre going to get her!â Alice replied firmly.
âIs that so?â The troll stamped his foot on the dirt in front of the path exiting the clearing. The ground below rumbled, and Alice and Sola wobbled as they held themselves upright.
Alice looked at Sola and nodded then said, âWell⌠I guess weâll stay here andâŚâ and with that Alice ran toward the trollâs garden and Sola bolted toward the path exiting the clearing deeper into the forest. Sola hid at the edge of the path, and Alice stood next to a shrub full of blossoming hydrangea. âPick your flowers!â she finished as she pulled a hydrangea from the stem. She ran to a large table where some large gardening gloves sat. âAnd move your thingsâ she yelled as she threw one glove in one direction and the other glove in another. The troll looked around for Sola but thundered toward Alice. She ran to the vegetable garden, which was enclosed by a large log fence. âAnd Iâm going to kick these vegetables all the way up to the sky!â Alice raised her boot back exaggeratedly.
âNo!â the troll boomed, thundering his way inside the vegetable patch.
And with that, Alice climbed under the log fence, and ran her fastest down the path toward Sola. âRun!â she yelled at Sola as she passed the shrub behind which Sola was hiding. The troll tried to follow but by the time he had exited the patch and made it to the path, the girls were nowhere to be seen.
The small mushroom-folk ran for as long as they could bare, and then walked until their feet could carry them no longer. They slumped down on a log. The forest only seemed to be getting darker, and colder, the farther they went. Solaâs belly growled. âIt must be dinner time by now.â Alice said.
âLetâs get Mrs. Toffee and get out of here.â Sola replied. She was no longer boisterous and spirited, but she was still determined. She helped Alice up, and off they went.
After walking ages more, Alice and Sola approached a glade, the centre of the forest, where Mrs. Toffee was tiredly lying in a patch of grass, nibbling on the flowers around her. Sola ran to the sheep and laid over her torso hugging her and sobbing. No words would come out.
With no rope or harness, they had no way to lead Mrs. Toffee out of the dark forest, and Alice mentioned as much. A re-spirited Sola thought for a moment, and then replied with âIâll just have to hold onto her wool! Itâll be ok!â It didnât sound like it was worth the risk to Alice.
âIâm going to get some of that vine.â Alice pointed toward a large vine with off-shoots hanging off a tree. She walked over to the tree and started tugging at an off-shoot. The forest stirred and soft whispers were carried through the wind. Sola and Mrs. Toffee were both on high alert. Alice kept tugging, pulling from one side to the other, hoping the vine would break off. The force of the wind grew stronger, and the branches of the surrounding trees started to bustle.
âI donât think this is a good idea!â Sola yelled at her nervously.
Feeling the urgency, Alice pulled with all her might, while Sola held on tightly to the sheep, determined that even if she was spooked, Mrs. Toffee would not get away again. With an almighty tug, Alice freed a thin vine off-shoot just long enough to tie around Mrs. Toffee as a harness. The wind roared, the trees shook violently, and strange noises echoed around them. Alice quickly ran to Sola and helped her tie the vine around the sheep, and then around Solaâs wrist. âLetâs get out of here!â Alice yelled over the strong wind. Sola couldnât hear, but she got the message.
The unseen sky above crackled and thundered. The wind swirled around the trio, and the trees gave an almighty sway. Alice felt she was being watched. Branches and leaves broke from the trees, and twigs and dirt were swept up from the forest floor and carried by the wind in a whirl around the girls. Disorientated by the force of the forest and the darkness, the mushroom-folk could not see right from left, entrance from exit. Cryptic messages were carried by the wind, but Alice couldnât make out what they were saying. Suddenly she noticed one set of piercing red eyes, then another, and then another. âWere they coming from the trees? No, between the trees.â she asked herself. âPerhaps both.â she resigned, as pairs of eyes continued appearing in the darkness. Unnerving creaks sounded like they were moving toward them.
The trio could not move themselves with the force of the wind surrounding them. Alice did the only thing she could think. She picked up a rock at her feet and threw it at a set of eyes that seemed to be approaching. The forest stirred harder, but the eyes backed farther away. She picked up another rock and targeted another pair of eyes. The force of the wind got stronger again, but this time, the pair of eyes disappeared completely. Alice picked up the last handful of rocks she could reach. âGet ready to run.â she said nervously. Sola held onto the vine harnessing Mrs. Toffee tight. âGo!â Alice yelled. Sola pulled Mrs. Toffee as hard as she could towards one direction of the path, while Alice pelted the remaining rocks at any eyes she could target. She then ran as hard as she could toward Sola and Mrs. Toffee, who was doing a better job at leading Sola, than Sola was at leading her. Sola held out her hand to Alice, and Alice held on tightly to Sola as Mrs. Toffee pulled them down the path against the wind.
The farther from the center of the forest they moved, the more the wind calmed. All light had been stripped from the forest as the trees enveloped the sky above the earth. As the force of the wind softened, Alice stopped and sighed, holding herself up with her hands on her knees. Sola slouched on a rock. âWhat now?â Sola asked. She wasnât entirely sure sheâd chosen the right direction to run, and itâs clear Mrs. Toffeeâs navigation skills were not to be trusted.
âThat way.â Alice pointed toward a small, floating light.
âHow do you know?â Sola was exasperated.
âIâve got a feeling.â Alice replied, walking toward the light.
As they closed in on the light, Sola exclaimed in a whisper, âWhat are those things?! Theyâre not fireflies. There must be at least a dozen of them!â Alice didnât reply, she just followed the migration of the lights. Their bodies let off a soft yellow glow that illuminated the vibrant purple and blue of their wings. Alice didnât know the answer.
As they approached the forest edge, Alice and Sola could see a light at the end of the dirt path. The lights could see it too, because they fastened their speed and quickly flew upward and outward. Relieved, Alice and Sola walked quickly down the path. Alice could feel the pressure of the forest intensifying, and she could see Sola felt it too. The forest stirred with wind and whispers. Sola noticed more sets of eyes on them in the darkness. âAliceâŚâ she whispered quietly, but Alice already knew, and she had remembered the elderly tree.
âJust keep walking.â Alice replied firmly.
As they reached the end of the path, they raced as fast as they could, out of the dark forest, across the grass, and over the wooden bridge. They didnât stop until they were back within the Shepherdwool pasture. Sola untied Mrs. Toffee, who wandered toward the rest of the flock as if nothing particularly exciting had happened that day. Alice looked around her. âThereâs sunlight.â she thought. âLower in the sky, but still sunlight. Is it a new day?â Mrs. Shepherdwool came out of their cottage and looked at each of the girls. They had cuts on their elbows and hands, and looked like they spent the day rolling in dirt. Mrs. Sheperdwool wasnât particularly surprised by their appearance, as she expected as much from Sola and Alice. âWhere have you been all day, Sola? Itâs almost supper. Best you both get inside and clean up. I canât send you home like that Alice.â Alice and Sola shared a look, and then did as they were told and went inside to clean up.
Well, this was just genuinely, ridiculously fun. I have a much greater appreciation for story-writing now, and I really enjoyed learning the Hero's Journey story structure!
jadetine
â¨Hi! Iâm RennđŤ
[Slams tome on table] I present to you, my MASTERPIECE.
I'm just kidding, please don't hate me; Hamlet had such a great adventure that I needed just a few more words to encapsulate it.
Here are the Animal Crossing characters referenced in my story, for anyone who enjoys that sort of thing.
I'm just kidding, please don't hate me; Hamlet had such a great adventure that I needed just a few more words to encapsulate it.
It was a good day for pickpocketing â or so Hamlet thought. The first two marks yielded a trove of baubles, easily fenced. Emboldened, Hamlet found himself approaching the golden-haired gentleman in the expensive hooded cloak.
âYou DARE rob his highness Crown Prince Colton?!â â a gauntleted wing deftly snatched Hamlet's paw before he could remove the goods. Of all the knights to catch him, it just had to be Sir Knox.
âP-p-please sir,â Hamlet widened his eyes in theatrical fear.
âLet the boy go, Knox. In the spirit of the Spring Fair, we should be generous!â Prince Colton lowered his hood, the locks of his hair shimmering in the afternoon sun.
âBut your highness, he was trying to steal from you. We must make an example of him,â the chicken knight huffed, tightening his grip on Hamletâs wrist.
âHe was grabbing at my quill pocket, completely ignoring the large bag of Bells tied at my waist,â Prince Colton turned and lifted his cloak, revealing the heftiest coin bag Hamlet had ever seen. Perhaps there was some truth to the rumors that the palace housed a garden of Bell trees. Hamlet felt the Prince was a fool for traipsing about with such large sums of money, but considered anew that a bigger fool would be the dolt who tried to rob him... Clearly the Prince was well protected.
âIâll put in a good word with Lady Becky for you,â Prince Colton winked.
âWell, ah, I certainly would like my lady to notice my, ah, benevolent personalityâŚâ Sir Knox could be seen blushing even through his heavy helm. âI suppose we could end this without violenceâŚâ
âItâs settled then!â The prince clapped and rearranged his hood to obscure his features. He strode away, humming merrily.
âWell, I wonât be taking your paws, but I think a night in the stocks oughta learn you some manners,â growled the knight through a clenched beak. He dragged Hamlet toward the town square.
âAre you not Father Grahamâs ward? What is a librarianâs child doing as a sneak-thief? Shame on you for repaying his kindness. You would do better to follow in his footsteps; stay home and learn your letters!â
âI know my letters!â Hamlet tried to wrest his arm out of the knightâs grip, to no avail.
Before long, the knight had successfully locked the boards around Hamletâs neck and ankles and secured him to the pillory post in the center of the town square. A few rotten turnips were still scattered around from when the last person publicly shamed there.
âSee you in the morning, buckawhahaha!â And with that, Sir Knox left Hamlet alone with his thoughts.
â
Itâs not that he wanted to cause trouble, or was ungrateful to Father Graham, but Hamlet had never wanted to be a simple boy from a simple book shop. The idea of following in the footsteps of the former Royal Librarian was nauseating. Hamlet devoured every adventure book in the shop, barely skimming the scholarly tomes that Father Graham tried to push on him. Hamlet thirsted for adventure, and he wanted to see the world before he grew long of tooth, old and gray.
No one had bothered him for several hours; most people were enjoying the festivities of the Spring Fair on the outskirts of town. His back was starting to ache, and after fibbing to Father Graham about enjoying the fair with friends for the week, Hamlet knew no one would come looking for him.
A pair of dusty sandaled feet stepped into his vision, a toe missing from each side.
âWell, Hamlet, it seems youâve nabbed yourself a good nightâs rest in the stocks, kekeke.â
âWhat do you want, Rizzo? Maybe a couple of your toes back? A bath?â
âMy odor is less embarrassing than your stupidity; who robs the most important man in the kingdom in broad daylight?â Rizzo wheezed out a raspy laugh, slapping his knee. Hamlet tried to ignore the gibe. At least locked in this position, he couldnât see Rizzoâs faceâ not that much was ever seen under that ratâs kerchief anyway.
âHowâs about I sneak you out of here, and you can sleep the best night of your life in the Beaming Bantam?â Rizzo pulled out a set of lock picks and waggled them under Hamletâs nose.
âAnd why would the most expensive inn even let me through the door? Whatâs the angle?â
âLetâs just say Mr. Marlo is looking for someone with your brand of foolhardy for his next venture.â
Hamlet chewed on his lip, considering. It felt dangerous to catch the attention of the most infamous gang boss on the street, but at the same time, Mr. Marlo was known to protect his own. Even if his dealings werenât quite legal, at least nobody died in his thieving crew⌠not yet.
âTimeâs a wastinâ, kid. Even I have a bedtime!â
âOkay okay, letâs go!â
â
Within the hour, Hamlet found himself ushered past Walt the barkeep through some secret doors behind the innâs store room shelves, into a leather-decked office. Mr. Marlo sat at a comically large wooden desk, flanked by his bodyguards. Rizzo whispered into Mr. Marloâs ear, and scurried away when he received a curt nod from the notorious hamster.
âSo, youâve come to me on the day of this festival, a small time thief with a big stupid reputation,â Mr. Marlo eyed Hamlet shrewdly. â... much like my young self as a pup on the streets. How would you like to put your skills to use and taste some adventure?â
Hamletâs mouth went dry, as if he had too many sunflower seeds stuffed in his cheeks.
âI need someone nimble, a little (or in your case, a lot) foolhardy, but well-read enough to venture into the ruins. Mostly, I need someone small, unlike my pals Spike and Rasher here,â Marlo pointed to the guards at his side. Hamlet tried not to stare at their facial scars, but curiosity tugged at him.
âI wouldnât send you in alone, of course. I have a worthy companion to aid in your quest⌠bring him in!â At his command, the door burst open and Rizzo nudged in a rosy-cheeked duckling with the most peculiar headgear.
âUhhhh⌠are you wearing a loincloth on your head?â Hamlet pointed.
âItâs a sacred helm of my fore-feathers!â The duckling snapped.
âYou mean forefathers?â
âYou know what I meant.â
âThis is Scoot, the one who procured the map for us. Take a look and see what you can find,â Marlo gestured to the map spread across his desk. Hamlet had been so preoccupied with keeping an eye on the people in the room that he didnât notice it before. The parchment was in very decent condition, not at all showing signs of yellowing with age like some of the texts in his book shop. The ink seemed fresh as well, though much of it was scribbled hastily in a mix of common tongue and some cartographerâs shorthand that he vaguely understood.
âIt looks like a map covering the canyon, lake, and mountain to the North. Iâm not sure what it leads to, but there seems to be some jars or urns or something at the end,â Hamlet leaned in more closely, stretching on his tippy toes to peer over the desk. âIt seems like there are several warnings and instructions for each of the areas, but the writing is abbreviated.â If only Father Graham could hear him now, he would be so proud that the lessons were paying off.
A tense silence ensued as everyone was deep in thought.
âBring me back one of them jars, and Iâll pay your fee from the stocks, plus cover your nightâs stay tonight at the Bantam. Iâll give you until the end of the Fair this week. Fail me, and I will not only capture your guardians and turn you back in, but show the authorities how you stole this map from the Royal Treasury as well,â Marlo steepled his fingers, smirking while knowing his threat left Hamlet little choice. Hamlet looked at Scoot, who seemed to be pleading silently for him to agree.
âWeâll be back with your jar,â Hamlet nodded.
â
That night, as Hamlet and Scoot were getting ready for bed in the innâs fanciest top-floor suite, their conversation veered toward their favorite adventure stories.
âIâve read Cocoâs Curse and The Crusade of Captain Lionel, but Iâve never heard of The Mask of Mira,â Hamlet said.
âOh yeah, once the minstrel sang a line from the first fight scene, I knew it was going to be good,â Scoot reminisced merrily. âEven though Mira was just a little bunny from a farm, kinda like me, she had amazing agility and speed that she used to fight crime at night when she wore her mask. I could be like her, you know, since Iâm pretty swift myself.â It was hard to take Scoot seriously with his headgear and his slight lisp, but at least he had the courage for this quest. Hamlet had never been brave enough to leave his hometownâ not until tonight, anyway.
â
With their packs ready, and a speedy ride to the edge of the Misty Canyon using Kappânâs cart service, Hamlet and Scoot stepped foot at their first checkpoint shortly after midday.
A tall, imposing figure materialized from the mist. His beak protruded menacingly, the sharpness of its point leading Hamlet to believe that daggers wouldnât help much, even if he knew how to fight.
âWhat are the likes of you doing here?â the figure glared down at them with disdain.
âWe are following the map, sirâ Scoot responded hesitantly, unrolling the parchment for the eagle to see.
âThis is no place for children. Return home.â
âWe canât. We have to follow through or else something bad will happen to our parents,â Hamlet explained.
The figure scratched at his chin, and as the mist dissipated, the boys could see the faintest stripes covering the feathers of his body. The way they meandered up to his face and circled his eyes gave him a wild, almost tribal appearance.
âI am called Avery, and in this valley are pillars of stone marked with my feathers. If you follow them in the order noted on your map, they should lead you through. The weather today is fickle, so scurry through quickly. Linger, and youâll be lost to wandering for eternity.â Warning sent, the eagle launched himself into the sky and soared away, his wingspan much greater than his already intimidating height.
âYou donât happen to fly, do you?â Hamlet asked Scoot.
âNot like that,â his friend sighed in envy.
â
The duo navigated the canyon rather quickly, grateful for the faintly glowing feathers that guided their path. They soon discovered the second checkpoint: a vast, glistening lake with random stepping stones interspersed throughout. A large island in the center supported an unusual machine with pulleys and a large spoon hinged at its peak. The scoop of the spoon rested on the ground as if waiting for its contents.
Scoot hopped to a stepping stone, which bobbed and sank, drawing the attention of angry swarms of fanged fish. Hamlet grabbed him and yanked him back to shore before the fish could snap at his friendâs webbed feet.
âThanks, I owe you one!â The two of them huffed, catching their breath and waiting for their hearts to settle back down. Splashing sounds from the aggressive fish faded away.
âDo I hear some uninvited guests?â A voice bubbled out of the lake. The boys sat up and crawled back quickly, Hamlet squeaking in terror at the sight of a glowing alligator breaching the surface. He had the same tribal stripes as the eagle from before. Scoot and Hamlet held on to each other, neither of them able to manage a word.
âHello? I am called Roswell. Iâm sorry, my eyes have long since lost their sight, so if Iâm talking to myself⌠well⌠that would be nothing new,â the alligator paused, bobbing a bit in the water. Amazingly, none of the fanged fish were approaching him.
âAhem, yes, my friend and I are following a map that is supposed to lead us to the ruins. It shows this lake and points to the island in the center, but we canât seem to get past the angry fish. Could you help us?â Hamlet explained.
âKekeke, I see young one. I wonât be able to ferry you to the island, but perhaps consider the catapult you see at its center,â and with that, Roswell dipped back under the waves and swam away.
âWhy do they keep leaving us and escaping?â
â
The duo stared at the distant catapult. Hamlet recalled reading about catapults before, and with a real one in front of him, the descriptions finally made sense. Maybe they were supposed to build one? But with less than a weekâs time, and the sun setting, and really no strength or knowledge on how to build a catapult, they were basically stranded.
âDo you think you could fly across?â
âI canât really fly that far, not while carrying anything, sorry. The best I can do is maybe flutter a bit from rock to rock.â
âAnd I tried hopping the rocks myself, but the fish keep sensing the ripples and coming overâŚâ in frustration, Hamlet skipped a pebble into the lake. With each skip, the school of fish swarmed toward the points of contact on the surface. Suddenly, he was struck by inspiration.
âI know what we can do! I will skip rocks from this side to draw the fish while you hop across. And then when you get to the other side, you hunt for pebbles and skip them across the lake to draw the fish while I make my way across.â
âLetâs get to it before dark!â And after some close calls, they succeeded in crossing the lake and collapsed in exhaustion into the bucket of the catapult.
â
Hamlet awoke, sprawled across the catapultâs bucket with Scoot in a similar position. The morning sun filtered through nearby trees, which had dropped a feast of pods and seeds on the ground. He gathered their breakfast and nudged Scoot awake. They ate in companionable silence.
âAs much as I hate to admit it, I think the map wants us to use the catapult to get to the mountain,â Hamlet flipped the map a few times to see if there were any hidden messages, but the boldly inked arc connecting the lake and the mountain could mean nothing else.
âWe donât have much in supplies anywayâ I think if you hang on to me, I can fly us to safety,â Scoot sounded more confident than he was.
âI guess thereâs no going back,â Hamlet eyed the lake; overnight the stepping stones had disappeared. He equipped both of their packs across each shoulder, sat down next to Scoot, and hugged his friend in a tight grip. âReady when you are!â
Scoot nodded and tossed a rock at the lever, which missed.
âDarn, I guess we have toââ Scoot was interrupted by a splash. Roswell popped out of the lake and whipped his tail toward them, sending a tidal wave of debris at the catapult. The lever clicked and they were launched into the sky. At the apex of their flight, Hamlet and Scoot could see the scenery below, a vibrant version of their map.
âWeâre flying! Weâre flying!â Scoot exclaimed. Hamlet hugged his midriff tightly, but couldnât maintain a good grip with his short arms.
âWeâre falling! Weâre falling!â Hamlet screamed. As they descended closer to the mountain, they could see a large crater at the top. The crater glowed and the heat rising from it rippled the air. Scoot spread his wings and attempted to slow their fall, but the force of him flapping upward caused Hamlet to slip and grab for the duckâs ankles. Downward they fell, faster and faster.
âI donât want to be a roast duck! AHHHH!â Scoot flapped furiously, attempting to divert their path away from the volcanic crater. He succeeded in aiming them into the mountainside, but they were still falling too fast. Branches blurred past and the sound of the air whooshing by was deafening. They were suddenly caught in a giant web, invisible from afar. Breathing rapidly, the two of them were trapped in ridiculous poses, but somehow intact. Scoot released a manic giggle, which triggered Hamlet into a deranged chuckle, and soon the both of them were laughing raucously to the point that tears poured from their eyes and their sides hurt.
âI wouldnât want to wake the spider who made this web,â a voice called from below them. The boys choked down their laughter, squirming frantically to try and get a look at the speaker.
âPlease, sir, cut us down from here!â Hamlet begged.
âDonât worry, pup, I will get you down,â and Hamlet felt a tug on his lower paws. Eventually, with the help of a few sticks and a splash of some sort of fragrant tonic, the boys were free from the web. They turned to their savior, surprised that such a deep booming voice emanated from such a small, stout hamster. He, too, wore the striated tattoos seen on Avery and Roswell.
âI am called Clay, and it sounds like the two of you have journeyed quite far. Is that a map?â Clay pointed at the rolled parchment sticking out of Hamletâs pack.
âYes! The map points to sacred jars. It is our quest to return home with one of them and appease our master,â Scoot explained. Clay crossed his arms in thought, a smile tugging at his lips.
âI was just on my way to the kiln. Follow me.â
â
It turns out, in a cavern carved into the side of the volcano, a series of shelves and ovens had been formed. Clay showed them how the jars and urns were shaped, then fired in the heat over time to create the vessels they were after. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of the jars, each with different stripes and patterns that mimicked the tattoos and markings they had seen on Master Avery, Roswell, and Clay. The boys learned their three guides were part of a secret order to preserve the ways of the ruins.
âYou are welcome to each take a jar to your master, though no more,â Clay offered. The duo walked the shelves, inspecting the jars. Scoot snatched a large one first, but decided a smaller prize would be easier to transport. Hamlet walked around, but the patterns on one particular jar called to him.
âThis one looks like it has symbols matching the ones from our map. It is like a script of some sort, but I donât understand it. What does it say, Master Clay?â
âAh, that one. Your map points not to the jar, but to the contents meant for that particular jar. Would you like to venture into the ruins and seek it out?â
Scoot and Hamlet looked to each other. After enduring so much, they thought they were at the end of their journey-- and to be fair, Mr. Marlo had only asked for the jar. He never said it had to be filled.
But a true adventurer doesnât shy away from their calling. The boys nodded at each other.
â
They spent the day following Master Clay to the ruins, each carrying their packs and jars. It was difficult to keep apace with the old hamster, and Hamlet hoped he, too, would be as fit and spry once he reached old age.
At last, they emerged from a narrow valley. Nestled in a field of golden roses was a lady with black hair and golden bangles on her arms. Dark paint lined her eyes, and a golden ornament glistened on her head. Was this a lost princess?
She turned her feline gaze upon them, picking her way delicately out of the field, her striped tail brushing the petals. She waved in welcome. Hamlet sighed at the beautiful sight.
âMaster Clay, what have you brought me today?â
âMy lady Ankha, these boys have chosen some jars for you to fill,â Clay urged them forward.
âBe careful not to step on any thorns, children,â she warned them gently, her voice accented and melodic in a way Hamlet had never heard before.
âCome in, brave adventurers, and tell me your tale,â Ankha invited them into her colorfully decorated tent.
â
It turns out that Lady Ankha was royalty after all, but not a princess in distress, and of a distant bloodline in her kingdom. She was exploring the ruins as part of her study abroad program and her familiarity with the runes (closely related to her mother tongue) made research much more efficient.
âThat map is actually from my first set of notes I forwarded to your Royal Archives years ago. We have since then constructed a much easier route, one that is even serviced by Kappânâs cart company. You can stay with me in the research tent until the next cart stops by,â Ankha handed the boys cups of honey tea as they lounged on some cushions in her research tent. As shocked as they were to learn of the alternative route to the map, they were also relieved to have civilization within reach.
âWhat is the special marking on the map and this jar?â Hamlet asked.
âAh, this is what my research is all about!â Ankha smiled brightly, holding the jar up to the lamplight. âIt is the symbol of the Golden Honeybee. Avery, Roswell, Clay and I are part of the Order of the Golden Honeybee and we are working to revive this apiary and to protect the bees that gather nectar from those sacred flowers. The golden roses cannot grow anywhere else, and turn black once plucked, but the honey developed from their nectar has wonderful restorative propertiesâŚâ
â
The boys returned home the next day, and promised to keep Ankhaâs research a secret. Scoot gave his empty jar to Mr. Marlo, who laughed and offered them hefty bags of candies and goods from the Fair, as well as an offer of employment for the next quest (to which they declined for now).
Hamlet trudged home to the bookstore that evening, his whole body spent with exhaustion. He placed the honey jar on the table, and the prize bags next to it. Father Graham lit a candle and hovered in the stairwell above.
âHamlet, is that you?â
âYes, Father. I am ready for a good nightâs sleep,â Hamlet yawned.
âOh wonderful! You must join me first thing in the morning. I have hired a cart to take us to the northern ruins, where one of the students from my days at the Royal Library is conducting her research. Doesnât that sound exciting?â
âYou DARE rob his highness Crown Prince Colton?!â â a gauntleted wing deftly snatched Hamlet's paw before he could remove the goods. Of all the knights to catch him, it just had to be Sir Knox.
âP-p-please sir,â Hamlet widened his eyes in theatrical fear.
âLet the boy go, Knox. In the spirit of the Spring Fair, we should be generous!â Prince Colton lowered his hood, the locks of his hair shimmering in the afternoon sun.
âBut your highness, he was trying to steal from you. We must make an example of him,â the chicken knight huffed, tightening his grip on Hamletâs wrist.
âHe was grabbing at my quill pocket, completely ignoring the large bag of Bells tied at my waist,â Prince Colton turned and lifted his cloak, revealing the heftiest coin bag Hamlet had ever seen. Perhaps there was some truth to the rumors that the palace housed a garden of Bell trees. Hamlet felt the Prince was a fool for traipsing about with such large sums of money, but considered anew that a bigger fool would be the dolt who tried to rob him... Clearly the Prince was well protected.
âIâll put in a good word with Lady Becky for you,â Prince Colton winked.
âWell, ah, I certainly would like my lady to notice my, ah, benevolent personalityâŚâ Sir Knox could be seen blushing even through his heavy helm. âI suppose we could end this without violenceâŚâ
âItâs settled then!â The prince clapped and rearranged his hood to obscure his features. He strode away, humming merrily.
âWell, I wonât be taking your paws, but I think a night in the stocks oughta learn you some manners,â growled the knight through a clenched beak. He dragged Hamlet toward the town square.
âAre you not Father Grahamâs ward? What is a librarianâs child doing as a sneak-thief? Shame on you for repaying his kindness. You would do better to follow in his footsteps; stay home and learn your letters!â
âI know my letters!â Hamlet tried to wrest his arm out of the knightâs grip, to no avail.
Before long, the knight had successfully locked the boards around Hamletâs neck and ankles and secured him to the pillory post in the center of the town square. A few rotten turnips were still scattered around from when the last person publicly shamed there.
âSee you in the morning, buckawhahaha!â And with that, Sir Knox left Hamlet alone with his thoughts.
â
Itâs not that he wanted to cause trouble, or was ungrateful to Father Graham, but Hamlet had never wanted to be a simple boy from a simple book shop. The idea of following in the footsteps of the former Royal Librarian was nauseating. Hamlet devoured every adventure book in the shop, barely skimming the scholarly tomes that Father Graham tried to push on him. Hamlet thirsted for adventure, and he wanted to see the world before he grew long of tooth, old and gray.
No one had bothered him for several hours; most people were enjoying the festivities of the Spring Fair on the outskirts of town. His back was starting to ache, and after fibbing to Father Graham about enjoying the fair with friends for the week, Hamlet knew no one would come looking for him.
A pair of dusty sandaled feet stepped into his vision, a toe missing from each side.
âWell, Hamlet, it seems youâve nabbed yourself a good nightâs rest in the stocks, kekeke.â
âWhat do you want, Rizzo? Maybe a couple of your toes back? A bath?â
âMy odor is less embarrassing than your stupidity; who robs the most important man in the kingdom in broad daylight?â Rizzo wheezed out a raspy laugh, slapping his knee. Hamlet tried to ignore the gibe. At least locked in this position, he couldnât see Rizzoâs faceâ not that much was ever seen under that ratâs kerchief anyway.
âHowâs about I sneak you out of here, and you can sleep the best night of your life in the Beaming Bantam?â Rizzo pulled out a set of lock picks and waggled them under Hamletâs nose.
âAnd why would the most expensive inn even let me through the door? Whatâs the angle?â
âLetâs just say Mr. Marlo is looking for someone with your brand of foolhardy for his next venture.â
Hamlet chewed on his lip, considering. It felt dangerous to catch the attention of the most infamous gang boss on the street, but at the same time, Mr. Marlo was known to protect his own. Even if his dealings werenât quite legal, at least nobody died in his thieving crew⌠not yet.
âTimeâs a wastinâ, kid. Even I have a bedtime!â
âOkay okay, letâs go!â
â
Within the hour, Hamlet found himself ushered past Walt the barkeep through some secret doors behind the innâs store room shelves, into a leather-decked office. Mr. Marlo sat at a comically large wooden desk, flanked by his bodyguards. Rizzo whispered into Mr. Marloâs ear, and scurried away when he received a curt nod from the notorious hamster.
âSo, youâve come to me on the day of this festival, a small time thief with a big stupid reputation,â Mr. Marlo eyed Hamlet shrewdly. â... much like my young self as a pup on the streets. How would you like to put your skills to use and taste some adventure?â
Hamletâs mouth went dry, as if he had too many sunflower seeds stuffed in his cheeks.
âI need someone nimble, a little (or in your case, a lot) foolhardy, but well-read enough to venture into the ruins. Mostly, I need someone small, unlike my pals Spike and Rasher here,â Marlo pointed to the guards at his side. Hamlet tried not to stare at their facial scars, but curiosity tugged at him.
âI wouldnât send you in alone, of course. I have a worthy companion to aid in your quest⌠bring him in!â At his command, the door burst open and Rizzo nudged in a rosy-cheeked duckling with the most peculiar headgear.
âUhhhh⌠are you wearing a loincloth on your head?â Hamlet pointed.
âItâs a sacred helm of my fore-feathers!â The duckling snapped.
âYou mean forefathers?â
âYou know what I meant.â
âThis is Scoot, the one who procured the map for us. Take a look and see what you can find,â Marlo gestured to the map spread across his desk. Hamlet had been so preoccupied with keeping an eye on the people in the room that he didnât notice it before. The parchment was in very decent condition, not at all showing signs of yellowing with age like some of the texts in his book shop. The ink seemed fresh as well, though much of it was scribbled hastily in a mix of common tongue and some cartographerâs shorthand that he vaguely understood.
âIt looks like a map covering the canyon, lake, and mountain to the North. Iâm not sure what it leads to, but there seems to be some jars or urns or something at the end,â Hamlet leaned in more closely, stretching on his tippy toes to peer over the desk. âIt seems like there are several warnings and instructions for each of the areas, but the writing is abbreviated.â If only Father Graham could hear him now, he would be so proud that the lessons were paying off.
A tense silence ensued as everyone was deep in thought.
âBring me back one of them jars, and Iâll pay your fee from the stocks, plus cover your nightâs stay tonight at the Bantam. Iâll give you until the end of the Fair this week. Fail me, and I will not only capture your guardians and turn you back in, but show the authorities how you stole this map from the Royal Treasury as well,â Marlo steepled his fingers, smirking while knowing his threat left Hamlet little choice. Hamlet looked at Scoot, who seemed to be pleading silently for him to agree.
âWeâll be back with your jar,â Hamlet nodded.
â
That night, as Hamlet and Scoot were getting ready for bed in the innâs fanciest top-floor suite, their conversation veered toward their favorite adventure stories.
âIâve read Cocoâs Curse and The Crusade of Captain Lionel, but Iâve never heard of The Mask of Mira,â Hamlet said.
âOh yeah, once the minstrel sang a line from the first fight scene, I knew it was going to be good,â Scoot reminisced merrily. âEven though Mira was just a little bunny from a farm, kinda like me, she had amazing agility and speed that she used to fight crime at night when she wore her mask. I could be like her, you know, since Iâm pretty swift myself.â It was hard to take Scoot seriously with his headgear and his slight lisp, but at least he had the courage for this quest. Hamlet had never been brave enough to leave his hometownâ not until tonight, anyway.
â
With their packs ready, and a speedy ride to the edge of the Misty Canyon using Kappânâs cart service, Hamlet and Scoot stepped foot at their first checkpoint shortly after midday.
A tall, imposing figure materialized from the mist. His beak protruded menacingly, the sharpness of its point leading Hamlet to believe that daggers wouldnât help much, even if he knew how to fight.
âWhat are the likes of you doing here?â the figure glared down at them with disdain.
âWe are following the map, sirâ Scoot responded hesitantly, unrolling the parchment for the eagle to see.
âThis is no place for children. Return home.â
âWe canât. We have to follow through or else something bad will happen to our parents,â Hamlet explained.
The figure scratched at his chin, and as the mist dissipated, the boys could see the faintest stripes covering the feathers of his body. The way they meandered up to his face and circled his eyes gave him a wild, almost tribal appearance.
âI am called Avery, and in this valley are pillars of stone marked with my feathers. If you follow them in the order noted on your map, they should lead you through. The weather today is fickle, so scurry through quickly. Linger, and youâll be lost to wandering for eternity.â Warning sent, the eagle launched himself into the sky and soared away, his wingspan much greater than his already intimidating height.
âYou donât happen to fly, do you?â Hamlet asked Scoot.
âNot like that,â his friend sighed in envy.
â
The duo navigated the canyon rather quickly, grateful for the faintly glowing feathers that guided their path. They soon discovered the second checkpoint: a vast, glistening lake with random stepping stones interspersed throughout. A large island in the center supported an unusual machine with pulleys and a large spoon hinged at its peak. The scoop of the spoon rested on the ground as if waiting for its contents.
Scoot hopped to a stepping stone, which bobbed and sank, drawing the attention of angry swarms of fanged fish. Hamlet grabbed him and yanked him back to shore before the fish could snap at his friendâs webbed feet.
âThanks, I owe you one!â The two of them huffed, catching their breath and waiting for their hearts to settle back down. Splashing sounds from the aggressive fish faded away.
âDo I hear some uninvited guests?â A voice bubbled out of the lake. The boys sat up and crawled back quickly, Hamlet squeaking in terror at the sight of a glowing alligator breaching the surface. He had the same tribal stripes as the eagle from before. Scoot and Hamlet held on to each other, neither of them able to manage a word.
âHello? I am called Roswell. Iâm sorry, my eyes have long since lost their sight, so if Iâm talking to myself⌠well⌠that would be nothing new,â the alligator paused, bobbing a bit in the water. Amazingly, none of the fanged fish were approaching him.
âAhem, yes, my friend and I are following a map that is supposed to lead us to the ruins. It shows this lake and points to the island in the center, but we canât seem to get past the angry fish. Could you help us?â Hamlet explained.
âKekeke, I see young one. I wonât be able to ferry you to the island, but perhaps consider the catapult you see at its center,â and with that, Roswell dipped back under the waves and swam away.
âWhy do they keep leaving us and escaping?â
â
The duo stared at the distant catapult. Hamlet recalled reading about catapults before, and with a real one in front of him, the descriptions finally made sense. Maybe they were supposed to build one? But with less than a weekâs time, and the sun setting, and really no strength or knowledge on how to build a catapult, they were basically stranded.
âDo you think you could fly across?â
âI canât really fly that far, not while carrying anything, sorry. The best I can do is maybe flutter a bit from rock to rock.â
âAnd I tried hopping the rocks myself, but the fish keep sensing the ripples and coming overâŚâ in frustration, Hamlet skipped a pebble into the lake. With each skip, the school of fish swarmed toward the points of contact on the surface. Suddenly, he was struck by inspiration.
âI know what we can do! I will skip rocks from this side to draw the fish while you hop across. And then when you get to the other side, you hunt for pebbles and skip them across the lake to draw the fish while I make my way across.â
âLetâs get to it before dark!â And after some close calls, they succeeded in crossing the lake and collapsed in exhaustion into the bucket of the catapult.
â
Hamlet awoke, sprawled across the catapultâs bucket with Scoot in a similar position. The morning sun filtered through nearby trees, which had dropped a feast of pods and seeds on the ground. He gathered their breakfast and nudged Scoot awake. They ate in companionable silence.
âAs much as I hate to admit it, I think the map wants us to use the catapult to get to the mountain,â Hamlet flipped the map a few times to see if there were any hidden messages, but the boldly inked arc connecting the lake and the mountain could mean nothing else.
âWe donât have much in supplies anywayâ I think if you hang on to me, I can fly us to safety,â Scoot sounded more confident than he was.
âI guess thereâs no going back,â Hamlet eyed the lake; overnight the stepping stones had disappeared. He equipped both of their packs across each shoulder, sat down next to Scoot, and hugged his friend in a tight grip. âReady when you are!â
Scoot nodded and tossed a rock at the lever, which missed.
âDarn, I guess we have toââ Scoot was interrupted by a splash. Roswell popped out of the lake and whipped his tail toward them, sending a tidal wave of debris at the catapult. The lever clicked and they were launched into the sky. At the apex of their flight, Hamlet and Scoot could see the scenery below, a vibrant version of their map.
âWeâre flying! Weâre flying!â Scoot exclaimed. Hamlet hugged his midriff tightly, but couldnât maintain a good grip with his short arms.
âWeâre falling! Weâre falling!â Hamlet screamed. As they descended closer to the mountain, they could see a large crater at the top. The crater glowed and the heat rising from it rippled the air. Scoot spread his wings and attempted to slow their fall, but the force of him flapping upward caused Hamlet to slip and grab for the duckâs ankles. Downward they fell, faster and faster.
âI donât want to be a roast duck! AHHHH!â Scoot flapped furiously, attempting to divert their path away from the volcanic crater. He succeeded in aiming them into the mountainside, but they were still falling too fast. Branches blurred past and the sound of the air whooshing by was deafening. They were suddenly caught in a giant web, invisible from afar. Breathing rapidly, the two of them were trapped in ridiculous poses, but somehow intact. Scoot released a manic giggle, which triggered Hamlet into a deranged chuckle, and soon the both of them were laughing raucously to the point that tears poured from their eyes and their sides hurt.
âI wouldnât want to wake the spider who made this web,â a voice called from below them. The boys choked down their laughter, squirming frantically to try and get a look at the speaker.
âPlease, sir, cut us down from here!â Hamlet begged.
âDonât worry, pup, I will get you down,â and Hamlet felt a tug on his lower paws. Eventually, with the help of a few sticks and a splash of some sort of fragrant tonic, the boys were free from the web. They turned to their savior, surprised that such a deep booming voice emanated from such a small, stout hamster. He, too, wore the striated tattoos seen on Avery and Roswell.
âI am called Clay, and it sounds like the two of you have journeyed quite far. Is that a map?â Clay pointed at the rolled parchment sticking out of Hamletâs pack.
âYes! The map points to sacred jars. It is our quest to return home with one of them and appease our master,â Scoot explained. Clay crossed his arms in thought, a smile tugging at his lips.
âI was just on my way to the kiln. Follow me.â
â
It turns out, in a cavern carved into the side of the volcano, a series of shelves and ovens had been formed. Clay showed them how the jars and urns were shaped, then fired in the heat over time to create the vessels they were after. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of the jars, each with different stripes and patterns that mimicked the tattoos and markings they had seen on Master Avery, Roswell, and Clay. The boys learned their three guides were part of a secret order to preserve the ways of the ruins.
âYou are welcome to each take a jar to your master, though no more,â Clay offered. The duo walked the shelves, inspecting the jars. Scoot snatched a large one first, but decided a smaller prize would be easier to transport. Hamlet walked around, but the patterns on one particular jar called to him.
âThis one looks like it has symbols matching the ones from our map. It is like a script of some sort, but I donât understand it. What does it say, Master Clay?â
âAh, that one. Your map points not to the jar, but to the contents meant for that particular jar. Would you like to venture into the ruins and seek it out?â
Scoot and Hamlet looked to each other. After enduring so much, they thought they were at the end of their journey-- and to be fair, Mr. Marlo had only asked for the jar. He never said it had to be filled.
But a true adventurer doesnât shy away from their calling. The boys nodded at each other.
â
They spent the day following Master Clay to the ruins, each carrying their packs and jars. It was difficult to keep apace with the old hamster, and Hamlet hoped he, too, would be as fit and spry once he reached old age.
At last, they emerged from a narrow valley. Nestled in a field of golden roses was a lady with black hair and golden bangles on her arms. Dark paint lined her eyes, and a golden ornament glistened on her head. Was this a lost princess?
She turned her feline gaze upon them, picking her way delicately out of the field, her striped tail brushing the petals. She waved in welcome. Hamlet sighed at the beautiful sight.
âMaster Clay, what have you brought me today?â
âMy lady Ankha, these boys have chosen some jars for you to fill,â Clay urged them forward.
âBe careful not to step on any thorns, children,â she warned them gently, her voice accented and melodic in a way Hamlet had never heard before.
âCome in, brave adventurers, and tell me your tale,â Ankha invited them into her colorfully decorated tent.
â
It turns out that Lady Ankha was royalty after all, but not a princess in distress, and of a distant bloodline in her kingdom. She was exploring the ruins as part of her study abroad program and her familiarity with the runes (closely related to her mother tongue) made research much more efficient.
âThat map is actually from my first set of notes I forwarded to your Royal Archives years ago. We have since then constructed a much easier route, one that is even serviced by Kappânâs cart company. You can stay with me in the research tent until the next cart stops by,â Ankha handed the boys cups of honey tea as they lounged on some cushions in her research tent. As shocked as they were to learn of the alternative route to the map, they were also relieved to have civilization within reach.
âWhat is the special marking on the map and this jar?â Hamlet asked.
âAh, this is what my research is all about!â Ankha smiled brightly, holding the jar up to the lamplight. âIt is the symbol of the Golden Honeybee. Avery, Roswell, Clay and I are part of the Order of the Golden Honeybee and we are working to revive this apiary and to protect the bees that gather nectar from those sacred flowers. The golden roses cannot grow anywhere else, and turn black once plucked, but the honey developed from their nectar has wonderful restorative propertiesâŚâ
â
The boys returned home the next day, and promised to keep Ankhaâs research a secret. Scoot gave his empty jar to Mr. Marlo, who laughed and offered them hefty bags of candies and goods from the Fair, as well as an offer of employment for the next quest (to which they declined for now).
Hamlet trudged home to the bookstore that evening, his whole body spent with exhaustion. He placed the honey jar on the table, and the prize bags next to it. Father Graham lit a candle and hovered in the stairwell above.
âHamlet, is that you?â
âYes, Father. I am ready for a good nightâs sleep,â Hamlet yawned.
âOh wonderful! You must join me first thing in the morning. I have hired a cart to take us to the northern ruins, where one of the students from my days at the Royal Library is conducting her research. Doesnât that sound exciting?â
Here are the Animal Crossing characters referenced in my story, for anyone who enjoys that sort of thing.
Aquilla
the most wonderful time of the year đ¸
Iâm not a writer, nor a native speaker so Iâm sorry if there are mistakes ;-; I struggle with tenses.
Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read my story
Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read my story
Morefish
04/05/2007 Dear Miffy Iâm currently scribbling this letter against a taxi window. I left kinda last minute this morning so I havenât had time to tell you that I wonât be home for a while. My parents are going away on a business trip and asked my aunt Violet if I could stay with her for the time being. I havenât actually met her before - they say sheâs quite nice but also rather eccentric. To be honest Iâd rather just stay home alone but my parents are having none of that since that one time I set the stove on fire when frying an egg⌠Who knew eggs were that flammable?! Anyways, hopefully I wonât be bored to death - I had a look on google maps and her town is in the middle of nowhere. Iâll keep you posted should anything noteworthy happen. Take care of yourself! Lots of love, Aquilla |
14/05/2007 Hi Miffy! Hope youâre holding up alright. Itâs been a little over a week since I arrived at my aunts town Scalpay and let me tell you - this place is weird. My aunt has been pretty busy walking around, fishing and harvesting fruit for most of the day. Sometimes I see her digging holes for no reason and then suddenly running after insects. Itâs quite the sight. Iâm not entirely sure what sheâs doing with all the junk she keeps picking up, especially all the critters. I think she has a hoarding problem - she even picks up weeds. She mumbles to herself a lot, something about a museum. My aunt takes me diving and fishing daily, so Iâve learned quite a lot about the local wildlife. All of this is nothing compared to the other inhabitants of the village though. There are four more if Iâm not mistaken. Thereâs this neon green duck who I think wears white panties over his head on most days - I believe his name was Scoot? I also met a squirrel named Marshal who thinks heâs some kind of celebrity. Most of the time I canât tell if heâs flirting, joking or just incredibly full of himself. Nobody has the heart to tell him that his acting and writing are mediocre at best. There is also this snobby sheep called Willow and a cranky old wolf, Dobie. Those two mostly keep to themselves. Iâve only interacted with Willow once when she asked me if I only owned that one outfit and then proceeded to make fun of my haircut. Rude. Dobie just occasionally opens the kitchen window to yell at people who pass by while angrily shaking his fist. Not sure if Iâll get along with everyone, but Iâll try my best. Yesterday I was kind of bullied into picking up a part time job by the local shopkeeper. Says I should make myself useful and help aunt Violet pay off her debt instead of moping around town all day. Heâs been keeping me busy - I run all his errands while he looks after the general store. Heâs pretty bossy but Violet says he has a heart of gold. I donât know about that tbh. My lunch break is almost over and I have to deliver this wallpaper - so Iâll end the letter here. Talk to you soon! Aquilla |
03.06.2007 Hey Miffy - itâs been a while! So much has happened recently - I havenât had time to update you. I have been working my shifts at the shop and hanging out with towns folk and Violet the remainder of my time. Against all odds Iâve really grown to like the oddballs who live here. Weâve had some festivities and activities, but what Iâm really dying to tell you about is what happened during the fishing competition a few days ago. You wonât believe it. Everyone in town was excited days before it started because as I told you, fishing is kind of a big deal here. Marshal was especially motivated because he had been waiting for a chance to beat Scoot and Violet at the competition for months. On the day of the event everyone gathered at the town centre and once the countdown went off, everyone walked into different directions. I chose a quiet spot at the beach where I had observed large shadows in the water the previous day. Marshal stood not far from me on a small peninsula. We waited for many hours but there wasnât a fish in sight. I grew impatient so I crafted some clam bait (Violetâs secret recipe) and shared some with Marshal. Soon after scattering it, I heard a loud, surprised yelp and with a pang of anxiety in my stomach I threw my head around and saw Marshal wrestling with his fishing line. His bobber had disappeared underwater with a loud pop and the fishing line violently jerked through the water. The poor little squirrel was struggling to keep balance so I dropped everything I was holding and hurried to where he was standing. Just before I could reach out to help he fell into the water with a loud splash, a gust of wind ripping a yell from his lips. âMARSHAL LET GO OF THE ROD!â I shouted, but it was too late. I saw his little white body being dragged further and further down, small clear bubbles emerging to the waterâs surface. I wildly looked around for Violet - she was a much more experienced diver than I was, but nobody else was in sight. My heart racing I dived into the salty waves, my breath catching from shock of being submerged into the icy water without any preparation. After a few breast strokes I took a look underwater and spotted Marshal. He was still clinging to the fishing rod but his face was very pale and his eyes clutched shut. The creature dragging him was a long and snakelike fish with red fins and pearlescent, shimmery scales. âI caught an oarfish! I hope I catch morefishâ Violetâs terrible pun echoed through my head as I was diving ever deeper, trying to reach Marshal. My lungs were on fire and slight panic started bubbling in my chest because I thought Iâd drown alongside Marshal right then and there. With a last desperate push I finally reached his fuzzy tail and grabbed a tight hold of it. Marshalâs eyes opened slightly but his gaze looked right through me and he seemed very far away. With my remaining free hand I loosened his grip on the fishing rod which he was clutching with all his might. After what seemed like hours I finally held him in my arm while desperately paddling back to the surface. When our heads broke through the surface, my ears were ringing and my vision was swimming with bright spots. Marshal was coughing up mouthfuls of seawater while groaning incomprehensible words. In one last big struggle I dragged us to the shore, my legs weak and wobbly before collapsing on the sand next to the soaked squirrel. In the distance I heard tense voices drawing nearer but the adrenaline rush and the ringing in my ears prevented me from understanding. Soon Violetâs pale and concerned face appeared over my head. I carefully propped myself up on my elbows to look at her properly and noticed that Dobie and Scoot were standing nearby. Violet told me later that Dobie had witnessed the whole ordeal from his kitchen window and had rushed to Violet for help. By the time she had reached the beach, Marshal and I were nowhere to be seen. The sulky squirrel received several big lectures about how his pride almost killed himself if it hadnât been for me and the usually so smug and prideful fella took them all with hanging tail and a guilty look on his little face. We spent the night at a hospital in the next town over just to make sure weâd be okay. Everything slowly went back to normal after a while and Marshal has avoided all bodies of water since. Oh Miffy, can you imagine the excitement? I thought Iâd die that day. My time here has been wonderful in spite of the accident but I am looking forward to coming home. My parents should be back soon so this will probably be the last letter before I return. I can tell you more details and stories once I get back! Canât wait to see you again! Lots of love, Aquilla |
tarepanda3ame
Grateful to finally be back home... đ
This was definitely challenging for me to accomplish, but the grind for tickets is real! Here's my simple Animal Crossing themed story...
It was yet another lazy afternoon on the island of Nerdalia. The island representative, Gabe, havenât been seen in months⌠and the decay around the island was starting to really show. Sherb was laying on the carpeted floor of his room, as in usual days, hearing himself sigh. As he proceeded to count the crevices on the ceiling, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. He rolled over and was finding it difficult to stand up promptly, so he shouted for whoever it was at his door to just come on inside.
And who entered in, but his neighbor, Pinky the panda bear, who greeted Sherb as she put down a basket of her famous carrot scones on his side table. She shared with her friend that the conditions of their island became too much to take anymore, and that they must work together with other villagers on the island to ask for help from an island close by. Pinky explained that they were lacking the tools needed in order to help fix their island home without the presence of their island rep, Gabe. Their local Nookâs Cranny sold mostly furniture & decorative items in their store, and the twin Nooklings had lost the key to their cabinet that held all of the important tools in it. Isabelle could only provide for them a golden watering can, and the island was already filled to the brim with multiplying flowers as it was! The only hope was to go to the nearby island, where they had a master key to the all important Nookâs Cranny cabinet.
Sherb was in the middle of devouring his third scone as Pinky finished what she said, only to be met with a confused look from her friend. Pinky then took away the baked goods momentarily, and shared the situation with her goat friend again.
Sherb was definitely hesitant to go on such a journey, as he felt lazy most of the time and didnât know what he could do to help. Pinky explained to him that the other villagers all had situations that prevented them from taking the journey, from having a joey to take care of, being smaller in size (mainly bear cubs), to being older in age for the journey (and cranky in mood to boot). Orville and Wilbur were also on their yearly vacation, which prevented the ease of use of the airport between islands. And Pinky pushed on to say that since he was a mountain goat, climbing the tall mountain necessary to reach the water passageway between the islands, would feel natural to him. Sherb paused with his nervousness, but ultimately decided to help in the journey as he wanted to be useful to his community.
The very next day, the two friends set out on their task. Tom Nook even sent them off with a bag full of emergency bells, and Isabelle prepared for them a filling snack of savory bread. And off they went past their neighborhood, past the museum, past the secret beach, and past terraform after terraform of hills. As they went on further across the island, the wild grass seemed to grow taller with every step. As they saw the big mountain coming closer to them, Pinky accidentally tripped on a fallen tree trunk, hurting her ankle. As she couldnât continue on, she pleaded with Sherb to go on without her. But Sherb did not want to leave his friendâs side. They rested overnight near the base of the mountain, and Sherb drifted to sleep in awe of how much bigger the mountain looked closer by. He didnât know how he can finish the journey on his own, and fell asleep in worry.
As the faint light of sunrise crept on the land, Sherb was awoken by a tickle on his feet. As he inspected what disturbed him, he saw a line of glowing ants march over his feet and going towards what looked to be an opening in the mountain. Sherb rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but the ants were still glowing along in front of him. Curious, and also hungry, Sherb decided to follow his ant friends, leaving Pinky to sleep peacefully, and with Isabelleâs prepared food by her side. He felt his laziness want to overtake him, but he pushed through it as he looked at his friend in need.
The strange, glowing ants followed what seemed to be a new path to a mountain cave entrance. The ants stopped and circled around a pot nearby, and their once constant glow began to pulse, as if they needed something to go inside the pot. Sherb remembered Nookâs emergency bells, and decided to deposit them into the now glowing pot. As he threw the coins inside, the pulsating stopped, and a rock door appeared ajar. Even more curious, Sherb entered the doorway to a strange and bizarre place filled with glowing moss on the floor, and hanging glowing vines above him. There were lovely hybrid flowers of all colors blooming everywhere, as well as butterflies of all sizes flying around. Sherb explored in amazement, getting deeper and deeper into the mountain. Then a beautiful, sparkling emperor butterfly appeared that was different from the rest. It fluttered close to Sherbâs face, as if it was vying for his attention. Sherb took notice, or got distracted by its beauty, and followed it down a path that eventually lead to water at his feet. Sherb gulped in despair, and continued on to see that the path of the emperor butterfly lead to the sea between the islands. As he looked out to the water, a faint outline of a fin appeared on the sea. Unfortunately for Sherb, this was the middle of summer in Animal Crossing, which meant sharks were in the water! He fell down in distress, and decided to eat some coconuts from the trees on the shore for energy later. His stomach had been growling for hours, as he thought about the yummy snacks he left behind for Pinky from Isabelle. As he smashed some coconuts open on rocks, he saw a faint light in the distance coming closer to him. He squinted through the fog, until he saw a familiar face come through the clouds. It was good old Kappân ferrying a passenger to a mystery island. Sherb realized he must have found his way to one of those very mystery islands!
When they reached the shore, Sherb ran to get Kappnâs attention. Kappân saw his distress and introduced Sherb to May, the island rep of the very island Sherb was journeying to! May listened to Sherbâs story and plea for help, and without question wanted to assist her new goat friend in any way she could. Luckily, Mayâs backpack had a handful of tools available, including a golden fishing rod that kept the dangerous sharks at bay. After gathering some resources and finding the rare gyroid on the island, May invited Sherb to take the boat back to Disnytopia island with her. Kappân was of course happy to help a friend, and he sang them a shanty tune as they journeyed across the sea.
When they arrived to Disnytopia, all the villagers greeted him warmly and shared their new dishes with him. He left the island with not only the master key he needed, but with a tummy full and satisfied with delicious eats. May had called the Dodo brothers and explained the situation to them, and they so kindly came back earlier from vacation to assist Sherb to fly back to his home island. After all checks were completed, Sherb said goodbye to his new friends, thanked May for all of her help, and boarded the Dodo Airlines waterplane to finish his journey home.
When he arrived back to Nerdalia, Sherb was met with a heroâs welcome as everyone in town gathered to thank and celebrate their neighbor. Sherb then checked on his friend Pinky at her house, as she was still healing from her broken ankle. May had called Isabelle days earlier to send help to get Pinky back home safely. The two shared a special mixed-fruits pie as the two friends talked about their adventures.
The End.
And who entered in, but his neighbor, Pinky the panda bear, who greeted Sherb as she put down a basket of her famous carrot scones on his side table. She shared with her friend that the conditions of their island became too much to take anymore, and that they must work together with other villagers on the island to ask for help from an island close by. Pinky explained that they were lacking the tools needed in order to help fix their island home without the presence of their island rep, Gabe. Their local Nookâs Cranny sold mostly furniture & decorative items in their store, and the twin Nooklings had lost the key to their cabinet that held all of the important tools in it. Isabelle could only provide for them a golden watering can, and the island was already filled to the brim with multiplying flowers as it was! The only hope was to go to the nearby island, where they had a master key to the all important Nookâs Cranny cabinet.
Sherb was in the middle of devouring his third scone as Pinky finished what she said, only to be met with a confused look from her friend. Pinky then took away the baked goods momentarily, and shared the situation with her goat friend again.
Sherb was definitely hesitant to go on such a journey, as he felt lazy most of the time and didnât know what he could do to help. Pinky explained to him that the other villagers all had situations that prevented them from taking the journey, from having a joey to take care of, being smaller in size (mainly bear cubs), to being older in age for the journey (and cranky in mood to boot). Orville and Wilbur were also on their yearly vacation, which prevented the ease of use of the airport between islands. And Pinky pushed on to say that since he was a mountain goat, climbing the tall mountain necessary to reach the water passageway between the islands, would feel natural to him. Sherb paused with his nervousness, but ultimately decided to help in the journey as he wanted to be useful to his community.
The very next day, the two friends set out on their task. Tom Nook even sent them off with a bag full of emergency bells, and Isabelle prepared for them a filling snack of savory bread. And off they went past their neighborhood, past the museum, past the secret beach, and past terraform after terraform of hills. As they went on further across the island, the wild grass seemed to grow taller with every step. As they saw the big mountain coming closer to them, Pinky accidentally tripped on a fallen tree trunk, hurting her ankle. As she couldnât continue on, she pleaded with Sherb to go on without her. But Sherb did not want to leave his friendâs side. They rested overnight near the base of the mountain, and Sherb drifted to sleep in awe of how much bigger the mountain looked closer by. He didnât know how he can finish the journey on his own, and fell asleep in worry.
As the faint light of sunrise crept on the land, Sherb was awoken by a tickle on his feet. As he inspected what disturbed him, he saw a line of glowing ants march over his feet and going towards what looked to be an opening in the mountain. Sherb rubbed his eyes in disbelief, but the ants were still glowing along in front of him. Curious, and also hungry, Sherb decided to follow his ant friends, leaving Pinky to sleep peacefully, and with Isabelleâs prepared food by her side. He felt his laziness want to overtake him, but he pushed through it as he looked at his friend in need.
The strange, glowing ants followed what seemed to be a new path to a mountain cave entrance. The ants stopped and circled around a pot nearby, and their once constant glow began to pulse, as if they needed something to go inside the pot. Sherb remembered Nookâs emergency bells, and decided to deposit them into the now glowing pot. As he threw the coins inside, the pulsating stopped, and a rock door appeared ajar. Even more curious, Sherb entered the doorway to a strange and bizarre place filled with glowing moss on the floor, and hanging glowing vines above him. There were lovely hybrid flowers of all colors blooming everywhere, as well as butterflies of all sizes flying around. Sherb explored in amazement, getting deeper and deeper into the mountain. Then a beautiful, sparkling emperor butterfly appeared that was different from the rest. It fluttered close to Sherbâs face, as if it was vying for his attention. Sherb took notice, or got distracted by its beauty, and followed it down a path that eventually lead to water at his feet. Sherb gulped in despair, and continued on to see that the path of the emperor butterfly lead to the sea between the islands. As he looked out to the water, a faint outline of a fin appeared on the sea. Unfortunately for Sherb, this was the middle of summer in Animal Crossing, which meant sharks were in the water! He fell down in distress, and decided to eat some coconuts from the trees on the shore for energy later. His stomach had been growling for hours, as he thought about the yummy snacks he left behind for Pinky from Isabelle. As he smashed some coconuts open on rocks, he saw a faint light in the distance coming closer to him. He squinted through the fog, until he saw a familiar face come through the clouds. It was good old Kappân ferrying a passenger to a mystery island. Sherb realized he must have found his way to one of those very mystery islands!
When they reached the shore, Sherb ran to get Kappnâs attention. Kappân saw his distress and introduced Sherb to May, the island rep of the very island Sherb was journeying to! May listened to Sherbâs story and plea for help, and without question wanted to assist her new goat friend in any way she could. Luckily, Mayâs backpack had a handful of tools available, including a golden fishing rod that kept the dangerous sharks at bay. After gathering some resources and finding the rare gyroid on the island, May invited Sherb to take the boat back to Disnytopia island with her. Kappân was of course happy to help a friend, and he sang them a shanty tune as they journeyed across the sea.
When they arrived to Disnytopia, all the villagers greeted him warmly and shared their new dishes with him. He left the island with not only the master key he needed, but with a tummy full and satisfied with delicious eats. May had called the Dodo brothers and explained the situation to them, and they so kindly came back earlier from vacation to assist Sherb to fly back to his home island. After all checks were completed, Sherb said goodbye to his new friends, thanked May for all of her help, and boarded the Dodo Airlines waterplane to finish his journey home.
When he arrived back to Nerdalia, Sherb was met with a heroâs welcome as everyone in town gathered to thank and celebrate their neighbor. Sherb then checked on his friend Pinky at her house, as she was still healing from her broken ankle. May had called Isabelle days earlier to send help to get Pinky back home safely. The two shared a special mixed-fruits pie as the two friends talked about their adventures.
The End.
This is the hardest thing I have done in a long time.
Please don't feel the need to read unless you're dishing out tickets.
Please don't feel the need to read unless you're dishing out tickets.
As a 23-year-old, Chloe hadn't had an easy life. Her childhood was spent with an alcoholic, abusive father. Discovering she had Scoliosis at 17 and undergoing major surgery and the loss of her mother at the young age of 14. Chloe was a pretty girl and life had taught her to be strong and resilient.
Chloe was sitting by the Sea one evening contemplating her future. She had friends, or rather acquaintances. She found it difficult to let anyone get close. She was content in her own company, but sometimes wished for the Mother she lost, the Father that could have been.
While lost in her own thoughts, she heard a voice call her name.
"Chloe, Chloe, Chloe"
She was startled and jumped to her feet.
"Who's there?" She screamed!!
As she looked around, she saw what she thought was a raccoon standing in the shadows. It couldn't be this animal talking to her, she thought to herself.
She heard her name being called again.
"Chloe"
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Excited, but also scared she walked up to the raccoon. It seemed to be talking in another language, but strangely she thought, she understood every word.
"Hello Chloe, I am Tom Nook" the Raccoon muttered, looking a little nervous. "I am so glad that I found you. We need your help!"
She stared in awe at this little, chubby animal. It was talking to her and seemed to know her.
The Raccoon went on to tell her about his Island and how all the Villagers were starving and destitute. How they needed a Human to save them and their Island.
Tom Nook had been watching Chloe for some Months. He could tell she was the strong, independent person they needed to help them.
Chloe spent some time in thought "Where was this Island? "How would she get there?" "What would she find there?"
Over the next few hours Tom explained everything to her.
Chloe decided no one would miss her. She was up for the challenge, actually very excited for this adventure.
They decided to meet the next day once Chloe had gathered all the materials she was going to need.
On Friday evening Chloe drove to the beach where she was meeting Tom. Her car stacked with fruits, vegetables and plants. etc.
As she got out of her car she could see a strange looking airplane on the water. She squinted to read "Dodo airlines" on the side. She was a bit shocked as she seen Tom standing with what looked like a Dodo.
"Who is going to fly this thing" she asked.
"Chloe, meet Wilbur. He will be our Pilot to take us to Heaven Island.
Chloe was feeling very nervous, but she knew she had made the decision to help these amazing animals. She couldn't let them down.
They loaded the plane and headed for Heaven.
The journey took no time at all. They just seemed to take off and then they were landing again.
As they landed Chloe could see there were lots of animals waiting to greet them.
She could see cubs, squirrels, ducks, Cats, Wolves, horses and goats.
"Could they all talk" she wondered.
When they got off the plane, Tom started introducing her to everyone.
This is Judy, Peanut, Pate, Filbert, Stitches, Kid Cat, Raymond, Audie, Sherb, Julian, Isabelle, Timmy, Tommy. The list went on a bit. They were all very excited and thankful to have Chloe there with them.
They all COULD talk, but having all of the Villagers talking at the same time became very hard to understand.
Chloe was in awe of how beautiful and bright all the villagers looked. Their clothes were a bit worn and dirty, but that didn't matter to Chloe. She was so happy to be there with them. She loved them all and badly wanted to help them with their Island.
There were some wooden huts on the Island that the villagers had tried to make homes as best they could. Chloe didn't mind spending the night in with Judy, Peanut and Isabelle. She felt safe on this Island and couldn't wait to start helping in the morning.
At 5am Saturday morning, Chloe stirred. First thinking that she had had a wonderful dream, but as she came around she realised that she was lying on the floor of the old hut. Isabelle and Judy were looking over her. She jumped up with a start. It was all real and she had a busy day ahead.
As she walked from the hut she could see that Franklin was boiling some rice. This seemed to be all that they had for eating.
She had a lot of work to do and she was so ready to get started.
That first day they spent 15 hours working on the Island. Chloe had brought Axes and Shovels so they chopped the few trees that were on the Island and they made fishing rods and planted fruit trees and vegetables.
After their busy day everyone was exhausted, the lack of food didn't help.
They had a wonderful evening fishing by the sea. Franklin couldn't contain his excitement when we caught salmon, black bass and horse mackerel. The fish were a plenty and Franklin cooked them to perfection. A great night was had by all and everyone went to sleep content with a full stomach.
On Sunday morning Chloe was amazed at how quickly the trees had grown with the fertiliser she had placed, all baring the most wonderful fruits. There were apples, oranges, bananas, Peaches, Pears, cherries & coconuts. Even the veggies had all sprouted.
Tom couldn't contain himself on this most wonderful sight and was dancing all around the Island in delight.
The next six months were spent by all the villagers and Chloe bringing the wonderful Island to life. Chopping, building & growing until each villager had a wonderful home to call their own.
Over time more animals came to visit. Some selling clothes & home wares. Many of them decided to set up home on the Island.
8 months to the day Chloe met Nook, she looked over the Island. It was the most beautiful place, flourishing with life, everyone happy. She knew she had done everything she could for the animals and the time had come for her to leave.
The next day she summoned all of the animals to the Town hall to inform them of her departure.
They begged her to stay, but Chloe knew she had to return to her normal life.
She knew her life would be better, she knew she didn't belong here forever.
The animals were very thankful to Chloe. She was their hero, who not only saved their Island, but saved their lives.
As she headed to Dodo airlines to find Wilbur the animals were all cheering and shouting for her.
She was sad to be leaving, but in a strange way excited to get back to her life. She knew many exciting things were waiting for her there.
As the dodo airplane took off she could see all the animals waving goodbye.
Within minutes they were back on the beach, back to her life. An exciting life, that she was sure of.
Chloe was sitting by the Sea one evening contemplating her future. She had friends, or rather acquaintances. She found it difficult to let anyone get close. She was content in her own company, but sometimes wished for the Mother she lost, the Father that could have been.
While lost in her own thoughts, she heard a voice call her name.
"Chloe, Chloe, Chloe"
She was startled and jumped to her feet.
"Who's there?" She screamed!!
As she looked around, she saw what she thought was a raccoon standing in the shadows. It couldn't be this animal talking to her, she thought to herself.
She heard her name being called again.
"Chloe"
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Excited, but also scared she walked up to the raccoon. It seemed to be talking in another language, but strangely she thought, she understood every word.
"Hello Chloe, I am Tom Nook" the Raccoon muttered, looking a little nervous. "I am so glad that I found you. We need your help!"
She stared in awe at this little, chubby animal. It was talking to her and seemed to know her.
The Raccoon went on to tell her about his Island and how all the Villagers were starving and destitute. How they needed a Human to save them and their Island.
Tom Nook had been watching Chloe for some Months. He could tell she was the strong, independent person they needed to help them.
Chloe spent some time in thought "Where was this Island? "How would she get there?" "What would she find there?"
Over the next few hours Tom explained everything to her.
Chloe decided no one would miss her. She was up for the challenge, actually very excited for this adventure.
They decided to meet the next day once Chloe had gathered all the materials she was going to need.
On Friday evening Chloe drove to the beach where she was meeting Tom. Her car stacked with fruits, vegetables and plants. etc.
As she got out of her car she could see a strange looking airplane on the water. She squinted to read "Dodo airlines" on the side. She was a bit shocked as she seen Tom standing with what looked like a Dodo.
"Who is going to fly this thing" she asked.
"Chloe, meet Wilbur. He will be our Pilot to take us to Heaven Island.
Chloe was feeling very nervous, but she knew she had made the decision to help these amazing animals. She couldn't let them down.
They loaded the plane and headed for Heaven.
The journey took no time at all. They just seemed to take off and then they were landing again.
As they landed Chloe could see there were lots of animals waiting to greet them.
She could see cubs, squirrels, ducks, Cats, Wolves, horses and goats.
"Could they all talk" she wondered.
When they got off the plane, Tom started introducing her to everyone.
This is Judy, Peanut, Pate, Filbert, Stitches, Kid Cat, Raymond, Audie, Sherb, Julian, Isabelle, Timmy, Tommy. The list went on a bit. They were all very excited and thankful to have Chloe there with them.
They all COULD talk, but having all of the Villagers talking at the same time became very hard to understand.
Chloe was in awe of how beautiful and bright all the villagers looked. Their clothes were a bit worn and dirty, but that didn't matter to Chloe. She was so happy to be there with them. She loved them all and badly wanted to help them with their Island.
There were some wooden huts on the Island that the villagers had tried to make homes as best they could. Chloe didn't mind spending the night in with Judy, Peanut and Isabelle. She felt safe on this Island and couldn't wait to start helping in the morning.
At 5am Saturday morning, Chloe stirred. First thinking that she had had a wonderful dream, but as she came around she realised that she was lying on the floor of the old hut. Isabelle and Judy were looking over her. She jumped up with a start. It was all real and she had a busy day ahead.
As she walked from the hut she could see that Franklin was boiling some rice. This seemed to be all that they had for eating.
She had a lot of work to do and she was so ready to get started.
That first day they spent 15 hours working on the Island. Chloe had brought Axes and Shovels so they chopped the few trees that were on the Island and they made fishing rods and planted fruit trees and vegetables.
After their busy day everyone was exhausted, the lack of food didn't help.
They had a wonderful evening fishing by the sea. Franklin couldn't contain his excitement when we caught salmon, black bass and horse mackerel. The fish were a plenty and Franklin cooked them to perfection. A great night was had by all and everyone went to sleep content with a full stomach.
On Sunday morning Chloe was amazed at how quickly the trees had grown with the fertiliser she had placed, all baring the most wonderful fruits. There were apples, oranges, bananas, Peaches, Pears, cherries & coconuts. Even the veggies had all sprouted.
Tom couldn't contain himself on this most wonderful sight and was dancing all around the Island in delight.
The next six months were spent by all the villagers and Chloe bringing the wonderful Island to life. Chopping, building & growing until each villager had a wonderful home to call their own.
Over time more animals came to visit. Some selling clothes & home wares. Many of them decided to set up home on the Island.
8 months to the day Chloe met Nook, she looked over the Island. It was the most beautiful place, flourishing with life, everyone happy. She knew she had done everything she could for the animals and the time had come for her to leave.
The next day she summoned all of the animals to the Town hall to inform them of her departure.
They begged her to stay, but Chloe knew she had to return to her normal life.
She knew her life would be better, she knew she didn't belong here forever.
The animals were very thankful to Chloe. She was their hero, who not only saved their Island, but saved their lives.
As she headed to Dodo airlines to find Wilbur the animals were all cheering and shouting for her.
She was sad to be leaving, but in a strange way excited to get back to her life. She knew many exciting things were waiting for her there.
As the dodo airplane took off she could see all the animals waving goodbye.
Within minutes they were back on the beach, back to her life. An exciting life, that she was sure of.
First off, I want to apologize for the length of this story. I truly had not planned on it becoming this long but as I kept going it just wouldnât stop. The story told me. Thatâs the only way I can even explain it. Many many books, movies, and real life were inspirational to me writing this. There is also an extreme amount of symbolism in parts of this story that I hope you guys get. I will admit I am extremely proud of this little (HUGE) piece of writing and once again Iâm so sorry for the length.
As the sun started to peek through the curtains, Midoriâs eyes started to flutter and then a grimace appeared on her face. The dream she had just had was so very bizarre and led her to feel as if she had been asleep for months. Her body almost had a numb feeling to it as if she had been in a coma and her limbs had atrophied. She did not want to open her eyes. Instead she just stayed very still and tried to concentrate on what it was she had just dreamt about. It wasnât vivid like most of her dreams. She remembered hearing a echo of a muffled voice that seemed excited but concerned and that voice kept repeating that if amiibos werenât found, that that would be the end of Seclusia.
After the dream started to fade from her consciousness she started stretching her extremely sore muscles. The ache was intense as she stretched each limb but the more she stretched, the better she felt. Her brain still seemed foggy though so she knew her first stop for the day would be to Brewsters for some much needed coffee.
After donning her favorite Galaxy hoody and worn out jeans, she went to go fix her hair when there was a knock on her door. Her bestie, Filbert, called her name and let himself in (as her bestie, he knows he can do this). He seemed frazzled as could be and was talking absolute gibberish about some dream heâd had, but when he mentioned the word, Amiibo, she turned so fast that she accidentally knocked into her dresser causing her hourglass to hit the floor and shatter into a bazillion pieces.
Poor Filbert jumped a mile at this, which would have normally made Midori laugh, but she couldnât take her eyes away from the gold sand all over her floor. It seemed to almost have a face shape to it. Once she shook off that crazy feeling, (goodness, seeing faces in the sand), she turned back to Filbert and asked him to repeat what he had just said about his dream. He told her that he could hear voices in his dream. They almost sounded like they were coming from a padded noise canceling room but he could still hear someone, sounding like a female, talking about something called Amiibos and how they could be the key to saving Seclusia from extinction. How in the world had these 2 dreamed about the same thing???
Midori knew then that her coffee would have to wait, so after she gave Filbert a quick hug, she headed off to see Luna, the dream specialist, instead. Praying that Luna wasnât booked solid with appointments, Midori started towards the town rec center still holding onto the foreboding feeling her dream had left her with. Walking into Lunaâs almost always puts Midori into a sleepy state with the heavy incense and thin fabric covered lights. She called out Lunaâs name with such a panicked edge to her voice, that Luna rushed over and almost tripped over her meditation mat. Midori immediately started questioning Luna on the possibility of 2 different beings having such similar dreams and could there possibly be any truth in them and does she have any available appointment times to discuss this further. Well it just so happened that Luna did have 2 cancelations that morning so she could see Midori right then and they could discuss this plaguing dream that seemed to have her so unhinged.
After discussing how different this particular dream had been for Midori, and how strange it was that Filbert seemed to have had such a similar dream, Luna suggested they try an experimental hypnosis approach that might help to make sense of this strange new word, Amiibo, and why it seemed to be the key to Seclusiaâs survival to Midori. Luna had to warn Midori though. This particular type of hypnosis could put her in such a deep sleep, that regular awakening triggers might not work making Luna a bit unsure that this kind of risk should be taken over a dream. Hesitantly, Midori had to agree. What the heck had she been about to do! Over a stupid dream for pityâs sake! After thanking Luna for her time, she headed out the door to go finally get some much needed caffeine (while inwardly scolding herself on being such a ninny), when she smacked right into Celeste.
It was a bit odd, seeing Celeste during the daylight hours as she has always been a bit of a night owl. Celeste, however, greeted her warmly while smoothing out her slightly ruffled feathers from their collision and then went on excitedly to explain her daytime wandering. She told Midori that she had been running around town talking to residents all morning and had been about to head her way to to tell her to be sure to watch the sun for a fantastically rare solar eclipse that only happens every 115 years. Celeste, being the dreamer of all things astrological went on to say that this phenomenon would guarantee to open her third eye and reveal gates to a whole new world of possibilities. Midori couldnât help but think that this very strange and rare event might have something to do with these dreams. After considering this for a moment, she high tailed it back to Luna.
Midori burst through the door and called Lunaâs name. Luna had had a gut feeling that Midori would be back sooner rather than later. Midori then explained to her that she just knew something terrible was going to happen if she didnât explore this dream further. If Luna had a way to dive into Midoriâs deep conscious then maybe they could get some answers on what was going on and if these dreams were somehow connected with this strange solar phenomenon about to happen. Luna reiterated to Midori of the risks to a sleep this deep but Midori was adamant. Confident about her decision, Midori went and laid down on the Hypnosis Dream bed ready to get started. Though a little bit hesitant at first, Luna started readying the room for this highly experimental procedure. She dimmed the lights, put on some calming music, and lit some incense (knowing it would calm her own nerves as well) and took a deep breath that centered her to her core. Then she walked over to her small collection of gyroids and tapped on her Dootoid. His sound would give Midori something to concentrate on. She then took out a small handheld light, no bigger than a pen and told Midori to take 10 deep breathâs and focus on the Dootoidâs sound. At breath number 4, Luna turned on her handheld light and lightly shined it near Midoriâs eyes in a pattern that mimicked the Dootoidâs beat. By Midoriâs 7th breath, her breathing slowed. By the 9th breath, her body had relaxed. At the 10th breath a strange new light appeared not only behind Midoriâs eyes but filled the entire room with a strange dark light that Luna couldnât understand. She had to assume it was the solar eclipse that Celeste had been rattling on about earlier but she knew she couldnât break her concentration while doing such an experimental procedure or she may not be able to get Midori back from her deep subconscious trance.
Midori could feel the weight lift as her conscious mind submerged into unconsciousness. As her body started to relax giving her a slight falling feeling, she knew she was heading towards something new. When the falling finally caught up with her, she experienced a weightlessness that she could not explain. She gave herself a moment to feel her surroundings and take in this brief moment of unexplainable peace. She was afraid to open her eyes but not the same way she had been afraid when she woke up that morning. She didnât want to lose the feeling she had in that moment, but she knew she needed answers so she slowly opened her eyes. The magical wonder that appeared before her eyes was heartstopping. She was surrounded by a swirling lilac mist that went on as far as the eyes could see. In front of her was an archway made of beautiful glowing vines with tiny purple flowers that seemed to shimmer. She knew that she needed to walk through that archway but she couldnât help but wonder what else surrounded her and desperately wanted to explore its entirety. She appeared to have a hard time focusing and she couldnât take her eyes off of the beauty she was enveloped in. In the distance she could hear a small noise that seem to have a beat to it and she vaguely remembered that she was supposed to focus on that. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes and listened to that light echo of a beat for a moment and after a few seconds, her awareness returned to her. She took one more deep breath and started towards the archway knowing if she looked back one more time that she might lose her purpose again.
As she stepped under the archway, she could see the swirling lilac mist dissipate some, making the area inside the archway a little more clear. Inside the area was a circle of large rocks surrounded by glowing vines, strange looking mushrooms and it almost seemed like things were scurrying around but for some reason she could not see what they were. Behind the large circle of rocks was a gorgeous waterfall. When she focused more she could see a smaller circle of large rocks with some kind of statue in the center. She took a few more steps in so she could get a better look at that statue. It was beautiful. It almost looked like her but different.
The statue seemed to be a male villager wearing a red shirt with a # 1 on it. The whole statue had an almost gold iridescent gleam to it and Midori recognized the face immediately. It was the face she saw in the gold sand on her floor when her hourglass broke. She wanted a closer look so she stepped forward a few steps and peered into the face of the statue. Knowing it was just a statue she felt silly but she had to ask; who are you? All the sudden the scurrying around her got quicker but she still could not pinpoint what it was on the ground that was moving. She seemed to only get a glimpse of what seemed to be pointed almost triangles of different colors that quickly disappeared behind trees. As she focused into the center of the rock formation, the gold iridescence of the statue all the sudden got a little brighter; almost pulsating. A whispering sound that seem to surround her on all sides said âI am the first. My name is Villager and I am the first Amiibo.â Midori knew then she had made the right choice to come here. She knew in her heart that she was going to get the answers that she desperately needed.
She asked if Seclusia was in danger and Villager answered yes. Then she asked the question. The question that made her come here. What is an Amiibo. What does it have to do with Seclusia. Villager then told her that long ago he came to a new leaf town called Birdsong. He came when it was close to extinction as well and because of him the town survived. Because of him, new faces were able to be seen and if they liked it they could come live there. The town which had previously been choked by weeds with empty houses where happy neighbors used to live, now abandoned, began to thrive. Midori then asked if such a thing could happen to her beloved Seclusia and how could she stop it. He told her the only way to keep that from happening is to find 2 new faces to live there and bring back the joy so the island would not fall into slumber. It just so happens he said he knew of 16 friends who were thinking of traveling that had the ability to become an Amiibo like him. Villager told Midori that it would not be an easy quest to find just the right two and there would be many obstacles to face and she might even find some help along the way, but if she truly believed in herself, she might be able to save Seclusia.
He asked if she was ready for such a quest and if so, she needed to know one last thing. He told her she would need a very specific map and this very special hourglass. This hourglass would turn itself every time she reached a marked destination on the map. The hourglass would let her know how much time she had to find what she was looking for every place she went. Midori took another deep breath and accepted Villagerâs Quest. The Villager then turned a bright gold and 2 things appeared at his feet. Midori bent down to pick them up and opened the two gifts that he had left to her. One was indeed the map that she would need for this journey. The other gift, what she thought would be an hourglass similar to the one in her house that had broken, turned out to be a tiny thing. The hourglass, no bigger than a thimble, was attached to a fine gold chain, that Midori immediately put around her neck for safe keeping. She took one more look around so she could keep the beauty of this place etched in her memory forever and then walked back out the archway, map in hand.
As Midori stepped out of the archway, head down looking at her map, she didnât notice that where she stepped out was not where she was earlier before she stepped into the archway. The lilac purple mist was gone, and there was a shimmering brick path in front of her. She did not see this at first, because she was intently looking at the map in her hands. It was definitely no ordinary nap. The regular signs were there; the compass at the top, the lines indicating the roads, and small symbols representing her destinations, but there were also footsteps. Footsteps that seem to appear when she was walking. They would slightly fade after a couple of steps. It was mesmerizing. When she finally lifted her head expecting to see the lilac swirling mist around her, the scene before her made her turn around so quickly that she practically got whiplash. What she was looking for was the archway, but it was already starting to fade. She knew she would not be able to go back in and ask where she had just been transported to. The area around her seemed brighter, almost sparkly the way that the flowers in the grass shimmered. The trees almost had a glowing quality to them and in front of her was a road that looked like it was made of opal. By her map, she knew this was the road she would need to take to the first destination. The first destination on the map showed two red circles, one larger one with a smaller one inside of it. She took a deep breath, and said to herself that she could do this, and then she started listening for that tiny beat that seem to be in perfect rhythm with her heart.
She put 1 foot in front of her, seeing the step on the map and started on her way. The beautiful land that surrounded her filled her was such a peaceful joy, that she honestly thought of giving up this quest and just staying put. She knew she couldnât do this, but oh my word, to live in a land this beautiful seemed like a dream come true. After walking a bit, she came upon a small clearing to her right. There were glowing mushrooms surrounding a small pond and there was a hippo, soaked to the bone, throwing a tantrum about some thing. She knew she needed to keep moving but sheâs always been one to help someone in need. She quickly checked the hourglass around her neck, and it didnât seem any different than when she put it on, So at least she knew she wasnât racing against some timer. She slowly walked towards the hippo, cautiously, as she didnât want to startle him. When she got close enough, but not too close, she called out asking if he needed some help? He quickly turned to her with surprise and let out a huge sigh. He told her that he had been looking for some herbs for a potion he was making and he had been out for a long time so when he saw the pond, he knew he wanted to jump in. What he didnât think about was everything in his satchel that he had been carrying and he just jumped on in with everything. He lost his grimoire with all of his spells and herbology identifiers to drenching. Everything was soaked. Midori then introduced herself and told him she would be more than happy to help him dry the pages and see if any of them could be salvaged. He told her his name was Harry and that he would be eternally grateful for her help. It took them a bit, but they managed to separate everything and got them drying by placing them on a couple of boulders with rocks on top of them to keep them weighted down. She knew she needed to keep on her quest so she told Harry that it was time for her to go but that she hoped everything would be OK. When she showed Harry her map, he told her that he knew the area she was heading into next and to watch out for pikipeks, which are small birds that like to swoop down and peck at shiny things. He then thanked her profusely and told her he had to give her a gift for helping him. He told her to take off her shoes, which she did and he put these mushroom liners inside. He told her they were his own invention and they would keep her feet cushy for her long quest ahead. Midori had to laugh a little and thanked him for such a unique gift. As she headed out of the clearing, she could already feel a huge difference in comfort.
She walked for a couple of miles while periodically checking her map and could see she was approaching the area with the 2 red circles. The opalescent path appeared to be heading into a wooded area. As she entered what could only be a forest, she felt a slight humming vibration on her chest, and when she looked, she could see gold dust shimmering at the top of her hourglass. With her being so close to her first destination, she had to assume the hourglass timer was beginning. She didnât want to take up too much time watching it but she knew she needed to see how fast the sand was descending. It seem to only be a slight trickle so hopefully that would give her enough time to reach her destination. She then looked at where she was and realized it was quite dark, but there were glowing mushrooms sprinkled around the path that she was on and in between the trees, lighting her way. As she walked she could hear rustling in the trees. After a couple of minutes, something swooped down and pecked her right in the middle of her chest. Luckily, it did not hurt that much. The culprit seemed to be the little bird, pikipek, that Harry had told her about. She knew then she would have to move her hourglass out of sight so she put it under her hoodie for a better safekeeping knowing she would have to pull it out occasionally to check the time left on it. Once she got back to walking she felt a small pulse at her chest so she pulled the hourglass back out for a moment and it seemed to be at half full. By her map, it seemed she was almost to her destination with the two red circles.
She kept a steady pace and as she got closer to the 2 red circles on her map, she could see that further out, the trees become more sparse and through them a range of cliffs and boulders in the distance surrounded by water could be seen. Once again, she felt a little pulse in her chest so she checked the hour glass once more and seemed to only have one quarter of her time left. Trying not to panic, she quickened her pace some and started closing in on the area with the 2 red circles on her map. Just up ahead, and a little to the left, she could see something; something that definitely looked like it didnât belong where she was. What she could see was a round silver head with six legs and two arms and it appeared to be chopping wood. She took a few steps closer, though a little afraid of what she was seeing, it sparked her interest. This being looked a lot like one of the villagers on her friendâs island. Her friend had a villager named Marina and she was an octopus. This being that she spied could only be an octopus but it seemed to be made of metal! She walked a little bit closer and the being seemed to sense her presence and called out in a strange raspy voice that could only be male, âIs that you, Faith?â Midori answered that she was not Faith, and that her name was Midori and she was on a quest. As she approached, the metal octopusâs eyes lit up in what could only be smile. âOh!!!!, he cried, I just knew we would get a special visitor today! My friend, Azalea told me last night that she wished upon a star, that we would meet someone new today!!! My name is Cephlobot! How can I help you?â The pulsing starting ticking faster on her chest so she kept walking to this new welcoming stranger and right as she stepped in front of her she could see it. There on the tree behind Cephlobot were 2 red circles. Midori cried out, âThatâs it!â, and reached out to touch them. Cephlobot, gave her a quizzical look as he could not quite comprehend what in the world Midori was doing. As Midori touched the 2 circles, the hourglass stopped vibrating.
Cephlobot, chuckled under his breath and said, âI see you are familiar with our Targâet Tree?â Midori replied back âWhat is a âTarshjayâ Tree?â Cephlobot, than went to explain that the Targâet Tree was where they all met each other. He and his other villager friends all woke up one morning under that tree and had to build a life out there from scratch. They all work together doing different jobs to guarantee each otherâs survival. He went on to explain that they each had such very different personalities but that she was the heart. âAfter all, Cephlobot said, itâs an Amiiboâs job to bring joy to the world theyâre in!â Midoriâs eyes grew as big as sand dollars. âYouâre an Amiibo?!?!â Cephlobot told her absolutely. They all were. Midori then had to ask the question. The reason SHE was there. Would Cephlobot like to come live with her on Seclusia and help save her island. Cephlobot then had to explain that while he was honored by Midoriâs request, his place was here. When she had woken up by the Targâet Tree, he had felt empty, but after meeting all of the other Amiibos that he showed up with, she sort of became their caring leader. He could never leave them behind and the ones that still remained there would never ever leave either. Cephlobot, with a sad faraway look, told Midori, that a few had left on a mission but they had never come back. They had been heading to another area to check the habitat and had never returned. The ones that remained had sworn never to go there. He then pointed to the cliffs and told Midori, that that was where they had gone.
Midori made the decision then and there that that was where she was going to go. She was going to go rescue Cephlobotâs amiibo friends and bring them back and told him her plan. She knew it was the right thing to do. Cephlobot couldnât believe how selfless Midori turned out to be. She had been here on another quest and was giving it up just to help them! What a kind soul. He then told Midori to hold out her hand. In it, he placed his most prized possession; his heart shaped opal. He told her, one of his missing buddies had found it in a cave and and brought it to him knowing Cephlobot was the groupâs heart. That buddy was one of the missing. Tears came to Midoriâs eyes and she promised she would do her best to find them. After giving Cephlobot a quick hug, she turned around and headed towards the cliffs. Interestingly enough, even though she had decided to give up her quest for the moment to help Cephlobot, the pulsing started again around her neck and she knew that her hourglass and turned back on. She went ahead and brought out her map, and appeared to be walking in the direction of the next destination.
As the cliffs became larger in her view, she could see a large crack in the middle that had to be the cave that Cephlobotâs friends had been going to. Midori realized the water surrounding them might be a problem. She knew how to swim well, but the water looked extremely choppy as she watched it constantly hit the cliffs. How in the world would she be able to reach it??? At that moment, she felt the pulse of the hourglass and once again checked her time. She seemed to have around three quarters of her time left. She knew she would have to try to swim out to the cave. Midori tentatively put one foot in the water and got the strangest feeling. Her foot almost felt like it was floating. It kind of gave her an off balanced feeling and instinctively put her other foot in. The result was so completely unexpected. As both feet found their âfootingâ they were not on the water bed. She was standing on top of the water!!! Not completely on top, as the soles of her shoes seemed to be an inch or 2 below the top of the water line, but she was standing ON the water. It almost felt squishy. As she was wondering how in the world this could be possible, she remembered the mushroom insoles that Harry had given her. She could not believe her luck that they let her stand in the water like this. She decided to test that luck and took a couple of steps and it almost felt like she was walking on marshmallows. Wow, what an unbelievably cool feeling! She started heading towards the cave with a new feeling of confidence while inwardly thanking Harry for such an amazing gift. The water was still choppy and the closer she got to the cave, the harder it was to keep her footing. Her muscles started to ache from the strain to keep her balanced. She could see the large crack opening into the cave the closer she got to approaching the cliffs. At the top of the largest part of crack, she could see an almost shimmering, the way a geode looks when opened. The closer she got to the opening, the more the water seem to slap around almost like it was trying to fight her. One wave actually knocked into her, soaking her back and pushed her onto a hard surface in the water at the base of the cliffs in front of her. As the water receded she looked at her feet and could see she was on a small landing. Directly in front of her was the entrance to the cave. Once again, the hourglass pulsated on her chest so she closed her eyes and took a deep breath and listened for the small beat that was in perfect rhythm with her heart and then opened her eyes with determination and kept going.
When she got to the entrance she could almost feel and hear a slight ringing hum. It gave her a feeling of almost a shining melody that she couldnât even hear that filled her with a longing to go closer. With each step that longing grew. As she passed under the entrance she got a feeling of peace but it didnât feel ârightâ. She knew she needed to focus on the beat again so she closed her eyes and found it and started tapping her fingers on the side of her leg with the beat so she could keep her focus in tact as the strange feeling kept trying to mist over her body.
Surrounding her in the cave were thousands of crystal like structures embedded into the walls. They were absolutely stunning. So many colors glistened and shimmered around her made by crystals of opal, citrine, and rose quartz. Even the ground seemed to be embedded with iridescent fractures. The further Midori walked, the darker it became but the crystals still shimmered some, lighting her way a bit. Up ahead she could hear what had to be a source of water so she followed the tell tell sound until she came upon brighter area. The brighter area turned out to be a waterfall. Had she reached a dead end already???
Midori walked the length of the waterfall searching for some kind of sign of where to go next. The hourglass made the strange little pulse reminding her of her other quest but she knew finding Cephlobotâs friends had to come first. Right in the middle of the waterfall there seemed to be almost a glowing arch-like structure behind the wall of water. Well what is a quest without a little bit of risk, Midori thought to herself. Harnessing all of her strength she plunged in fearlessly. She could feel the pounding of water all over her body as she went through, though it was strangely warmer than she had anticipated. Once she reached the other side and started to get her bearings again, she noticed how warm it was when she had come out. It almost felt like the sauna at Lunaâs.
In front of her was the glowing crystal like arch structure. All the colors that she had seen when she had entered the cave were embedded into the arch. She could not see what was through the archway though as the entire middle almost looked glass-like with a kind of mirror quality to it. Midori reached out to touch it and the hourglass pulsed once more so she pulled back. She decided to see if her map was still intact after all the water figuring it had been destroyed but as she pulled it out of her pocket it was surprisingly OK. She could see the other destination was quite literally almost right where she was standing. The destination on her map looked like a large shard of crystal. Once again renewing her confidence she figured she had to be heading in the right direction of not only her original quest but also her side quest of finding Cephlobotâs friends. She reached out once more to touch the center of the archway and instead of hitting a hard substance the way it looked, it felt strangely fluid but when she looked at her hand, it wasnât wet. With all her fingers in tact, she had to figure it was safe enough to walk through, so without further hesitation she did just that. As she walked through she felt a slight warm sensation at the top of her right leg. She put her hand in her pocket and could feel the small opal heart that Cephlobot had given her. It was unexplainably warm to the touch, just adding more strangeness to this day.
When she lifted her head, to take in her new surroundings, her heart nearly burst out of her chest. There they were!!!! All 7 Cephlobotâs friends were here!!! She immediately cried out, âOh my God, I found you!â, but no one seemed to hear her. As she walked closer to them, she could see that they were all standing in a circle around a very large greenish yellow crystal in the center. The crystal was at least 6 feet tall, and it almost seemed to be corroding like a caustic chemical. All of the lost friends seem to be in a trance as they were all facing this dark crystal. Their eyes were glazed over and there was a strange ray of light that followed their eyes to the center of the crystal. This was definitely no ordinary crystal.
Midori cautiously walked a little closer to it and could see parts of the crystal were etched with script. The largest words read âPower to the Playersâ. Circling around the strange dark crystal were more words. Not wanting to get too close, Midori carefully circled around to read them at what she could only hope was a safe distance. The etchings read, âHere lies the
âŚWithout it, corrosion of this world is inevitableâŚOnly friendship will slow corrosionâŚWorking together is key âŚA true hero will know what to do with his heart.â
Well that seemed a lot like what Villager had told her. It seemed so long ago now and Midori started feeling the weight of her tiredness. Right on cue, the hourglass once again started pulsating. She was running out of time. She looked again at the strange dark crystal and the words etched there. Where it read here lies the, she could see the heart shape seemed to be cut out. She knew right then what she had to do. She put her hand into her pocket and felt the warm opal heart there. She had no doubt now where it had to have come from and knew exactly what to do with it. She made her way to the dark crystal with newfound purpose and placed the small opal heart into the shape of the crystal. The pulsing of the hourglass stopped and a new light burst through the crystal and all went white for a few seconds. When the light started to recede, she could see the crystal starting to change color into an iridescent pearl-like color. The fracturing beams of light surrounded it going brighter towards all of the lost friends.
When the lights dimmed, the glazed look in the lost friendsâ eyes went away. Midori could see them slightly shaking their heads as they crept back into awareness. She asked them if they were OK and the little blue squirrel looked around at the rest and answered that she thought so. Midori then introduced herself and told them why she came. The little squirrel said her name was Ione, and then introduced her friends. There was a funny looking monkey named Tiansheng, a regal looking eagle named Quinn, a spiffy little hamster named Marlo, a scientific type mouse named Petri, a beautiful goat named Shino, and lastly an adorable bunny named Sasha. Everyone started talking at once trying to tell Midori the story of how they ended up there. Sasha came up and immediately hugged her thanking her for helping them. Midori felt an immediate connection with him for some reason and told him that it was her pleasure. He then explained that he and Ione had come across this cave while exploring a while back and wanted to bring back a group to see if they thought they could inhabit there, thinking it would keep them a little safer from the weather elements. When they had found it the first time, Ione had been reading the large pearl-like crystal and when she touched the heart, it had come out in her hands. Sasha had told her, he thought she should put it back, but Ione insisted that she just knew the reason it fell out was because she was supposed to give it to Cephlobot. When they got back to camp she to gave it to Cephlobot because she was the heart of their group. She had no idea, that taking the heart from the crystal would turn it so badly. When they came back with a larger group, Ione took them all the way in so they could see the fantastic crystal there. When they got there the crystal had changed to that greenish color And when she went to touch where the heart had been, something happened and they all went into the trance that Midori had found them in.
As the group all got together to make their way back home to their camp, Midori could see how relieved they all seemed to get back to their friends. Once again, they went through the archway and under the waterfall. When the waterfall was behind them, they could see they were no longer in the cave. They were now in someplace new. It wasnât new to Midori. She had been here before. She could see the rock like structures in the circle with Villager in the middle. Her new friends were all crying out exclamations of the same type of worry. Where in the world were they. Midori told them she had been there before and went ahead and grabbed her map because she could once again feel the pulse of the hourglass starting up. Without even knowing, she had been on a new path to the last destination. On the map the last destination looked like a tiny outline of Villager.
Even though Midori knew she was on a timer, she needed to explain to her new lost friends the reason she had come in the first place. That she had been on a quest to save her island. She told them that the statue in front of them had told her she needed to find two new friends to take back with her to her island to keep it from going into an endless slumber. He is the one that sent her on this quest but when she met Cephlobot, she knew she had to veer from that quest to get them back home. Sasha walked over to Midori and told her he would be honored to come live on her island with her. He explained that from the very first moment they spoke, he felt an instant connection with her and honestly really just did not want to leave her side. Tears came to Midoriâs eyes as she wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. After, everyone started talking at once, offering to come with her as well. While Midori would love for them all to come with her, she had to explain that Villager had told her she could only bring two. She also explained that she couldnât just take all of Cephlobotâs friends from her without her knowing what had happened as she knew their other friends had been so worried after they had disappeared. Ione then stepped forward and told the group that it had to be her. She had been the reason they had all become lost and she knew she needed to be the one to go with Midori.
The hourglass started pulsing faster so Midori looked up and touched Villager and said she found her two. Nothing happened, but the pulsing quickened. She looked at the lost friends questioningly and told them she didnât know what else to do. Sasha then placed his hand on villager and said he wanted to be the Amiibo to go live with Midori. The statue then started to glow, so Ione did the same. Villager grew brighter still so Midori placed her hand on him as well and once again said she had found her 2 new amiibo friends. A bright light filled the area blinding all that was there and when it dimmed, Midori could see that everyone except Sasha and Ione were gone. Well that put her in a complete panic until villager started whispering around her once again, telling her that they were sent back to the Targâet Tree to be with Cephlobot and the rest.
She then asked what would happen to her, Sasha and Ione and he explained that all they had to do was go back through the archway to go home. Midori then thanked Villager for all his help and for sending her on this quest to save Seclusia. She learned so much on her journey about helping others and putting others before herself. He then told her, that she was the key to bringing joy to her island and he hoped that she would always remember that. Midori then took Sashaâs and Ioneâs hand and together, they stepped through the arch.
As Midori stepped through the arch, she could once again hear the same muffled voice from her dream. âI found them!â, it said. It was so quick and then it was gone. She could also hear a small beat from the Dootoid and she could feel herself returning to her regular feeling self. She could hear Luna in the background calling her name. As she opened her eyes, she could no longer feel Sashaâs or Ioneâs hands. Sadness filled her as she realized they werenât with her anymore. Tears streamed down her face as she asked Luna if she knew where they were. Luna, having not been with her, had no idea what she was talking about. Midori was in such a state of panic that Luna didnât know what to do. She kept telling her that it was all in her subconscious mind. Midori insisted that it had been real. She helped Midori up out of the bed and led her out of the room. She figured maybe Tom Nook would know what to do to help calm Midori down and maybe once she could see that they were out of the hypnotic dream that she would be ok again. When they went into Tomâs office, Tom let out a sigh of relief. He told Midori that she had been getting calls all morning about two new villagers that wanted to come live there but there was no space. He needed to know if anybody had been wanting to move, but he had been so busy this morning that he had no idea who to even ask. Luna then chimed in that 2 of their residents, Chelsea and Cyd, had just told her this morning that they had the itch to go wander and had canceled their appointments with her. As Midori tuned in to what Tom and Luna were saying, she realized that this may be a key to the locked place where she had just been. She asked him if he got their names, and he said yes, their names were Sasha and Ione. Midori exclaimed, âYES! We need them to come here as soon as possible!!! They are going to save our island!â Tom Nook just kind of chuckled and told Midori to stop being so dramatic. He told her he would call them back at once. Midori realized then that nobody really knew how close Seclusia had come to going into an endless slumber. She knew she would never be able to explain it to Tom and have him understand fully without thinking she was crazy. She then turned to Luna and told her that they definitely needed to discuss where she had just been in her subconscious journey but that there were a few things she needed to take care of first and could they make an appointment for the next morning. Luna said of course, as she wanted to hear all about the subconscious journey Midori went on. Midori then told Tom to please bring their new residents to Lunaâs when they got there.
Midori set out to go visit Chelsea first. When she got to her house, the door was open and Chelsea was surrounded by boxes. Midori walked in and went to give Chelsea a big hug and told her she would miss her. Chelsea then told her that she had had a dream that she needed to go find a group of new friends and help them make a new town. When she had been on her way to Lunaâs to talk about this dream, she had run into Cyd, and he had told her he had had the same dream. They didnât know where they were going, but they knew they had to go together. Midori knew she didnât need to explain where she had been as Chelsea probably would think she was nutzoid, but she knew where they were going to end up. She told Chelsea then, to tell her new friends that she said hello. (She would let them explain it to her.) After another quick hug, she said goodbye and went to go visit Cyd. Cyd was still packing up his drum set, when Midori walked through his door. She ran over to give him a huge hug as he had always been one of her favorites and told him she would miss him terribly, but she knew he was going to end up in a very awesome place and she wished him luck. She also told him that she was very very glad that he and Chelsea were going to be traveling together.
Midori ran into Filbert on her way back to her house and told him that she loved him and she would talk to him tomorrow, but she really needed to sleep. She was so exhausted. She fell into an absolute dreamless slumber that night and slept for a solid 12 hours.
When she got up the next day she headed straight to Lunaâs. Luna was so excited to hear all about her journey. It took two solid hours for Midori to explain the entire thing, leaving Luna completely speechless. Luna then explained to Midori how hard it was to get her back. She had been trying for hours because once they had started she was very afraid that Midori was going to get stuck in that subconscious state, so when Midori had finally opened her eyes, she had felt overwhelming relief. Midori also told her that her Dootoidâs beat is what kept her grounded. Right then, there was a knock on the door. Tom nook walked in with their two new villagers. Sasha and Ione looked around with slight fear in their eyes until they saw Midori. Recognition then lit up on their faces. Midori went over reached out for their hands and asked them if they knew who she was and they both replied of course. She was the reason they were there.
After the dream started to fade from her consciousness she started stretching her extremely sore muscles. The ache was intense as she stretched each limb but the more she stretched, the better she felt. Her brain still seemed foggy though so she knew her first stop for the day would be to Brewsters for some much needed coffee.
After donning her favorite Galaxy hoody and worn out jeans, she went to go fix her hair when there was a knock on her door. Her bestie, Filbert, called her name and let himself in (as her bestie, he knows he can do this). He seemed frazzled as could be and was talking absolute gibberish about some dream heâd had, but when he mentioned the word, Amiibo, she turned so fast that she accidentally knocked into her dresser causing her hourglass to hit the floor and shatter into a bazillion pieces.
Poor Filbert jumped a mile at this, which would have normally made Midori laugh, but she couldnât take her eyes away from the gold sand all over her floor. It seemed to almost have a face shape to it. Once she shook off that crazy feeling, (goodness, seeing faces in the sand), she turned back to Filbert and asked him to repeat what he had just said about his dream. He told her that he could hear voices in his dream. They almost sounded like they were coming from a padded noise canceling room but he could still hear someone, sounding like a female, talking about something called Amiibos and how they could be the key to saving Seclusia from extinction. How in the world had these 2 dreamed about the same thing???
Midori knew then that her coffee would have to wait, so after she gave Filbert a quick hug, she headed off to see Luna, the dream specialist, instead. Praying that Luna wasnât booked solid with appointments, Midori started towards the town rec center still holding onto the foreboding feeling her dream had left her with. Walking into Lunaâs almost always puts Midori into a sleepy state with the heavy incense and thin fabric covered lights. She called out Lunaâs name with such a panicked edge to her voice, that Luna rushed over and almost tripped over her meditation mat. Midori immediately started questioning Luna on the possibility of 2 different beings having such similar dreams and could there possibly be any truth in them and does she have any available appointment times to discuss this further. Well it just so happened that Luna did have 2 cancelations that morning so she could see Midori right then and they could discuss this plaguing dream that seemed to have her so unhinged.
After discussing how different this particular dream had been for Midori, and how strange it was that Filbert seemed to have had such a similar dream, Luna suggested they try an experimental hypnosis approach that might help to make sense of this strange new word, Amiibo, and why it seemed to be the key to Seclusiaâs survival to Midori. Luna had to warn Midori though. This particular type of hypnosis could put her in such a deep sleep, that regular awakening triggers might not work making Luna a bit unsure that this kind of risk should be taken over a dream. Hesitantly, Midori had to agree. What the heck had she been about to do! Over a stupid dream for pityâs sake! After thanking Luna for her time, she headed out the door to go finally get some much needed caffeine (while inwardly scolding herself on being such a ninny), when she smacked right into Celeste.
It was a bit odd, seeing Celeste during the daylight hours as she has always been a bit of a night owl. Celeste, however, greeted her warmly while smoothing out her slightly ruffled feathers from their collision and then went on excitedly to explain her daytime wandering. She told Midori that she had been running around town talking to residents all morning and had been about to head her way to to tell her to be sure to watch the sun for a fantastically rare solar eclipse that only happens every 115 years. Celeste, being the dreamer of all things astrological went on to say that this phenomenon would guarantee to open her third eye and reveal gates to a whole new world of possibilities. Midori couldnât help but think that this very strange and rare event might have something to do with these dreams. After considering this for a moment, she high tailed it back to Luna.
Midori burst through the door and called Lunaâs name. Luna had had a gut feeling that Midori would be back sooner rather than later. Midori then explained to her that she just knew something terrible was going to happen if she didnât explore this dream further. If Luna had a way to dive into Midoriâs deep conscious then maybe they could get some answers on what was going on and if these dreams were somehow connected with this strange solar phenomenon about to happen. Luna reiterated to Midori of the risks to a sleep this deep but Midori was adamant. Confident about her decision, Midori went and laid down on the Hypnosis Dream bed ready to get started. Though a little bit hesitant at first, Luna started readying the room for this highly experimental procedure. She dimmed the lights, put on some calming music, and lit some incense (knowing it would calm her own nerves as well) and took a deep breath that centered her to her core. Then she walked over to her small collection of gyroids and tapped on her Dootoid. His sound would give Midori something to concentrate on. She then took out a small handheld light, no bigger than a pen and told Midori to take 10 deep breathâs and focus on the Dootoidâs sound. At breath number 4, Luna turned on her handheld light and lightly shined it near Midoriâs eyes in a pattern that mimicked the Dootoidâs beat. By Midoriâs 7th breath, her breathing slowed. By the 9th breath, her body had relaxed. At the 10th breath a strange new light appeared not only behind Midoriâs eyes but filled the entire room with a strange dark light that Luna couldnât understand. She had to assume it was the solar eclipse that Celeste had been rattling on about earlier but she knew she couldnât break her concentration while doing such an experimental procedure or she may not be able to get Midori back from her deep subconscious trance.
Midori could feel the weight lift as her conscious mind submerged into unconsciousness. As her body started to relax giving her a slight falling feeling, she knew she was heading towards something new. When the falling finally caught up with her, she experienced a weightlessness that she could not explain. She gave herself a moment to feel her surroundings and take in this brief moment of unexplainable peace. She was afraid to open her eyes but not the same way she had been afraid when she woke up that morning. She didnât want to lose the feeling she had in that moment, but she knew she needed answers so she slowly opened her eyes. The magical wonder that appeared before her eyes was heartstopping. She was surrounded by a swirling lilac mist that went on as far as the eyes could see. In front of her was an archway made of beautiful glowing vines with tiny purple flowers that seemed to shimmer. She knew that she needed to walk through that archway but she couldnât help but wonder what else surrounded her and desperately wanted to explore its entirety. She appeared to have a hard time focusing and she couldnât take her eyes off of the beauty she was enveloped in. In the distance she could hear a small noise that seem to have a beat to it and she vaguely remembered that she was supposed to focus on that. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes and listened to that light echo of a beat for a moment and after a few seconds, her awareness returned to her. She took one more deep breath and started towards the archway knowing if she looked back one more time that she might lose her purpose again.
As she stepped under the archway, she could see the swirling lilac mist dissipate some, making the area inside the archway a little more clear. Inside the area was a circle of large rocks surrounded by glowing vines, strange looking mushrooms and it almost seemed like things were scurrying around but for some reason she could not see what they were. Behind the large circle of rocks was a gorgeous waterfall. When she focused more she could see a smaller circle of large rocks with some kind of statue in the center. She took a few more steps in so she could get a better look at that statue. It was beautiful. It almost looked like her but different.
The statue seemed to be a male villager wearing a red shirt with a # 1 on it. The whole statue had an almost gold iridescent gleam to it and Midori recognized the face immediately. It was the face she saw in the gold sand on her floor when her hourglass broke. She wanted a closer look so she stepped forward a few steps and peered into the face of the statue. Knowing it was just a statue she felt silly but she had to ask; who are you? All the sudden the scurrying around her got quicker but she still could not pinpoint what it was on the ground that was moving. She seemed to only get a glimpse of what seemed to be pointed almost triangles of different colors that quickly disappeared behind trees. As she focused into the center of the rock formation, the gold iridescence of the statue all the sudden got a little brighter; almost pulsating. A whispering sound that seem to surround her on all sides said âI am the first. My name is Villager and I am the first Amiibo.â Midori knew then she had made the right choice to come here. She knew in her heart that she was going to get the answers that she desperately needed.
She asked if Seclusia was in danger and Villager answered yes. Then she asked the question. The question that made her come here. What is an Amiibo. What does it have to do with Seclusia. Villager then told her that long ago he came to a new leaf town called Birdsong. He came when it was close to extinction as well and because of him the town survived. Because of him, new faces were able to be seen and if they liked it they could come live there. The town which had previously been choked by weeds with empty houses where happy neighbors used to live, now abandoned, began to thrive. Midori then asked if such a thing could happen to her beloved Seclusia and how could she stop it. He told her the only way to keep that from happening is to find 2 new faces to live there and bring back the joy so the island would not fall into slumber. It just so happens he said he knew of 16 friends who were thinking of traveling that had the ability to become an Amiibo like him. Villager told Midori that it would not be an easy quest to find just the right two and there would be many obstacles to face and she might even find some help along the way, but if she truly believed in herself, she might be able to save Seclusia.
He asked if she was ready for such a quest and if so, she needed to know one last thing. He told her she would need a very specific map and this very special hourglass. This hourglass would turn itself every time she reached a marked destination on the map. The hourglass would let her know how much time she had to find what she was looking for every place she went. Midori took another deep breath and accepted Villagerâs Quest. The Villager then turned a bright gold and 2 things appeared at his feet. Midori bent down to pick them up and opened the two gifts that he had left to her. One was indeed the map that she would need for this journey. The other gift, what she thought would be an hourglass similar to the one in her house that had broken, turned out to be a tiny thing. The hourglass, no bigger than a thimble, was attached to a fine gold chain, that Midori immediately put around her neck for safe keeping. She took one more look around so she could keep the beauty of this place etched in her memory forever and then walked back out the archway, map in hand.
As Midori stepped out of the archway, head down looking at her map, she didnât notice that where she stepped out was not where she was earlier before she stepped into the archway. The lilac purple mist was gone, and there was a shimmering brick path in front of her. She did not see this at first, because she was intently looking at the map in her hands. It was definitely no ordinary nap. The regular signs were there; the compass at the top, the lines indicating the roads, and small symbols representing her destinations, but there were also footsteps. Footsteps that seem to appear when she was walking. They would slightly fade after a couple of steps. It was mesmerizing. When she finally lifted her head expecting to see the lilac swirling mist around her, the scene before her made her turn around so quickly that she practically got whiplash. What she was looking for was the archway, but it was already starting to fade. She knew she would not be able to go back in and ask where she had just been transported to. The area around her seemed brighter, almost sparkly the way that the flowers in the grass shimmered. The trees almost had a glowing quality to them and in front of her was a road that looked like it was made of opal. By her map, she knew this was the road she would need to take to the first destination. The first destination on the map showed two red circles, one larger one with a smaller one inside of it. She took a deep breath, and said to herself that she could do this, and then she started listening for that tiny beat that seem to be in perfect rhythm with her heart.
She put 1 foot in front of her, seeing the step on the map and started on her way. The beautiful land that surrounded her filled her was such a peaceful joy, that she honestly thought of giving up this quest and just staying put. She knew she couldnât do this, but oh my word, to live in a land this beautiful seemed like a dream come true. After walking a bit, she came upon a small clearing to her right. There were glowing mushrooms surrounding a small pond and there was a hippo, soaked to the bone, throwing a tantrum about some thing. She knew she needed to keep moving but sheâs always been one to help someone in need. She quickly checked the hourglass around her neck, and it didnât seem any different than when she put it on, So at least she knew she wasnât racing against some timer. She slowly walked towards the hippo, cautiously, as she didnât want to startle him. When she got close enough, but not too close, she called out asking if he needed some help? He quickly turned to her with surprise and let out a huge sigh. He told her that he had been looking for some herbs for a potion he was making and he had been out for a long time so when he saw the pond, he knew he wanted to jump in. What he didnât think about was everything in his satchel that he had been carrying and he just jumped on in with everything. He lost his grimoire with all of his spells and herbology identifiers to drenching. Everything was soaked. Midori then introduced herself and told him she would be more than happy to help him dry the pages and see if any of them could be salvaged. He told her his name was Harry and that he would be eternally grateful for her help. It took them a bit, but they managed to separate everything and got them drying by placing them on a couple of boulders with rocks on top of them to keep them weighted down. She knew she needed to keep on her quest so she told Harry that it was time for her to go but that she hoped everything would be OK. When she showed Harry her map, he told her that he knew the area she was heading into next and to watch out for pikipeks, which are small birds that like to swoop down and peck at shiny things. He then thanked her profusely and told her he had to give her a gift for helping him. He told her to take off her shoes, which she did and he put these mushroom liners inside. He told her they were his own invention and they would keep her feet cushy for her long quest ahead. Midori had to laugh a little and thanked him for such a unique gift. As she headed out of the clearing, she could already feel a huge difference in comfort.
She walked for a couple of miles while periodically checking her map and could see she was approaching the area with the 2 red circles. The opalescent path appeared to be heading into a wooded area. As she entered what could only be a forest, she felt a slight humming vibration on her chest, and when she looked, she could see gold dust shimmering at the top of her hourglass. With her being so close to her first destination, she had to assume the hourglass timer was beginning. She didnât want to take up too much time watching it but she knew she needed to see how fast the sand was descending. It seem to only be a slight trickle so hopefully that would give her enough time to reach her destination. She then looked at where she was and realized it was quite dark, but there were glowing mushrooms sprinkled around the path that she was on and in between the trees, lighting her way. As she walked she could hear rustling in the trees. After a couple of minutes, something swooped down and pecked her right in the middle of her chest. Luckily, it did not hurt that much. The culprit seemed to be the little bird, pikipek, that Harry had told her about. She knew then she would have to move her hourglass out of sight so she put it under her hoodie for a better safekeeping knowing she would have to pull it out occasionally to check the time left on it. Once she got back to walking she felt a small pulse at her chest so she pulled the hourglass back out for a moment and it seemed to be at half full. By her map, it seemed she was almost to her destination with the two red circles.
She kept a steady pace and as she got closer to the 2 red circles on her map, she could see that further out, the trees become more sparse and through them a range of cliffs and boulders in the distance surrounded by water could be seen. Once again, she felt a little pulse in her chest so she checked the hour glass once more and seemed to only have one quarter of her time left. Trying not to panic, she quickened her pace some and started closing in on the area with the 2 red circles on her map. Just up ahead, and a little to the left, she could see something; something that definitely looked like it didnât belong where she was. What she could see was a round silver head with six legs and two arms and it appeared to be chopping wood. She took a few steps closer, though a little afraid of what she was seeing, it sparked her interest. This being looked a lot like one of the villagers on her friendâs island. Her friend had a villager named Marina and she was an octopus. This being that she spied could only be an octopus but it seemed to be made of metal! She walked a little bit closer and the being seemed to sense her presence and called out in a strange raspy voice that could only be male, âIs that you, Faith?â Midori answered that she was not Faith, and that her name was Midori and she was on a quest. As she approached, the metal octopusâs eyes lit up in what could only be smile. âOh!!!!, he cried, I just knew we would get a special visitor today! My friend, Azalea told me last night that she wished upon a star, that we would meet someone new today!!! My name is Cephlobot! How can I help you?â The pulsing starting ticking faster on her chest so she kept walking to this new welcoming stranger and right as she stepped in front of her she could see it. There on the tree behind Cephlobot were 2 red circles. Midori cried out, âThatâs it!â, and reached out to touch them. Cephlobot, gave her a quizzical look as he could not quite comprehend what in the world Midori was doing. As Midori touched the 2 circles, the hourglass stopped vibrating.
Cephlobot, chuckled under his breath and said, âI see you are familiar with our Targâet Tree?â Midori replied back âWhat is a âTarshjayâ Tree?â Cephlobot, than went to explain that the Targâet Tree was where they all met each other. He and his other villager friends all woke up one morning under that tree and had to build a life out there from scratch. They all work together doing different jobs to guarantee each otherâs survival. He went on to explain that they each had such very different personalities but that she was the heart. âAfter all, Cephlobot said, itâs an Amiiboâs job to bring joy to the world theyâre in!â Midoriâs eyes grew as big as sand dollars. âYouâre an Amiibo?!?!â Cephlobot told her absolutely. They all were. Midori then had to ask the question. The reason SHE was there. Would Cephlobot like to come live with her on Seclusia and help save her island. Cephlobot then had to explain that while he was honored by Midoriâs request, his place was here. When she had woken up by the Targâet Tree, he had felt empty, but after meeting all of the other Amiibos that he showed up with, she sort of became their caring leader. He could never leave them behind and the ones that still remained there would never ever leave either. Cephlobot, with a sad faraway look, told Midori, that a few had left on a mission but they had never come back. They had been heading to another area to check the habitat and had never returned. The ones that remained had sworn never to go there. He then pointed to the cliffs and told Midori, that that was where they had gone.
Midori made the decision then and there that that was where she was going to go. She was going to go rescue Cephlobotâs amiibo friends and bring them back and told him her plan. She knew it was the right thing to do. Cephlobot couldnât believe how selfless Midori turned out to be. She had been here on another quest and was giving it up just to help them! What a kind soul. He then told Midori to hold out her hand. In it, he placed his most prized possession; his heart shaped opal. He told her, one of his missing buddies had found it in a cave and and brought it to him knowing Cephlobot was the groupâs heart. That buddy was one of the missing. Tears came to Midoriâs eyes and she promised she would do her best to find them. After giving Cephlobot a quick hug, she turned around and headed towards the cliffs. Interestingly enough, even though she had decided to give up her quest for the moment to help Cephlobot, the pulsing started again around her neck and she knew that her hourglass and turned back on. She went ahead and brought out her map, and appeared to be walking in the direction of the next destination.
As the cliffs became larger in her view, she could see a large crack in the middle that had to be the cave that Cephlobotâs friends had been going to. Midori realized the water surrounding them might be a problem. She knew how to swim well, but the water looked extremely choppy as she watched it constantly hit the cliffs. How in the world would she be able to reach it??? At that moment, she felt the pulse of the hourglass and once again checked her time. She seemed to have around three quarters of her time left. She knew she would have to try to swim out to the cave. Midori tentatively put one foot in the water and got the strangest feeling. Her foot almost felt like it was floating. It kind of gave her an off balanced feeling and instinctively put her other foot in. The result was so completely unexpected. As both feet found their âfootingâ they were not on the water bed. She was standing on top of the water!!! Not completely on top, as the soles of her shoes seemed to be an inch or 2 below the top of the water line, but she was standing ON the water. It almost felt squishy. As she was wondering how in the world this could be possible, she remembered the mushroom insoles that Harry had given her. She could not believe her luck that they let her stand in the water like this. She decided to test that luck and took a couple of steps and it almost felt like she was walking on marshmallows. Wow, what an unbelievably cool feeling! She started heading towards the cave with a new feeling of confidence while inwardly thanking Harry for such an amazing gift. The water was still choppy and the closer she got to the cave, the harder it was to keep her footing. Her muscles started to ache from the strain to keep her balanced. She could see the large crack opening into the cave the closer she got to approaching the cliffs. At the top of the largest part of crack, she could see an almost shimmering, the way a geode looks when opened. The closer she got to the opening, the more the water seem to slap around almost like it was trying to fight her. One wave actually knocked into her, soaking her back and pushed her onto a hard surface in the water at the base of the cliffs in front of her. As the water receded she looked at her feet and could see she was on a small landing. Directly in front of her was the entrance to the cave. Once again, the hourglass pulsated on her chest so she closed her eyes and took a deep breath and listened for the small beat that was in perfect rhythm with her heart and then opened her eyes with determination and kept going.
When she got to the entrance she could almost feel and hear a slight ringing hum. It gave her a feeling of almost a shining melody that she couldnât even hear that filled her with a longing to go closer. With each step that longing grew. As she passed under the entrance she got a feeling of peace but it didnât feel ârightâ. She knew she needed to focus on the beat again so she closed her eyes and found it and started tapping her fingers on the side of her leg with the beat so she could keep her focus in tact as the strange feeling kept trying to mist over her body.
Surrounding her in the cave were thousands of crystal like structures embedded into the walls. They were absolutely stunning. So many colors glistened and shimmered around her made by crystals of opal, citrine, and rose quartz. Even the ground seemed to be embedded with iridescent fractures. The further Midori walked, the darker it became but the crystals still shimmered some, lighting her way a bit. Up ahead she could hear what had to be a source of water so she followed the tell tell sound until she came upon brighter area. The brighter area turned out to be a waterfall. Had she reached a dead end already???
Midori walked the length of the waterfall searching for some kind of sign of where to go next. The hourglass made the strange little pulse reminding her of her other quest but she knew finding Cephlobotâs friends had to come first. Right in the middle of the waterfall there seemed to be almost a glowing arch-like structure behind the wall of water. Well what is a quest without a little bit of risk, Midori thought to herself. Harnessing all of her strength she plunged in fearlessly. She could feel the pounding of water all over her body as she went through, though it was strangely warmer than she had anticipated. Once she reached the other side and started to get her bearings again, she noticed how warm it was when she had come out. It almost felt like the sauna at Lunaâs.
In front of her was the glowing crystal like arch structure. All the colors that she had seen when she had entered the cave were embedded into the arch. She could not see what was through the archway though as the entire middle almost looked glass-like with a kind of mirror quality to it. Midori reached out to touch it and the hourglass pulsed once more so she pulled back. She decided to see if her map was still intact after all the water figuring it had been destroyed but as she pulled it out of her pocket it was surprisingly OK. She could see the other destination was quite literally almost right where she was standing. The destination on her map looked like a large shard of crystal. Once again renewing her confidence she figured she had to be heading in the right direction of not only her original quest but also her side quest of finding Cephlobotâs friends. She reached out once more to touch the center of the archway and instead of hitting a hard substance the way it looked, it felt strangely fluid but when she looked at her hand, it wasnât wet. With all her fingers in tact, she had to figure it was safe enough to walk through, so without further hesitation she did just that. As she walked through she felt a slight warm sensation at the top of her right leg. She put her hand in her pocket and could feel the small opal heart that Cephlobot had given her. It was unexplainably warm to the touch, just adding more strangeness to this day.
When she lifted her head, to take in her new surroundings, her heart nearly burst out of her chest. There they were!!!! All 7 Cephlobotâs friends were here!!! She immediately cried out, âOh my God, I found you!â, but no one seemed to hear her. As she walked closer to them, she could see that they were all standing in a circle around a very large greenish yellow crystal in the center. The crystal was at least 6 feet tall, and it almost seemed to be corroding like a caustic chemical. All of the lost friends seem to be in a trance as they were all facing this dark crystal. Their eyes were glazed over and there was a strange ray of light that followed their eyes to the center of the crystal. This was definitely no ordinary crystal.
Midori cautiously walked a little closer to it and could see parts of the crystal were etched with script. The largest words read âPower to the Playersâ. Circling around the strange dark crystal were more words. Not wanting to get too close, Midori carefully circled around to read them at what she could only hope was a safe distance. The etchings read, âHere lies the
âŚWithout it, corrosion of this world is inevitableâŚOnly friendship will slow corrosionâŚWorking together is key âŚA true hero will know what to do with his heart.âWell that seemed a lot like what Villager had told her. It seemed so long ago now and Midori started feeling the weight of her tiredness. Right on cue, the hourglass once again started pulsating. She was running out of time. She looked again at the strange dark crystal and the words etched there. Where it read here lies the
, she could see the heart shape seemed to be cut out. She knew right then what she had to do. She put her hand into her pocket and felt the warm opal heart there. She had no doubt now where it had to have come from and knew exactly what to do with it. She made her way to the dark crystal with newfound purpose and placed the small opal heart into the shape of the crystal. The pulsing of the hourglass stopped and a new light burst through the crystal and all went white for a few seconds. When the light started to recede, she could see the crystal starting to change color into an iridescent pearl-like color. The fracturing beams of light surrounded it going brighter towards all of the lost friends.When the lights dimmed, the glazed look in the lost friendsâ eyes went away. Midori could see them slightly shaking their heads as they crept back into awareness. She asked them if they were OK and the little blue squirrel looked around at the rest and answered that she thought so. Midori then introduced herself and told them why she came. The little squirrel said her name was Ione, and then introduced her friends. There was a funny looking monkey named Tiansheng, a regal looking eagle named Quinn, a spiffy little hamster named Marlo, a scientific type mouse named Petri, a beautiful goat named Shino, and lastly an adorable bunny named Sasha. Everyone started talking at once trying to tell Midori the story of how they ended up there. Sasha came up and immediately hugged her thanking her for helping them. Midori felt an immediate connection with him for some reason and told him that it was her pleasure. He then explained that he and Ione had come across this cave while exploring a while back and wanted to bring back a group to see if they thought they could inhabit there, thinking it would keep them a little safer from the weather elements. When they had found it the first time, Ione had been reading the large pearl-like crystal and when she touched the heart, it had come out in her hands. Sasha had told her, he thought she should put it back, but Ione insisted that she just knew the reason it fell out was because she was supposed to give it to Cephlobot. When they got back to camp she to gave it to Cephlobot because she was the heart of their group. She had no idea, that taking the heart from the crystal would turn it so badly. When they came back with a larger group, Ione took them all the way in so they could see the fantastic crystal there. When they got there the crystal had changed to that greenish color And when she went to touch where the heart had been, something happened and they all went into the trance that Midori had found them in.
As the group all got together to make their way back home to their camp, Midori could see how relieved they all seemed to get back to their friends. Once again, they went through the archway and under the waterfall. When the waterfall was behind them, they could see they were no longer in the cave. They were now in someplace new. It wasnât new to Midori. She had been here before. She could see the rock like structures in the circle with Villager in the middle. Her new friends were all crying out exclamations of the same type of worry. Where in the world were they. Midori told them she had been there before and went ahead and grabbed her map because she could once again feel the pulse of the hourglass starting up. Without even knowing, she had been on a new path to the last destination. On the map the last destination looked like a tiny outline of Villager.
Even though Midori knew she was on a timer, she needed to explain to her new lost friends the reason she had come in the first place. That she had been on a quest to save her island. She told them that the statue in front of them had told her she needed to find two new friends to take back with her to her island to keep it from going into an endless slumber. He is the one that sent her on this quest but when she met Cephlobot, she knew she had to veer from that quest to get them back home. Sasha walked over to Midori and told her he would be honored to come live on her island with her. He explained that from the very first moment they spoke, he felt an instant connection with her and honestly really just did not want to leave her side. Tears came to Midoriâs eyes as she wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. After, everyone started talking at once, offering to come with her as well. While Midori would love for them all to come with her, she had to explain that Villager had told her she could only bring two. She also explained that she couldnât just take all of Cephlobotâs friends from her without her knowing what had happened as she knew their other friends had been so worried after they had disappeared. Ione then stepped forward and told the group that it had to be her. She had been the reason they had all become lost and she knew she needed to be the one to go with Midori.
The hourglass started pulsing faster so Midori looked up and touched Villager and said she found her two. Nothing happened, but the pulsing quickened. She looked at the lost friends questioningly and told them she didnât know what else to do. Sasha then placed his hand on villager and said he wanted to be the Amiibo to go live with Midori. The statue then started to glow, so Ione did the same. Villager grew brighter still so Midori placed her hand on him as well and once again said she had found her 2 new amiibo friends. A bright light filled the area blinding all that was there and when it dimmed, Midori could see that everyone except Sasha and Ione were gone. Well that put her in a complete panic until villager started whispering around her once again, telling her that they were sent back to the Targâet Tree to be with Cephlobot and the rest.
She then asked what would happen to her, Sasha and Ione and he explained that all they had to do was go back through the archway to go home. Midori then thanked Villager for all his help and for sending her on this quest to save Seclusia. She learned so much on her journey about helping others and putting others before herself. He then told her, that she was the key to bringing joy to her island and he hoped that she would always remember that. Midori then took Sashaâs and Ioneâs hand and together, they stepped through the arch.
As Midori stepped through the arch, she could once again hear the same muffled voice from her dream. âI found them!â, it said. It was so quick and then it was gone. She could also hear a small beat from the Dootoid and she could feel herself returning to her regular feeling self. She could hear Luna in the background calling her name. As she opened her eyes, she could no longer feel Sashaâs or Ioneâs hands. Sadness filled her as she realized they werenât with her anymore. Tears streamed down her face as she asked Luna if she knew where they were. Luna, having not been with her, had no idea what she was talking about. Midori was in such a state of panic that Luna didnât know what to do. She kept telling her that it was all in her subconscious mind. Midori insisted that it had been real. She helped Midori up out of the bed and led her out of the room. She figured maybe Tom Nook would know what to do to help calm Midori down and maybe once she could see that they were out of the hypnotic dream that she would be ok again. When they went into Tomâs office, Tom let out a sigh of relief. He told Midori that she had been getting calls all morning about two new villagers that wanted to come live there but there was no space. He needed to know if anybody had been wanting to move, but he had been so busy this morning that he had no idea who to even ask. Luna then chimed in that 2 of their residents, Chelsea and Cyd, had just told her this morning that they had the itch to go wander and had canceled their appointments with her. As Midori tuned in to what Tom and Luna were saying, she realized that this may be a key to the locked place where she had just been. She asked him if he got their names, and he said yes, their names were Sasha and Ione. Midori exclaimed, âYES! We need them to come here as soon as possible!!! They are going to save our island!â Tom Nook just kind of chuckled and told Midori to stop being so dramatic. He told her he would call them back at once. Midori realized then that nobody really knew how close Seclusia had come to going into an endless slumber. She knew she would never be able to explain it to Tom and have him understand fully without thinking she was crazy. She then turned to Luna and told her that they definitely needed to discuss where she had just been in her subconscious journey but that there were a few things she needed to take care of first and could they make an appointment for the next morning. Luna said of course, as she wanted to hear all about the subconscious journey Midori went on. Midori then told Tom to please bring their new residents to Lunaâs when they got there.
Midori set out to go visit Chelsea first. When she got to her house, the door was open and Chelsea was surrounded by boxes. Midori walked in and went to give Chelsea a big hug and told her she would miss her. Chelsea then told her that she had had a dream that she needed to go find a group of new friends and help them make a new town. When she had been on her way to Lunaâs to talk about this dream, she had run into Cyd, and he had told her he had had the same dream. They didnât know where they were going, but they knew they had to go together. Midori knew she didnât need to explain where she had been as Chelsea probably would think she was nutzoid, but she knew where they were going to end up. She told Chelsea then, to tell her new friends that she said hello. (She would let them explain it to her.) After another quick hug, she said goodbye and went to go visit Cyd. Cyd was still packing up his drum set, when Midori walked through his door. She ran over to give him a huge hug as he had always been one of her favorites and told him she would miss him terribly, but she knew he was going to end up in a very awesome place and she wished him luck. She also told him that she was very very glad that he and Chelsea were going to be traveling together.
Midori ran into Filbert on her way back to her house and told him that she loved him and she would talk to him tomorrow, but she really needed to sleep. She was so exhausted. She fell into an absolute dreamless slumber that night and slept for a solid 12 hours.
When she got up the next day she headed straight to Lunaâs. Luna was so excited to hear all about her journey. It took two solid hours for Midori to explain the entire thing, leaving Luna completely speechless. Luna then explained to Midori how hard it was to get her back. She had been trying for hours because once they had started she was very afraid that Midori was going to get stuck in that subconscious state, so when Midori had finally opened her eyes, she had felt overwhelming relief. Midori also told her that her Dootoidâs beat is what kept her grounded. Right then, there was a knock on the door. Tom nook walked in with their two new villagers. Sasha and Ione looked around with slight fear in their eyes until they saw Midori. Recognition then lit up on their faces. Midori went over reached out for their hands and asked them if they knew who she was and they both replied of course. She was the reason they were there.
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I tried my best! Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read it.
edit: edited because some things didn't carry over after being pasted from my word editor
"Chill. What has the mailbox done to you," asked Henry, cold and distracted, as he unraveled the paper wrapper from his melting sherbet icecream cone. Identical to the frog's chilled dessert, the sun brightened into impressive shades of pink and orange which spanned the afternoon sky. Diverse villagers; monkeys, sheep, birds, etc. entered and exited the town's convenience store, sitting neat at the bottom of a grassy hill. Cicadas whistled and moaned as a frog with impeccable lipstick left carrying two cherries and a watering can. The automatic doors closed behind her, filling the airwaves with abrupt, sing-songing chime.
"This isn't about the mailbox, Henry."
"Then what is it? What, pray tell, has turned my best dear into a drag? I thought you liked living on Mind Glow, Fuchsia. I know it isn't Mew Pork Kitty, but at least we have an arcade, and a reliable space where we can perform music."
"Am I the only deer you've ever met, Henry? We're nomadic. Exploration is in my blood, and predictability is for the frogs. I want to travel the world. Unlike an amphibian, who will live under any old rock, I'm going to disperse. I'm tired of waking up in the same place, of being found. I want to keep going," the deer stomped with unhinged drama.
Henry blushed, embarrassed by Fuchsia's intensity. "As if I'm 'any old frog,' you know I couldn't live under a rock. I'm claustrophobic, you know that. I'm not like my parents, Fuchsia." He checked his watch. "Speaking of, I told my dad I'd be at their place for fly cassoulet before 5:30, so I'll see you around. Don't get lost, okay Frodo? Or maybe do..."
"Whatever, Henry. Bye." Fuchsia waved, as she headed in the direction of home. Home...a 5'x5' square-shaped box. Four walls, and a roof that kept the outside from entering the inside. As she followed the familiar path, Fuchsia felt discouraged by the eerie similarity of the houses in the neighborhood. Gable rooftop, stucco finish. Cosmos-lined wooden fences containing manicured hedge. Brown house, pink house, blue house at end of cul-de-sac. Brown house, pink house, blue house at end of cul-de-sac. Brown house, pink house, mysterious dirt path at end of cul-de-sac. Fuschia paused, wondering what happened to the blue house, and more importantly, what was this peculiar dirt path that mysteriously appeared before her? Before she could react, a flashing green light grew from the path and advanced toward her. Now glowing herself, Fuschia was surrounded by viney growth, as red, purple, and blue wildflowers sprung from the soil.
"Oh dear, if it isn't a deer!" a red poppy spoke.
"What's a deer doing here? This dear wears a dress! She carries drumsticks! Peculiar deer..." added a towering bellflower, adorned with purple petals.
Wishing she could trade this new supernatural glow for the old LED advertisements, Fuchsia attempted to regain her senses, but before she could react, spirals of green growth and brilliant bloom enveloped the deer and propelled her forward into the trail. She could feel tugging vines reaching and pulling, as dull thorns and petals pricked at her fur. Suddenly, she felt the roots loosen.
She opened her eyes to find herself in the center of a wide, open meadow. Thick, leafy trees surrounded blankets of tall grass while blossoms swayed with the breeze. Crickets and other insects chirped and lurched through dancing foliage. Fuchsia headed toward a group of wildflowers who, compared to the last crowd, seemed unusually quiet.
"Ahem..." started Fuchsia, "h-hello..."
Nothing.
The wildflowers sat silently, as if judging the deer. Fuchsia pouted, wondering if her sanity had left her, when she heard a faint voice. She looked down to find a small, fuzzy, white moth wearing a black dress.
"Hi...it seems like you're having trouble, l-let me know if I can help," the moth said in an equally tiny, whispering voice.
"How did you know," wondered Fuchsia aloud.
"Well, you're talking to flowers..."
Raising a hoof, the deer covered her face and sighed with relief. "We'll talk about that later. I think I might be lost...can you tell me where I am?"
"Let's start here...my name is Silky," the moth lifted a claw to her chin.
"I'm Fuchsia. I'm from Mind Glow."
"Mind Glow...I've heard of it, I think. This is a meadow within a forest within an even greater forest. Since it's so rarely visited, it doesn't have a name. Because it doesn't have a name, it isn't marked on most maps. I'm here to gather rare bugs for an iguana...every summer, he hosts a Bug-Off, and this year I'm determined to win."
Fuchsia thought about the irony of a moth catching insects. Still, the deer felt strangely compelled to assist Silky on her bug-hunting adventure. She pulled out a pair of drumsticks, and focused on a buzzing menace. With swift precision, she joined the sticks together, pinching a large dragonfly between them. She placed the insect in a plastic cage, and handed it to Silky.
The moth beamed. "I knew you could do it! This is why I appointed you, Fuchsia. It's the reason we chose you," she motioned to the wildflowers, grinning with sparkling reassurance. "I knew if anyone could sense the banded dragonfly, it would be a neon deer with an acute sense of adventure. I guess this is why the woods brought you to us."
Fuchsia blinked with disbelief. Thinking it over, she laughed, slipping a smile. "Thanks for the invitation, Silky. What other adventures do you have in store?"
"No more today, I have a Bug-Off to catch in the morning, but I'll find you again when I need you."
The wildflowers expanded, growing in magnificent spirals that surrounded Fuchsia in bright efflorescence. She closed her eyes.
Fuchsia awakened to find herself back on the cul-de-sac. Approaching home, she thought excitedly about how she would re-tell the events of the evening to Henry. After all, what frog can resist a story of magic, adventure, and deception?
edit: edited because some things didn't carry over after being pasted from my word editor
Magic, Adventure, and Deception
"If I am to be blinded by one more stale LED advertisement, I think I'm going to scream," Fuchsia threatened as she hooved at a mailbox outside Nook's Cranny.
"Chill. What has the mailbox done to you," asked Henry, cold and distracted, as he unraveled the paper wrapper from his melting sherbet icecream cone. Identical to the frog's chilled dessert, the sun brightened into impressive shades of pink and orange which spanned the afternoon sky. Diverse villagers; monkeys, sheep, birds, etc. entered and exited the town's convenience store, sitting neat at the bottom of a grassy hill. Cicadas whistled and moaned as a frog with impeccable lipstick left carrying two cherries and a watering can. The automatic doors closed behind her, filling the airwaves with abrupt, sing-songing chime.
"This isn't about the mailbox, Henry."
"Then what is it? What, pray tell, has turned my best dear into a drag? I thought you liked living on Mind Glow, Fuchsia. I know it isn't Mew Pork Kitty, but at least we have an arcade, and a reliable space where we can perform music."
"Am I the only deer you've ever met, Henry? We're nomadic. Exploration is in my blood, and predictability is for the frogs. I want to travel the world. Unlike an amphibian, who will live under any old rock, I'm going to disperse. I'm tired of waking up in the same place, of being found. I want to keep going," the deer stomped with unhinged drama.
Henry blushed, embarrassed by Fuchsia's intensity. "As if I'm 'any old frog,' you know I couldn't live under a rock. I'm claustrophobic, you know that. I'm not like my parents, Fuchsia." He checked his watch. "Speaking of, I told my dad I'd be at their place for fly cassoulet before 5:30, so I'll see you around. Don't get lost, okay Frodo? Or maybe do..."
"Whatever, Henry. Bye." Fuchsia waved, as she headed in the direction of home. Home...a 5'x5' square-shaped box. Four walls, and a roof that kept the outside from entering the inside. As she followed the familiar path, Fuchsia felt discouraged by the eerie similarity of the houses in the neighborhood. Gable rooftop, stucco finish. Cosmos-lined wooden fences containing manicured hedge. Brown house, pink house, blue house at end of cul-de-sac. Brown house, pink house, blue house at end of cul-de-sac. Brown house, pink house, mysterious dirt path at end of cul-de-sac. Fuschia paused, wondering what happened to the blue house, and more importantly, what was this peculiar dirt path that mysteriously appeared before her? Before she could react, a flashing green light grew from the path and advanced toward her. Now glowing herself, Fuschia was surrounded by viney growth, as red, purple, and blue wildflowers sprung from the soil.
"Oh dear, if it isn't a deer!" a red poppy spoke.
"What's a deer doing here? This dear wears a dress! She carries drumsticks! Peculiar deer..." added a towering bellflower, adorned with purple petals.
Wishing she could trade this new supernatural glow for the old LED advertisements, Fuchsia attempted to regain her senses, but before she could react, spirals of green growth and brilliant bloom enveloped the deer and propelled her forward into the trail. She could feel tugging vines reaching and pulling, as dull thorns and petals pricked at her fur. Suddenly, she felt the roots loosen.
She opened her eyes to find herself in the center of a wide, open meadow. Thick, leafy trees surrounded blankets of tall grass while blossoms swayed with the breeze. Crickets and other insects chirped and lurched through dancing foliage. Fuchsia headed toward a group of wildflowers who, compared to the last crowd, seemed unusually quiet.
"Ahem..." started Fuchsia, "h-hello..."
Nothing.
The wildflowers sat silently, as if judging the deer. Fuchsia pouted, wondering if her sanity had left her, when she heard a faint voice. She looked down to find a small, fuzzy, white moth wearing a black dress.
"Hi...it seems like you're having trouble, l-let me know if I can help," the moth said in an equally tiny, whispering voice.
"How did you know," wondered Fuchsia aloud.
"Well, you're talking to flowers..."
Raising a hoof, the deer covered her face and sighed with relief. "We'll talk about that later. I think I might be lost...can you tell me where I am?"
"Let's start here...my name is Silky," the moth lifted a claw to her chin.
"I'm Fuchsia. I'm from Mind Glow."
"Mind Glow...I've heard of it, I think. This is a meadow within a forest within an even greater forest. Since it's so rarely visited, it doesn't have a name. Because it doesn't have a name, it isn't marked on most maps. I'm here to gather rare bugs for an iguana...every summer, he hosts a Bug-Off, and this year I'm determined to win."
Fuchsia thought about the irony of a moth catching insects. Still, the deer felt strangely compelled to assist Silky on her bug-hunting adventure. She pulled out a pair of drumsticks, and focused on a buzzing menace. With swift precision, she joined the sticks together, pinching a large dragonfly between them. She placed the insect in a plastic cage, and handed it to Silky.
The moth beamed. "I knew you could do it! This is why I appointed you, Fuchsia. It's the reason we chose you," she motioned to the wildflowers, grinning with sparkling reassurance. "I knew if anyone could sense the banded dragonfly, it would be a neon deer with an acute sense of adventure. I guess this is why the woods brought you to us."
Fuchsia blinked with disbelief. Thinking it over, she laughed, slipping a smile. "Thanks for the invitation, Silky. What other adventures do you have in store?"
"No more today, I have a Bug-Off to catch in the morning, but I'll find you again when I need you."
The wildflowers expanded, growing in magnificent spirals that surrounded Fuchsia in bright efflorescence. She closed her eyes.
Fuchsia awakened to find herself back on the cul-de-sac. Approaching home, she thought excitedly about how she would re-tell the events of the evening to Henry. After all, what frog can resist a story of magic, adventure, and deception?
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I am so sorry but I had to edit this just a bit because I didnât realize I made Cephlobot a girl when heâs actually a boy.First off, I want to apologize for the length of this story. I truly had not planned on it becoming this long but as I kept going it just wouldnât stop. The story told me. Thatâs the only way I can even explain it. Many many books, movies, and real life were inspirational to me writing this. There is also an extreme amount of symbolism in parts of this story that I hope you guys get. I will admit I am extremely proud of this little (HUGE) piece of writing and once again Iâm so sorry for the length.
As the sun started to peek through the curtains, Midoriâs eyes started to flutter and then a grimace appeared on her face. The dream she had just had was so very bizarre and led her to feel as if she had been asleep for months. Her body almost had a numb feeling to it as if she had been in a coma and her limbs had atrophied. She did not want to open her eyes. Instead she just stayed very still and tried to concentrate on what it was she had just dreamt about. It wasnât vivid like most of her dreams. She remembered hearing a echo of a muffled voice that seemed excited but concerned and that voice kept repeating that if amiibos werenât found, that that would be the end of Seclusia.
After the dream started to fade from her consciousness she started stretching her extremely sore muscles. The ache was intense as she stretched each limb but the more she stretched, the better she felt. Her brain still seemed foggy though so she knew her first stop for the day would be to Brewsters for some much needed coffee.
After donning her favorite Galaxy hoody and worn out jeans, she went to go fix her hair when there was a knock on her door. Her bestie, Filbert, called her name and let himself in (as her bestie, he knows he can do this). He seemed frazzled as could be and was talking absolute gibberish about some dream heâd had, but when he mentioned the word, Amiibo, she turned so fast that she accidentally knocked into her dresser causing her hourglass to hit the floor and shatter into a bazillion pieces.
Poor Filbert jumped a mile at this, which would have normally made Midori laugh, but she couldnât take her eyes away from the gold sand all over her floor. It seemed to almost have a face shape to it. Once she shook off that crazy feeling, (goodness, seeing faces in the sand), she turned back to Filbert and asked him to repeat what he had just said about his dream. He told her that he could hear voices in his dream. They almost sounded like they were coming from a padded noise canceling room but he could still hear someone, sounding like a female, talking about something called Amiibos and how they could be the key to saving Seclusia from extinction. How in the world had these 2 dreamed about the same thing???
Midori knew then that her coffee would have to wait, so after she gave Filbert a quick hug, she headed off to see Luna, the dream specialist, instead. Praying that Luna wasnât booked solid with appointments, Midori started towards the town rec center still holding onto the foreboding feeling her dream had left her with. Walking into Lunaâs almost always puts Midori into a sleepy state with the heavy incense and thin fabric covered lights. She called out Lunaâs name with such a panicked edge to her voice, that Luna rushed over and almost tripped over her meditation mat. Midori immediately started questioning Luna on the possibility of 2 different beings having such similar dreams and could there possibly be any truth in them and does she have any available appointment times to discuss this further. Well it just so happened that Luna did have 2 cancelations that morning so she could see Midori right then and they could discuss this plaguing dream that seemed to have her so unhinged.
After discussing how different this particular dream had been for Midori, and how strange it was that Filbert seemed to have had such a similar dream, Luna suggested they try an experimental hypnosis approach that might help to make sense of this strange new word, Amiibo, and why it seemed to be the key to Seclusiaâs survival to Midori. Luna had to warn Midori though. This particular type of hypnosis could put her in such a deep sleep, that regular awakening triggers might not work making Luna a bit unsure that this kind of risk should be taken over a dream. Hesitantly, Midori had to agree. What the heck had she been about to do! Over a stupid dream for pityâs sake! After thanking Luna for her time, she headed out the door to go finally get some much needed caffeine (while inwardly scolding herself on being such a ninny), when she smacked right into Celeste.
It was a bit odd, seeing Celeste during the daylight hours as she has always been a bit of a night owl. Celeste, however, greeted her warmly while smoothing out her slightly ruffled feathers from their collision and then went on excitedly to explain her daytime wandering. She told Midori that she had been running around town talking to residents all morning and had been about to head her way to to tell her to be sure to watch the sun for a fantastically rare solar eclipse that only happens every 115 years. Celeste, being the dreamer of all things astrological went on to say that this phenomenon would guarantee to open her third eye and reveal gates to a whole new world of possibilities. Midori couldnât help but think that this very strange and rare event might have something to do with these dreams. After considering this for a moment, she high tailed it back to Luna.
Midori burst through the door and called Lunaâs name. Luna had had a gut feeling that Midori would be back sooner rather than later. Midori then explained to her that she just knew something terrible was going to happen if she didnât explore this dream further. If Luna had a way to dive into Midoriâs deep conscious then maybe they could get some answers on what was going on and if these dreams were somehow connected with this strange solar phenomenon about to happen. Luna reiterated to Midori of the risks to a sleep this deep but Midori was adamant. Confident about her decision, Midori went and laid down on the Hypnosis Dream bed ready to get started. Though a little bit hesitant at first, Luna started readying the room for this highly experimental procedure. She dimmed the lights, put on some calming music, and lit some incense (knowing it would calm her own nerves as well) and took a deep breath that centered her to her core. Then she walked over to her small collection of gyroids and tapped on her Dootoid. His sound would give Midori something to concentrate on. She then took out a small handheld light, no bigger than a pen and told Midori to take 10 deep breathâs and focus on the Dootoidâs sound. At breath number 4, Luna turned on her handheld light and lightly shined it near Midoriâs eyes in a pattern that mimicked the Dootoidâs beat. By Midoriâs 7th breath, her breathing slowed. By the 9th breath, her body had relaxed. At the 10th breath a strange new light appeared not only behind Midoriâs eyes but filled the entire room with a strange dark light that Luna couldnât understand. She had to assume it was the solar eclipse that Celeste had been rattling on about earlier but she knew she couldnât break her concentration while doing such an experimental procedure or she may not be able to get Midori back from her deep subconscious trance.
Midori could feel the weight lift as her conscious mind submerged into unconsciousness. As her body started to relax giving her a slight falling feeling, she knew she was heading towards something new. When the falling finally caught up with her, she experienced a weightlessness that she could not explain. She gave herself a moment to feel her surroundings and take in this brief moment of unexplainable peace. She was afraid to open her eyes but not the same way she had been afraid when she woke up that morning. She didnât want to lose the feeling she had in that moment, but she knew she needed answers so she slowly opened her eyes. The magical wonder that appeared before her eyes was heartstopping. She was surrounded by a swirling lilac mist that went on as far as the eyes could see. In front of her was an archway made of beautiful glowing vines with tiny purple flowers that seemed to shimmer. She knew that she needed to walk through that archway but she couldnât help but wonder what else surrounded her and desperately wanted to explore its entirety. She appeared to have a hard time focusing and she couldnât take her eyes off of the beauty she was enveloped in. In the distance she could hear a small noise that seem to have a beat to it and she vaguely remembered that she was supposed to focus on that. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes and listened to that light echo of a beat for a moment and after a few seconds, her awareness returned to her. She took one more deep breath and started towards the archway knowing if she looked back one more time that she might lose her purpose again.
As she stepped under the archway, she could see the swirling lilac mist dissipate some, making the area inside the archway a little more clear. Inside the area was a circle of large rocks surrounded by glowing vines, strange looking mushrooms and it almost seemed like things were scurrying around but for some reason she could not see what they were. Behind the large circle of rocks was a gorgeous waterfall. When she focused more she could see a smaller circle of large rocks with some kind of statue in the center. She took a few more steps in so she could get a better look at that statue. It was beautiful. It almost looked like her but different.
The statue seemed to be a male villager wearing a red shirt with a # 1 on it. The whole statue had an almost gold iridescent gleam to it and Midori recognized the face immediately. It was the face she saw in the gold sand on her floor when her hourglass broke. She wanted a closer look so she stepped forward a few steps and peered into the face of the statue. Knowing it was just a statue she felt silly but she had to ask; who are you? All the sudden the scurrying around her got quicker but she still could not pinpoint what it was on the ground that was moving. She seemed to only get a glimpse of what seemed to be pointed almost triangles of different colors that quickly disappeared behind trees. As she focused into the center of the rock formation, the gold iridescence of the statue all the sudden got a little brighter; almost pulsating. A whispering sound that seem to surround her on all sides said âI am the first. My name is Villager and I am the first Amiibo.â Midori knew then she had made the right choice to come here. She knew in her heart that she was going to get the answers that she desperately needed.
She asked if Seclusia was in danger and Villager answered yes. Then she asked the question. The question that made her come here. What is an Amiibo. What does it have to do with Seclusia. Villager then told her that long ago he came to a new leaf town called Birdsong. He came when it was close to extinction as well and because of him the town survived. Because of him, new faces were able to be seen and if they liked it they could come live there. The town which had previously been choked by weeds with empty houses where happy neighbors used to live, now abandoned, began to thrive. Midori then asked if such a thing could happen to her beloved Seclusia and how could she stop it. He told her the only way to keep that from happening is to find 2 new faces to live there and bring back the joy so the island would not fall into slumber. It just so happens he said he knew of 16 friends who were thinking of traveling that had the ability to become an Amiibo like him. Villager told Midori that it would not be an easy quest to find just the right two and there would be many obstacles to face and she might even find some help along the way, but if she truly believed in herself, she might be able to save Seclusia.
He asked if she was ready for such a quest and if so, she needed to know one last thing. He told her she would need a very specific map and this very special hourglass. This hourglass would turn itself every time she reached a marked destination on the map. The hourglass would let her know how much time she had to find what she was looking for every place she went. Midori took another deep breath and accepted Villagerâs Quest. The Villager then turned a bright gold and 2 things appeared at his feet. Midori bent down to pick them up and opened the two gifts that he had left to her. One was indeed the map that she would need for this journey. The other gift, what she thought would be an hourglass similar to the one in her house that had broken, turned out to be a tiny thing. The hourglass, no bigger than a thimble, was attached to a fine gold chain, that Midori immediately put around her neck for safe keeping. She took one more look around so she could keep the beauty of this place etched in her memory forever and then walked back out the archway, map in hand.
As Midori stepped out of the archway, head down looking at her map, she didnât notice that where she stepped out was not where she was earlier before she stepped into the archway. The lilac purple mist was gone, and there was a shimmering brick path in front of her. She did not see this at first, because she was intently looking at the map in her hands. It was definitely no ordinary nap. The regular signs were there; the compass at the top, the lines indicating the roads, and small symbols representing her destinations, but there were also footsteps. Footsteps that seem to appear when she was walking. They would slightly fade after a couple of steps. It was mesmerizing. When she finally lifted her head expecting to see the lilac swirling mist around her, the scene before her made her turn around so quickly that she practically got whiplash. What she was looking for was the archway, but it was already starting to fade. She knew she would not be able to go back in and ask where she had just been transported to. The area around her seemed brighter, almost sparkly the way that the flowers in the grass shimmered. The trees almost had a glowing quality to them and in front of her was a road that looked like it was made of opal. By her map, she knew this was the road she would need to take to the first destination. The first destination on the map showed two red circles, one larger one with a smaller one inside of it. She took a deep breath, and said to herself that she could do this, and then she started listening for that tiny beat that seem to be in perfect rhythm with her heart.
She put 1 foot in front of her, seeing the step on the map and started on her way. The beautiful land that surrounded her filled her was such a peaceful joy, that she honestly thought of giving up this quest and just staying put. She knew she couldnât do this, but oh my word, to live in a land this beautiful seemed like a dream come true. After walking a bit, she came upon a small clearing to her right. There were glowing mushrooms surrounding a small pond and there was a hippo, soaked to the bone, throwing a tantrum about some thing. She knew she needed to keep moving but sheâs always been one to help someone in need. She quickly checked the hourglass around her neck, and it didnât seem any different than when she put it on, So at least she knew she wasnât racing against some timer. She slowly walked towards the hippo, cautiously, as she didnât want to startle him. When she got close enough, but not too close, she called out asking if he needed some help? He quickly turned to her with surprise and let out a huge sigh. He told her that he had been looking for some herbs for a potion he was making and he had been out for a long time so when he saw the pond, he knew he wanted to jump in. What he didnât think about was everything in his satchel that he had been carrying and he just jumped on in with everything. He lost his grimoire with all of his spells and herbology identifiers to drenching. Everything was soaked. Midori then introduced herself and told him she would be more than happy to help him dry the pages and see if any of them could be salvaged. He told her his name was Harry and that he would be eternally grateful for her help. It took them a bit, but they managed to separate everything and got them drying by placing them on a couple of boulders with rocks on top of them to keep them weighted down. She knew she needed to keep on her quest so she told Harry that it was time for her to go but that she hoped everything would be OK. When she showed Harry her map, he told her that he knew the area she was heading into next and to watch out for pikipeks, which are small birds that like to swoop down and peck at shiny things. He then thanked her profusely and told her he had to give her a gift for helping him. He told her to take off her shoes, which she did and he put these mushroom liners inside. He told her they were his own invention and they would keep her feet cushy for her long quest ahead. Midori had to laugh a little and thanked him for such a unique gift. As she headed out of the clearing, she could already feel a huge difference in comfort.
She walked for a couple of miles while periodically checking her map and could see she was approaching the area with the 2 red circles. The opalescent path appeared to be heading into a wooded area. As she entered what could only be a forest, she felt a slight humming vibration on her chest, and when she looked, she could see gold dust shimmering at the top of her hourglass. With her being so close to her first destination, she had to assume the hourglass timer was beginning. She didnât want to take up too much time watching it but she knew she needed to see how fast the sand was descending. It seem to only be a slight trickle so hopefully that would give her enough time to reach her destination. She then looked at where she was and realized it was quite dark, but there were glowing mushrooms sprinkled around the path that she was on and in between the trees, lighting her way. As she walked she could hear rustling in the trees. After a couple of minutes, something swooped down and pecked her right in the middle of her chest. Luckily, it did not hurt that much. The culprit seemed to be the little bird, pikipek, that Harry had told her about. She knew then she would have to move her hourglass out of sight so she put it under her hoodie for a better safekeeping knowing she would have to pull it out occasionally to check the time left on it. Once she got back to walking she felt a small pulse at her chest so she pulled the hourglass back out for a moment and it seemed to be at half full. By her map, it seemed she was almost to her destination with the two red circles.
She kept a steady pace and as she got closer to the 2 red circles on her map, she could see that further out, the trees become more sparse and through them a range of cliffs and boulders in the distance surrounded by water could be seen. Once again, she felt a little pulse in her chest so she checked the hour glass once more and seemed to only have one quarter of her time left. Trying not to panic, she quickened her pace some and started closing in on the area with the 2 red circles on her map. Just up ahead, and a little to the left, she could see something; something that definitely looked like it didnât belong where she was. What she could see was a round silver head with six legs and two arms and it appeared to be chopping wood. She took a few steps closer, though a little afraid of what she was seeing, it sparked her interest. This being looked a lot like one of the villagers on her friendâs island. Her friend had a villager named Marina and she was an octopus. This being that she spied could only be an octopus but it seemed to be made of metal! She walked a little bit closer and the being seemed to sense her presence and called out in a strange raspy voice that could only be male, âIs that you, Faith?â Midori answered that she was not Faith, and that her name was Midori and she was on a quest. As she approached, the metal octopusâs eyes lit up in what could only be smile. âOh!!!!, he cried, I just knew we would get a special visitor today! My friend, Azalea told me last night that she wished upon a star, that we would meet someone new today!!! My name is Cephlobot! How can I help you?â The pulsing starting ticking faster on her chest so she kept walking to this new welcoming stranger and right as she stepped in front of her she could see it. There on the tree behind Cephlobot were 2 red circles. Midori cried out, âThatâs it!â, and reached out to touch them. Cephlobot, gave her a quizzical look as he could not quite comprehend what in the world Midori was doing. As Midori touched the 2 circles, the hourglass stopped vibrating.
Cephlobot, chuckled under his breath and said, âI see you are familiar with our Targâet Tree?â Midori replied back âWhat is a âTarshjayâ Tree?â Cephlobot, than went to explain that the Targâet Tree was where they all met each other. He and his other villager friends all woke up one morning under that tree and had to build a life out there from scratch. They all work together doing different jobs to guarantee each otherâs survival. He went on to explain that they each had such very different personalities but that she was the heart. âAfter all, Cephlobot said, itâs an Amiiboâs job to bring joy to the world theyâre in!â Midoriâs eyes grew as big as sand dollars. âYouâre an Amiibo?!?!â Cephlobot told her absolutely. They all were. Midori then had to ask the question. The reason SHE was there. Would Cephlobot like to come live with her on Seclusia and help save her island. Cephlobot then had to explain that while he was honored by Midoriâs request, his place was here. When she had woken up by the Targâet Tree, he had felt empty, but after meeting all of the other Amiibos that he showed up with, she sort of became their caring leader. He could never leave them behind and the ones that still remained there would never ever leave either. Cephlobot, with a sad faraway look, told Midori, that a few had left on a mission but they had never come back. They had been heading to another area to check the habitat and had never returned. The ones that remained had sworn never to go there. He then pointed to the cliffs and told Midori, that that was where they had gone.
Midori made the decision then and there that that was where she was going to go. She was going to go rescue Cephlobotâs amiibo friends and bring them back and told him her plan. She knew it was the right thing to do. Cephlobot couldnât believe how selfless Midori turned out to be. She had been here on another quest and was giving it up just to help them! What a kind soul. He then told Midori to hold out her hand. In it, he placed his most prized possession; his heart shaped opal. He told her, one of his missing buddies had found it in a cave and and brought it to him knowing Cephlobot was the groupâs heart. That buddy was one of the missing. Tears came to Midoriâs eyes and she promised she would do her best to find them. After giving Cephlobot a quick hug, she turned around and headed towards the cliffs. Interestingly enough, even though she had decided to give up her quest for the moment to help Cephlobot, the pulsing started again around her neck and she knew that her hourglass and turned back on. She went ahead and brought out her map, and appeared to be walking in the direction of the next destination.
As the cliffs became larger in her view, she could see a large crack in the middle that had to be the cave that Cephlobotâs friends had been going to. Midori realized the water surrounding them might be a problem. She knew how to swim well, but the water looked extremely choppy as she watched it constantly hit the cliffs. How in the world would she be able to reach it??? At that moment, she felt the pulse of the hourglass and once again checked her time. She seemed to have around three quarters of her time left. She knew she would have to try to swim out to the cave. Midori tentatively put one foot in the water and got the strangest feeling. Her foot almost felt like it was floating. It kind of gave her an off balanced feeling and instinctively put her other foot in. The result was so completely unexpected. As both feet found their âfootingâ they were not on the water bed. She was standing on top of the water!!! Not completely on top, as the soles of her shoes seemed to be an inch or 2 below the top of the water line, but she was standing ON the water. It almost felt squishy. As she was wondering how in the world this could be possible, she remembered the mushroom insoles that Harry had given her. She could not believe her luck that they let her stand in the water like this. She decided to test that luck and took a couple of steps and it almost felt like she was walking on marshmallows. Wow, what an unbelievably cool feeling! She started heading towards the cave with a new feeling of confidence while inwardly thanking Harry for such an amazing gift. The water was still choppy and the closer she got to the cave, the harder it was to keep her footing. Her muscles started to ache from the strain to keep her balanced. She could see the large crack opening into the cave the closer she got to approaching the cliffs. At the top of the largest part of crack, she could see an almost shimmering, the way a geode looks when opened. The closer she got to the opening, the more the water seem to slap around almost like it was trying to fight her. One wave actually knocked into her, soaking her back and pushed her onto a hard surface in the water at the base of the cliffs in front of her. As the water receded she looked at her feet and could see she was on a small landing. Directly in front of her was the entrance to the cave. Once again, the hourglass pulsated on her chest so she closed her eyes and took a deep breath and listened for the small beat that was in perfect rhythm with her heart and then opened her eyes with determination and kept going.
When she got to the entrance she could almost feel and hear a slight ringing hum. It gave her a feeling of almost a shining melody that she couldnât even hear that filled her with a longing to go closer. With each step that longing grew. As she passed under the entrance she got a feeling of peace but it didnât feel ârightâ. She knew she needed to focus on the beat again so she closed her eyes and found it and started tapping her fingers on the side of her leg with the beat so she could keep her focus in tact as the strange feeling kept trying to mist over her body.
Surrounding her in the cave were thousands of crystal like structures embedded into the walls. They were absolutely stunning. So many colors glistened and shimmered around her made by crystals of opal, citrine, and rose quartz. Even the ground seemed to be embedded with iridescent fractures. The further Midori walked, the darker it became but the crystals still shimmered some, lighting her way a bit. Up ahead she could hear what had to be a source of water so she followed the tell tell sound until she came upon brighter area. The brighter area turned out to be a waterfall. Had she reached a dead end already???
Midori walked the length of the waterfall searching for some kind of sign of where to go next. The hourglass made the strange little pulse reminding her of her other quest but she knew finding Cephlobotâs friends had to come first. Right in the middle of the waterfall there seemed to be almost a glowing arch-like structure behind the wall of water. Well what is a quest without a little bit of risk, Midori thought to herself. Harnessing all of her strength she plunged in fearlessly. She could feel the pounding of water all over her body as she went through, though it was strangely warmer than she had anticipated. Once she reached the other side and started to get her bearings again, she noticed how warm it was when she had come out. It almost felt like the sauna at Lunaâs.
In front of her was the glowing crystal like arch structure. All the colors that she had seen when she had entered the cave were embedded into the arch. She could not see what was through the archway though as the entire middle almost looked glass-like with a kind of mirror quality to it. Midori reached out to touch it and the hourglass pulsed once more so she pulled back. She decided to see if her map was still intact after all the water figuring it had been destroyed but as she pulled it out of her pocket it was surprisingly OK. She could see the other destination was quite literally almost right where she was standing. The destination on her map looked like a large shard of crystal. Once again renewing her confidence she figured she had to be heading in the right direction of not only her original quest but also her side quest of finding Cephlobotâs friends. She reached out once more to touch the center of the archway and instead of hitting a hard substance the way it looked, it felt strangely fluid but when she looked at her hand, it wasnât wet. With all her fingers in tact, she had to figure it was safe enough to walk through, so without further hesitation she did just that. As she walked through she felt a slight warm sensation at the top of her right leg. She put her hand in her pocket and could feel the small opal heart that Cephlobot had given her. It was unexplainably warm to the touch, just adding more strangeness to this day.
When she lifted her head, to take in her new surroundings, her heart nearly burst out of her chest. There they were!!!! All 7 Cephlobotâs friends were here!!! She immediately cried out, âOh my God, I found you!â, but no one seemed to hear her. As she walked closer to them, she could see that they were all standing in a circle around a very large greenish yellow crystal in the center. The crystal was at least 6 feet tall, and it almost seemed to be corroding like a caustic chemical. All of the lost friends seem to be in a trance as they were all facing this dark crystal. Their eyes were glazed over and there was a strange ray of light that followed their eyes to the center of the crystal. This was definitely no ordinary crystal.
Midori cautiously walked a little closer to it and could see parts of the crystal were etched with script. The largest words read âPower to the Playersâ. Circling around the strange dark crystal were more words. Not wanting to get too close, Midori carefully circled around to read them at what she could only hope was a safe distance. The etchings read, âHere lies the
Well that seemed a lot like what Villager had told her. It seemed so long ago now and Midori started feeling the weight of her tiredness. Right on cue, the hourglass once again started pulsating. She was running out of time. She looked again at the strange dark crystal and the words etched there. Where it read here lies the
When the lights dimmed, the glazed look in the lost friendsâ eyes went away. Midori could see them slightly shaking their heads as they crept back into awareness. She asked them if they were OK and the little blue squirrel looked around at the rest and answered that she thought so. Midori then introduced herself and told them why she came. The little squirrel said her name was Ione, and then introduced her friends. There was a funny looking monkey named Tiansheng, a regal looking eagle named Quinn, a spiffy little hamster named Marlo, a scientific type mouse named Petri, a beautiful goat named Shino, and lastly an adorable bunny named Sasha. Everyone started talking at once trying to tell Midori the story of how they ended up there. Sasha came up and immediately hugged her thanking her for helping them. Midori felt an immediate connection with him for some reason and told him that it was her pleasure. He then explained that he and Ione had come across this cave while exploring a while back and wanted to bring back a group to see if they thought they could inhabit there, thinking it would keep them a little safer from the weather elements. When they had found it the first time, Ione had been reading the large pearl-like crystal and when she touched the heart, it had come out in her hands. Sasha had told her, he thought she should put it back, but Ione insisted that she just knew the reason it fell out was because she was supposed to give it to Cephlobot. When they got back to camp she to gave it to Cephlobot because she was the heart of their group. She had no idea, that taking the heart from the crystal would turn it so badly. When they came back with a larger group, Ione took them all the way in so they could see the fantastic crystal there. When they got there the crystal had changed to that greenish color And when she went to touch where the heart had been, something happened and they all went into the trance that Midori had found them in.
As the group all got together to make their way back home to their camp, Midori could see how relieved they all seemed to get back to their friends. Once again, they went through the archway and under the waterfall. When the waterfall was behind them, they could see they were no longer in the cave. They were now in someplace new. It wasnât new to Midori. She had been here before. She could see the rock like structures in the circle with Villager in the middle. Her new friends were all crying out exclamations of the same type of worry. Where in the world were they. Midori told them she had been there before and went ahead and grabbed her map because she could once again feel the pulse of the hourglass starting up. Without even knowing, she had been on a new path to the last destination. On the map the last destination looked like a tiny outline of Villager.
Even though Midori knew she was on a timer, she needed to explain to her new lost friends the reason she had come in the first place. That she had been on a quest to save her island. She told them that the statue in front of them had told her she needed to find two new friends to take back with her to her island to keep it from going into an endless slumber. He is the one that sent her on this quest but when she met Cephlobot, she knew she had to veer from that quest to get them back home. Sasha walked over to Midori and told her he would be honored to come live on her island with her. He explained that from the very first moment they spoke, he felt an instant connection with her and honestly really just did not want to leave her side. Tears came to Midoriâs eyes as she wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. After, everyone started talking at once, offering to come with her as well. While Midori would love for them all to come with her, she had to explain that Villager had told her she could only bring two. She also explained that she couldnât just take all of Cephlobotâs friends from her without her knowing what had happened as she knew their other friends had been so worried after they had disappeared. Ione then stepped forward and told the group that it had to be her. She had been the reason they had all become lost and she knew she needed to be the one to go with Midori.
The hourglass started pulsing faster so Midori looked up and touched Villager and said she found her two. Nothing happened, but the pulsing quickened. She looked at the lost friends questioningly and told them she didnât know what else to do. Sasha then placed his hand on villager and said he wanted to be the Amiibo to go live with Midori. The statue then started to glow, so Ione did the same. Villager grew brighter still so Midori placed her hand on him as well and once again said she had found her 2 new amiibo friends. A bright light filled the area blinding all that was there and when it dimmed, Midori could see that everyone except Sasha and Ione were gone. Well that put her in a complete panic until villager started whispering around her once again, telling her that they were sent back to the Targâet Tree to be with Cephlobot and the rest.
She then asked what would happen to her, Sasha and Ione and he explained that all they had to do was go back through the archway to go home. Midori then thanked Villager for all his help and for sending her on this quest to save Seclusia. She learned so much on her journey about helping others and putting others before herself. He then told her, that she was the key to bringing joy to her island and he hoped that she would always remember that. Midori then took Sashaâs and Ioneâs hand and together, they stepped through the arch.
As Midori stepped through the arch, she could once again hear the same muffled voice from her dream. âI found them!â, it said. It was so quick and then it was gone. She could also hear a small beat from the Dootoid and she could feel herself returning to her regular feeling self. She could hear Luna in the background calling her name. As she opened her eyes, she could no longer feel Sashaâs or Ioneâs hands. Sadness filled her as she realized they werenât with her anymore. Tears streamed down her face as she asked Luna if she knew where they were. Luna, having not been with her, had no idea what she was talking about. Midori was in such a state of panic that Luna didnât know what to do. She kept telling her that it was all in her subconscious mind. Midori insisted that it had been real. She helped Midori up out of the bed and led her out of the room. She figured maybe Tom Nook would know what to do to help calm Midori down and maybe once she could see that they were out of the hypnotic dream that she would be ok again. When they went into Tomâs office, Tom let out a sigh of relief. He told Midori that she had been getting calls all morning about two new villagers that wanted to come live there but there was no space. He needed to know if anybody had been wanting to move, but he had been so busy this morning that he had no idea who to even ask. Luna then chimed in that 2 of their residents, Chelsea and Cyd, had just told her this morning that they had the itch to go wander and had canceled their appointments with her. As Midori tuned in to what Tom and Luna were saying, she realized that this may be a key to the locked place where she had just been. She asked him if he got their names, and he said yes, their names were Sasha and Ione. Midori exclaimed, âYES! We need them to come here as soon as possible!!! They are going to save our island!â Tom Nook just kind of chuckled and told Midori to stop being so dramatic. He told her he would call them back at once. Midori realized then that nobody really knew how close Seclusia had come to going into an endless slumber. She knew she would never be able to explain it to Tom and have him understand fully without thinking she was crazy. She then turned to Luna and told her that they definitely needed to discuss where she had just been in her subconscious journey but that there were a few things she needed to take care of first and could they make an appointment for the next morning. Luna said of course, as she wanted to hear all about the subconscious journey Midori went on. Midori then told Tom to please bring their new residents to Lunaâs when they got there.
Midori set out to go visit Chelsea first. When she got to her house, the door was open and Chelsea was surrounded by boxes. Midori walked in and went to give Chelsea a big hug and told her she would miss her. Chelsea then told her that she had had a dream that she needed to go find a group of new friends and help them make a new town. When she had been on her way to Lunaâs to talk about this dream, she had run into Cyd, and he had told her he had had the same dream. They didnât know where they were going, but they knew they had to go together. Midori knew she didnât need to explain where she had been as Chelsea probably would think she was nutzoid, but she knew where they were going to end up. She told Chelsea then, to tell her new friends that she said hello. (She would let them explain it to her.) After another quick hug, she said goodbye and went to go visit Cyd. Cyd was still packing up his drum set, when Midori walked through his door. She ran over to give him a huge hug as he had always been one of her favorites and told him she would miss him terribly, but she knew he was going to end up in a very awesome place and she wished him luck. She also told him that she was very very glad that he and Chelsea were going to be traveling together.
Midori ran into Filbert on her way back to her house and told him that she loved him and she would talk to him tomorrow, but she really needed to sleep. She was so exhausted. She fell into an absolute dreamless slumber that night and slept for a solid 12 hours.
When she got up the next day she headed straight to Lunaâs. Luna was so excited to hear all about her journey. It took two solid hours for Midori to explain the entire thing, leaving Luna completely speechless. Luna then explained to Midori how hard it was to get her back. She had been trying for hours because once they had started she was very afraid that Midori was going to get stuck in that subconscious state, so when Midori had finally opened her eyes, she had felt overwhelming relief. Midori also told her that her Dootoidâs beat is what kept her grounded. Right then, there was a knock on the door. Tom nook walked in with their two new villagers. Sasha and Ione looked around with slight fear in their eyes until they saw Midori. Recognition then lit up on their faces. Midori went over reached out for their hands and asked them if they knew who she was and they both replied of course. She was the reason they were there.
tiffanistarr
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At first I was like wow how can I write 1k words and then I said wow should I delete like half of this??? Sorry it's long!
The sky matched the color of the concrete I was walking on. "Take the long way home." my mom said. I shouldn't have listened to her. Sure, I got the fresh air she was saying I needed. Sure I got to clear my head like she she kept nagging about. Sweat beads down my forehead. I stop and look up the hill that takes up too much of the "long way home." This was a stupid idea. After a much needed break I continued the trek up the hill.
"Hey Rowan" my sister says after I drag myself through the front door of our house. I grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured myself a glass of cold iced tea. "Hey Rio, did you finish your homework?" I said shooting a look at her from across the rooms. She looked down, "well, I kind of got distracted." I sighed as I put the cup down on the counter and gave her smile. I understand what she's going through. Since our grandmother died it's been hard on all of us. Our dad left us when we were younger, so it has always been my grandma, my mother, my sister and me. I started walking up the stairs towards my bedroom and gave my sister a quick pat on the head. "Do your homework." I shot her a wink and finished my walk up the stairs to my bedroom.
I threw my body down on my bed and grabbed the envelope that was left to me from my grandmother. The envelope has been sealed since it was left me the day my grandmother died. I think about opening it, but I'm scared. If I open this and read whatever is stated in this letter will make me face the fact that my grandmother is no longer here. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom and we are all very close. However, my grandmother was my treasure and her absence is staggering. I hold the envelope up the light beaming through the sheer curtains. There was a slight glimmer in there, a small looking stone. I sit the envelope down and take a nap.
I woke up a few hours later and texted my best friend. Sloane was my closest friend and probably one of my only friends. She's been my best friend since grade school. We were leaving high school now and getting ready to leave out on our own. She is very outspoken and is a fierce friend. I ask her to come over and she agrees. I don't even run the idea by my mom. Sometimes I feel like she loves Sloane more than me. Sloane is always welcomed into our home. She has her own key to the house and makes herself at home whenever she is around. She basically lives here. As much as my mom loves and adores her and I wish she would sometimes shower me with that love, I'm always happy to have Sloane around. I needed her to come over, so I can discuss this mysterious letter that was left for me.
I hear Sloane walk in the front door and she gives Rio a quick hello and a hug before running up the stairs to my bedroom. She swings open the door and excitedly shrieks "YOU'RE GOING TO READ THE LETTER?!?!?!?" I look at her and and roll my eyes. She's been nagging me about this letter since it showed up on our doorstep. She is more invested into this letter than I am. She pulls out a letter opener from her purse and gives me a determined look. She holds the letter opener up and stares me down right into my eyes. "We're doing this."
Dearest Rowan,
For generations the women in our family have been tasked with taking this gem. It's a blessing gem and I want you to have it and take care of it. You know this gem very well, it's the gem that was in my necklace that you always used to grab and stare into when you were very young. The way you looked up mesmerized by this the lights shining through the gem is how I knew it was meant to go to you. This blessing gem takes time and takes a certain type of magic to really use it to it's fullest potential. You will have to travel far, but you can do it. I'll be with you every step of the way and you will know what to do along the way. You have already heard everything you need to know. You will need to step out of your comfort zone and take the brave step to do it, but you my dearest Rowan are brave. Hold this gem close to you from now on. It's your turn now.
Always here,
Grandma.
Confused I gave Sloane a look and whispered, "what the hell does this mean?" She was looking back at me and shook her said and quietly said "I don't know." I folded the letter up and on the back of the letter in the bottom of the corner said, "read this aloud when you're ready." in tiny Latin words written out on this paper it read "Audentes fortuna iuvat." What does this any of this mean? What women in our family is she talking about? What in the hell is this magic she's talking about? I threw myself back on the bed. Sloane slams down beside me, "so are you going to do it?" I shoot her a look "do what? I don't even know what she is talking about in this letter. What does any of this even mean? How come nobody has told me about this blessing gem before? How do I even know if my grandmother really even wrote that letter?" I run my hands through my hair and throw a pillow over my face. "You know you have to do it, right?" Sloane says picking up the pillow and peaking at me. "You have to do it." I look at her and shake my head. "I can't do it." I groaned "There is no way I can go on some 'magical' journey for a gem stone."
Sloane picks up the letter and shakes it in my face "this was written by your grandmother and you know it. You know you want to, you know she wants you to." How dare her hold my grandmother over my head like that. This is insane there is no way there is some magical journey all these women in my family go on. I stare at the little gleaming gem in my hand and sigh. I do love this gem and I'm still mesmerized by it to this day. The letter smells like the perfume my grandmother always wore. It's almost like I can feel her presence here with me in this moment. "Okay fine, but you have to say the spell with me and stay with me the whole time." Sloane's eyes lit up and she started clapping "YES YES YES we're going to do it, heck yeah!!!" I shush her down and roll my eyes. "Okay, let's say the spell together 3...2...1.. okay?" Sloane grabs my hands and nods her head yes. We both close ours eyes and in a quick 3..2..1... we both say "Audentes fortuna iuvat." We open our eyes and look at each other. Nothing has changed. We close our eyes again and open them. Still no change. "I don't get it." I said. Sloane shrugs, "maybe it takes time." We stayed up late that night talking, watching tv, and talking about our current crushes. Eventually we fell back on the bed and passed out.
Birds are chirping, the sun is glowing into the room, and I feel the breeze roll in. I wake up and automatically start panicking. "Sloane, get up... Sloane!! Wake up!! SLOANE!!!" Sloane rolls over and lets out a groan "what?? go back to bed." I shake Sloane back awake, "get up, we're not in my house!!!" Sloane opens her eyes and leans up, "IT WORKED!! the spell Row, it WORKED!!" I am not understanding how she is so excited over this. Where is my mom, is she here too? Where is Rio???? Is she okay? What did I do? Sloane hops out of bed, "lets go explore, come on!!" She grabs my hand and pulls me off the bed and towards the door. Okay, I guess we're just going along with this?
Everything is old, ancient, and weirdly vintage. I don't understand any of this and I'm half convinced this is some weird dream or at least we must have ate moms special brownies last night. We walk down the hall way of this old cottage like home and hear some noises coming from an old kitchen, There is a little old lady cooking what looks like some sort of meat and a biscuit. She turns around and greets me with a warm smile "You must be Rowan, come here sweet child. You must be hungry and parched. We have to get you fed and get you ready for your journey." She smiles and seems very familiar and loving to me. She looks at Sloane. "Who are you sweet girl?" I give a small shy smile "that's Sloane, she's my best friend." Sloane smiles and nods in agreement. "I'm here to support this journey in any way I can." The little old lady smiles and gives Sloane an endearing shoulder rub "Yes, it's great she has this support. She will need it. You help her when she needs it okay?" Sloane smiles and in that moment they share an unspoken agreement.
"What is going on, where are we??" I muttered nervously while the little old lady continued to shove food in front of me. She sits down at the table and gives a long sigh. "Your grandmother was a very special woman, I knew her for many years, since she was your age. She took this same journey. For centuries across few families the women in said families have held an old world magical blessing. The blessing comes in the form on the gem you're holding. That blessing gem has been passed down for many generations. Your grandmother was brave, just like you." Through out the time of her telling me this, I've started to realize this was real. I am going on some magical journey in this old world time to keep hold of this magical gem that gives blessings?
The little old lady packed us bags of food. She packed breads and fruits and made sure we had full canteens of water. She handed me a folded up piece of paper that had a map on it and multiple stops along the way. The note that came along with the map explained that the stops along the way will test us and challenge us. However, she told me to remember what my grandmother said in her note. I'm starting to accept this journey and I'm just happy Sloane is with me.
Sloane and I linked arms and started to head out of this tiny old cottage. The little old lady waved us off and assured us we would be okay and we will be protected along the way. Just like that we were off on some magical journey. We made our way walking through a lush green forest. We completed the first couple stops. We were tasked to solve the riddles. The first two were relatively simple. Some simple word play riddles that we were able to figure out pretty early on. We came to a stopping point where the was a lit fire and a sign that read, "Rest for Travelers." Sloane and I looked at each other and kind of just shrugged. "I guess we're stopping here for the night?" Sloane asked. I looked around and that the total lack of comfort surrounding us and let out a quiet "I guess so." We got as comfortable as we could around the fire. We shared a piece of bread and some of the berries the little old lady left for us. Once we finished eating we decided to try and get some much needed rest. Even though I've come to terms with the magic of it all, I still wonder if I will wake up back in my bed tomorrow.
The night came and gone and the sun peaking through the leaves and the cold dew on the grass below us was slowly waking me up. I rolled around for a few minutes and eventually found the energy to sit up and see the world. It wasn't a dream, I'm out in here in some magical forest with my best friend solving riddles all for a gem. I miss my bed. I tap Sloane on the leg and tell her to wake up. She wakes up bright eyed as always. She's so invested in this, but I'm very happy to have her happy spirit to help me with this. "Where's the food, I'm hungry?" Sloane said in a half groan. I reached in the bag and grabbed some berries and we got our fill on fruit. The fire still going was warm and inviting. I kind of didn't want to leave this spot, I was warm, I was full, that just leads to contentment.
I heard a little giggle off the in the distance and got a little scared. "What was that?" I said with a jump in my body. "I didn't hear anything." Sloane replies. The giggle happens again only this time it's louder. I lightly smack Sloane on her side, "That! Didn't you hear that?" I said. Sloane nods her head and jumps up. "Lets see what it is." I jump up to try and stop her, but she's already running. "Stop Sloane come back, what if it's dangerous?" She keeps running toward the giggling. "It's fine, stop worrying!" I catch up with her and we see it, a little fairy sitting on a rock. I blink a few times to make sure it's really happening. "Hi travelers." the fairy says. "Your journey is going well Rowan, it's great to have a great friend like Sloane to go with you." Sloane and I stare at each other a bit confused. "Th..thank you?" I quietly said. The fairy jumps up to a stand, "that's right ! You're not from these woods, I'm here to remind you that you're coming up on the hardest part of this journey. The puzzle that will determine if you get to be able to receive the blessings from the blessing gem. You have been brave and both have been brilliant thus far. Remember you know the answer."
Sloane and I make small talk with the fairy and then the fairy advises us to continue on the journey. The fairy said we'll have a long day of walking. She made a point to remind me to really take the time to reflect on my time with my grandmother through this long walk. So I did just that, I recounted many memories and shared a lot of them with Sloane. Not only did the recall of the memories warm my heart, but I was glad to share some of that with Sloane. We've always been close like sisters, but I feel like we're even closer now.
The day continued on and as soon as the tiredness started coming through my body we reached our last puzzle. The puzzle talked about a story that sounded awfully familiar to me. I struggled with it though, how am I supposed to know the answer to a puzzle that's based on a story I only think I've heard of? What is going to happen if I can't figure this out? I decided to take a break and sit down on a rock facing away from the puzzle. "Hey, look at me." Sloane said kneeling down beside me. "Remember what your grandma, the fairy, and that cute old lady said. You have the answers, just think about it out loud. Talk it out and lets see if we can figure it out." I closed my eyes and said the riddle out loud over and over again until it finally clicked. I knew I had to dig deep down and pull this out of my memory. My grandmother used to tell me a story at night about a girl who received a gift. The gift was a small card that was to always be carried with her. The letters started moving around in my head. This was a puzzle I could now solve. "I got it!" I shouted. Sloane jumped up and ran towards me. "Okay, what is it?" I started walking back to the puzzle, the sun was setting and I knew we didn't want to spend another night on this ground. "My grandmother." I said walking back to the puzzle. "She used to read me this story all the time as a little girl." I started moving wooden tiles with letters on it. "The words in this puzzle have the title of the story." I turned around and as soon as I grouped the letters together in their rightful spots I let out, "The Girl and the Gem from Eldham."
The minute I finished the puzzle, the gem started glowing vibrant and bright just like it did when I was little. I embraced Sloane in a hug and we both shouted and jumped with glee and excitement. This felt great. I felt blessed.
The next thing I knew, I see the sun peaking through a window. I felt a warmth in my heart a feeling I only got with my grandmother when I would see her and spend time with her. I felt content and happy. I opened my eyes slowly hoping to see my bedroom. I take in the view slowly realizing that I am back in my bed. Beside me is my best friend Sloane. I think to myself for a few minutes, was it all a dream? Did I really just have a two day adventure in a magical forest and make pals with a fairy? I gently wake Sloane up. "Sloane, get up." Sloane pops up and looks at me and smiled. "Did we really do that?" she asked me. "It wasn't a dream? we didn't eat your moms magic brownies?" She asked. I look at my bed side table and there it was, a gleaming bright sparkling gem. "I think it was." I said with a smile as I show her the gem.
We make our way downstairs I excitedly hug both my mom and my sister. They look at me confused. "Are you okay?" My mom asked. "I'm just happy to be here." Mom smiled and and gave me another hug. "Lets get to the bakery, your grandmas bread isn't going to sell itself." We make it to work and I get my first delivery order. The order is pretty far, but I don't mind. I have my bike today and it's nice and cool. There are no hills the sky no longer grey like the concrete, but blue. The sun is shining and it feels good to be out. I finally get to my delivery and it's a small house on the outside of town. I knock on the door and a little old lady answers the door. I looked shocked, she looks just like the little lady old lady from the magic forest. "Oh hello dear, brave of you to travel all this way." I smile at her and hand her the bag. "I'm sorry ma'am, have we met?" She smiles and grabs my hand, "I just know a brave young woman when I see one. Your necklace you're wearing there." She says as she points to my necklace. "It would look great with a red gem on it don't you think?" She says. I let out a smile and she winks at me. She hands me an envelope and wishes me well on my way back home.
I ride back into town and get back to the bakery, whatever is in this envelope I am antsy to open right away. I didn't want to open it in front of her, because I don't think that's how you're supposed to do those type things. I open the envelope and in it a new necklace chain with a spot that my red blessing gem will fit perfectly in. Also in the envelope was a generous tip with a note that read, "I have no use for this, please take it and continue to do brave things with it. Thanks for the delivery, I always loved your grandmothers bread."
I smiled and put the envelope in my backpack. I am blessed.
"Hey Rowan" my sister says after I drag myself through the front door of our house. I grabbed a glass from the cupboard and poured myself a glass of cold iced tea. "Hey Rio, did you finish your homework?" I said shooting a look at her from across the rooms. She looked down, "well, I kind of got distracted." I sighed as I put the cup down on the counter and gave her smile. I understand what she's going through. Since our grandmother died it's been hard on all of us. Our dad left us when we were younger, so it has always been my grandma, my mother, my sister and me. I started walking up the stairs towards my bedroom and gave my sister a quick pat on the head. "Do your homework." I shot her a wink and finished my walk up the stairs to my bedroom.
I threw my body down on my bed and grabbed the envelope that was left to me from my grandmother. The envelope has been sealed since it was left me the day my grandmother died. I think about opening it, but I'm scared. If I open this and read whatever is stated in this letter will make me face the fact that my grandmother is no longer here. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom and we are all very close. However, my grandmother was my treasure and her absence is staggering. I hold the envelope up the light beaming through the sheer curtains. There was a slight glimmer in there, a small looking stone. I sit the envelope down and take a nap.
I woke up a few hours later and texted my best friend. Sloane was my closest friend and probably one of my only friends. She's been my best friend since grade school. We were leaving high school now and getting ready to leave out on our own. She is very outspoken and is a fierce friend. I ask her to come over and she agrees. I don't even run the idea by my mom. Sometimes I feel like she loves Sloane more than me. Sloane is always welcomed into our home. She has her own key to the house and makes herself at home whenever she is around. She basically lives here. As much as my mom loves and adores her and I wish she would sometimes shower me with that love, I'm always happy to have Sloane around. I needed her to come over, so I can discuss this mysterious letter that was left for me.
I hear Sloane walk in the front door and she gives Rio a quick hello and a hug before running up the stairs to my bedroom. She swings open the door and excitedly shrieks "YOU'RE GOING TO READ THE LETTER?!?!?!?" I look at her and and roll my eyes. She's been nagging me about this letter since it showed up on our doorstep. She is more invested into this letter than I am. She pulls out a letter opener from her purse and gives me a determined look. She holds the letter opener up and stares me down right into my eyes. "We're doing this."
Dearest Rowan,
For generations the women in our family have been tasked with taking this gem. It's a blessing gem and I want you to have it and take care of it. You know this gem very well, it's the gem that was in my necklace that you always used to grab and stare into when you were very young. The way you looked up mesmerized by this the lights shining through the gem is how I knew it was meant to go to you. This blessing gem takes time and takes a certain type of magic to really use it to it's fullest potential. You will have to travel far, but you can do it. I'll be with you every step of the way and you will know what to do along the way. You have already heard everything you need to know. You will need to step out of your comfort zone and take the brave step to do it, but you my dearest Rowan are brave. Hold this gem close to you from now on. It's your turn now.
Always here,
Grandma.
Confused I gave Sloane a look and whispered, "what the hell does this mean?" She was looking back at me and shook her said and quietly said "I don't know." I folded the letter up and on the back of the letter in the bottom of the corner said, "read this aloud when you're ready." in tiny Latin words written out on this paper it read "Audentes fortuna iuvat." What does this any of this mean? What women in our family is she talking about? What in the hell is this magic she's talking about? I threw myself back on the bed. Sloane slams down beside me, "so are you going to do it?" I shoot her a look "do what? I don't even know what she is talking about in this letter. What does any of this even mean? How come nobody has told me about this blessing gem before? How do I even know if my grandmother really even wrote that letter?" I run my hands through my hair and throw a pillow over my face. "You know you have to do it, right?" Sloane says picking up the pillow and peaking at me. "You have to do it." I look at her and shake my head. "I can't do it." I groaned "There is no way I can go on some 'magical' journey for a gem stone."
Sloane picks up the letter and shakes it in my face "this was written by your grandmother and you know it. You know you want to, you know she wants you to." How dare her hold my grandmother over my head like that. This is insane there is no way there is some magical journey all these women in my family go on. I stare at the little gleaming gem in my hand and sigh. I do love this gem and I'm still mesmerized by it to this day. The letter smells like the perfume my grandmother always wore. It's almost like I can feel her presence here with me in this moment. "Okay fine, but you have to say the spell with me and stay with me the whole time." Sloane's eyes lit up and she started clapping "YES YES YES we're going to do it, heck yeah!!!" I shush her down and roll my eyes. "Okay, let's say the spell together 3...2...1.. okay?" Sloane grabs my hands and nods her head yes. We both close ours eyes and in a quick 3..2..1... we both say "Audentes fortuna iuvat." We open our eyes and look at each other. Nothing has changed. We close our eyes again and open them. Still no change. "I don't get it." I said. Sloane shrugs, "maybe it takes time." We stayed up late that night talking, watching tv, and talking about our current crushes. Eventually we fell back on the bed and passed out.
Birds are chirping, the sun is glowing into the room, and I feel the breeze roll in. I wake up and automatically start panicking. "Sloane, get up... Sloane!! Wake up!! SLOANE!!!" Sloane rolls over and lets out a groan "what?? go back to bed." I shake Sloane back awake, "get up, we're not in my house!!!" Sloane opens her eyes and leans up, "IT WORKED!! the spell Row, it WORKED!!" I am not understanding how she is so excited over this. Where is my mom, is she here too? Where is Rio???? Is she okay? What did I do? Sloane hops out of bed, "lets go explore, come on!!" She grabs my hand and pulls me off the bed and towards the door. Okay, I guess we're just going along with this?
Everything is old, ancient, and weirdly vintage. I don't understand any of this and I'm half convinced this is some weird dream or at least we must have ate moms special brownies last night. We walk down the hall way of this old cottage like home and hear some noises coming from an old kitchen, There is a little old lady cooking what looks like some sort of meat and a biscuit. She turns around and greets me with a warm smile "You must be Rowan, come here sweet child. You must be hungry and parched. We have to get you fed and get you ready for your journey." She smiles and seems very familiar and loving to me. She looks at Sloane. "Who are you sweet girl?" I give a small shy smile "that's Sloane, she's my best friend." Sloane smiles and nods in agreement. "I'm here to support this journey in any way I can." The little old lady smiles and gives Sloane an endearing shoulder rub "Yes, it's great she has this support. She will need it. You help her when she needs it okay?" Sloane smiles and in that moment they share an unspoken agreement.
"What is going on, where are we??" I muttered nervously while the little old lady continued to shove food in front of me. She sits down at the table and gives a long sigh. "Your grandmother was a very special woman, I knew her for many years, since she was your age. She took this same journey. For centuries across few families the women in said families have held an old world magical blessing. The blessing comes in the form on the gem you're holding. That blessing gem has been passed down for many generations. Your grandmother was brave, just like you." Through out the time of her telling me this, I've started to realize this was real. I am going on some magical journey in this old world time to keep hold of this magical gem that gives blessings?
The little old lady packed us bags of food. She packed breads and fruits and made sure we had full canteens of water. She handed me a folded up piece of paper that had a map on it and multiple stops along the way. The note that came along with the map explained that the stops along the way will test us and challenge us. However, she told me to remember what my grandmother said in her note. I'm starting to accept this journey and I'm just happy Sloane is with me.
Sloane and I linked arms and started to head out of this tiny old cottage. The little old lady waved us off and assured us we would be okay and we will be protected along the way. Just like that we were off on some magical journey. We made our way walking through a lush green forest. We completed the first couple stops. We were tasked to solve the riddles. The first two were relatively simple. Some simple word play riddles that we were able to figure out pretty early on. We came to a stopping point where the was a lit fire and a sign that read, "Rest for Travelers." Sloane and I looked at each other and kind of just shrugged. "I guess we're stopping here for the night?" Sloane asked. I looked around and that the total lack of comfort surrounding us and let out a quiet "I guess so." We got as comfortable as we could around the fire. We shared a piece of bread and some of the berries the little old lady left for us. Once we finished eating we decided to try and get some much needed rest. Even though I've come to terms with the magic of it all, I still wonder if I will wake up back in my bed tomorrow.
The night came and gone and the sun peaking through the leaves and the cold dew on the grass below us was slowly waking me up. I rolled around for a few minutes and eventually found the energy to sit up and see the world. It wasn't a dream, I'm out in here in some magical forest with my best friend solving riddles all for a gem. I miss my bed. I tap Sloane on the leg and tell her to wake up. She wakes up bright eyed as always. She's so invested in this, but I'm very happy to have her happy spirit to help me with this. "Where's the food, I'm hungry?" Sloane said in a half groan. I reached in the bag and grabbed some berries and we got our fill on fruit. The fire still going was warm and inviting. I kind of didn't want to leave this spot, I was warm, I was full, that just leads to contentment.
I heard a little giggle off the in the distance and got a little scared. "What was that?" I said with a jump in my body. "I didn't hear anything." Sloane replies. The giggle happens again only this time it's louder. I lightly smack Sloane on her side, "That! Didn't you hear that?" I said. Sloane nods her head and jumps up. "Lets see what it is." I jump up to try and stop her, but she's already running. "Stop Sloane come back, what if it's dangerous?" She keeps running toward the giggling. "It's fine, stop worrying!" I catch up with her and we see it, a little fairy sitting on a rock. I blink a few times to make sure it's really happening. "Hi travelers." the fairy says. "Your journey is going well Rowan, it's great to have a great friend like Sloane to go with you." Sloane and I stare at each other a bit confused. "Th..thank you?" I quietly said. The fairy jumps up to a stand, "that's right ! You're not from these woods, I'm here to remind you that you're coming up on the hardest part of this journey. The puzzle that will determine if you get to be able to receive the blessings from the blessing gem. You have been brave and both have been brilliant thus far. Remember you know the answer."
Sloane and I make small talk with the fairy and then the fairy advises us to continue on the journey. The fairy said we'll have a long day of walking. She made a point to remind me to really take the time to reflect on my time with my grandmother through this long walk. So I did just that, I recounted many memories and shared a lot of them with Sloane. Not only did the recall of the memories warm my heart, but I was glad to share some of that with Sloane. We've always been close like sisters, but I feel like we're even closer now.
The day continued on and as soon as the tiredness started coming through my body we reached our last puzzle. The puzzle talked about a story that sounded awfully familiar to me. I struggled with it though, how am I supposed to know the answer to a puzzle that's based on a story I only think I've heard of? What is going to happen if I can't figure this out? I decided to take a break and sit down on a rock facing away from the puzzle. "Hey, look at me." Sloane said kneeling down beside me. "Remember what your grandma, the fairy, and that cute old lady said. You have the answers, just think about it out loud. Talk it out and lets see if we can figure it out." I closed my eyes and said the riddle out loud over and over again until it finally clicked. I knew I had to dig deep down and pull this out of my memory. My grandmother used to tell me a story at night about a girl who received a gift. The gift was a small card that was to always be carried with her. The letters started moving around in my head. This was a puzzle I could now solve. "I got it!" I shouted. Sloane jumped up and ran towards me. "Okay, what is it?" I started walking back to the puzzle, the sun was setting and I knew we didn't want to spend another night on this ground. "My grandmother." I said walking back to the puzzle. "She used to read me this story all the time as a little girl." I started moving wooden tiles with letters on it. "The words in this puzzle have the title of the story." I turned around and as soon as I grouped the letters together in their rightful spots I let out, "The Girl and the Gem from Eldham."
The minute I finished the puzzle, the gem started glowing vibrant and bright just like it did when I was little. I embraced Sloane in a hug and we both shouted and jumped with glee and excitement. This felt great. I felt blessed.
The next thing I knew, I see the sun peaking through a window. I felt a warmth in my heart a feeling I only got with my grandmother when I would see her and spend time with her. I felt content and happy. I opened my eyes slowly hoping to see my bedroom. I take in the view slowly realizing that I am back in my bed. Beside me is my best friend Sloane. I think to myself for a few minutes, was it all a dream? Did I really just have a two day adventure in a magical forest and make pals with a fairy? I gently wake Sloane up. "Sloane, get up." Sloane pops up and looks at me and smiled. "Did we really do that?" she asked me. "It wasn't a dream? we didn't eat your moms magic brownies?" She asked. I look at my bed side table and there it was, a gleaming bright sparkling gem. "I think it was." I said with a smile as I show her the gem.
We make our way downstairs I excitedly hug both my mom and my sister. They look at me confused. "Are you okay?" My mom asked. "I'm just happy to be here." Mom smiled and and gave me another hug. "Lets get to the bakery, your grandmas bread isn't going to sell itself." We make it to work and I get my first delivery order. The order is pretty far, but I don't mind. I have my bike today and it's nice and cool. There are no hills the sky no longer grey like the concrete, but blue. The sun is shining and it feels good to be out. I finally get to my delivery and it's a small house on the outside of town. I knock on the door and a little old lady answers the door. I looked shocked, she looks just like the little lady old lady from the magic forest. "Oh hello dear, brave of you to travel all this way." I smile at her and hand her the bag. "I'm sorry ma'am, have we met?" She smiles and grabs my hand, "I just know a brave young woman when I see one. Your necklace you're wearing there." She says as she points to my necklace. "It would look great with a red gem on it don't you think?" She says. I let out a smile and she winks at me. She hands me an envelope and wishes me well on my way back home.
I ride back into town and get back to the bakery, whatever is in this envelope I am antsy to open right away. I didn't want to open it in front of her, because I don't think that's how you're supposed to do those type things. I open the envelope and in it a new necklace chain with a spot that my red blessing gem will fit perfectly in. Also in the envelope was a generous tip with a note that read, "I have no use for this, please take it and continue to do brave things with it. Thanks for the delivery, I always loved your grandmothers bread."
I smiled and put the envelope in my backpack. I am blessed.
13 pages and 4600+ words later, I've finally finished my story (all fantasy, no AC). I do wish I hadn't put it off for so long so I could've executed it a bit better and made some parts more detailed, but I'm still happy with the idea I came up with and mostly happy with how I implemented it in the end:
Also thank you to anybody who decides to read the whole thing, it's very long but I appreciate you taking the time to read it.
e: Small edit made to the title in the spoiler since I realized I didn't copy it over correctly from my Word document. The actual story has remained intact.
âAre you doing well today?â
A young man with a long and slender build and a greenish hue to his skin looks towards the light brown tree towering over him, the tree covered with branches and leaves. He doesnât communicate through his mouth. Rather, he uses his mind to telepathically say these words to the tree.
âI am. Thank you as always for taking care of me.â
For Vhay, this is the only life heâs known. Abandoned as a child within the woods, the great tree Kao had learned of his presence and used the creatures of his realm to bring Vhay to him. Vhay has been cared for by Kao, who has taught him everything heâs ever known. In return, Vhay has taken care of Kao as the years have gone by. He has no memories of his parents, and only knows of them abandoning him, so he has grown to fear the outside world. He views Kao as his father, swearing to always be at his side no matter what and to always protect him, no matter the cost.
âVhay, do you ever wish to go outside my realm and see the world?â
âWhy would I, Father? Iâm perfectly happy here with you. Only misery awaits me out there.â
âI see. As long as youâre happy, Vhay, thatâs what matters.â
For many years, this is what Vhay did, day in, day out. He was happy with his life, and couldnât imagine that ever changing as long as he was with Kao. Even during the times where Kao got sick, Vhay always believed Kao would get better in no time. Vhay had grown to believe that Kao was immortal and would always be there for him. But he wasnât prepared for the day that he noticed Kao looking sicklier than he had in the past.
âFather? You donât look well. Whatâs wrong?â
âVhay, Iâm dying.â
Vhay was taken aback by his words.
âN-no, you canâtâŚhow would IâŚâ
âVhay, you canât change the laws of the land. Even I must abide by them.â
âNo! There must be something I can do to stop this! Anything to save you!â
There was a brief pause in their conversation as Kao began to ruminate on what to say to Vhay about this situation.
ââŚThere is one thing. A mythical potion said to cure any disease, providing the drinker with immortality.â
âOh my goodness! Yes! Iâll get you that potion! Where is it?!?â
ââŚItâs far away. Itâs locked away within a place known as the Shroud of Darkness.â
âBut thatâsâŚâ
ââŚPast the boundaries of my realm? Yes. You must leave my realm in order to seek out this potion.â
âBut Father, Iâve never left your realm. How will I survive out there?â
âYou must believe in yourself, Vhay. Within you dwells great power. If you get into trouble, your powers will be unlocked.â
Vhay took a few moments to think about this, then sighed before responding.
ââŚAlright, Father. I will do this. For you.â
âThank you. Now, I donât know the exact location of the Shroud of Darkness. But you should head west. There, you will find a town called Discovery. Ask the locals about it, Iâm sure there will be somebody there who knows.â
Vhay hugged the tree looming over him, then turned to the west and set forward on his quest to find the potion to save Kao.
Vhay was used to the flowers, the trees, the grass, and the woodland creatures that surrounded him within Kaoâs realm, so as he made his way outside the realm and past the final few trees, the landscape changed as he saw a vast field before his eyes. He could see a wide-open sky with clouds shaped like butterflies moving by. The tall grass of the field swayed as the wind blew across. Far in the distance, he could make out some shapes. He didnât fully know what they were, but he believed they were the âbuildingsâ that Kao taught him of long ago. He figured that must be where the town is. So Vhay moved across the field, walking cautiously as if expecting something to pop out and attack him. But he was undisturbed as he made it to the shapes he saw in the distance.
Looking around, Vhay noticed a sign that said âWelcome to the Town of Discoveryâ. Behind the sign, a large wall surrounded the town, with a gate open in the middle. Two men clad in armor and holding spears stood beside the gate, one on each side, guarding it from any monsters that might try and sneak in. Vhay walked up to the gate and talked to the two men.
âH-hello. This is Discovery, right?â
The men didnât respond. They just turned to look at Vhay, their eyes scanning him, then they turned to each other and nodded before turning back to their initial positions, starring dead ahead.
âO-okayâŚâ
Vhay entered Discovery. As he entered and walked along the cobblestone path, he noticed other people along the path, either standing by the buildings or walking by him. The murmuring of the town grew hush as all the people stopped in their tracks and just stared at him in silence. Vhay felt the eyes of the people on him, following him, and grew more anxious as he continued walking. He felt like he didnât belong here. He began thinking that this whole thing was a mistake, that he wonât find anybody whoâll help him. As he continued walking, looking for anything that might help him, he noticed a building with a sign saying âGuildâ. He had been taught that word by Kao, but never fully understood what it meant. Curious, he decided to enter the building.
Within the guild, he saw more people who were talking, but stopped and started staring at him. Vhayâs eyes darted around, spotting a table near the entrance. He took a seat and just put his head down on the table, wrapping his arms around it, as if hoping thatâd make everybody disappear. Suddenly, a womanâs voice could be heard, breaking the silence.
âGive the kid a break, will you? No need to shut up and gawk at him.â
Slowly, the people in the guild shifted their attention away from Vhay and began to converse amongst themselves again. Vhay lifted his head up, and noticed a woman had sat down across from him at his table. The woman was of average height, wearing armor and looking very fit, as her muscles bulged out from underneath the armor. The woman shot him a smile and began to talk to him.
âHello. Iâve never seen you around here. Who are you?â
âIâm Vhay.â
âNice to meet you, Vhay. Nameâs Jel. Now, if you donât mind me asking, where do you come from?â
âI, uh⌠I come from the realm of Kao.â
âHuh. Iâve heard of that place, never knew anybody lived there. I guess that explains why your skin has a greenish hue, then.â
âGreenish hue? Is that why everybodyâs been staring at me?â
âAh, donât sweat it. These are kind people once you get to know them. They just donât know how to react when they see a unique individual like yourself walk into town.â
Vhay relaxed a bit after hearing that, realizing that Jel might be the person to ask about the Shroud.
ââŚSay, Jel, would you happen to know anything about the Shroud of Darkness?â
âShroud of Darkness?â
âYeah.â
âHuh, so thatâs why youâve come all the way from the realm of KaoâŚâ
There was a brief pause, and then a heavy sigh passed through Jelâs lips.
âKid, the Shroud of Darkness is a place that is rumoured to contain a potion of unknown qualities, as Iâm sure youâre aware of if youâre come to this place. However, the path to it is treacherous, and once you enter the Heart of the Shroud, youâll have to face a test of your strength, your courage, and your resolve. Many adventurers have come through here and asked me about it. None have returned from the Shroud. Are you really sure you want to continue? Are you sure you donât just want to go back to your realm?â
âYes. I must get that potion. My fa- Kao, the tree that rules the realm, heâs dying. He says he needs the potion to stay alive.â
Jel crossed her arms, tilted her head down for a moment, and closed her eyes, thinking. Then she raised her head again, her eyes meeting Vhayâs.
âVery well. Iâll accompany you into the Shroud of Darkness and help you reach the Heart of the Shroud, but thatâs as far as I can go. Once you enter the Heart, itâll be up to you to try and take down whateverâs in front of you.â
âI understand. Thank you so much, Jel.â
Jel looked at Vhay, noticing he didnât have any weapons nor armor on him, then grabbed two sheathed swords. She put one of the swords on her back, then handed the other sword to Vhay.
âHave you ever used a sword before?â
âNo.â
âAny weapon?â
âNo. Never.â
ââŚWellâŚalright. This will be a learning experience for you, I guess. Unfortunately, I donât have any armor for you, so youâll just need to be careful not to get hit. Come, follow me.â
Jel and Vhay left Discovery and headed towards a place covered in a dark mist. As they got closer, the light in the sky seemed to vanish. The path underneath their feet turned into darkened stones, with dead grass along the sides. The air grew heavy with dread and regret. Torches beside the path began to light the way forward, cutting through the surrounding darkness.
âStay close to me, Vhay, okay?â
Vhay nodded. They slowly moved forward along the path. Soon, a couple of skeletons emerged from the darkness.
âVhay, take out your sword. If a skeleton gets close to you, just swing at it!â
Jel unsheathed her sword and ran towards one skeleton, while the other decided to go towards Vhay. Vhay unsheathed his sword, and with it trembling in his hands, he watched the skeleton move closer towards him. He closed his eyes and begun swinging it wildly, only slashing the air as the skeleton just walked around the swordâs arc to avoid getting hit by it. The skeleton was beside Vhay now, and he froze in fear.
âVhay, no!â
Jel screamed as she raced back and chopped the skull off the skeleton with her sword, sending its bones tumbling to the ground.
âThank goodness I noticed that in time. Are you okay?â
âY-yeahâŚâ
âYouâre really not used to having to defend yourself in combat, huh?â
âN-no. Iâve never had to do it back in the realm...â
Vhayâs eyes began to tear up as he began to feel the weight of the situation and how little he knew about fighting.
âHey, hey, itâs okay, Vhay. This is your first fight. Itâs always tough. I know I struggled when I first learned to fight as well.â
âWhen did you learn to fight?â
âYears ago, when I was just a teenager. My dad was the head of the guild back then, and he wanted to make sure I knew how to fight for myself when the time came for me to take over the guild from him. I wasnât the best at fighting back then, but he was patient with me and always reminded me to keep at it. It took awhile, but not only did I eventually get better at fighting, I became known as the best swordswoman in all of Zundera.â
âHuh. Whereâs your father now?â
Jel turned away from Vhay and just stared into the distance.
âOh, Iâm sorry, I didnât mean t-â
âVhay, itâs okay. He isâŚwasâŚheâs gone.â
Jel paused for a moment to collect herself before continuing.
âI had the misfortune of watching him die before my very own eyes. It was during a job where a gang of bandits ambushed us. I managed to survive, but sometimes I wonder why it was me and not him who lived. I was the one who wanted to take the job. He had his hesitations, yetâŚâ
She paused again, then sighed.
âLetâs just keep going, okay?â
Vhay nodded. They continued onward. They encountered more skeletons, and this time Jel stayed beside Vhay, giving him instructions on how and when to swing his sword. While he didnât do much damage to the skeleton that approached him, he was able to make contact and knock it back a bit before Jel finished the job. After dispatching the skeletons, they slowly made their way forward. The light from the torches along the path slowly dimmed the further they went into the Shroud. Fight after fight, ranging from skeletons to zombies to bats and wolves, Vhayâs sword skills improved. It still wasnât great, but it was serviceable enough to defend himself. After their latest fight where they took down four zombies, Jel motioned to Vhay to pause for a moment.
âWeâre getting closer to the Heart of the Shroud. How are you holding up?â
âIâm okay, I guess. I think Iâm getting the hang of this sword.â
âThatâs good.â
Jel was about to start moving again before a thought entered her head.
âSay, Vhay. Youâre from the realm of Kao, right? How long have you lived there?â
âYeah. Iâve lived there for as long as I can remember. Itâs the only place Iâve called home.â
âHuh. Like I told you, I never knew anybody who lived in there. Have you ever left the realm before?â
âNo, never. Honestly, I was scared of ever leaving it, but then with Kao dyingâŚâ
Vhayâs voice trailed off. Jel decided to change the subject.
âWhy did your parents decide to live there?â
Vhay turned away from Jel and put his head down, staring at the ground underneath him.
âOh, Iâm sorry, Vhay, I didnât mean to bring up a sensitive topic like that.â
Vhay continued staring at the ground then sighed.
âItâsâŚitâs okay. They abandoned me.â
âOh, VhayâŚâ
Vhay quickly picked his head up and began to crack a smile.
âBut Kao took me in! He has been raising me this entire time! Iâve loved living with him my entire life!â
âIs that why you want to save him, then?â
âYeah!â
A slight smile appeared on Jelâs face.
âI canât blame you. I wouldâve done anything possible if I couldâve saved my dad. I mightâve even gone for that potion myself if he had enough time to live. HehâŚâ
Jel looked up at the pitch-black sky, still smiling, then tilted her head down to face Vhay again.
âI really hope you get that potion, Vhay.â
âMe too, Jel.â
Vhay and Jel began moving forward again. As they got further and further into the Shroud, the mist grew thicker. The monsters kept coming at them in waves. As they finished off the latest set of zombies, suddenly the mist lifted. Ahead of them loomed a giant door, guarding whatever was waiting behind it. At last, they made it to the entrance of the Heart of the Shroud.
âVhay, Iâll ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to do this? I know what this means to you, but I canât help but worry that your fighting skills wonât be enough in there.â
âIâm absolutely sure. Jel, I donât know what I would do without Kao. This is the only chance I have to save him.â
Jel sighed.
âGood luck, kid. Make it out alive, okay?â
Vhay approached the door. Slowly, the door began to creak open right in front of him. The opening the door had covered was pitch-black. He took a deep breath in, then stepped into the darkness. As he moved forward, the darkness lifted. He emerged in a circular arena. At the other end of the arena was a set of stairs that led to a pedestal. Surely this was where the potion would appear.
Vhay took a look behind him and saw just pitch black where the other side of the entrance should be.
âJel?â
No response. Vhay moved towards the stairs, trembling. Suddenly, as he approached the center of the arena, a figure emerged from the ground, covered in dirt. As the dirt fell off the figure, Vhay suddenly realized he was staring at a shadow of himself.
âWho are you?â
The shadow couldnât speak, but unsheathed its sword and swung right at Vhay, hitting him in his left arm.
âOw, are you kidding me?!?â
Vhay unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the shadow. He and the shadow circled each other, each looking for an opening. Vhay decided to take a swing, but the shadow anticipated this and simply knocked Vhayâs sword out of his hands with its own sword. Vhayâs sword landed near the edge of the arena. Without a sword, Vhay began to panic, unsure of what to do. He stepped back from the shadow, glancing at where the sword at gone, but as he began to turn his body to make a dash for it, the shadow closed in and slashed him across his left thigh. Vhay went down in excruciating pain. The shadow looked like it was mocking Vhay as he began to clutch his thigh. Vhay tried to get up, but he couldnât move his left leg.
âUrgâŚthis canât be happeningâŚnoâŚâ
Vhay felt it was hopeless to keep fighting and closed his eyes, waiting for the shadow to finish him off.
âFather, I failed youâŚâ
âWithin you dwells great power. If you get into trouble, your powers will be unlocked.â
Kaoâs words rung in Vhayâs head. Suddenly, he felt a surge of energy run through him. Just as the shadow began swinging its sword to finish Vhay off, the newfound energy allowed Vhay to roll out of the way just in time.
âYouâŚwill notâŚstop me!â
Vhay managed to slowly get up again. The pain from his thigh and arm were unbearable, but he was determined to remove the shadow from existence. But there was no way he was going to be able to get the sword. He didnât know how he was going to attack the shadow. Just then, another memory of the past entered his thoughts.
âVhay, after you were brought to me, I infused you with my own essence. Within you dwells the power of these woods â the ground and the plants.â
âWoah, cool! How do I use this power?â
âYou arenât able to use it yet. When the time comes, your mind will show you the way.â
Vhay finally realized what Kao was referring to all those years ago. With the shadow getting ready to strike again, Vhay stared at it, then closed his eyes and focused. He imagined stalagmites coming out of the ground and piercing the shadow.
Suddenly, a rumble. Vhay opened his eyes to see a pair of stalagmites coming out of the ground and piercing the shadow, just as he pictured in his mind. But upon seeing it, he felt some of his energy draining away and his head began to hurt a bit. He clutched at his head with his right hand briefly. The stalagmites disappeared. The shadow was knocked back, but not deterred. It grabbed its sword again and charged towards Vhay.
Vhay shook his head, then fixed his gaze at the shadow once more and closed his eyes. He pictured vines covered with thorns appearing from the ground all around the shadow, hurting it and stopping it in its tracks. He opened his eyes, and saw as the vines appeared from the ground, much like the stalagmites had, and trapped the shadow within their thorns, damaging it and temporarily stopping it from moving. More energy began to fade as Vhayâs head began to hurt even more now. He raised both hands to his lowered head, groaning as the pain began to really take its toll on him. He couldnât even raise his head to watch as the vines disappeared from around the shadow. The shadow came straight at him, slashing him across the chest and knocking him back several feet.
Vhay was disoriented. The wounds he suffered on his left arm, left thigh, and now chest have taken their toll as he was slowly bleeding out, not to mention the pain throbbing from his head. He began groaning and breathing heavily, as he felt himself inching closer towards death. But as the shadow prepared to attack him once more and finish him off, he could hear Kaoâs voice ringing in his mind once again.
âVhay, Iâm dying.â
The emotions swelled within Vhay. He knew he had to do this. He knew he had to save Kao, no matter what. Laying on the ground, with his last remaining energy, his eyes moved across the room, looking for the shadow. Vhay spotted it, and he closed his eyes. He imagined himself back in Kaoâs realm. He stood beside Kao as the shadow was running towards him. Kao watched and moved one of his mighty branches, swinging it at the shadow. He launched the shadow into the sky, out of his realm forever.
He opened his eyes. While Vhayâs eyes were responsive, the rest of his body was motionless. He could only watch as the shadow got closer, then was suddenly knocked into the air by a huge branch that appeared out of the air over top of Vhay. The shadow smashed into the ceiling of the arena, then fell onto the ground and vanished.
Vhay had did it. Vhay beat the shadow version of himself.
âFatherâŚâ
Vhay was still on the ground. He wanted to get up, but his body was no longer listening to his mind. The fight had taken everything out of him. He didnât have the energy to get up and get the potion that had appeared on the pedestal. The silence within the room grew deafening. The light around him began to fade.
Suddenly, Vhay heard a voice in his mind, piercing the silence.
âVhay.â
âWhoâŚwho is thatâŚKao?!? Is it you?!?â
âVhay. The potion. Itâs in front of you. Get up. Go up those stairs.â
Suddenly, Vhayâs body started moving, as if being controlled by someone else. The motions felt familiar, right leg moving forward, then left leg moving forward, but it didnât feel like he was doing it. His body made it up the stairs, and in front of him stood the potion.
âVhay. Grab the potion.â
Suddenly, his right hand shot out and grabbed the potionâs bottle by the neck.
âVhay. Go back out the door.â
Once again, his legs started moving. Everything felt disconnected. His brain wasnât doing anything. It felt like his limbs had a mind of their own, ignoring any injuries that had befallen them. His body walked through the darkness of the doorâs opening and back to the other side of the entrance. Then his body collapsed.
Silence.
Darkness.
âIs thisâŚdeath?â
Those were the final thoughts of Vhay as his body gave out.
Suddenly, the darkness was shattered by a ray of light. Then another. And another. Then a voice managed to pierce the silence.
âYouâre awake! Oh my goodness, youâre actually awake! Youâre alive!â
ââŚJ-Jel?â
Vhayâs eyes slowly opened. He began to look around the room he was laying in. He was back in Discovery, inside a house he had never been in before. Beside him stood Jel, shocked by what she was seeing.
ââŚJel, w-what happened?â
âDonât you remember? You went into the Heart of the Shroud, somehow came out with that-â
Jel pointed at the potion that was on the end table beside Vhay.
â-and then just collapsed right in front of me.â
ââŚI did it?â
âYes! You did it!â
ââŚHow?â
âI donât know, Vhay. Youâre the only one who could possibly know.â
Vhay turned his head straight ahead and stared blanky into space, trying to recall all that had happened within the Heart of the Shroud. All he could remember was unlocking his true powers. He couldnât remember vanquishing the shadow. He couldnât remember getting the potion. He couldnât even remember making it out. He had overused his powers and nearly died as a result, but somehow, his inner resolve to save Kao forced his body beyond its limits.
Suddenly, his head turned towards Jel once again.
âOh my goodness! I need to get back to Father!â
âFather?â
âI-I mean Kao. ItâsâŚanyways. I must get back to him!â
âListen, as much as I would love for you to return home, Vhay, youâve been unconscious for a week and only just woke up. Unfortunately, itâll be a couple more weeks before your wounds have healed and you have your strength back.â
ââŚâ
The next couple of weeks couldnât go by fast enough for Vhay. Jel took care of him while also making sure he didnât try and leave before he was fully healed. Soon, though, Jel could tell that Vhay recovered enough to make the journey back and let him leave. Vhay ran back to Kaoâs realm, refusing to stop for any reason until he finally re-entered the realm.
âIâm home⌠Father⌠Hang on, FatherâŚâ
Vhay raced through the trees and foliage that was between him and Kao. But as he got closer and closer to Kao, an eerie silence began to descend upon him. The creatures of the realm appeared to have vanished. The leaves on the trees were fewer and fewer until the trees had no leaves at all. A cold and eerie mist ran across the ground. Refusing to let go of hope, Vhay kept running until he was staring straight at Kaoâs trunk. The once light brown tree now stood there, grey with no leaves remaining on its branches.
âFather?â
Vhay wearily looked at Kao and received no response back.
âFather? Are you asleep? Did you pass out? Father? Speak to me! FATHER!â
Slowly, he came to the realization that Kao had passed away during the time he was away. Exhausted, Vhay crumpled to the ground. Tears began to flow down his face.
âNo⌠I was too late⌠I was⌠I couldnâtâŚâ
Sobbing for what felt like an eternity, Vhay ran out of tears to cry. He rubbed his eyes and noticed something at the base of Kao. A letter.
âVhay,
By the time you come back, Iâll be gone.
I lied about the potion. The potion was never meant for me. It was never going to save me.
The potion was always intended for you.
You had grown so naĂŻve and innocent of the world, I was afraid of what would happen if I had passed away and you hadnât been able to experience the world outside my realm for yourself.
But by reading this, it means youâve succeeded in your quest, and I couldnât be prouder of you. Iâll be forever grateful for the time we spent together, but now itâs time for you to write your own destiny without me by your side.
As you might have figured out by now, the potion doesnât grant immortality or cure any disease. Instead, it strengthens the mind of the one who drinks it. By drinking it, your powers will grow and you will be able to use them without fear of harming yourself in the process.
With your newfound knowledge and abilities, I hope you can venture forward into the rest of Zundera, brave and confident. You can do anything you set your mind to, and I hope youâll use your powers to help other people in the world.
Your Father in this life and the next,
Kaoâ
âHeâŚknew?â
Vhay wiped the last of the tears from his cheeks and stood up. He stared up at Kaoâs crown, a once living tree who could no longer respond to Vhay. The frown that once covered Vhayâs lips turned into a smile.
âFatherâŚthank you. I will write my own destiny. For you.â
Vhay took the potion in hand and headed back towards Discovery, ready to meet Jel again and see what the rest of Zundera had in store for him.
A young man with a long and slender build and a greenish hue to his skin looks towards the light brown tree towering over him, the tree covered with branches and leaves. He doesnât communicate through his mouth. Rather, he uses his mind to telepathically say these words to the tree.
âI am. Thank you as always for taking care of me.â
For Vhay, this is the only life heâs known. Abandoned as a child within the woods, the great tree Kao had learned of his presence and used the creatures of his realm to bring Vhay to him. Vhay has been cared for by Kao, who has taught him everything heâs ever known. In return, Vhay has taken care of Kao as the years have gone by. He has no memories of his parents, and only knows of them abandoning him, so he has grown to fear the outside world. He views Kao as his father, swearing to always be at his side no matter what and to always protect him, no matter the cost.
âVhay, do you ever wish to go outside my realm and see the world?â
âWhy would I, Father? Iâm perfectly happy here with you. Only misery awaits me out there.â
âI see. As long as youâre happy, Vhay, thatâs what matters.â
For many years, this is what Vhay did, day in, day out. He was happy with his life, and couldnât imagine that ever changing as long as he was with Kao. Even during the times where Kao got sick, Vhay always believed Kao would get better in no time. Vhay had grown to believe that Kao was immortal and would always be there for him. But he wasnât prepared for the day that he noticed Kao looking sicklier than he had in the past.
âFather? You donât look well. Whatâs wrong?â
âVhay, Iâm dying.â
Vhay was taken aback by his words.
âN-no, you canâtâŚhow would IâŚâ
âVhay, you canât change the laws of the land. Even I must abide by them.â
âNo! There must be something I can do to stop this! Anything to save you!â
There was a brief pause in their conversation as Kao began to ruminate on what to say to Vhay about this situation.
ââŚThere is one thing. A mythical potion said to cure any disease, providing the drinker with immortality.â
âOh my goodness! Yes! Iâll get you that potion! Where is it?!?â
ââŚItâs far away. Itâs locked away within a place known as the Shroud of Darkness.â
âBut thatâsâŚâ
ââŚPast the boundaries of my realm? Yes. You must leave my realm in order to seek out this potion.â
âBut Father, Iâve never left your realm. How will I survive out there?â
âYou must believe in yourself, Vhay. Within you dwells great power. If you get into trouble, your powers will be unlocked.â
Vhay took a few moments to think about this, then sighed before responding.
ââŚAlright, Father. I will do this. For you.â
âThank you. Now, I donât know the exact location of the Shroud of Darkness. But you should head west. There, you will find a town called Discovery. Ask the locals about it, Iâm sure there will be somebody there who knows.â
Vhay hugged the tree looming over him, then turned to the west and set forward on his quest to find the potion to save Kao.
Vhay was used to the flowers, the trees, the grass, and the woodland creatures that surrounded him within Kaoâs realm, so as he made his way outside the realm and past the final few trees, the landscape changed as he saw a vast field before his eyes. He could see a wide-open sky with clouds shaped like butterflies moving by. The tall grass of the field swayed as the wind blew across. Far in the distance, he could make out some shapes. He didnât fully know what they were, but he believed they were the âbuildingsâ that Kao taught him of long ago. He figured that must be where the town is. So Vhay moved across the field, walking cautiously as if expecting something to pop out and attack him. But he was undisturbed as he made it to the shapes he saw in the distance.
Looking around, Vhay noticed a sign that said âWelcome to the Town of Discoveryâ. Behind the sign, a large wall surrounded the town, with a gate open in the middle. Two men clad in armor and holding spears stood beside the gate, one on each side, guarding it from any monsters that might try and sneak in. Vhay walked up to the gate and talked to the two men.
âH-hello. This is Discovery, right?â
The men didnât respond. They just turned to look at Vhay, their eyes scanning him, then they turned to each other and nodded before turning back to their initial positions, starring dead ahead.
âO-okayâŚâ
Vhay entered Discovery. As he entered and walked along the cobblestone path, he noticed other people along the path, either standing by the buildings or walking by him. The murmuring of the town grew hush as all the people stopped in their tracks and just stared at him in silence. Vhay felt the eyes of the people on him, following him, and grew more anxious as he continued walking. He felt like he didnât belong here. He began thinking that this whole thing was a mistake, that he wonât find anybody whoâll help him. As he continued walking, looking for anything that might help him, he noticed a building with a sign saying âGuildâ. He had been taught that word by Kao, but never fully understood what it meant. Curious, he decided to enter the building.
Within the guild, he saw more people who were talking, but stopped and started staring at him. Vhayâs eyes darted around, spotting a table near the entrance. He took a seat and just put his head down on the table, wrapping his arms around it, as if hoping thatâd make everybody disappear. Suddenly, a womanâs voice could be heard, breaking the silence.
âGive the kid a break, will you? No need to shut up and gawk at him.â
Slowly, the people in the guild shifted their attention away from Vhay and began to converse amongst themselves again. Vhay lifted his head up, and noticed a woman had sat down across from him at his table. The woman was of average height, wearing armor and looking very fit, as her muscles bulged out from underneath the armor. The woman shot him a smile and began to talk to him.
âHello. Iâve never seen you around here. Who are you?â
âIâm Vhay.â
âNice to meet you, Vhay. Nameâs Jel. Now, if you donât mind me asking, where do you come from?â
âI, uh⌠I come from the realm of Kao.â
âHuh. Iâve heard of that place, never knew anybody lived there. I guess that explains why your skin has a greenish hue, then.â
âGreenish hue? Is that why everybodyâs been staring at me?â
âAh, donât sweat it. These are kind people once you get to know them. They just donât know how to react when they see a unique individual like yourself walk into town.â
Vhay relaxed a bit after hearing that, realizing that Jel might be the person to ask about the Shroud.
ââŚSay, Jel, would you happen to know anything about the Shroud of Darkness?â
âShroud of Darkness?â
âYeah.â
âHuh, so thatâs why youâve come all the way from the realm of KaoâŚâ
There was a brief pause, and then a heavy sigh passed through Jelâs lips.
âKid, the Shroud of Darkness is a place that is rumoured to contain a potion of unknown qualities, as Iâm sure youâre aware of if youâre come to this place. However, the path to it is treacherous, and once you enter the Heart of the Shroud, youâll have to face a test of your strength, your courage, and your resolve. Many adventurers have come through here and asked me about it. None have returned from the Shroud. Are you really sure you want to continue? Are you sure you donât just want to go back to your realm?â
âYes. I must get that potion. My fa- Kao, the tree that rules the realm, heâs dying. He says he needs the potion to stay alive.â
Jel crossed her arms, tilted her head down for a moment, and closed her eyes, thinking. Then she raised her head again, her eyes meeting Vhayâs.
âVery well. Iâll accompany you into the Shroud of Darkness and help you reach the Heart of the Shroud, but thatâs as far as I can go. Once you enter the Heart, itâll be up to you to try and take down whateverâs in front of you.â
âI understand. Thank you so much, Jel.â
Jel looked at Vhay, noticing he didnât have any weapons nor armor on him, then grabbed two sheathed swords. She put one of the swords on her back, then handed the other sword to Vhay.
âHave you ever used a sword before?â
âNo.â
âAny weapon?â
âNo. Never.â
ââŚWellâŚalright. This will be a learning experience for you, I guess. Unfortunately, I donât have any armor for you, so youâll just need to be careful not to get hit. Come, follow me.â
Jel and Vhay left Discovery and headed towards a place covered in a dark mist. As they got closer, the light in the sky seemed to vanish. The path underneath their feet turned into darkened stones, with dead grass along the sides. The air grew heavy with dread and regret. Torches beside the path began to light the way forward, cutting through the surrounding darkness.
âStay close to me, Vhay, okay?â
Vhay nodded. They slowly moved forward along the path. Soon, a couple of skeletons emerged from the darkness.
âVhay, take out your sword. If a skeleton gets close to you, just swing at it!â
Jel unsheathed her sword and ran towards one skeleton, while the other decided to go towards Vhay. Vhay unsheathed his sword, and with it trembling in his hands, he watched the skeleton move closer towards him. He closed his eyes and begun swinging it wildly, only slashing the air as the skeleton just walked around the swordâs arc to avoid getting hit by it. The skeleton was beside Vhay now, and he froze in fear.
âVhay, no!â
Jel screamed as she raced back and chopped the skull off the skeleton with her sword, sending its bones tumbling to the ground.
âThank goodness I noticed that in time. Are you okay?â
âY-yeahâŚâ
âYouâre really not used to having to defend yourself in combat, huh?â
âN-no. Iâve never had to do it back in the realm...â
Vhayâs eyes began to tear up as he began to feel the weight of the situation and how little he knew about fighting.
âHey, hey, itâs okay, Vhay. This is your first fight. Itâs always tough. I know I struggled when I first learned to fight as well.â
âWhen did you learn to fight?â
âYears ago, when I was just a teenager. My dad was the head of the guild back then, and he wanted to make sure I knew how to fight for myself when the time came for me to take over the guild from him. I wasnât the best at fighting back then, but he was patient with me and always reminded me to keep at it. It took awhile, but not only did I eventually get better at fighting, I became known as the best swordswoman in all of Zundera.â
âHuh. Whereâs your father now?â
Jel turned away from Vhay and just stared into the distance.
âOh, Iâm sorry, I didnât mean t-â
âVhay, itâs okay. He isâŚwasâŚheâs gone.â
Jel paused for a moment to collect herself before continuing.
âI had the misfortune of watching him die before my very own eyes. It was during a job where a gang of bandits ambushed us. I managed to survive, but sometimes I wonder why it was me and not him who lived. I was the one who wanted to take the job. He had his hesitations, yetâŚâ
She paused again, then sighed.
âLetâs just keep going, okay?â
Vhay nodded. They continued onward. They encountered more skeletons, and this time Jel stayed beside Vhay, giving him instructions on how and when to swing his sword. While he didnât do much damage to the skeleton that approached him, he was able to make contact and knock it back a bit before Jel finished the job. After dispatching the skeletons, they slowly made their way forward. The light from the torches along the path slowly dimmed the further they went into the Shroud. Fight after fight, ranging from skeletons to zombies to bats and wolves, Vhayâs sword skills improved. It still wasnât great, but it was serviceable enough to defend himself. After their latest fight where they took down four zombies, Jel motioned to Vhay to pause for a moment.
âWeâre getting closer to the Heart of the Shroud. How are you holding up?â
âIâm okay, I guess. I think Iâm getting the hang of this sword.â
âThatâs good.â
Jel was about to start moving again before a thought entered her head.
âSay, Vhay. Youâre from the realm of Kao, right? How long have you lived there?â
âYeah. Iâve lived there for as long as I can remember. Itâs the only place Iâve called home.â
âHuh. Like I told you, I never knew anybody who lived in there. Have you ever left the realm before?â
âNo, never. Honestly, I was scared of ever leaving it, but then with Kao dyingâŚâ
Vhayâs voice trailed off. Jel decided to change the subject.
âWhy did your parents decide to live there?â
Vhay turned away from Jel and put his head down, staring at the ground underneath him.
âOh, Iâm sorry, Vhay, I didnât mean to bring up a sensitive topic like that.â
Vhay continued staring at the ground then sighed.
âItâsâŚitâs okay. They abandoned me.â
âOh, VhayâŚâ
Vhay quickly picked his head up and began to crack a smile.
âBut Kao took me in! He has been raising me this entire time! Iâve loved living with him my entire life!â
âIs that why you want to save him, then?â
âYeah!â
A slight smile appeared on Jelâs face.
âI canât blame you. I wouldâve done anything possible if I couldâve saved my dad. I mightâve even gone for that potion myself if he had enough time to live. HehâŚâ
Jel looked up at the pitch-black sky, still smiling, then tilted her head down to face Vhay again.
âI really hope you get that potion, Vhay.â
âMe too, Jel.â
Vhay and Jel began moving forward again. As they got further and further into the Shroud, the mist grew thicker. The monsters kept coming at them in waves. As they finished off the latest set of zombies, suddenly the mist lifted. Ahead of them loomed a giant door, guarding whatever was waiting behind it. At last, they made it to the entrance of the Heart of the Shroud.
âVhay, Iâll ask you one last time. Are you sure you want to do this? I know what this means to you, but I canât help but worry that your fighting skills wonât be enough in there.â
âIâm absolutely sure. Jel, I donât know what I would do without Kao. This is the only chance I have to save him.â
Jel sighed.
âGood luck, kid. Make it out alive, okay?â
Vhay approached the door. Slowly, the door began to creak open right in front of him. The opening the door had covered was pitch-black. He took a deep breath in, then stepped into the darkness. As he moved forward, the darkness lifted. He emerged in a circular arena. At the other end of the arena was a set of stairs that led to a pedestal. Surely this was where the potion would appear.
Vhay took a look behind him and saw just pitch black where the other side of the entrance should be.
âJel?â
No response. Vhay moved towards the stairs, trembling. Suddenly, as he approached the center of the arena, a figure emerged from the ground, covered in dirt. As the dirt fell off the figure, Vhay suddenly realized he was staring at a shadow of himself.
âWho are you?â
The shadow couldnât speak, but unsheathed its sword and swung right at Vhay, hitting him in his left arm.
âOw, are you kidding me?!?â
Vhay unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the shadow. He and the shadow circled each other, each looking for an opening. Vhay decided to take a swing, but the shadow anticipated this and simply knocked Vhayâs sword out of his hands with its own sword. Vhayâs sword landed near the edge of the arena. Without a sword, Vhay began to panic, unsure of what to do. He stepped back from the shadow, glancing at where the sword at gone, but as he began to turn his body to make a dash for it, the shadow closed in and slashed him across his left thigh. Vhay went down in excruciating pain. The shadow looked like it was mocking Vhay as he began to clutch his thigh. Vhay tried to get up, but he couldnât move his left leg.
âUrgâŚthis canât be happeningâŚnoâŚâ
Vhay felt it was hopeless to keep fighting and closed his eyes, waiting for the shadow to finish him off.
âFather, I failed youâŚâ
âWithin you dwells great power. If you get into trouble, your powers will be unlocked.â
Kaoâs words rung in Vhayâs head. Suddenly, he felt a surge of energy run through him. Just as the shadow began swinging its sword to finish Vhay off, the newfound energy allowed Vhay to roll out of the way just in time.
âYouâŚwill notâŚstop me!â
Vhay managed to slowly get up again. The pain from his thigh and arm were unbearable, but he was determined to remove the shadow from existence. But there was no way he was going to be able to get the sword. He didnât know how he was going to attack the shadow. Just then, another memory of the past entered his thoughts.
âVhay, after you were brought to me, I infused you with my own essence. Within you dwells the power of these woods â the ground and the plants.â
âWoah, cool! How do I use this power?â
âYou arenât able to use it yet. When the time comes, your mind will show you the way.â
Vhay finally realized what Kao was referring to all those years ago. With the shadow getting ready to strike again, Vhay stared at it, then closed his eyes and focused. He imagined stalagmites coming out of the ground and piercing the shadow.
Suddenly, a rumble. Vhay opened his eyes to see a pair of stalagmites coming out of the ground and piercing the shadow, just as he pictured in his mind. But upon seeing it, he felt some of his energy draining away and his head began to hurt a bit. He clutched at his head with his right hand briefly. The stalagmites disappeared. The shadow was knocked back, but not deterred. It grabbed its sword again and charged towards Vhay.
Vhay shook his head, then fixed his gaze at the shadow once more and closed his eyes. He pictured vines covered with thorns appearing from the ground all around the shadow, hurting it and stopping it in its tracks. He opened his eyes, and saw as the vines appeared from the ground, much like the stalagmites had, and trapped the shadow within their thorns, damaging it and temporarily stopping it from moving. More energy began to fade as Vhayâs head began to hurt even more now. He raised both hands to his lowered head, groaning as the pain began to really take its toll on him. He couldnât even raise his head to watch as the vines disappeared from around the shadow. The shadow came straight at him, slashing him across the chest and knocking him back several feet.
Vhay was disoriented. The wounds he suffered on his left arm, left thigh, and now chest have taken their toll as he was slowly bleeding out, not to mention the pain throbbing from his head. He began groaning and breathing heavily, as he felt himself inching closer towards death. But as the shadow prepared to attack him once more and finish him off, he could hear Kaoâs voice ringing in his mind once again.
âVhay, Iâm dying.â
The emotions swelled within Vhay. He knew he had to do this. He knew he had to save Kao, no matter what. Laying on the ground, with his last remaining energy, his eyes moved across the room, looking for the shadow. Vhay spotted it, and he closed his eyes. He imagined himself back in Kaoâs realm. He stood beside Kao as the shadow was running towards him. Kao watched and moved one of his mighty branches, swinging it at the shadow. He launched the shadow into the sky, out of his realm forever.
He opened his eyes. While Vhayâs eyes were responsive, the rest of his body was motionless. He could only watch as the shadow got closer, then was suddenly knocked into the air by a huge branch that appeared out of the air over top of Vhay. The shadow smashed into the ceiling of the arena, then fell onto the ground and vanished.
Vhay had did it. Vhay beat the shadow version of himself.
âFatherâŚâ
Vhay was still on the ground. He wanted to get up, but his body was no longer listening to his mind. The fight had taken everything out of him. He didnât have the energy to get up and get the potion that had appeared on the pedestal. The silence within the room grew deafening. The light around him began to fade.
Suddenly, Vhay heard a voice in his mind, piercing the silence.
âVhay.â
âWhoâŚwho is thatâŚKao?!? Is it you?!?â
âVhay. The potion. Itâs in front of you. Get up. Go up those stairs.â
Suddenly, Vhayâs body started moving, as if being controlled by someone else. The motions felt familiar, right leg moving forward, then left leg moving forward, but it didnât feel like he was doing it. His body made it up the stairs, and in front of him stood the potion.
âVhay. Grab the potion.â
Suddenly, his right hand shot out and grabbed the potionâs bottle by the neck.
âVhay. Go back out the door.â
Once again, his legs started moving. Everything felt disconnected. His brain wasnât doing anything. It felt like his limbs had a mind of their own, ignoring any injuries that had befallen them. His body walked through the darkness of the doorâs opening and back to the other side of the entrance. Then his body collapsed.
Silence.
Darkness.
âIs thisâŚdeath?â
Those were the final thoughts of Vhay as his body gave out.
Suddenly, the darkness was shattered by a ray of light. Then another. And another. Then a voice managed to pierce the silence.
âYouâre awake! Oh my goodness, youâre actually awake! Youâre alive!â
ââŚJ-Jel?â
Vhayâs eyes slowly opened. He began to look around the room he was laying in. He was back in Discovery, inside a house he had never been in before. Beside him stood Jel, shocked by what she was seeing.
ââŚJel, w-what happened?â
âDonât you remember? You went into the Heart of the Shroud, somehow came out with that-â
Jel pointed at the potion that was on the end table beside Vhay.
â-and then just collapsed right in front of me.â
ââŚI did it?â
âYes! You did it!â
ââŚHow?â
âI donât know, Vhay. Youâre the only one who could possibly know.â
Vhay turned his head straight ahead and stared blanky into space, trying to recall all that had happened within the Heart of the Shroud. All he could remember was unlocking his true powers. He couldnât remember vanquishing the shadow. He couldnât remember getting the potion. He couldnât even remember making it out. He had overused his powers and nearly died as a result, but somehow, his inner resolve to save Kao forced his body beyond its limits.
Suddenly, his head turned towards Jel once again.
âOh my goodness! I need to get back to Father!â
âFather?â
âI-I mean Kao. ItâsâŚanyways. I must get back to him!â
âListen, as much as I would love for you to return home, Vhay, youâve been unconscious for a week and only just woke up. Unfortunately, itâll be a couple more weeks before your wounds have healed and you have your strength back.â
ââŚâ
The next couple of weeks couldnât go by fast enough for Vhay. Jel took care of him while also making sure he didnât try and leave before he was fully healed. Soon, though, Jel could tell that Vhay recovered enough to make the journey back and let him leave. Vhay ran back to Kaoâs realm, refusing to stop for any reason until he finally re-entered the realm.
âIâm home⌠Father⌠Hang on, FatherâŚâ
Vhay raced through the trees and foliage that was between him and Kao. But as he got closer and closer to Kao, an eerie silence began to descend upon him. The creatures of the realm appeared to have vanished. The leaves on the trees were fewer and fewer until the trees had no leaves at all. A cold and eerie mist ran across the ground. Refusing to let go of hope, Vhay kept running until he was staring straight at Kaoâs trunk. The once light brown tree now stood there, grey with no leaves remaining on its branches.
âFather?â
Vhay wearily looked at Kao and received no response back.
âFather? Are you asleep? Did you pass out? Father? Speak to me! FATHER!â
Slowly, he came to the realization that Kao had passed away during the time he was away. Exhausted, Vhay crumpled to the ground. Tears began to flow down his face.
âNo⌠I was too late⌠I was⌠I couldnâtâŚâ
Sobbing for what felt like an eternity, Vhay ran out of tears to cry. He rubbed his eyes and noticed something at the base of Kao. A letter.
âVhay,
By the time you come back, Iâll be gone.
I lied about the potion. The potion was never meant for me. It was never going to save me.
The potion was always intended for you.
You had grown so naĂŻve and innocent of the world, I was afraid of what would happen if I had passed away and you hadnât been able to experience the world outside my realm for yourself.
But by reading this, it means youâve succeeded in your quest, and I couldnât be prouder of you. Iâll be forever grateful for the time we spent together, but now itâs time for you to write your own destiny without me by your side.
As you might have figured out by now, the potion doesnât grant immortality or cure any disease. Instead, it strengthens the mind of the one who drinks it. By drinking it, your powers will grow and you will be able to use them without fear of harming yourself in the process.
With your newfound knowledge and abilities, I hope you can venture forward into the rest of Zundera, brave and confident. You can do anything you set your mind to, and I hope youâll use your powers to help other people in the world.
Your Father in this life and the next,
Kaoâ
âHeâŚknew?â
Vhay wiped the last of the tears from his cheeks and stood up. He stared up at Kaoâs crown, a once living tree who could no longer respond to Vhay. The frown that once covered Vhayâs lips turned into a smile.
âFatherâŚthank you. I will write my own destiny. For you.â
Vhay took the potion in hand and headed back towards Discovery, ready to meet Jel again and see what the rest of Zundera had in store for him.
Also thank you to anybody who decides to read the whole thing, it's very long but I appreciate you taking the time to read it.
e: Small edit made to the title in the spoiler since I realized I didn't copy it over correctly from my Word document. The actual story has remained intact.
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This took SOOO long with starting 7 new classes this semester, and I'm not the best at writing so go easy on me ehehe.
While Aqua hated to admit it, he had what was considered to most a very boring and average life. Every day fulfilled the exact same monotonous chores; wake up, make breakfast, go to school, drudge through classes for 8 hours of his day, come home, help with his family, make dinner, and go to bed. He hated it, and the only escape Aqua had was TV. For one hour every day, he could immerse himself in any other world imaginable. His favorite definitely had to be Owl House; the story of a girl who finds a portal to another world and finds herself amongst a world of witches and monsters. Or even Gravity Falls; a story of two twins who end up in a mystery town with tons of mysteries and monsters. The reason he liked it so much was because they were almostâŚplausible, something he found himself daydreaming about constantly, something silly that consumed all of his birthday wishes. And today, like most days, Aqua had drifted to sleep fantasizing about what his life could have been.
~
Shouting. He woke up to shouting, which for him was fairly normal, having 12 people sharing one small home, but this shouting was different than normal, it was laced with fear and worry. He jumped up and ran to the kitchen, to find all 6 of his siblings along with his grandparents surrounding his mother, dad nowhere to be seen. Oh no, he thought. He broke his way through everyone to see his mother..and....she seemed fine? "What's wrong Mom?' he asked her, hands grabbing her shoulders. The silence in the room that seemed everlasting was finally broken by a deep voice, his dad's voice, coming from his mother's mouth. "Hey son," he said. "The body switch episode" he exasperated before realizing how silly it sounded in such a serious situation. Almost every single piece of media that Aqua watched had a body switch episode, it was almost a necessity. ButâŚthis wasn't one of his TV shows or movies..this was real life, and it was happening to HIS family. "Where's Mom?" I asked, only to have my mom, inhabiting my dad's body, walk into the room. She kinda stared at us all before, in a low voice telling me, "Aqua, we need your help."
~
He was walking around aimlessly, looking for any kind of help he could findâŚbut he had no idea what or who he was looking for. Downtown was really small, not many places to go, knowing almost everyone in town like distant family members, very close-knit. It then hit him like a brick, not a literal one, more of a mental one with the weight of a real one. There was an old woman who lived in town, very old, creepy. No one spoke to her, hardly ever. Sometimes you would see residents sneaking their way into and out of her home, those same residents who would warn to "Stay away!" and "She's an Evil Witch, a Wiccan." Everyone in town, including mom and dad, was considered very traditional in their beliefs, being off-put and hateful towards those that had beliefs different than theirs. But if the so-called "traditional" people warned us to keep our distance from her, why were they sneaking around to go see her?
'You know what,' he thought, he wasn't judgemental, not like his family. Besides, he needed help, and with hisâŚsituation..it was probably best to get help from 'The town Witch.' He approached her little camper, stepping wearily without realizing it. The mobile home had been set stationary on this spot of town for as long as he can remember, taking the word mobile out of it entirely. Aqua slowly waddles up the creaky steps to knock on the door, but as his knuckles hit the metal door, it creaks open slowly on its own. Against reason and without thinking, he just steps into the camper home, closing the door beyond him. As he reaches the threshold of the living room, he sees the old elderly woman, rocking in a rocking chair,her back to him, painting her walls with symbols and letters he had never seen before. A creek in the floor reveals him before he's even given a chance to speak, and the older woman turns around in her chair. She turns to him with a grimace in her eyes, sending the worst kind of chill down his spine. 'Oh no.. I've messed up..' he thinks before messily stuttering out an apology "I'm sorry Ma'am, wro-wrong house." he says to her, walking backwards out the front door stumbling over his own feet. As he practically falls out the front door, and slowly comes to his feet, he realizes just how bad he may have messed up. He has no idea where he is.
This was not home, not the Downtown area he was just in, it's somewhere he has lived his whole life and yetâŚhe felt so out of place. The grass was not its normal growns and greens, it was bright purples and blues. With his heart-rate increasing and his thoughts going faster than he can keep up with, the finds immediately turns back to the camper home behind him. ButâŚit was no longer a raggedly old Witch's camper. It was a larger, much more lavish looking home, door still slightly ajar. He hesitantly, this time, pushes the door open to find the same woman from before, still painting her walls in her rocking chair, but upon looking at her nowâŚshe was youngerâŚso much younger. This time a creek in the floorboards isn't needed for her to know that someone has stepped into her abode. "I knew you'd be back" she says to him, with a grin that could be heard in her voice. "Wha-...Where am IâŚWhere are we..?" Aqua asks, fear hanging on his voice. "I'm really sorry about what happened to your parents, kiddo, and I wanna help make it right." she says to him, remorsefully. She sees the look of worry on his face and immediately knows she has to explain. "Your father..came to me yesterday for help." What was she saying? Help? My dad didn't need help. If he did I would know!...Right? "With both of your parents working all day at the Warehouse, and then going home to raise 7 children on top of taking care of their parentsâŚthey were fatigued, and experiencing a lot of pain; back pain, leg painâŚso they came to me looking for an ElixirâŚsomething powerful enough to help them in every aspect they needed." 'What? My extremely traditional parents would NEVERâŚthey warned us so frequently to stay awayâŚfrom her..and her evil waysâŚ.how desperate were they for help?' he thought. "I hadn't realized until I had woken up this morning that I had switched their relief Elixir, with that of another customer, the body switching Elixir." She looked back down at him to see so much confusion and fear in his eyes. "Aqua, I need your help to locate and make the cure."
~
It felt like they had been walking through this enormous forest of trees for days now. His arms, legs and entire back were overcome with aching, but according to Ms. Zoey, though she demanded he just call her Zoey, they weren't too far from their destination. She was fairly vague about what this 'destination' was. Aqua was unsure if she just didn't know where they were going and how far out they truly were, or if she was just protecting his innocence as long as she could. Let's just say he was hoping it was the first option. Either way, Ms. Zoey was nice, REALLY nice, and he didn't think she would do anything to put either of them into her- "Aqua" she says quietly to him, stopping in her tracks while placing her hand down in front of him hurriedly to stop him from walking as he was watching his feet, definitely not noticing what was just ahead of him. The 'desired path' throughout the forest that had been tapering the more they walked had finally come to an end, and in front of the both of them stood a giant cave. Giant may have been an understatement. Immediately, Aqua was over come with a cold rush of fear. A million different thoughts began running through his head. 'I can't do this' he thought. And almost as Zoey could have read his mind, kneeled down to the boy's height, placing a hand on his shoulder, "We can do this." she said to him in a kind and demeanor, almost like she had done this a hundred times before. Zoey got back to her feet shakily. She could fake confidence for the boy, to help him grow the courage to do this, but she was uncertain. She reached into her side pouch, and pulled out a grimoire. Not Just any old grimoire, but the one that belonged to her mother, and before her, generations up the family tree, with no known origin. A magical journal and log that had been passed down to the eldest witch or wizard in the family, that had the intention on carrying magic onto following generations. The book had to be centuries old now. She flipped through to a bookmark holding a place on a page detailed with sketches of anan elixir and equipped with a map of a cave. She lightly skimmed the page and closed the book, grabbing Aquas hand and entering the cave, filled with fear and hopefully enough adrenaline to get them through.
"Ms. Zoey?" he asked looking up at her. "I've asked you to just call me Zoey," "What exactly are we looking for?" He questioned with a hopeful smile. "The original potions were made with a mixture of orange tangerines and fresh water from lake Tangerine," she explained to him, "so the cure to that elixir should consist of these magical cave blueberries," she said as she pulled out her grimoire and turned the book to show him a sketch of the berries. "and some plain tap water." Aqua seemed confused. Why would she, a powerful witch, need my help to get some blueberries? He couldn't think of any reason she'd need any assistance, she was old, wise, and had lots of experience in potion making, clearly. So at most, he assumes that she felt an obligation to take him with her, or she was just lonely and needed someone to talk to, but either way he didn't seem to mind. She seemed to be struggling with the map in her hands, obviously being unable to find where they currently were, spinning and rotating the map. "Ahah!" she exclaimed in excitement. She paused to lean down to Axel and brought the map up for him to see. "This is where we are," she pointed at a little dip not far from the unmarked entrance, "and the berries we need should be here," she pointed to the left hand side of the middle of the map, not too far off from where they currently were. "Not too far huh?" Axel asked her. "Not too far." she reassured him as they began walking again.
~
He guessed the map creator was not very good at calculating distance, because that 'not too far' had become a 'little far'...that or they had missed the berries all together, a possibility Axel didn't want to even consider. They were coming up on another grassy patch in the cave, and hopefully this was where they would find those needed berries. And.. there they were! Upon the blue and purple tinted cave grass, there they were, one bushel left of blueberries! Zoey bent to her knees to collect them, opening her satchel, but as she did, a smaller person, standing only about a foot tall, entered their field of vision, "WAIT!" they exclaimed, stopping them both in their tracks. "YouâŚyou can't take these." the little white-bearded man said. Aqua and Zoey both looked at each other before turning back to the man, confused looks on their faces. "It's for my daughter, she's very ill, after drinking one of my wife's potions, she has come down with a great sickness and we don't know how long she may have left." and at that point, they were stuck. "How long does it take these berries to grow back, sir?" he asked the gnome. "I am afraid they only grow once a year for the season. "That is okayâŚwe want you to take them," Aqua said, and Zoey jerked her head to look at him, surprised. "You need it more than we do, I hope your daughter gets better," he says with genuine empathy. "There's gotta be more berries somewhere right?" he asks, looking up at Zoey, sad but hopeful. "There is no need for more berries," a large sounding voice says, deep and loud. They both turn around to see a tall man standing where the gnome once was, a Wizard. "What?" Aqua asked him, confused. "I look over this cave, to protect it's population and vegetation from outsiders who just want to cause us harm" he shifts to make eye contact with the boy "but you gave up something you needed to help the people of this cave without a second thought, so I want to give you this." The tall man reaches into the pocket of his robe and pulls out a stunning bushel of berries, handing them to Aqua. He looks around the room, confused before grounding himself. "Thank you so much sir." he tells the Wizard, running up to hug him. The man was taken aback at first before hugging the smaller boy back.
~
"That sure was lucky, huh?" Aqua asked Zoey as they reached the mouth of the cave, being met again with natural sunlight for the first time in hours. She doesn't think he realizes that it was a test of his character, but now she knows why she felt she couldn't do this on her own, he was the key to getting those berries, she just had to help him learn something valuable." Sure was kiddo." she said to him with a smile. But by the time the two of them have made their way back to her home, he has gotten quiet and less jumpy, almost sad. She unlocks the door for the two of them and they both wander to her kitchen, Aqua beginning to lag behind her a bit more. She grabs a jar from one of the cabinets and begins filling it from the sink and turns to get the berries from the boy, as she turns around she sees him picking them off the bushel, looking absolutely distraught, so she sits down at the table with him. "What's wrong bud?" she asks him. "I had a lot of fun with you today..being hereâŚI don't want to leave yet." she grabs the berries from his hands and puts them into the bottle before looking up at him, "I know you don't want to leave, but the sooner you can get your parents fixed up, the sooner you can come back here to see me, okay?" He looks up hurriedly with boy joy and confusion, "I CAN COME BACK?" he almost shouted out of excitement. "Anytime." she says, grabbing his hands, leading him to stand up. They both walk to her front door, looking down at him and nodding at him to open, but before he does, he runs into her with a hug, but careful not to spill the cure elixir. "Thank you." He says into the hug and all she can do is smile. Aqua opens the door, and suddenly, he isn't in that magical world anymore, he is home.
~
"Thank you son, thank you." His dad says hugging him, his dad's voice actually coming from his body for the first time in hours. His family makes him a special meal to celebrate the journey he took and the miracle that saved his parents. They stayed up all night laughing and enjoying their time together as a family, for the first time in a very long time. But it was late, and he knew his parents would be riding this high of relief for a few days, so he decided to call it a night, help all of his siblings get to bed,brush his teeth and finally settle down. And for the first night in years, Aqua didn't fall asleep daydreaming about would he wished he could go to, but instead of one he knew he could visit any time that he wanted.
~
Shouting. He woke up to shouting, which for him was fairly normal, having 12 people sharing one small home, but this shouting was different than normal, it was laced with fear and worry. He jumped up and ran to the kitchen, to find all 6 of his siblings along with his grandparents surrounding his mother, dad nowhere to be seen. Oh no, he thought. He broke his way through everyone to see his mother..and....she seemed fine? "What's wrong Mom?' he asked her, hands grabbing her shoulders. The silence in the room that seemed everlasting was finally broken by a deep voice, his dad's voice, coming from his mother's mouth. "Hey son," he said. "The body switch episode" he exasperated before realizing how silly it sounded in such a serious situation. Almost every single piece of media that Aqua watched had a body switch episode, it was almost a necessity. ButâŚthis wasn't one of his TV shows or movies..this was real life, and it was happening to HIS family. "Where's Mom?" I asked, only to have my mom, inhabiting my dad's body, walk into the room. She kinda stared at us all before, in a low voice telling me, "Aqua, we need your help."
~
He was walking around aimlessly, looking for any kind of help he could findâŚbut he had no idea what or who he was looking for. Downtown was really small, not many places to go, knowing almost everyone in town like distant family members, very close-knit. It then hit him like a brick, not a literal one, more of a mental one with the weight of a real one. There was an old woman who lived in town, very old, creepy. No one spoke to her, hardly ever. Sometimes you would see residents sneaking their way into and out of her home, those same residents who would warn to "Stay away!" and "She's an Evil Witch, a Wiccan." Everyone in town, including mom and dad, was considered very traditional in their beliefs, being off-put and hateful towards those that had beliefs different than theirs. But if the so-called "traditional" people warned us to keep our distance from her, why were they sneaking around to go see her?
'You know what,' he thought, he wasn't judgemental, not like his family. Besides, he needed help, and with hisâŚsituation..it was probably best to get help from 'The town Witch.' He approached her little camper, stepping wearily without realizing it. The mobile home had been set stationary on this spot of town for as long as he can remember, taking the word mobile out of it entirely. Aqua slowly waddles up the creaky steps to knock on the door, but as his knuckles hit the metal door, it creaks open slowly on its own. Against reason and without thinking, he just steps into the camper home, closing the door beyond him. As he reaches the threshold of the living room, he sees the old elderly woman, rocking in a rocking chair,her back to him, painting her walls with symbols and letters he had never seen before. A creek in the floor reveals him before he's even given a chance to speak, and the older woman turns around in her chair. She turns to him with a grimace in her eyes, sending the worst kind of chill down his spine. 'Oh no.. I've messed up..' he thinks before messily stuttering out an apology "I'm sorry Ma'am, wro-wrong house." he says to her, walking backwards out the front door stumbling over his own feet. As he practically falls out the front door, and slowly comes to his feet, he realizes just how bad he may have messed up. He has no idea where he is.
This was not home, not the Downtown area he was just in, it's somewhere he has lived his whole life and yetâŚhe felt so out of place. The grass was not its normal growns and greens, it was bright purples and blues. With his heart-rate increasing and his thoughts going faster than he can keep up with, the finds immediately turns back to the camper home behind him. ButâŚit was no longer a raggedly old Witch's camper. It was a larger, much more lavish looking home, door still slightly ajar. He hesitantly, this time, pushes the door open to find the same woman from before, still painting her walls in her rocking chair, but upon looking at her nowâŚshe was youngerâŚso much younger. This time a creek in the floorboards isn't needed for her to know that someone has stepped into her abode. "I knew you'd be back" she says to him, with a grin that could be heard in her voice. "Wha-...Where am IâŚWhere are we..?" Aqua asks, fear hanging on his voice. "I'm really sorry about what happened to your parents, kiddo, and I wanna help make it right." she says to him, remorsefully. She sees the look of worry on his face and immediately knows she has to explain. "Your father..came to me yesterday for help." What was she saying? Help? My dad didn't need help. If he did I would know!...Right? "With both of your parents working all day at the Warehouse, and then going home to raise 7 children on top of taking care of their parentsâŚthey were fatigued, and experiencing a lot of pain; back pain, leg painâŚso they came to me looking for an ElixirâŚsomething powerful enough to help them in every aspect they needed." 'What? My extremely traditional parents would NEVERâŚthey warned us so frequently to stay awayâŚfrom her..and her evil waysâŚ.how desperate were they for help?' he thought. "I hadn't realized until I had woken up this morning that I had switched their relief Elixir, with that of another customer, the body switching Elixir." She looked back down at him to see so much confusion and fear in his eyes. "Aqua, I need your help to locate and make the cure."
~
It felt like they had been walking through this enormous forest of trees for days now. His arms, legs and entire back were overcome with aching, but according to Ms. Zoey, though she demanded he just call her Zoey, they weren't too far from their destination. She was fairly vague about what this 'destination' was. Aqua was unsure if she just didn't know where they were going and how far out they truly were, or if she was just protecting his innocence as long as she could. Let's just say he was hoping it was the first option. Either way, Ms. Zoey was nice, REALLY nice, and he didn't think she would do anything to put either of them into her- "Aqua" she says quietly to him, stopping in her tracks while placing her hand down in front of him hurriedly to stop him from walking as he was watching his feet, definitely not noticing what was just ahead of him. The 'desired path' throughout the forest that had been tapering the more they walked had finally come to an end, and in front of the both of them stood a giant cave. Giant may have been an understatement. Immediately, Aqua was over come with a cold rush of fear. A million different thoughts began running through his head. 'I can't do this' he thought. And almost as Zoey could have read his mind, kneeled down to the boy's height, placing a hand on his shoulder, "We can do this." she said to him in a kind and demeanor, almost like she had done this a hundred times before. Zoey got back to her feet shakily. She could fake confidence for the boy, to help him grow the courage to do this, but she was uncertain. She reached into her side pouch, and pulled out a grimoire. Not Just any old grimoire, but the one that belonged to her mother, and before her, generations up the family tree, with no known origin. A magical journal and log that had been passed down to the eldest witch or wizard in the family, that had the intention on carrying magic onto following generations. The book had to be centuries old now. She flipped through to a bookmark holding a place on a page detailed with sketches of anan elixir and equipped with a map of a cave. She lightly skimmed the page and closed the book, grabbing Aquas hand and entering the cave, filled with fear and hopefully enough adrenaline to get them through.
"Ms. Zoey?" he asked looking up at her. "I've asked you to just call me Zoey," "What exactly are we looking for?" He questioned with a hopeful smile. "The original potions were made with a mixture of orange tangerines and fresh water from lake Tangerine," she explained to him, "so the cure to that elixir should consist of these magical cave blueberries," she said as she pulled out her grimoire and turned the book to show him a sketch of the berries. "and some plain tap water." Aqua seemed confused. Why would she, a powerful witch, need my help to get some blueberries? He couldn't think of any reason she'd need any assistance, she was old, wise, and had lots of experience in potion making, clearly. So at most, he assumes that she felt an obligation to take him with her, or she was just lonely and needed someone to talk to, but either way he didn't seem to mind. She seemed to be struggling with the map in her hands, obviously being unable to find where they currently were, spinning and rotating the map. "Ahah!" she exclaimed in excitement. She paused to lean down to Axel and brought the map up for him to see. "This is where we are," she pointed at a little dip not far from the unmarked entrance, "and the berries we need should be here," she pointed to the left hand side of the middle of the map, not too far off from where they currently were. "Not too far huh?" Axel asked her. "Not too far." she reassured him as they began walking again.
~
He guessed the map creator was not very good at calculating distance, because that 'not too far' had become a 'little far'...that or they had missed the berries all together, a possibility Axel didn't want to even consider. They were coming up on another grassy patch in the cave, and hopefully this was where they would find those needed berries. And.. there they were! Upon the blue and purple tinted cave grass, there they were, one bushel left of blueberries! Zoey bent to her knees to collect them, opening her satchel, but as she did, a smaller person, standing only about a foot tall, entered their field of vision, "WAIT!" they exclaimed, stopping them both in their tracks. "YouâŚyou can't take these." the little white-bearded man said. Aqua and Zoey both looked at each other before turning back to the man, confused looks on their faces. "It's for my daughter, she's very ill, after drinking one of my wife's potions, she has come down with a great sickness and we don't know how long she may have left." and at that point, they were stuck. "How long does it take these berries to grow back, sir?" he asked the gnome. "I am afraid they only grow once a year for the season. "That is okayâŚwe want you to take them," Aqua said, and Zoey jerked her head to look at him, surprised. "You need it more than we do, I hope your daughter gets better," he says with genuine empathy. "There's gotta be more berries somewhere right?" he asks, looking up at Zoey, sad but hopeful. "There is no need for more berries," a large sounding voice says, deep and loud. They both turn around to see a tall man standing where the gnome once was, a Wizard. "What?" Aqua asked him, confused. "I look over this cave, to protect it's population and vegetation from outsiders who just want to cause us harm" he shifts to make eye contact with the boy "but you gave up something you needed to help the people of this cave without a second thought, so I want to give you this." The tall man reaches into the pocket of his robe and pulls out a stunning bushel of berries, handing them to Aqua. He looks around the room, confused before grounding himself. "Thank you so much sir." he tells the Wizard, running up to hug him. The man was taken aback at first before hugging the smaller boy back.
~
"That sure was lucky, huh?" Aqua asked Zoey as they reached the mouth of the cave, being met again with natural sunlight for the first time in hours. She doesn't think he realizes that it was a test of his character, but now she knows why she felt she couldn't do this on her own, he was the key to getting those berries, she just had to help him learn something valuable." Sure was kiddo." she said to him with a smile. But by the time the two of them have made their way back to her home, he has gotten quiet and less jumpy, almost sad. She unlocks the door for the two of them and they both wander to her kitchen, Aqua beginning to lag behind her a bit more. She grabs a jar from one of the cabinets and begins filling it from the sink and turns to get the berries from the boy, as she turns around she sees him picking them off the bushel, looking absolutely distraught, so she sits down at the table with him. "What's wrong bud?" she asks him. "I had a lot of fun with you today..being hereâŚI don't want to leave yet." she grabs the berries from his hands and puts them into the bottle before looking up at him, "I know you don't want to leave, but the sooner you can get your parents fixed up, the sooner you can come back here to see me, okay?" He looks up hurriedly with boy joy and confusion, "I CAN COME BACK?" he almost shouted out of excitement. "Anytime." she says, grabbing his hands, leading him to stand up. They both walk to her front door, looking down at him and nodding at him to open, but before he does, he runs into her with a hug, but careful not to spill the cure elixir. "Thank you." He says into the hug and all she can do is smile. Aqua opens the door, and suddenly, he isn't in that magical world anymore, he is home.
~
"Thank you son, thank you." His dad says hugging him, his dad's voice actually coming from his body for the first time in hours. His family makes him a special meal to celebrate the journey he took and the miracle that saved his parents. They stayed up all night laughing and enjoying their time together as a family, for the first time in a very long time. But it was late, and he knew his parents would be riding this high of relief for a few days, so he decided to call it a night, help all of his siblings get to bed,brush his teeth and finally settle down. And for the first night in years, Aqua didn't fall asleep daydreaming about would he wished he could go to, but instead of one he knew he could visit any time that he wanted.
I have an idea, but it's more a matter of compressing it down so it isn't 50 pages long hahah. I will try my best to get this done between assignments though!
To most in this village, painting was just a hobby. For Mera, it was a part of her identity. A way to illustrate the world from a different perspective. She spent her mornings helping her family run the inn, and her evenings painting away in her room. She'd hope to one day have a real impact on the world with her work, but that might've been wishful thinking.
Today was a particularly busy day at the inn, because it was the Summer Solstice festival. People from all over would travel here to enjoy the lively festivities, dazzling night sky, and glittering ocean view. Mera assigned rooms to guests, helped out in the kitchen with her mom, and served food to tables with her dad. She had her work cut out for her today, and it would likely continue into the night.
"I'll be back, mother. Just going to take a break." Mera explained as she untied her apron. "Of course, love. You've been a great help this evening." Her mother replied. When Mera entered her room, she was greeted by a glowing canvas. Not just any canvas - her canvas. "What-" she started, then noticed the boy with dark hair and pointed ears also studying the canvas. "WHO-" she tried again, but was silenced by the boy's hand over her mouth. "Please, don't scream." The boy winced. She stared and stared, both horrified and fascinated by this strange individual. There was clearly something ethereal emanating from him, and she intended to stay on her guard. Finally, she nodded.
The boy removed his hand and introduced himself. "Well, hello, you can call me Elide-" "And my name is Mera. No need for formalities. This situation is strange as it is, so just tell me what you're here for." Mera interrupted, hiding her fear. "My homeland, a place above the sky, is in a bit of trouble." Elide explained. "And the mana emitting from your paintings is just what I need to help out at least one individual." "Does that mean your homeland is lacking this...mana?" Mera asked. "Precisely. Townsfolk have grown weak and are unable to utilize their magic without growing even weaker. It's very bad." He rubbed his eyes, weary. Mera wasn't sure how she was involved in this, but she figured it might be wise to do as this otherworldly individual wants for now.
A thin, hunched over elderly lady greeted them, and hobbled over to let them inside. The elderly lady gestured for them to sit, and brought them tea. "What brings you here, Elide?" The lady said, coughing. "I've brought a friend that might have the answer we've been looking for. Mera, meet my grandmother, Sara."
They exchanged pleasantries, then Sara's eyes widened when she noticed the mana-rich painting they brought. "Oh my...how did you find this?" She exclaimed. She placed her hand in front of the mana, and almost instantly, she looked a little healthier. "Mera painted it." Sara turned around, eyes widened. "A mortal did?" Sara looked both amazed and confused. "Yes, somehow. Is there anything else we can do to help you?" Mera asked. "If you really want to help me, you should find a way to change Queen Elfin's current methods. She is behind the severe lack of mana among the people, draining it from the land to become stronger." Sara explained, straining her voice. Almost hurriedly, she unclasped the opal pendant she was wearing and placed it in Mera's hands. "This will protect and strengthen whatever mana you have within you" she explained. "B-but you need it more than me-" "Please, child, do all that you can. Mana pouring from your paintings is a rarity and must mean something." Sara interrupted, clasping Mera's hands. Upon seeing the weary, exhausted look on Sara's face, Mera knew she could not leave without trying something.
They had finally arrived at the palace, and after being granted permission to enter, they made their way through the corridors. Somehow, Elide was no longer next to her. She turned around and saw Elide waving from a distance. "I'll be right here!" He whispered. "Come back here, you betraying toad!" Mera hissed. I guess I have to do this myself she thought. Mera smoothed down her hair and brown pinafore, and exhaled. She walked through the doors to the queen's chambers. "Your majesty, I have with me a painting I'd like to show you, in hopes of changing your mind about your methods of obtaining power." She explained, unsure if this would work. Queen Elfin's elegant voice resonated through the room. "That won't be necessary." Mera had to make this work. "I beg of you, Queen Elfin, let me present this painting." She pleaded. Queen Elfin gave her an incredulous look. "I am doing this to protect my land, so that I may be strong enough to fight off any invading armies. I will not lose another war and have our people suffer again. I assure you a mere painting will not convince me otherwise. You do not know anything, mortal. This is a warning." The queen said, voice rising a bit. "You're right, I don't know anything. I arrived here only recently, and I still don't know what a beeboo is. But what I do know is enough to tell me what you're doing is not right. You need to open your eyes to the bigger picture. So please, let me show you this painting. You can banish me after if you'd like." Mera explained. "Very well." Queen Elfin's voice boomed.
Upon lifting the cloth covering the painting, an immense amount of mana poured from the canvas. The mana was beautiful, blindingly so. Queen Elfin gasped, and slowly approached the painting. It was a gorgeous depiction of what the village used to look like; lush, bright, and alive. "What is this supposed to tell me? It is a beautiful painting, but-" As soon as her finger touched the canvas, the painting transformed into one devoid of life. Dead trees and flowers, broken buildings, empty streets, and no color. Her expression was one of confusion. She exited the balcony and looked around her, and flew up to view more of the land and people. Faeries weak, hobbling over, some struggling to carry a basket of fruit. What she saw was eye opening enough to bring tears to her eyes. "How could I be so blind to my own people?" The queen cried. There was silence for a few minutes, as the queen pondered the situation. "My apologies for being so harsh and...thank you, young mortal, for showing me this painting."
A few days later, after touring the place and meeting Sara again, Mera prepared her things to head home. As Elide and her rode atop the fluffy creature, Mera asked, "Will I be able to visit this place again?" "Unfortunately not." Elide replied. "Why no-huh?" Elide turned around and covered Mera's eyes. "Because this is but a dream."
Mera jolts awake, the scent of lemon verbena and pine lingering in the air.
Today was a particularly busy day at the inn, because it was the Summer Solstice festival. People from all over would travel here to enjoy the lively festivities, dazzling night sky, and glittering ocean view. Mera assigned rooms to guests, helped out in the kitchen with her mom, and served food to tables with her dad. She had her work cut out for her today, and it would likely continue into the night.
"I'll be back, mother. Just going to take a break." Mera explained as she untied her apron. "Of course, love. You've been a great help this evening." Her mother replied. When Mera entered her room, she was greeted by a glowing canvas. Not just any canvas - her canvas. "What-" she started, then noticed the boy with dark hair and pointed ears also studying the canvas. "WHO-" she tried again, but was silenced by the boy's hand over her mouth. "Please, don't scream." The boy winced. She stared and stared, both horrified and fascinated by this strange individual. There was clearly something ethereal emanating from him, and she intended to stay on her guard. Finally, she nodded.
The boy removed his hand and introduced himself. "Well, hello, you can call me Elide-" "And my name is Mera. No need for formalities. This situation is strange as it is, so just tell me what you're here for." Mera interrupted, hiding her fear. "My homeland, a place above the sky, is in a bit of trouble." Elide explained. "And the mana emitting from your paintings is just what I need to help out at least one individual." "Does that mean your homeland is lacking this...mana?" Mera asked. "Precisely. Townsfolk have grown weak and are unable to utilize their magic without growing even weaker. It's very bad." He rubbed his eyes, weary. Mera wasn't sure how she was involved in this, but she figured it might be wise to do as this otherworldly individual wants for now.
~
"Deliver the painting yourself, then you may return home." Elide said. "I am afraid that if I touch it, the mana will go dissipate." Mera reluctantly agreed, and the two set off to Elide's homeland. They rode atop a fluffy flying creature known as a beeboo, according to Elide. Upon arriving, Mera noticed the air smelled of lemon verbena and pine. "Alright Peter Pan, where should I place this?" She gestured to the still-glowing painting. "Come with me" he replied. They walked up to a cozy little acorn-shaped home, and knocked.A thin, hunched over elderly lady greeted them, and hobbled over to let them inside. The elderly lady gestured for them to sit, and brought them tea. "What brings you here, Elide?" The lady said, coughing. "I've brought a friend that might have the answer we've been looking for. Mera, meet my grandmother, Sara."
They exchanged pleasantries, then Sara's eyes widened when she noticed the mana-rich painting they brought. "Oh my...how did you find this?" She exclaimed. She placed her hand in front of the mana, and almost instantly, she looked a little healthier. "Mera painted it." Sara turned around, eyes widened. "A mortal did?" Sara looked both amazed and confused. "Yes, somehow. Is there anything else we can do to help you?" Mera asked. "If you really want to help me, you should find a way to change Queen Elfin's current methods. She is behind the severe lack of mana among the people, draining it from the land to become stronger." Sara explained, straining her voice. Almost hurriedly, she unclasped the opal pendant she was wearing and placed it in Mera's hands. "This will protect and strengthen whatever mana you have within you" she explained. "B-but you need it more than me-" "Please, child, do all that you can. Mana pouring from your paintings is a rarity and must mean something." Sara interrupted, clasping Mera's hands. Upon seeing the weary, exhausted look on Sara's face, Mera knew she could not leave without trying something.
~
Eventually, they left Sara's house with many thoughts running through Mera's head. Merfolk peered at her from the waters to the left of them. There was silence for some time. "Now then, would you still like to return home? I will not stop you." Elide finally said. "Why can't I see this place in the sky? How come I've never heard of mana? Why have I never seen people like you before? It's something out of a fairytale, and yet no fairytale I've read has come close to this." She gestured around her. Elide looked at her, almost sad. "Perhaps I'll tell you once this is over." He replied. Mera sighed. She wanted to help Sara, but she did not know what she was up against. Maybe it would be safer to just go home. She was not one to jump into danger and yet - "I'll stay here, until I can resolve this. You can bring food from my world over to people here, while I walk around the city to prepare a painting."~
About a week later, Mera's painting was done. She had set up a makeshift painting studio in Elide's house after gathering various pigments from fruits and herbs, and spent countless hours perfecting her work. It was finally time for her to confront Queen Elfin. "You'll be with me when I confront her, won't you?" Mera asked. "If that is what you wish."They had finally arrived at the palace, and after being granted permission to enter, they made their way through the corridors. Somehow, Elide was no longer next to her. She turned around and saw Elide waving from a distance. "I'll be right here!" He whispered. "Come back here, you betraying toad!" Mera hissed. I guess I have to do this myself she thought. Mera smoothed down her hair and brown pinafore, and exhaled. She walked through the doors to the queen's chambers. "Your majesty, I have with me a painting I'd like to show you, in hopes of changing your mind about your methods of obtaining power." She explained, unsure if this would work. Queen Elfin's elegant voice resonated through the room. "That won't be necessary." Mera had to make this work. "I beg of you, Queen Elfin, let me present this painting." She pleaded. Queen Elfin gave her an incredulous look. "I am doing this to protect my land, so that I may be strong enough to fight off any invading armies. I will not lose another war and have our people suffer again. I assure you a mere painting will not convince me otherwise. You do not know anything, mortal. This is a warning." The queen said, voice rising a bit. "You're right, I don't know anything. I arrived here only recently, and I still don't know what a beeboo is. But what I do know is enough to tell me what you're doing is not right. You need to open your eyes to the bigger picture. So please, let me show you this painting. You can banish me after if you'd like." Mera explained. "Very well." Queen Elfin's voice boomed.
Upon lifting the cloth covering the painting, an immense amount of mana poured from the canvas. The mana was beautiful, blindingly so. Queen Elfin gasped, and slowly approached the painting. It was a gorgeous depiction of what the village used to look like; lush, bright, and alive. "What is this supposed to tell me? It is a beautiful painting, but-" As soon as her finger touched the canvas, the painting transformed into one devoid of life. Dead trees and flowers, broken buildings, empty streets, and no color. Her expression was one of confusion. She exited the balcony and looked around her, and flew up to view more of the land and people. Faeries weak, hobbling over, some struggling to carry a basket of fruit. What she saw was eye opening enough to bring tears to her eyes. "How could I be so blind to my own people?" The queen cried. There was silence for a few minutes, as the queen pondered the situation. "My apologies for being so harsh and...thank you, young mortal, for showing me this painting."
~
Soon after, orders were issued to redistribute the mana that was so heavily concentrated in the palace and queen to the rest of the land. Measures were taken to ensure the townsfolk had enough food as well. As a result of these changes, plants and trees became lush, colorful flowers bloomed everywhere, and the land was full of life once more. Mera could not believe what she had done.A few days later, after touring the place and meeting Sara again, Mera prepared her things to head home. As Elide and her rode atop the fluffy creature, Mera asked, "Will I be able to visit this place again?" "Unfortunately not." Elide replied. "Why no-huh?" Elide turned around and covered Mera's eyes. "Because this is but a dream."
Mera jolts awake, the scent of lemon verbena and pine lingering in the air.
CylieDanny
đĽThe Spicy PrinceđĽ
Can we add a little bit of a spook factor to it? Nothing super creepy, but a little spooky
Last edited:
I didn't have time to think of what to write but I need tickets
In a faraway land a young knight, Hugo, spent most of his life in a small kingdom hidden from most of the world. This kingdom was special as it was protected by the natural terrain of rocky cliffs and dense fog that cloaked it year-round. Monsters were known to roam the neighboring kingdoms as mentioned by the traveling merchants brave enough to trek the outside world. This small kingdom, Cherryton, was a safe haven to all the commoners who lived there, but to Hugo he wanted so much more. Hugo imagined a life of adventure, slaying monsters of all sorts and being like one of the heroic knights in the tales he read since he was a little boy. His father, Lord Michael, hated the idea of senseless heroics and believed one shouldnât go out and seek trouble such as those from his tales. One day while practicing his swordsmanship Hugo was interrupted by his father.
âWhat are you doing?â Lord Michael declared. Hugo continued to strike a makeshift dummy he carved from wood by himself.
âIâm working on my sword fighting skills as a knight. What is the issue with me doing that?â Hugo said.
âYou live in one of the safest kingdoms in all the land, people do not need to see you prepare for a situation such as this.â Michael exclaimed.
This angered Hugo, who tossed his sword by the feet of his father. âand what if someone or something invades the kingdom? What will we do then! It is a miracle that this kingdom stands with hardly anyone who can properly hold a blade.â said Hugo. Generation ago, there was a group of knights who watched over the kingdom but seeing how there has never been any violence witnessed in the kingdom, the knights slowly left, one by one in search of a kingdom where their presence was needed.
Hugo stormed off to be by himself and gather his thoughts, trying to figure out what he should do. After contemplating for hours, he decided to do something he shouldâve done a long time ago: He was going to step foot out of the kingdom in search of monsters to slay.
As soon as it turned night, Hugo got his armor, sword, supplies and sneaked out towards the gate. It was easy to get by as there was no guards since Cherryton had no use for them. When Hugo got passed the gate, he sprinted for as long as he could to the forest. âI canât see a thing; this fog is so thick!â. Hugo said. He went through his knapsack and got out his lantern.
With a lantern to guide his way, Hugo made his way through the forest step by step. However, the forest was wide and vast, leaving Hugo tired and famished. âI guess Iâll stop hereâ Hugo said while catching his breath.
Hugo set a campsite and rested briefly till he heard a rustling in the bushes.
âWho is that!â he shouted at the bush
Slowly, Hugo reached for his sword and as soon as he had it in hand, he rushed straight blindingly swinging at whatever was there. In spite of that, whatever was there was gone⌠or so he thought.
From afar, he heard something bellow âHey watch it you can kill someone!â
Hugo was stunned, for how did this beast put that much distance between them? Even though he had no official title, Hugo replied back âI am Sir Hugo of Cherryton! Who dares to sneak up on me?â Hugo thought to himself âHeh, now he should be frightened of me.â
Suddenly, a gust of wind blows by that causes Hugo to stumble. âI havenât heard of you before, not even Cherryton, whatever place that maybeâ said the mysterious stranger directly above in a tree.
A now frightened Hugo, could only mutter a few words, noticing how menacing this mysterious stranger looked. Over eight feet tall, horns, bared fangs and scaly skin. This was no man; it was a monster that Hugo only read about. âWhat are youâŚâ
Not a moment later, the monster dropped down and slowly approached Hugo. âMy name is Drago; I live close by here. Sorry if I startled you, nobody ever comes around here so I thought you were up to no good,â said the monster.
âUp to no good? I should be asking you why you had to sneak up on me like that. How are you even talking, youâre one of those monsters!â Hugo said.
âMonster? I am a dragon! A monster is someone who willfully ignores someone in need of help, much like how most of you humans treat us!â Drago said. Drago was visibly upset by Hugo, not willing to look at him eye to eye. Hugo finally realized that the Dragon was not a threat at all and he himself may have been the reason he got into this uncomfortable situation.
âSorry for troubling you, Iâm not familiar with the land outside of my kingdom. May I offer you a warm meal and a place to rest?â Hugo said calmly. Drago, was hesitant to share a meal with someone so willing to strike first, but he felt that Hugo didnât have bad intentions anymore.
For the rest of the day, Hugo sat and listened to Drago the tales of other kingdoms and the other âmonstersâ he heard about. It turns out, while some monsters invaded nearby kingdoms, a small few tried to coexist peacefully with other humans even if they didnât want anything to do with them.
The next morning, Hugo decided to head back to Cherryton with his new friend Drago. People were hesitant at first, due to his physical appearance, but become more understanding as they listened to Drago speak. Lord Michael, who didnât see Hugo the past few days, was relieved that he was okay and embraced him upon his return.
âIâm glad youâve returned home. I see you have found that there is something more to being a knight, than killing monsters.â Michael said jokingly.
With a smile, Hugo replied back âHeâs not a monster, heâs my friendâ.
Hugo was thankful for meeting Drago, as he had opened up his eyes and showed that you shouldnât judge someone without getting to know them.
âWhat are you doing?â Lord Michael declared. Hugo continued to strike a makeshift dummy he carved from wood by himself.
âIâm working on my sword fighting skills as a knight. What is the issue with me doing that?â Hugo said.
âYou live in one of the safest kingdoms in all the land, people do not need to see you prepare for a situation such as this.â Michael exclaimed.
This angered Hugo, who tossed his sword by the feet of his father. âand what if someone or something invades the kingdom? What will we do then! It is a miracle that this kingdom stands with hardly anyone who can properly hold a blade.â said Hugo. Generation ago, there was a group of knights who watched over the kingdom but seeing how there has never been any violence witnessed in the kingdom, the knights slowly left, one by one in search of a kingdom where their presence was needed.
Hugo stormed off to be by himself and gather his thoughts, trying to figure out what he should do. After contemplating for hours, he decided to do something he shouldâve done a long time ago: He was going to step foot out of the kingdom in search of monsters to slay.
As soon as it turned night, Hugo got his armor, sword, supplies and sneaked out towards the gate. It was easy to get by as there was no guards since Cherryton had no use for them. When Hugo got passed the gate, he sprinted for as long as he could to the forest. âI canât see a thing; this fog is so thick!â. Hugo said. He went through his knapsack and got out his lantern.
With a lantern to guide his way, Hugo made his way through the forest step by step. However, the forest was wide and vast, leaving Hugo tired and famished. âI guess Iâll stop hereâ Hugo said while catching his breath.
Hugo set a campsite and rested briefly till he heard a rustling in the bushes.
âWho is that!â he shouted at the bush
Slowly, Hugo reached for his sword and as soon as he had it in hand, he rushed straight blindingly swinging at whatever was there. In spite of that, whatever was there was gone⌠or so he thought.
From afar, he heard something bellow âHey watch it you can kill someone!â
Hugo was stunned, for how did this beast put that much distance between them? Even though he had no official title, Hugo replied back âI am Sir Hugo of Cherryton! Who dares to sneak up on me?â Hugo thought to himself âHeh, now he should be frightened of me.â
Suddenly, a gust of wind blows by that causes Hugo to stumble. âI havenât heard of you before, not even Cherryton, whatever place that maybeâ said the mysterious stranger directly above in a tree.
A now frightened Hugo, could only mutter a few words, noticing how menacing this mysterious stranger looked. Over eight feet tall, horns, bared fangs and scaly skin. This was no man; it was a monster that Hugo only read about. âWhat are youâŚâ
Not a moment later, the monster dropped down and slowly approached Hugo. âMy name is Drago; I live close by here. Sorry if I startled you, nobody ever comes around here so I thought you were up to no good,â said the monster.
âUp to no good? I should be asking you why you had to sneak up on me like that. How are you even talking, youâre one of those monsters!â Hugo said.
âMonster? I am a dragon! A monster is someone who willfully ignores someone in need of help, much like how most of you humans treat us!â Drago said. Drago was visibly upset by Hugo, not willing to look at him eye to eye. Hugo finally realized that the Dragon was not a threat at all and he himself may have been the reason he got into this uncomfortable situation.
âSorry for troubling you, Iâm not familiar with the land outside of my kingdom. May I offer you a warm meal and a place to rest?â Hugo said calmly. Drago, was hesitant to share a meal with someone so willing to strike first, but he felt that Hugo didnât have bad intentions anymore.
For the rest of the day, Hugo sat and listened to Drago the tales of other kingdoms and the other âmonstersâ he heard about. It turns out, while some monsters invaded nearby kingdoms, a small few tried to coexist peacefully with other humans even if they didnât want anything to do with them.
The next morning, Hugo decided to head back to Cherryton with his new friend Drago. People were hesitant at first, due to his physical appearance, but become more understanding as they listened to Drago speak. Lord Michael, who didnât see Hugo the past few days, was relieved that he was okay and embraced him upon his return.
âIâm glad youâve returned home. I see you have found that there is something more to being a knight, than killing monsters.â Michael said jokingly.
With a smile, Hugo replied back âHeâs not a monster, heâs my friendâ.
Hugo was thankful for meeting Drago, as he had opened up his eyes and showed that you shouldnât judge someone without getting to know them.
I'm not a writer by any means, but I hope you all still enjoy my story 
It's about a young dragon who sets out to create peace between man and dragons.
~2100 words
It's about a young dragon who sets out to create peace between man and dragons.
~2100 words
Once upon a time, there was an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This island, shaped like a crescent moon, was named Lavish. As its name suggests, this island was abundant in flora, fauna, and what most consider treasure. Due to its location, many ships have unfortunately crashed on the shore of Lavish and as a result, the treasure they carried was left on its shores. The main residents of this island were a thunder of dragons. The dragons have lived on this island for centuries and have maintained its wealth. They guard the treasures that are left behind and maintain the health of all other flora and fauna. Unfortunately, not all was perfect on Lavish Island....
See the dragons that lived on Lavish were friendly. However, humans were not. Each time man has come in search of the treasures that lie on the island, they have tried to slay the dragons that guard it. The protectors of the treasure simply want to return it! Contrary to what fairy tales lead the humans to believe, dragons are not greedy hoarders of wealth. They have no use for it at all. Unfortunately, the way fairy tales have portrayed dragon-kind to the humans has resulted in the deaths of many dragons and humans alike. Countless battles have been unnecessarily fought on the shores of Lavish.
~*~*~*~*~
Ember awoke one morning to the sound of a commotion outside of her family's den. She rushed out of bed to see her parents standing at the den entrance, looking into the distance toward the shore of the island. She could hear the island elders bellowing âHumans approach!â
Not again she thought.
âGet back insideâ her dad barked at her and her mother. âI must help the other eldersâ he sighed. âYou all know how humans can be. I shall return shortlyâ
As she huddled with her mother in their den nestled behind a waterfall, Ember closed her eyes praying for the commotion to be over. Maybe this time the humans will be civil and at least try to communicate with her kind firstâŚâŚ.then the screams and roars commenced.
~*~*~*~*~*
About an hour later her father returned home, looking healthy but exhausted.
âWhen will it all endâ he said sounding defeated. âThankfully these humans retreated shortly after seeing us. â
âThank goodnessâ her mother replied. With her fire breath, she brought a nearby pool of water to a slight boil. âRelax, my love. Itâs over for now.â She ushered him to the âhot tub.â
âYes but it shouldnât have to be a problem in the first place!â he exclaimed has he sat in the pool. âHow many of usâŚthemâŚ. have to die over this treasure?! We simply want to give it back but NO they see us and want to fight. We donât even get a word in! Not once have we ventured out to their villages and yet they still assume we are nothing but violent BEASTS!â
âWellâŚ.â Ember spoke up. âMaybe we should venture out. Maybe if they see that we mean no harm, theyâll give us a cha-â
âNOâ her father cut her off. âWe should never attempt that! You especially should not even think about it! You've heard their tales. Dragons in the village always lead to knights wandering around looking to slay us.â
Ember saw no use in arguing. She simply went back to her bed, a plan coming to life in her thoughtsâŚ
~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, before the sun even began to shine, Ember snuck out of the den entrance. All she had with her was some food and a small sack of treasure. She took one final glance inside where her parents lay resting. Then, with one flap of her wings, she silently took off into the dark sky toward the land of man.
Just as the sun was starting to rise, Ember saw the silhouette of a castle on the horizon. She knew she was close. Just as she was about to push for the last leg of her journey, something caught her eye in the sea below. A small makeshift raft was floating in the same direction she was headed. On the raft looked to be a scrawny man, wearing rags. He looked pretty rough. Thankfully, all dragons are good swimmers, so she decided to go down and investigate.
As she hit the water, the man on the raft awoke with a start.
âW- whoâs there?!â he shouted. âI-I-I have a weaponâ he shakily said as he grabbed a pitiful spear that appeared to just be a broken piece of the very raft he was on.
Ember had never been this close to a human before. She didnât think that his âweaponâ could even make a surface scratch on her shiny red scales. Not wanting to startle him further by talking, she slowly swam closer to the raft into the manâs view.
âA d-dragon?! Stay back!â the man scrambled around on the raft.
âHey..no need to be alarmed. Iâm not going to hurt youâ Ember spoke softly.
âYou can talk?â the man seemed surprised.
âYes. All dragons can speak English. We can speak many tongues actually. I uhâŚsaw you floating here in the ocean and thought maybe you could use some help. In fact, maybe you could help me. Iâm headed to the human land to try to speak with the king.â
âThe king?! Heâll kill you! In fact, you wouldnât last a second! ButâŚI do need help. You see my ship crashed a week ago and Iâve been trying to get back home. Everything was lost. I have no crewmatesâŚno moneyâŚand I ran out of food. Iâm Jim by the way.â
âEmberâ she said with a smile. Well, I saw the castle in the distance on my way here. If you feel comfortable, youâre more than welcome to ride on my back as I fly the rest of the way.â
âWell, itâs certainly better than dying out here. I guess Iâll trust you dragon.â
Jim climbed gently onto Emberâs back and she took off once again. Adrenaline filled her veins as she felt unstoppable. If she already befriended this one human, sheâs bound to have luck with the king!
~*~*~*~*~
Soon, the duo found themselves on the shore by the castle. Ember found herself in awe at the sight The castle was golden, and it sparkled in the new morning sun. All around, she could hear people bustling about getting to their morning duties. She could hear friendly greetings, smell fresh-baked goods, and even hear lovely music.
Her bliss was short-lived however, as they were quickly approached by many guards. Unlike Jim, these guys were armed with steel swords and sturdy armor. Though she felt fear, Ember stood her ground.
âHalt, beast!â the guards shouted at her âWeâve yet to see a dragon around these parts and weâre not about to risk it now. Leave or die!â
âAt ease menâ Jim weakly said, stumbling forward. He seemed a little sick from the flight.
âPrince James?â The guards seemed happily shocked. âYour father has been sending rescue parties out for you! The whole kingdom thought you were dead!â
Prince?! Ember thought. She was beyond confused.
âWell, clearly, Iâm not" Jim said. "I almost was though! This dragon was the one who found me and decided to stop and ask if I needed assistance.â
âThis BEAST helped YOU?â the guards chuckled. âThatâs preposterous. Everyone knows dragons cause nothing but trouble. What spell did you cast to make this one so docile?â
âCease your words at once! This dragon is no beast. Her name is Ember and without her I would not be standing here today. She has a message for my father. Escort us there at once!â
âYes my lord!â said the guards.
~*~*~*~
Shortly, they arrived at the castle.
âWait hereâ Jim said to Ember. âGuards, watch and make sure none harm her. Please, offer her some food. She was the one making the journey after all.â
The guards brought her a cooked pig, but Ember was too nervous to eat. All around her she could feel piercing gazes. She could hear judgmental whispers. Any second these humans could disobey orders and kill her. She was greatly outnumbered.
Suddenly, to her relief, she saw Jim emerge from the castle. Instead of rags, he was wearing fancy clothes and a crown! Not far behind him, was the king.
As they came closer, all the guards bowed. Ember quickly bowed too.
âFather, this is the dragon who found me at sea and returned me safely. Her name is Emberâ Jim introduced her.
âHello Ember. I thank you for returning my son and only heir safely home. He informs me that you have a message for me. Iâm all earsâ the king spoke, his voice very smooth and pleasant to listen to.
âYes, your highness!â Ember said. I live on Lavish Island with countless others of my kind. As Iâm sure you are aware, or home is the source of multiple shipwrecks and thus multiple treasures have been left there. I brought some as proofâ she presents the small sack of treasure she brought with her. âYou see, your highness, us dragons have no use for this treasure. We simply wish to return it. However, every time man comes to our home in search of these goods, they automatically assume we are hoarding it and a battle ensues. Countless lives, both man and dragon, have been lost. I came in hopes to convince you to please inform your citizens that us dragons are not out to harm people. I also came to inform you that all treasure on my homeland can be returned to you at once. We simply just want to give it back and live at peace. End the hate, the bloodshed."
Ember can feel her heart beating hard within her chest as she sees the king pondering what she just said. After what seemed like forever, the king spoke again.
âVery well, Ember. I shall post a decree that the island of Lavish is home to friendly dragons. No dragon will be harmed there again. On behalf of mankind, please forgive our ignorance. Our fairy tales have caused us to misjudge your kind. Please, will you be willing to guide one of our ships back to Lavish to that we may collect the treasure and be of no further bother to you or your kind?â
âYes your highness! Thank you so much! However, you donât have to stay away. With the unnecessary fighting coming to a close, Iâm sure the dragons back home would love to be in a peaceful alliance with man!â
The king smiled. âPrepare my finest ship at once! At dawn we sail to Lavish!â
~*~*~*~*
The next morning, having slept well and eaten a feast, Ember and the king set forth back to Lavish.
As the Island comes into view, Ember can hear the familiar bellow: âHumans approach!â
When they arrive, Emberâs parents are waiting for her on the rocky shore.
âEmber, honey!â her mother rushes towards her and gives her loving nuzzles. âWhere were you?! We were worried sickâ
âAnd who is thisâ her father gestures toward the king and his crew getting out of the ship.
âMother, Fatherâ Ember speaks âplease forgive me but I ventured out to the human land. I met the prince stranded at sea along the way and⌠wellâŚI took him home and made peace with the king. Thatâs him.â
The king comes forth with Prince James.
âGreeting dragons! Your daughter here saved my son" the king states, gesturing to his son. "She told me of your friendliness and desire to just return the treasure that has collected here on your island. I am here to rid you of the bothersome treasure, inform you that no one from my kingdom shall ever harm you again, and propose an alliance. There shall be peace between man and dragon. Most of all, I want to apologize for our ignorance all these yearsâ
Emberâs father smiled. It was the first time in years Ember saw a smile cross his face. He stated âThank you, your highness, for not harming out daughter. As an elder of the dragons of Lavish, I accept your apology and happily give you the treasure. Humans are welcome to visit our island for peaceful visits whenever they wish!â
With that, the land of man and the land of dragons lived in harmony. Before they left, the king even had his crew build a lighthouse on the island of Lavish so that ships will no longer crash there. Plus, it helps visitors who want to visit the dragons find their way. Each night, Ember uses her flame to light the lighthouse.
Who knew such a young dragon, could be the spark to ignite a peaceful relationship between man and dragon.
Never judge a book by its cover.
See the dragons that lived on Lavish were friendly. However, humans were not. Each time man has come in search of the treasures that lie on the island, they have tried to slay the dragons that guard it. The protectors of the treasure simply want to return it! Contrary to what fairy tales lead the humans to believe, dragons are not greedy hoarders of wealth. They have no use for it at all. Unfortunately, the way fairy tales have portrayed dragon-kind to the humans has resulted in the deaths of many dragons and humans alike. Countless battles have been unnecessarily fought on the shores of Lavish.
~*~*~*~*~
Ember awoke one morning to the sound of a commotion outside of her family's den. She rushed out of bed to see her parents standing at the den entrance, looking into the distance toward the shore of the island. She could hear the island elders bellowing âHumans approach!â
Not again she thought.
âGet back insideâ her dad barked at her and her mother. âI must help the other eldersâ he sighed. âYou all know how humans can be. I shall return shortlyâ
As she huddled with her mother in their den nestled behind a waterfall, Ember closed her eyes praying for the commotion to be over. Maybe this time the humans will be civil and at least try to communicate with her kind firstâŚâŚ.then the screams and roars commenced.
~*~*~*~*~*
About an hour later her father returned home, looking healthy but exhausted.
âWhen will it all endâ he said sounding defeated. âThankfully these humans retreated shortly after seeing us. â
âThank goodnessâ her mother replied. With her fire breath, she brought a nearby pool of water to a slight boil. âRelax, my love. Itâs over for now.â She ushered him to the âhot tub.â
âYes but it shouldnât have to be a problem in the first place!â he exclaimed has he sat in the pool. âHow many of usâŚthemâŚ. have to die over this treasure?! We simply want to give it back but NO they see us and want to fight. We donât even get a word in! Not once have we ventured out to their villages and yet they still assume we are nothing but violent BEASTS!â
âWellâŚ.â Ember spoke up. âMaybe we should venture out. Maybe if they see that we mean no harm, theyâll give us a cha-â
âNOâ her father cut her off. âWe should never attempt that! You especially should not even think about it! You've heard their tales. Dragons in the village always lead to knights wandering around looking to slay us.â
Ember saw no use in arguing. She simply went back to her bed, a plan coming to life in her thoughtsâŚ
~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, before the sun even began to shine, Ember snuck out of the den entrance. All she had with her was some food and a small sack of treasure. She took one final glance inside where her parents lay resting. Then, with one flap of her wings, she silently took off into the dark sky toward the land of man.
Just as the sun was starting to rise, Ember saw the silhouette of a castle on the horizon. She knew she was close. Just as she was about to push for the last leg of her journey, something caught her eye in the sea below. A small makeshift raft was floating in the same direction she was headed. On the raft looked to be a scrawny man, wearing rags. He looked pretty rough. Thankfully, all dragons are good swimmers, so she decided to go down and investigate.
As she hit the water, the man on the raft awoke with a start.
âW- whoâs there?!â he shouted. âI-I-I have a weaponâ he shakily said as he grabbed a pitiful spear that appeared to just be a broken piece of the very raft he was on.
Ember had never been this close to a human before. She didnât think that his âweaponâ could even make a surface scratch on her shiny red scales. Not wanting to startle him further by talking, she slowly swam closer to the raft into the manâs view.
âA d-dragon?! Stay back!â the man scrambled around on the raft.
âHey..no need to be alarmed. Iâm not going to hurt youâ Ember spoke softly.
âYou can talk?â the man seemed surprised.
âYes. All dragons can speak English. We can speak many tongues actually. I uhâŚsaw you floating here in the ocean and thought maybe you could use some help. In fact, maybe you could help me. Iâm headed to the human land to try to speak with the king.â
âThe king?! Heâll kill you! In fact, you wouldnât last a second! ButâŚI do need help. You see my ship crashed a week ago and Iâve been trying to get back home. Everything was lost. I have no crewmatesâŚno moneyâŚand I ran out of food. Iâm Jim by the way.â
âEmberâ she said with a smile. Well, I saw the castle in the distance on my way here. If you feel comfortable, youâre more than welcome to ride on my back as I fly the rest of the way.â
âWell, itâs certainly better than dying out here. I guess Iâll trust you dragon.â
Jim climbed gently onto Emberâs back and she took off once again. Adrenaline filled her veins as she felt unstoppable. If she already befriended this one human, sheâs bound to have luck with the king!
~*~*~*~*~
Soon, the duo found themselves on the shore by the castle. Ember found herself in awe at the sight The castle was golden, and it sparkled in the new morning sun. All around, she could hear people bustling about getting to their morning duties. She could hear friendly greetings, smell fresh-baked goods, and even hear lovely music.
Her bliss was short-lived however, as they were quickly approached by many guards. Unlike Jim, these guys were armed with steel swords and sturdy armor. Though she felt fear, Ember stood her ground.
âHalt, beast!â the guards shouted at her âWeâve yet to see a dragon around these parts and weâre not about to risk it now. Leave or die!â
âAt ease menâ Jim weakly said, stumbling forward. He seemed a little sick from the flight.
âPrince James?â The guards seemed happily shocked. âYour father has been sending rescue parties out for you! The whole kingdom thought you were dead!â
Prince?! Ember thought. She was beyond confused.
âWell, clearly, Iâm not" Jim said. "I almost was though! This dragon was the one who found me and decided to stop and ask if I needed assistance.â
âThis BEAST helped YOU?â the guards chuckled. âThatâs preposterous. Everyone knows dragons cause nothing but trouble. What spell did you cast to make this one so docile?â
âCease your words at once! This dragon is no beast. Her name is Ember and without her I would not be standing here today. She has a message for my father. Escort us there at once!â
âYes my lord!â said the guards.
~*~*~*~
Shortly, they arrived at the castle.
âWait hereâ Jim said to Ember. âGuards, watch and make sure none harm her. Please, offer her some food. She was the one making the journey after all.â
The guards brought her a cooked pig, but Ember was too nervous to eat. All around her she could feel piercing gazes. She could hear judgmental whispers. Any second these humans could disobey orders and kill her. She was greatly outnumbered.
Suddenly, to her relief, she saw Jim emerge from the castle. Instead of rags, he was wearing fancy clothes and a crown! Not far behind him, was the king.
As they came closer, all the guards bowed. Ember quickly bowed too.
âFather, this is the dragon who found me at sea and returned me safely. Her name is Emberâ Jim introduced her.
âHello Ember. I thank you for returning my son and only heir safely home. He informs me that you have a message for me. Iâm all earsâ the king spoke, his voice very smooth and pleasant to listen to.
âYes, your highness!â Ember said. I live on Lavish Island with countless others of my kind. As Iâm sure you are aware, or home is the source of multiple shipwrecks and thus multiple treasures have been left there. I brought some as proofâ she presents the small sack of treasure she brought with her. âYou see, your highness, us dragons have no use for this treasure. We simply wish to return it. However, every time man comes to our home in search of these goods, they automatically assume we are hoarding it and a battle ensues. Countless lives, both man and dragon, have been lost. I came in hopes to convince you to please inform your citizens that us dragons are not out to harm people. I also came to inform you that all treasure on my homeland can be returned to you at once. We simply just want to give it back and live at peace. End the hate, the bloodshed."
Ember can feel her heart beating hard within her chest as she sees the king pondering what she just said. After what seemed like forever, the king spoke again.
âVery well, Ember. I shall post a decree that the island of Lavish is home to friendly dragons. No dragon will be harmed there again. On behalf of mankind, please forgive our ignorance. Our fairy tales have caused us to misjudge your kind. Please, will you be willing to guide one of our ships back to Lavish to that we may collect the treasure and be of no further bother to you or your kind?â
âYes your highness! Thank you so much! However, you donât have to stay away. With the unnecessary fighting coming to a close, Iâm sure the dragons back home would love to be in a peaceful alliance with man!â
The king smiled. âPrepare my finest ship at once! At dawn we sail to Lavish!â
~*~*~*~*
The next morning, having slept well and eaten a feast, Ember and the king set forth back to Lavish.
As the Island comes into view, Ember can hear the familiar bellow: âHumans approach!â
When they arrive, Emberâs parents are waiting for her on the rocky shore.
âEmber, honey!â her mother rushes towards her and gives her loving nuzzles. âWhere were you?! We were worried sickâ
âAnd who is thisâ her father gestures toward the king and his crew getting out of the ship.
âMother, Fatherâ Ember speaks âplease forgive me but I ventured out to the human land. I met the prince stranded at sea along the way and⌠wellâŚI took him home and made peace with the king. Thatâs him.â
The king comes forth with Prince James.
âGreeting dragons! Your daughter here saved my son" the king states, gesturing to his son. "She told me of your friendliness and desire to just return the treasure that has collected here on your island. I am here to rid you of the bothersome treasure, inform you that no one from my kingdom shall ever harm you again, and propose an alliance. There shall be peace between man and dragon. Most of all, I want to apologize for our ignorance all these yearsâ
Emberâs father smiled. It was the first time in years Ember saw a smile cross his face. He stated âThank you, your highness, for not harming out daughter. As an elder of the dragons of Lavish, I accept your apology and happily give you the treasure. Humans are welcome to visit our island for peaceful visits whenever they wish!â
With that, the land of man and the land of dragons lived in harmony. Before they left, the king even had his crew build a lighthouse on the island of Lavish so that ships will no longer crash there. Plus, it helps visitors who want to visit the dragons find their way. Each night, Ember uses her flame to light the lighthouse.
Who knew such a young dragon, could be the spark to ignite a peaceful relationship between man and dragon.
Never judge a book by its cover.
- Status
