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Hero's Crossing
- Thread starter Nefarious
- Start date
- Status
Foreverfox
💖✨Egg mother✨💖
Here’s my entry!
It was a crisp, yet warm, late summer evening; the kind where you can still feel the sun on you as it sets. The owls were just waking up for the day and having their morning grog. It was their tradition ever since they set out on their own to have this time together after a restful day’s sleep. They lived on a lovely little island, and had many acquaintances from other islands. Celeste ran an observatory and was constantly reading the stars, while her brother, Blathers, ran the local museum. Though they were both soft-spoken, Celeste was the one who more liked adventure. Blathers would prefer to stay in his museum and discuss all of his artifacts. Well, all of them except for the bugs, he is quite terrified of them.
“Well dear brother, what shall we do today? I’ve got some astrological recipe cards to hand out to islanders, then I’m free!” Celeste sipped her grog, rather pleased with the notion that they spend their day together. “Oh no, I mustn’t, my collections need my attention desperately today.” He didn’t even look up from his newspaper. “Oh come come now, dear brother, your collections aren’t going anywhere. Let’s play Feather, Talon, Beak - that will decide it once and for all.” “Oh, alright…ready?” “As ever, dear brother. Feather, Talon, Beak! Beak plucks Feather, I win. Shall we do one more?” “Yes, I suppose we must.” Blathers knew where this was heading, he could feel it in his beak when he was about to lose. “Feather, Talon, Beak! Feather covers Talon, I win again!” Blathers heaved a heavy sigh. He knew what Celeste would want to do.
Down a cliff face, through a small gathering of trees, there was an old island house with cow bells for wind chimes. Many evenings, you can see the dark silhouette of the bird of birds, as he tidies up his porch. The sounds of a straw broom grew louder and closer, and yet more comforting with each step towards the island dwelling. “Coo, my feathered friend, what brings you this way today?” “Greetings, my dear Brewster, busy evening?” “Coo, just sweeping the dust bunnies back to their dust carrots, coo, would you like one?” “Dust bunny? Ah, no thank you, I just ate with my morning grog and newspaper. I’ve come to ask for your assistance, my good friend.” “Coo, coo, I know what you need, a good dust bunny. Come have one and let’s chirp for a bit.” “You know, that does actually sound delightful. May I have a cup of grog with it too? Your brew is always the best.” “Coo, you’re too kind, my feathered friend, of course you may. Spill the beans, er, well…not these beans, these are my coffee beans.” “Right, well, I’m looking for a crystal, there’s a blue-ish purple-ish Opalescent Crystal. Have you heard of it? Seen it? Know where it is?” “Coo, I’ve heard of it, according to legend, it is found in the ethereal forest. But it can only be found at a certain time of day, coo.” “And let me guess, that time is daytime?” “Coo, you got it…how are you going to stay awake to search for it? Need a mouse for the road?” “That would be lovely, thank you dear friend.”
The kaleidoscope of colors that made the ethereal forest was breathtaking to say the least. Every tree had a beam of light of a different color bursting around the trunk, and fireflies were always present. They seemed to glow the same color as the light that was shining from around the trees. The brush was thick and there were crickets that sang, and beautiful butterflies that fluttered around, almost to the cricket’s tune. Lush moss grew on almost every surface - rocks, trees, logs, stepping stones, everything imaginable. It was so lush that as soon as you touched it, water squeezed out of it. “Yaawww…where is this crystal? I’m so tired, I could just sleep right here in one of these trees. One of these…beautiful…trees…my, these crickets are soothing…maybe just a quick nap….(hours later)…oh my, how long have I been asleep? Oh dear, it’s dark already…and I’m wide awake with no chance of finding the crystal at this time of day.” The cricket’s song grew louder and louder as the night became later and later. Even though it was night, the forest illuminated with the colors of what had to have been the homes of fairies. “I say, if there are fairies in these woods, they might know the exact resting place of the crystal. Perhaps they’ll lead me to it at daybreak. I must journal this observation.”
Journal Entry: Ethereal Forest - As I made my way to the fairy lights, I felt a strange peace come over me, as though I was already upon the crystal, or so I hoped. The first fairy that I sought out was a bit timid. Perhaps she thought I wanted to catch her as a feast. Nevertheless, I pressed onward. I found another fairy, only a few trees further. This one seemed to act as the Fairy Mother, unaffected by my presence. I asked for her blessing and assistance to find the Opalescent Crystal, and it was granted. Only with the promise that I use the crystal’s power for good. I agreed, and the Fairy Mother swore to take me to it upon daybreak. Now, I must go the rest of the night with this anxious excitement that seems to slow time to a painful crawl.
I awoke and it was daybreak. Had I really fallen asleep? At night, of all times? The excitement must have drained me. I only hoped it hadn’t all been a dream. I looked around and found the Fairy Mother, still poised at her tree, as if she was guarding it from something. “Good day to you, dear Fairy Mother, at your convenience, I’m ready for you to lead me to the Opalescent Crystal.” “As you wish, follow me.” I flew as fast as my wings could muster, and still felt outpaced by the Fairy Mother. I feared she was trying to lose me intentionally, but let that thought pass without giving it any credibility. “Here is the Opalescent Crystal, though I must warn you, it is picky towards those who are not born under its star sign.” “That’s okay, I think I can earn its trust. Thank you, Fairy Mother.” I approached the crystal with awe and respect, said a quick blessing over it, as I put it in my satchel, and began my preparations to return to the island.
“First things first, this mouse from my dear friend. A perfect treat for the journey home.” I felt fit for the flight of my life. I flew with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Though, much like the wait for daybreak, the flight home seemed to take much longer than I expected. I didn’t mind this though, as everything seemed to celebrate my success. The birds seemed to cheer me on as I flew by, the squirrels seemed to chatter louder and hoist their acorns in celebration. All of this encouraged me, and I flew faster and with more intent than I’d ever had in my flying life.
I saw the shoreline of our beautiful island over the horizon, the waves crashing almost seemed to be greeting me. I made it just before the day turned to dusk. “BLATHERS! My dear brother, where have you been?! I’ve been worried sick, you skipped out on our day together yesterday after losing to me in Feather, Talon, Beak!” What happened?” “I’m dreadfully sorry to have made you worry, my dear sister, but alas, I have something for you. Close your eyes, and hold out your wings. Okay, go ahead and open your eyes.” “Oh my stars, Blathers, where did you find this?! Is this?…” “The Opalescent Crystal? Yes, it is.. I saw your notes in your observatory. You need its refraction for certain constellation viewing, correct?” “I’m…yes. I’m speechless, dear brother. You detest leaving your museum, yet you went to such great lengths to procure this crystal for me?” “Of course, I know you’d do the same for me, always willing to help me complete my collections. Now, when do we get to see it work its magic?” “Tonight, come to the observatory and we’ll have a celebratory cup of grog as we watch. I’ll even gather the finest mice in the island for a bit of a feast.” “That sounds delightful, Celeste. I will be back. I’ve another visit to make upon my return to the island.” “Do be careful, dear brother, and please don’t forget our evening tonight.” “I could never forget something so important. I’ll return soon.”
Thankfully, this flight was a rather short one, as most intra-island flights are. I landed and began the familiar walk to the familiar house with the cow bell wind chimes. As I got closer, the comforting sounds of a straw broom welcomed me. “Coo, well look who the cat dragged in.” “Oh Brewster, you know I don’t much care for that greeting. But yes, thank you for the welcome regardless.” “Coo, would you like a cup of grog?” “That would be wonderful, thank you Brewster.” “So, tell me all about it.” Brewster sipped his grog as he began to sit back to hear of my tale. “Well, I found it and brought it back with me. It was quite the journey, I fell asleep - at night! And, I dare say, I found crickets to be soothing! Crickets, Brewster! I met the Fairy Mother, who entrusted me with the Opalescent Crystal.” I blathered on for what felt like an eternity. “Oh my, what time is it? I must get back to Celeste, I promised her the evening together to watch the crystal in its full glory at her observatory.” “Coo, you better head back, my feathered friend, it’s nearing midnight.” “Dear me, how does this always seem to happen? I really must keep better track of time. Thank you for the grog, Brewster. I’d best be off now.”
I flew as fast as I could back to the observatory to find Celeste pacing back and forth. “There you are! Heavens, I thought you’d done it again. Come come now, quickly, we’re going to miss the brightest light of the night, if we aren’t careful.” “My sincerest apologies, sister, you know how it is when Brewster gives you a cup of his famous grog.” “So Brewster is in on this too? I should’ve figured as much. Anyhoot, let’s get set up. If you don’t mind, please place the Opalescent Crystal just in front of the telescope. The moonlight should illuminate it perfectly in just a matter of minutes.” As we waited for what felt like an eternity of frozen time, we checked the crystal, checked the moonlight, checked the telescope, and still weren’t seeing what we felt we were supposed to see. We weren’t entirely sure what we were looking for, but we knew we’d know when we saw it. “Look! Oh, Blathers, it’s more beautiful than I could’ve imagined!” “What is it?” “It’s the constellations of Virgo and Libra, joined by a single star! Our birth signs, dear brother! Aligned ever so perfectly, through the refraction of the Opalescent Crystal! And look at this! A shooting star to follow? The stars above, falling all the way to earth just to hear our wishes…isn’t that a lovely, romantic idea? Oh dear brother, it’s like it’s meant to be! I can’t thank you enough for going on such an adventure, just for me.” “It’s my pleasure, dear sister, I’m glad to see your wishes come true.” “I hope you have a splendid rest of the night, dear brother. I know I shall.”
“Well dear brother, what shall we do today? I’ve got some astrological recipe cards to hand out to islanders, then I’m free!” Celeste sipped her grog, rather pleased with the notion that they spend their day together. “Oh no, I mustn’t, my collections need my attention desperately today.” He didn’t even look up from his newspaper. “Oh come come now, dear brother, your collections aren’t going anywhere. Let’s play Feather, Talon, Beak - that will decide it once and for all.” “Oh, alright…ready?” “As ever, dear brother. Feather, Talon, Beak! Beak plucks Feather, I win. Shall we do one more?” “Yes, I suppose we must.” Blathers knew where this was heading, he could feel it in his beak when he was about to lose. “Feather, Talon, Beak! Feather covers Talon, I win again!” Blathers heaved a heavy sigh. He knew what Celeste would want to do.
Down a cliff face, through a small gathering of trees, there was an old island house with cow bells for wind chimes. Many evenings, you can see the dark silhouette of the bird of birds, as he tidies up his porch. The sounds of a straw broom grew louder and closer, and yet more comforting with each step towards the island dwelling. “Coo, my feathered friend, what brings you this way today?” “Greetings, my dear Brewster, busy evening?” “Coo, just sweeping the dust bunnies back to their dust carrots, coo, would you like one?” “Dust bunny? Ah, no thank you, I just ate with my morning grog and newspaper. I’ve come to ask for your assistance, my good friend.” “Coo, coo, I know what you need, a good dust bunny. Come have one and let’s chirp for a bit.” “You know, that does actually sound delightful. May I have a cup of grog with it too? Your brew is always the best.” “Coo, you’re too kind, my feathered friend, of course you may. Spill the beans, er, well…not these beans, these are my coffee beans.” “Right, well, I’m looking for a crystal, there’s a blue-ish purple-ish Opalescent Crystal. Have you heard of it? Seen it? Know where it is?” “Coo, I’ve heard of it, according to legend, it is found in the ethereal forest. But it can only be found at a certain time of day, coo.” “And let me guess, that time is daytime?” “Coo, you got it…how are you going to stay awake to search for it? Need a mouse for the road?” “That would be lovely, thank you dear friend.”
The kaleidoscope of colors that made the ethereal forest was breathtaking to say the least. Every tree had a beam of light of a different color bursting around the trunk, and fireflies were always present. They seemed to glow the same color as the light that was shining from around the trees. The brush was thick and there were crickets that sang, and beautiful butterflies that fluttered around, almost to the cricket’s tune. Lush moss grew on almost every surface - rocks, trees, logs, stepping stones, everything imaginable. It was so lush that as soon as you touched it, water squeezed out of it. “Yaawww…where is this crystal? I’m so tired, I could just sleep right here in one of these trees. One of these…beautiful…trees…my, these crickets are soothing…maybe just a quick nap….(hours later)…oh my, how long have I been asleep? Oh dear, it’s dark already…and I’m wide awake with no chance of finding the crystal at this time of day.” The cricket’s song grew louder and louder as the night became later and later. Even though it was night, the forest illuminated with the colors of what had to have been the homes of fairies. “I say, if there are fairies in these woods, they might know the exact resting place of the crystal. Perhaps they’ll lead me to it at daybreak. I must journal this observation.”
Journal Entry: Ethereal Forest - As I made my way to the fairy lights, I felt a strange peace come over me, as though I was already upon the crystal, or so I hoped. The first fairy that I sought out was a bit timid. Perhaps she thought I wanted to catch her as a feast. Nevertheless, I pressed onward. I found another fairy, only a few trees further. This one seemed to act as the Fairy Mother, unaffected by my presence. I asked for her blessing and assistance to find the Opalescent Crystal, and it was granted. Only with the promise that I use the crystal’s power for good. I agreed, and the Fairy Mother swore to take me to it upon daybreak. Now, I must go the rest of the night with this anxious excitement that seems to slow time to a painful crawl.
I awoke and it was daybreak. Had I really fallen asleep? At night, of all times? The excitement must have drained me. I only hoped it hadn’t all been a dream. I looked around and found the Fairy Mother, still poised at her tree, as if she was guarding it from something. “Good day to you, dear Fairy Mother, at your convenience, I’m ready for you to lead me to the Opalescent Crystal.” “As you wish, follow me.” I flew as fast as my wings could muster, and still felt outpaced by the Fairy Mother. I feared she was trying to lose me intentionally, but let that thought pass without giving it any credibility. “Here is the Opalescent Crystal, though I must warn you, it is picky towards those who are not born under its star sign.” “That’s okay, I think I can earn its trust. Thank you, Fairy Mother.” I approached the crystal with awe and respect, said a quick blessing over it, as I put it in my satchel, and began my preparations to return to the island.
“First things first, this mouse from my dear friend. A perfect treat for the journey home.” I felt fit for the flight of my life. I flew with a sense of pride and accomplishment. Though, much like the wait for daybreak, the flight home seemed to take much longer than I expected. I didn’t mind this though, as everything seemed to celebrate my success. The birds seemed to cheer me on as I flew by, the squirrels seemed to chatter louder and hoist their acorns in celebration. All of this encouraged me, and I flew faster and with more intent than I’d ever had in my flying life.
I saw the shoreline of our beautiful island over the horizon, the waves crashing almost seemed to be greeting me. I made it just before the day turned to dusk. “BLATHERS! My dear brother, where have you been?! I’ve been worried sick, you skipped out on our day together yesterday after losing to me in Feather, Talon, Beak!” What happened?” “I’m dreadfully sorry to have made you worry, my dear sister, but alas, I have something for you. Close your eyes, and hold out your wings. Okay, go ahead and open your eyes.” “Oh my stars, Blathers, where did you find this?! Is this?…” “The Opalescent Crystal? Yes, it is.. I saw your notes in your observatory. You need its refraction for certain constellation viewing, correct?” “I’m…yes. I’m speechless, dear brother. You detest leaving your museum, yet you went to such great lengths to procure this crystal for me?” “Of course, I know you’d do the same for me, always willing to help me complete my collections. Now, when do we get to see it work its magic?” “Tonight, come to the observatory and we’ll have a celebratory cup of grog as we watch. I’ll even gather the finest mice in the island for a bit of a feast.” “That sounds delightful, Celeste. I will be back. I’ve another visit to make upon my return to the island.” “Do be careful, dear brother, and please don’t forget our evening tonight.” “I could never forget something so important. I’ll return soon.”
Thankfully, this flight was a rather short one, as most intra-island flights are. I landed and began the familiar walk to the familiar house with the cow bell wind chimes. As I got closer, the comforting sounds of a straw broom welcomed me. “Coo, well look who the cat dragged in.” “Oh Brewster, you know I don’t much care for that greeting. But yes, thank you for the welcome regardless.” “Coo, would you like a cup of grog?” “That would be wonderful, thank you Brewster.” “So, tell me all about it.” Brewster sipped his grog as he began to sit back to hear of my tale. “Well, I found it and brought it back with me. It was quite the journey, I fell asleep - at night! And, I dare say, I found crickets to be soothing! Crickets, Brewster! I met the Fairy Mother, who entrusted me with the Opalescent Crystal.” I blathered on for what felt like an eternity. “Oh my, what time is it? I must get back to Celeste, I promised her the evening together to watch the crystal in its full glory at her observatory.” “Coo, you better head back, my feathered friend, it’s nearing midnight.” “Dear me, how does this always seem to happen? I really must keep better track of time. Thank you for the grog, Brewster. I’d best be off now.”
I flew as fast as I could back to the observatory to find Celeste pacing back and forth. “There you are! Heavens, I thought you’d done it again. Come come now, quickly, we’re going to miss the brightest light of the night, if we aren’t careful.” “My sincerest apologies, sister, you know how it is when Brewster gives you a cup of his famous grog.” “So Brewster is in on this too? I should’ve figured as much. Anyhoot, let’s get set up. If you don’t mind, please place the Opalescent Crystal just in front of the telescope. The moonlight should illuminate it perfectly in just a matter of minutes.” As we waited for what felt like an eternity of frozen time, we checked the crystal, checked the moonlight, checked the telescope, and still weren’t seeing what we felt we were supposed to see. We weren’t entirely sure what we were looking for, but we knew we’d know when we saw it. “Look! Oh, Blathers, it’s more beautiful than I could’ve imagined!” “What is it?” “It’s the constellations of Virgo and Libra, joined by a single star! Our birth signs, dear brother! Aligned ever so perfectly, through the refraction of the Opalescent Crystal! And look at this! A shooting star to follow? The stars above, falling all the way to earth just to hear our wishes…isn’t that a lovely, romantic idea? Oh dear brother, it’s like it’s meant to be! I can’t thank you enough for going on such an adventure, just for me.” “It’s my pleasure, dear sister, I’m glad to see your wishes come true.” “I hope you have a splendid rest of the night, dear brother. I know I shall.”
My story :3
It was a cold, rainy morning in mageville when Ione woke up to the sound of raindrops splattering onto her roof. After getting ready, she then made herself and her roommate, Judy some breakfast before heading out for work. While she wasn’t at school, Ione was busy making deliveries around her small town. She then met up with the shop owners, timmy and tommy.
“Hello Ione! I see you’re here early. Must be the heavy rain, am I correct?”
“Yes, the rain definitely gave me quite the rude awakening haha”
“Let’s see, today you have a rococo sofa for Muffy, a chocolate cake for Maple, speakers for Marshal and a magic kit for Farley.”
“Farley? Who’s Farley?” Ione eagerly asked.
“He’s an old man who has some very special… I guess we can call them traits?”
“And what do you mean by traits Tommy?”
“Magical traits, rumor has it that the reason our island is called mageville is because of the immense magic that farley and his acquaintances use.”
“Interesting… I guess I’ll be off now! I’ll see you guys around.”
Ione rushes out of the shop, after her interest skyrocketed at the curiosity of Farley’s mysterious presence.
As she makes her way up north to the town square, she approaches Muffy’s place. She sees Muffy and O’Hare sitting outside together, as they’re having some morning coffee under an umbrella. Muffy proceeded to happily welcome her.
“Hello dear! Don’t you just looking at the rain while drinking some ice-cold coffee? Definitely the morning I dream of every day.”
“I will never understand what you find so special about rain, it makes the entire atmosphere so gloomy,” O’Hare depressingly explained.
“Hello Muffy! Hello O’Hare! I’m here to deliver your sofa that you ordered from Timmy & Tommy’s shop.”
“Oh why thank you Ione! I’ve been waiting for that sofa for a while! You can put the box right by my door.”
“You’re very welcome!” Ione then asked, “Do you uhhh… Happen to know anything about Farley?”
“Farley? Well my-oh-my, I haven’t heard that name in a good few years.” O’Hare then continued “we both unfortunately don’t know much about him, since we’re kinda new here, but I’m sure someone else knows a thing or two!”
Oh, thanks anyways, have a nice day you two!” Ione exclaimed as she sat on her bike and began to ride off to Maple’s.
Once Ione arrives at maple’s house, she knocks on the door and awaits for her arrival.
“Hi there Ione! Is that my cake that I ordered the other day?”
“Yes it is, I hope you’ll enjoy it! I’ve always been quite the fan of chocolate cake myself.”
“Same here, I’ve actually been on quite the food binge as of recently.” They both then started chuckling.
Maple then continued “I heard you were going to deliver a package to Farley, word gets around quickly here.”
“Yeah I actually have! Do you… happen to know anything about him?”
Maple then paused for a moment. “Well, he’s actually a wizard. I heard he teaches his magical powers and wisdom to ‘chosen ones’.” She then continued “Who knows, maybe the chosen one will be you, if it actually exists of course.”
Ione was very intrigued by what Maple had just told her,
“Wow, thanks for the information! I’ll be sure to get back to you soon, have a nice day Maple!”
“I hope you have a good day as well, good luck on your next deliveries!” Maple exclaimed.
Ione had then made it to Marshal’s house. She knocked on his door, but to her surprise he didn’t open the door. She then knocked once more, and once again no response. Ione was confused, as he should’ve known that Ione was going to come with his package today. Ione decided to leave the package under his porch. She then went to pick up Farley’s package to look at the address, and the package said “behind the rocks, to the right of the pier.” Ione was very confused, as there was no building remotely close to said pier. She then put the package down and set off on her bike.
Ione had made it to the pier, but no one was there. She was very disappointed, as she was eager to see who this Farley guy was. She then heard a voice “there she is, took her long enough.” She then saw a very short, long-bearded, old man who seemingly resembled a gnome. To his right, she then saw Marshal and her roommate, Judy.
“Why hello there Ione. My name is Farley, you must’ve been very intrigued to see who I was. Well now you know!” Farley said while chuckling.
“Hello sir, a pleasure to meet you. I came with your package that you ordered from Timmy and Tommy! Hope you like it.”
“Thank you very much young one, however this isn’t for me, I bought this specifically for you.”
“For me?” Ione was very confused by what Farley had just told her.
“Yes, that is correct. Now you three, follow me inside the door to explore something that you have never seen before!”
One by one, all three of them went through the mysterious door. As they entered, they were greeted by a shining white light that blinded their eyes. They then saw a grand castle appear in front of them.
“This is the academy for all magic! Bloom University!” Farley proudly exclaimed as he pointed in the direction of the entrance.
As Farley led the other three into the school, they were greeted with a prestigious scenery. Expensive furniture, fancy corridors and the shiny floor were all glistening.
“What a beautiful place, completely my type of area!” Judy happily said.
“Hello.” A lady walks up to them and begins to speak in a very monotone manner.
“I’m the principal here, the head of bloom academy. We have been waiting for your arrival.”
“H-hello! I’m Ione and these are my friends, Marshal and Judy.”
“Pleasure to meet you!” Marshal confidently said.
“Pleasure to meet you three as well, you can call me Katrina.” She continued, “Farley, will you please show them to their rooms.”
“Absolutely, right this way everyone.”
For a building this big, the new students thought that there weren't as many people as they had initially anticipated. However, all of them decided to keep quiet out of respect.
“Here we are! These are the student dorms. All three of you have been conveniently placed next to each other.” Farley continued, “I hope you’ll enjoy your stay, your day will start at the auditorium at 8:00 sharp, don’t miss it!.”
“Thank you Farley!” The three friends said together as Farley walked back down the hallway.
While Judy and Marshal were strongly praising the area based on their first impressions, Ione couldn’t help but feel that something was very off about the place.
“Is something wrong Ione?” Judy asked.
“Well… I just have a bad feeling about this. It’s almost like their planning something evil.” Ione replied.
“Relax! It’s just a school, what’s the worst that could happen?” Marshal and Judy started giggling.
The next day, Ione and her friends had woken up and got to their first class on time.
They entered the classroom and after all the students went to their seats the teacher began to speak, “Everyone, I’d like you to meet our new students, their names are Ione, Judy and Marshal!”
The students waved at them. Ione was seated next to a blue koala.
“You must be Ione, right?”
“Yes I am, what’s your name?”
“The name’s Yuka, pleasure to meet you. I’m wishing you good luck on your stay here, you’ll need it.”
Ione was taken aback by her words, she wanted to ask Yuka for more, but she thought that a later time would be better.
That night, Marshal, Judy and Ione were all in their rooms since the curfew of students had now passed. Despite this, they still heard someone tip-toeing down the hallway.
“Why is there someone still there? Isn’t it already past curfew?” Judy asked.
“I don’t know.” Ione then continued “It’s probably a staff, like a teacher or something.”
“They wouldn’t be moving that slowly if they were a teacher though. Should we take a peak?” The curious Marshal asked.
Ione was against this idea, however she too wanted to see who it was. “We would technically also be breaking the rules, but I guess a peak wouldn’t hurt.”
They decide to slowly open their door and to their surprise, it was none other than Yuka. Yuka froze as they started opening the door.
“Yuka? What are you doing out so late? It’s over an hour past curfew, you should be in your room!”
“I can explain Ione!”
The three friends let Yuka into their room and she began to tell them why she was outside her room past curfew.
“Rumor has it that students have been going missing recently, I actually only came here because I wanted to find out what was happening to the missing students that come to this school.”
“Sounds fun! Can we come with you?” Marshal eagerly asked.
However, Ione attempted to shut down Marshal’s idea “Why do you think that’s a good idea?”
Yuka replied “Of course you can! It would be nice to have some backup.”
“I think I’ll stay here.”
Don’t be such a coward Ione, it’ll be a new experience for us! It could be fun!”
“Fine, but if we get in trouble don’t say I didn’t warn you guys.”
The four students quietly made their way through the halls and down to the teacher’s lounge. That’s where they began to hear a meeting through the walls. The four of them were horrified about what they were hearing.
“Do you think we have enough islander souls yet, Katrina?”
“Not yet, we could use a few more students. How about those new ones?”
“Hmmm… Didn’t think about them. Good idea! It would probably be like a capture one and get two free!”
“Us? Why us?” Judy frantically asked.
“Did you not hear their reasoning? Pretty good deal if you ask me.”
“Marshal, you’ll literally be captured too, stop being so calm.”
“Well one of us has to be open-minded in this very situation.”
“Do you guys here talking outside?”
The students began to run back through the hallway. A teacher began to yell and run after them “Show yourselves you cowards, or else you’ll have a severe punishment!” Another teacher yelled after them “Lock all doors now, this is an emergency!”
All the doors began to shut quickly. The four students make it into the library before all the doors fully shut.
“We need to get out of here!”
“Maybe we can find something to help us, Yuka can look towards the back, Judy can go to the right, Marshal can look towards the left and I’ll look here!”
After quickly rummaging through the books, Judy managed to find an eerie looking book that was about all the rooms located throughout the school.
“Hey guys! Look what I found!” Judy continued, “Do you think there’s anything in here?”
Marshal replied, “I mean it’s worth a shot, but make it quick! We don’t have much time left…”
Judy flipped through the pages as fast as she could. She then found a page that had an emergency portal that could take anyone back home. Judy called the others over and they read the paragraph together.
“Katrina’s staff? How could we possibly get that?” Yuka asked with a tone of despair.
“It’s so far from the science room too.” Ione replied.
“Hmmm… Maybe we can set a distraction of sorts?”
“Not a bad idea Marshal! I think Ione should do it since she’s very quick”
“Fine, but you guys better not let me die.”
Ione went to Katrina’s office and waited for the other three to get in position. She then called for Katrina from behind the wall.
“Hi Mrs. Katrina! You’ve been looking for me haven’t you?”
Katrina jumps out of her seat and begins to run after Ione, the other three then grabbed the staff and ran to the science room. Ione took a longer route and Katrina followed.
The other three managed to open the portal and waited for Ione.
They saw Ione and the four of them all jumped together in the portal.
The day then began as normal, Ione woke up and was getting ready to head off to work. When she left the house, there was a construction area beside her that had the sign “This plot is reserved for Yuka’s home.”
“Hello Ione! I see you’re here early. Must be the heavy rain, am I correct?”
“Yes, the rain definitely gave me quite the rude awakening haha”
“Let’s see, today you have a rococo sofa for Muffy, a chocolate cake for Maple, speakers for Marshal and a magic kit for Farley.”
“Farley? Who’s Farley?” Ione eagerly asked.
“He’s an old man who has some very special… I guess we can call them traits?”
“And what do you mean by traits Tommy?”
“Magical traits, rumor has it that the reason our island is called mageville is because of the immense magic that farley and his acquaintances use.”
“Interesting… I guess I’ll be off now! I’ll see you guys around.”
Ione rushes out of the shop, after her interest skyrocketed at the curiosity of Farley’s mysterious presence.
As she makes her way up north to the town square, she approaches Muffy’s place. She sees Muffy and O’Hare sitting outside together, as they’re having some morning coffee under an umbrella. Muffy proceeded to happily welcome her.
“Hello dear! Don’t you just looking at the rain while drinking some ice-cold coffee? Definitely the morning I dream of every day.”
“I will never understand what you find so special about rain, it makes the entire atmosphere so gloomy,” O’Hare depressingly explained.
“Hello Muffy! Hello O’Hare! I’m here to deliver your sofa that you ordered from Timmy & Tommy’s shop.”
“Oh why thank you Ione! I’ve been waiting for that sofa for a while! You can put the box right by my door.”
“You’re very welcome!” Ione then asked, “Do you uhhh… Happen to know anything about Farley?”
“Farley? Well my-oh-my, I haven’t heard that name in a good few years.” O’Hare then continued “we both unfortunately don’t know much about him, since we’re kinda new here, but I’m sure someone else knows a thing or two!”
Oh, thanks anyways, have a nice day you two!” Ione exclaimed as she sat on her bike and began to ride off to Maple’s.
Once Ione arrives at maple’s house, she knocks on the door and awaits for her arrival.
“Hi there Ione! Is that my cake that I ordered the other day?”
“Yes it is, I hope you’ll enjoy it! I’ve always been quite the fan of chocolate cake myself.”
“Same here, I’ve actually been on quite the food binge as of recently.” They both then started chuckling.
Maple then continued “I heard you were going to deliver a package to Farley, word gets around quickly here.”
“Yeah I actually have! Do you… happen to know anything about him?”
Maple then paused for a moment. “Well, he’s actually a wizard. I heard he teaches his magical powers and wisdom to ‘chosen ones’.” She then continued “Who knows, maybe the chosen one will be you, if it actually exists of course.”
Ione was very intrigued by what Maple had just told her,
“Wow, thanks for the information! I’ll be sure to get back to you soon, have a nice day Maple!”
“I hope you have a good day as well, good luck on your next deliveries!” Maple exclaimed.
Ione had then made it to Marshal’s house. She knocked on his door, but to her surprise he didn’t open the door. She then knocked once more, and once again no response. Ione was confused, as he should’ve known that Ione was going to come with his package today. Ione decided to leave the package under his porch. She then went to pick up Farley’s package to look at the address, and the package said “behind the rocks, to the right of the pier.” Ione was very confused, as there was no building remotely close to said pier. She then put the package down and set off on her bike.
Ione had made it to the pier, but no one was there. She was very disappointed, as she was eager to see who this Farley guy was. She then heard a voice “there she is, took her long enough.” She then saw a very short, long-bearded, old man who seemingly resembled a gnome. To his right, she then saw Marshal and her roommate, Judy.
“Why hello there Ione. My name is Farley, you must’ve been very intrigued to see who I was. Well now you know!” Farley said while chuckling.
“Hello sir, a pleasure to meet you. I came with your package that you ordered from Timmy and Tommy! Hope you like it.”
“Thank you very much young one, however this isn’t for me, I bought this specifically for you.”
“For me?” Ione was very confused by what Farley had just told her.
“Yes, that is correct. Now you three, follow me inside the door to explore something that you have never seen before!”
One by one, all three of them went through the mysterious door. As they entered, they were greeted by a shining white light that blinded their eyes. They then saw a grand castle appear in front of them.
“This is the academy for all magic! Bloom University!” Farley proudly exclaimed as he pointed in the direction of the entrance.
As Farley led the other three into the school, they were greeted with a prestigious scenery. Expensive furniture, fancy corridors and the shiny floor were all glistening.
“What a beautiful place, completely my type of area!” Judy happily said.
“Hello.” A lady walks up to them and begins to speak in a very monotone manner.
“I’m the principal here, the head of bloom academy. We have been waiting for your arrival.”
“H-hello! I’m Ione and these are my friends, Marshal and Judy.”
“Pleasure to meet you!” Marshal confidently said.
“Pleasure to meet you three as well, you can call me Katrina.” She continued, “Farley, will you please show them to their rooms.”
“Absolutely, right this way everyone.”
For a building this big, the new students thought that there weren't as many people as they had initially anticipated. However, all of them decided to keep quiet out of respect.
“Here we are! These are the student dorms. All three of you have been conveniently placed next to each other.” Farley continued, “I hope you’ll enjoy your stay, your day will start at the auditorium at 8:00 sharp, don’t miss it!.”
“Thank you Farley!” The three friends said together as Farley walked back down the hallway.
While Judy and Marshal were strongly praising the area based on their first impressions, Ione couldn’t help but feel that something was very off about the place.
“Is something wrong Ione?” Judy asked.
“Well… I just have a bad feeling about this. It’s almost like their planning something evil.” Ione replied.
“Relax! It’s just a school, what’s the worst that could happen?” Marshal and Judy started giggling.
The next day, Ione and her friends had woken up and got to their first class on time.
They entered the classroom and after all the students went to their seats the teacher began to speak, “Everyone, I’d like you to meet our new students, their names are Ione, Judy and Marshal!”
The students waved at them. Ione was seated next to a blue koala.
“You must be Ione, right?”
“Yes I am, what’s your name?”
“The name’s Yuka, pleasure to meet you. I’m wishing you good luck on your stay here, you’ll need it.”
Ione was taken aback by her words, she wanted to ask Yuka for more, but she thought that a later time would be better.
That night, Marshal, Judy and Ione were all in their rooms since the curfew of students had now passed. Despite this, they still heard someone tip-toeing down the hallway.
“Why is there someone still there? Isn’t it already past curfew?” Judy asked.
“I don’t know.” Ione then continued “It’s probably a staff, like a teacher or something.”
“They wouldn’t be moving that slowly if they were a teacher though. Should we take a peak?” The curious Marshal asked.
Ione was against this idea, however she too wanted to see who it was. “We would technically also be breaking the rules, but I guess a peak wouldn’t hurt.”
They decide to slowly open their door and to their surprise, it was none other than Yuka. Yuka froze as they started opening the door.
“Yuka? What are you doing out so late? It’s over an hour past curfew, you should be in your room!”
“I can explain Ione!”
The three friends let Yuka into their room and she began to tell them why she was outside her room past curfew.
“Rumor has it that students have been going missing recently, I actually only came here because I wanted to find out what was happening to the missing students that come to this school.”
“Sounds fun! Can we come with you?” Marshal eagerly asked.
However, Ione attempted to shut down Marshal’s idea “Why do you think that’s a good idea?”
Yuka replied “Of course you can! It would be nice to have some backup.”
“I think I’ll stay here.”
Don’t be such a coward Ione, it’ll be a new experience for us! It could be fun!”
“Fine, but if we get in trouble don’t say I didn’t warn you guys.”
The four students quietly made their way through the halls and down to the teacher’s lounge. That’s where they began to hear a meeting through the walls. The four of them were horrified about what they were hearing.
“Do you think we have enough islander souls yet, Katrina?”
“Not yet, we could use a few more students. How about those new ones?”
“Hmmm… Didn’t think about them. Good idea! It would probably be like a capture one and get two free!”
“Us? Why us?” Judy frantically asked.
“Did you not hear their reasoning? Pretty good deal if you ask me.”
“Marshal, you’ll literally be captured too, stop being so calm.”
“Well one of us has to be open-minded in this very situation.”
“Do you guys here talking outside?”
The students began to run back through the hallway. A teacher began to yell and run after them “Show yourselves you cowards, or else you’ll have a severe punishment!” Another teacher yelled after them “Lock all doors now, this is an emergency!”
All the doors began to shut quickly. The four students make it into the library before all the doors fully shut.
“We need to get out of here!”
“Maybe we can find something to help us, Yuka can look towards the back, Judy can go to the right, Marshal can look towards the left and I’ll look here!”
After quickly rummaging through the books, Judy managed to find an eerie looking book that was about all the rooms located throughout the school.
“Hey guys! Look what I found!” Judy continued, “Do you think there’s anything in here?”
Marshal replied, “I mean it’s worth a shot, but make it quick! We don’t have much time left…”
Judy flipped through the pages as fast as she could. She then found a page that had an emergency portal that could take anyone back home. Judy called the others over and they read the paragraph together.
“Katrina’s staff? How could we possibly get that?” Yuka asked with a tone of despair.
“It’s so far from the science room too.” Ione replied.
“Hmmm… Maybe we can set a distraction of sorts?”
“Not a bad idea Marshal! I think Ione should do it since she’s very quick”
“Fine, but you guys better not let me die.”
Ione went to Katrina’s office and waited for the other three to get in position. She then called for Katrina from behind the wall.
“Hi Mrs. Katrina! You’ve been looking for me haven’t you?”
Katrina jumps out of her seat and begins to run after Ione, the other three then grabbed the staff and ran to the science room. Ione took a longer route and Katrina followed.
The other three managed to open the portal and waited for Ione.
They saw Ione and the four of them all jumped together in the portal.
The day then began as normal, Ione woke up and was getting ready to head off to work. When she left the house, there was a construction area beside her that had the sign “This plot is reserved for Yuka’s home.”
Here's my story!
Filbert cautiously approached the crumbling fountain. There were chunks of it missing, it was overgrown with vines, and it hadn’t worked in years, but this was the fountain from the old legend that Chevre had told him about, and he figured that if there was even a tiny chance it could work, he had to try.
He took out his axe and gently laid it inside the empty fountain, before stepping back and staring at it, hoping for something to happen.
Of course nothing happened. Filbert suddenly felt silly for even trying. He had even polished the axe himself earlier, to make it more worthy of an offering to a goddess. Of course legends were just fiction.
But then, all of a sudden, a shining white light appeared at the top of the fountain. Filbert watched, stunned, as the light expanded and grew brighter, and then faded just as quickly as it had appeared, revealing a white chihuahua wearing an elegant white toga and a golden tiara.
“Serena?” Filbert asked, eyes wide.
“Yes, it’s me,” Serena said. “You’re the first person to have summoned me in ages. I thought everyone had forgotten about me. What do you need from me?”
“Serena, my village of Sunglade is starving,” Filbert said. “It hasn’t rained in weeks, our crops are dying, and soon we won’t have anything left in our storerooms to eat. Can you help us?”
Serena studied him for a few seconds. “Yes, I can help you. Usually I would be a little more difficult, but it gets awful boring when mortals don’t bug me from time to time. However, making a village rain is a large task, so I want something in return from you first.”
“What is it?” Filbert asked.
“There is a lovely flower that only grows deep in the heart of the enchanted forest,” Serena said. “It’s called the lily of the valley, and I would love to have one, but they’re extremely rare. People always think I want axes, but they’re not very pretty to look at.” At this, she stared pointedly at the axe Filbert had laid in the fountain, and he gulped. “Maybe afterwards, you can spread the word that I prefer flowers as offerings. Anyway, if you can get me a lily of the valley, I will bring the rain to Sunglade.”
“I’ll try,” Filbert said nervously. “But dangerous things lurk in the forest. I don’t know how to fight.”
“Then take this,” Serena said. She pointed to the axe in the fountain and a beam of golden light shot out of her hand, turning the axe into gold. “A gold axe is a very powerful tool. Use this to protect yourself on your journey.”
Filbert nodded fervently and carefully picked up the golden axe. He still wasn’t skilled in fighting, but he trusted the goddess, and decided that since his success was also in her best interest, the axe must be a useful gift. “Thank you, Serena! I won’t let you down!”
“I hope not,” said Serena. “I’m sick and tired of putting bouquets of axes in all my vases.”
--x--
Filbert ventured into the enchanted forest, equipped with his new golden axe and what little rations he had left. The forest had always spooked him, especially because of all the rumours he had been told as a child about people who had entered the forest and never returned.
But he had to do this. Not only did his life and the lives of his friends depend on him, but also those of the entire village. He had to get back with the flower for Serena.
When he let his mind relax a little, the forest was actually quite beautiful. Sunlight filtered gently through the canopy of leaves above him, and he occasionally caught a glimpse of a glowing butterfly flitting through the trees. He flinched whenever he accidentally stepped on a branch, and he jumped whenever he thought he heard a growl emanating from the woods. When this happened, he clutched his axe tighter and forced himself to breathe more quietly, reminding himself that the forest was as full of dangers as it was of wonders.
His eye caught a faint gleam of something in the distance and he perked up. As he got closer, he saw more shining things ahead, and as they came into focus, he knew they were flowers—beautiful white, bell-shaped flowers. His pulse quickened; these must be the flowers that Serena wanted!
He eagerly approached the glowing flowers, but before he could reach them, a figure stepped between him and his goal.
“You can’t be here,” said the small bear in front of him. “These flowers are mine. Turn away now and I won’t hurt you.”
Filbert instinctively took a step back in alarm. The bear had light brown fur and large pink cheeks, and she might have looked rather pleasant if it wasn’t for her wild hair or her eyes, which glowed an unsettling neon green. She was also wielding, for some strange reason, a large mop. The stringy ends of the mop were stained a deep crimson, and Filbert hoped it was just pomegranate juice.
“What are you doing?” Filbert asked. “Can’t you spare just one?”
“No,” the bear said sternly. “These are the most beautiful flowers in the kingdom, and they’re mine. I’ve protected them from the likes of you for years. Moppina, what do we do with this intruder?”
“Moppina?” asked Filbert timidly, not understanding the bear’s last sentence. But the bear wasn’t listening to him—she had her head turned to the mop in her hand.
“Yes, I agree,” said the bear solemnly, seemingly talking to her mop. Her eyes grew brighter, and Filbert caught a glint of metal on the handle of the mop. He stared at it and his heart raced as he realized that the handle had a large, bloody spike on the end of it. “You won’t leave? Then face your demise!”
At this, she was talking to Filbert again, for she raised the spiked end of her mop and thrust it towards him. Filbert yelped and barely dodged it. “Please! I don’t want to hurt you!” he pleaded, but it was futile, for the bear wasn’t backing down.
She jabbed the mop at him again, and this time, Filbert wasn’t as lucky, because the spike tore a gaping hole in his shirt.
Okay, Filbert, he thought. Remember why you came to do this! You didn’t come this far to die!
He gripped the golden axe from Serena firmly, and when the bear lunged at him again, he sidestepped the attack and swung the axe at the mop, neatly chopping it in two.
“Moppina!” the bear cried, gaping at her broken weapon. “No!” She bent over the piece on the ground and sobbed. Filbert stared awkwardly at the scene, not sure what to make of this bear who suddenly cared more for her mop than the flowers she had been trying to guard with her life. But, remembering his mission, he knelt down and plucked one of the plants, the treasured lily of the valley, placing it carefully in his backpack.
When he turned back to the bear, she was no longer crying, but standing up, both pieces of the mop now on the forest floor. She looked different now—scared, confused, and, most noticeably, her eyes were no longer an eerie neon green, but rather a gentle deep green, the colour of the leaves on the trees surrounding them.
“Oh, no,” she said, trembling. “What happened? What have I done?”
“What do you mean?” Filbert asked, trying to be angry, but it was difficult now that she suddenly appeared so distraught. “You almost killed me!”
“Oh, no,” she said again, looking like she was about to resume crying. “I’m so sorry! The last thing I remember was finding this mop lying here, and… something changed, and everything else after that is kind of a blur. I… do you think it had some kind of control over me?”
“Maybe,” said Filbert, who didn’t know much about evil magical objects, especially mops that seemed to possess people. “Are you alright?”
“I think so,” she said, but seeing the red tips of the mop head, she started sobbing again. “Oh, what have I done?”
“It’s okay,” Filbert said, unsure if he was lying or not. “Look… maybe you did terrible things, but it wasn’t you doing them, right? You were being controlled. But the mop’s destroyed now. Maybe those stains aren’t even from you. Maybe someone else used it before you.”
“I hope so,” the bear said. “How long was I here for?”
“I don’t know,” said Filbert, shrugging. “You said you were protecting those flowers for years.”
“Years?” the bear asked, aghast. “I might not even have a place to live anymore!”
“Well,” said Filbert, “you can come with me back to my village.”
“That would be wonderful!” said the bear. “Are you sure?”
Filbert nodded. “Yeah. Assuming everyone hasn’t starved to death yet.”
--x--
“You succeeded,” Serena said upon seeing the pristine lily of the valley lying in her fountain.
“I did,” said Filbert.
“Well,” said Serena, “since you kept your half of our deal, it’s time I do my end.” She lifted her arms into the sky and great white beams of light shot up out of them. Moments later, it began to rain—first a light drizzle, then a determined downpour, on a mission to make up for all the weeks of drought. Filbert grinned as he looked up at the sky. He was soaking wet, but he didn’t mind; after all, his village would be saved.
“Thank you so much!” Filbert said.
“Thank you,” Serena said. “Here, take these as a present!” The flower in the fountain disappeared, replaced with an unceremoniously dumped pile of axes in various stages of rust and decay. “Take them and give them out to your friends or whatever. I don’t care what you do with these; I just don’t want them in my house anymore. ‘K, b’bye now!”
--x--
Thanks to the rain, Sunglade’s crops recovered and the village was able to continue thriving. The bear who Filbert had freed from the mop’s hold, who had introduced herself as Maple, was starting a fresh new life in the village, determined to make up for the time she had lost in the forest, and quickly made friends, although she refused to touch any more mops.
Filbert was now hailed as a hero, having gotten Serena to end the ceaseless drought. He felt more confident in himself, now, too—he had ventured into the forest, fought for his life, and saved his hometown.
As for the golden axe, Filbert didn’t intend on using it for a long time, but he mounted it on the wall of his bedroom as a reminder of not only his adventure in the enchanted forest, but also the fact that he was capable of more than he knew.
He took out his axe and gently laid it inside the empty fountain, before stepping back and staring at it, hoping for something to happen.
Of course nothing happened. Filbert suddenly felt silly for even trying. He had even polished the axe himself earlier, to make it more worthy of an offering to a goddess. Of course legends were just fiction.
But then, all of a sudden, a shining white light appeared at the top of the fountain. Filbert watched, stunned, as the light expanded and grew brighter, and then faded just as quickly as it had appeared, revealing a white chihuahua wearing an elegant white toga and a golden tiara.
“Serena?” Filbert asked, eyes wide.
“Yes, it’s me,” Serena said. “You’re the first person to have summoned me in ages. I thought everyone had forgotten about me. What do you need from me?”
“Serena, my village of Sunglade is starving,” Filbert said. “It hasn’t rained in weeks, our crops are dying, and soon we won’t have anything left in our storerooms to eat. Can you help us?”
Serena studied him for a few seconds. “Yes, I can help you. Usually I would be a little more difficult, but it gets awful boring when mortals don’t bug me from time to time. However, making a village rain is a large task, so I want something in return from you first.”
“What is it?” Filbert asked.
“There is a lovely flower that only grows deep in the heart of the enchanted forest,” Serena said. “It’s called the lily of the valley, and I would love to have one, but they’re extremely rare. People always think I want axes, but they’re not very pretty to look at.” At this, she stared pointedly at the axe Filbert had laid in the fountain, and he gulped. “Maybe afterwards, you can spread the word that I prefer flowers as offerings. Anyway, if you can get me a lily of the valley, I will bring the rain to Sunglade.”
“I’ll try,” Filbert said nervously. “But dangerous things lurk in the forest. I don’t know how to fight.”
“Then take this,” Serena said. She pointed to the axe in the fountain and a beam of golden light shot out of her hand, turning the axe into gold. “A gold axe is a very powerful tool. Use this to protect yourself on your journey.”
Filbert nodded fervently and carefully picked up the golden axe. He still wasn’t skilled in fighting, but he trusted the goddess, and decided that since his success was also in her best interest, the axe must be a useful gift. “Thank you, Serena! I won’t let you down!”
“I hope not,” said Serena. “I’m sick and tired of putting bouquets of axes in all my vases.”
--x--
Filbert ventured into the enchanted forest, equipped with his new golden axe and what little rations he had left. The forest had always spooked him, especially because of all the rumours he had been told as a child about people who had entered the forest and never returned.
But he had to do this. Not only did his life and the lives of his friends depend on him, but also those of the entire village. He had to get back with the flower for Serena.
When he let his mind relax a little, the forest was actually quite beautiful. Sunlight filtered gently through the canopy of leaves above him, and he occasionally caught a glimpse of a glowing butterfly flitting through the trees. He flinched whenever he accidentally stepped on a branch, and he jumped whenever he thought he heard a growl emanating from the woods. When this happened, he clutched his axe tighter and forced himself to breathe more quietly, reminding himself that the forest was as full of dangers as it was of wonders.
His eye caught a faint gleam of something in the distance and he perked up. As he got closer, he saw more shining things ahead, and as they came into focus, he knew they were flowers—beautiful white, bell-shaped flowers. His pulse quickened; these must be the flowers that Serena wanted!
He eagerly approached the glowing flowers, but before he could reach them, a figure stepped between him and his goal.
“You can’t be here,” said the small bear in front of him. “These flowers are mine. Turn away now and I won’t hurt you.”
Filbert instinctively took a step back in alarm. The bear had light brown fur and large pink cheeks, and she might have looked rather pleasant if it wasn’t for her wild hair or her eyes, which glowed an unsettling neon green. She was also wielding, for some strange reason, a large mop. The stringy ends of the mop were stained a deep crimson, and Filbert hoped it was just pomegranate juice.
“What are you doing?” Filbert asked. “Can’t you spare just one?”
“No,” the bear said sternly. “These are the most beautiful flowers in the kingdom, and they’re mine. I’ve protected them from the likes of you for years. Moppina, what do we do with this intruder?”
“Moppina?” asked Filbert timidly, not understanding the bear’s last sentence. But the bear wasn’t listening to him—she had her head turned to the mop in her hand.
“Yes, I agree,” said the bear solemnly, seemingly talking to her mop. Her eyes grew brighter, and Filbert caught a glint of metal on the handle of the mop. He stared at it and his heart raced as he realized that the handle had a large, bloody spike on the end of it. “You won’t leave? Then face your demise!”
At this, she was talking to Filbert again, for she raised the spiked end of her mop and thrust it towards him. Filbert yelped and barely dodged it. “Please! I don’t want to hurt you!” he pleaded, but it was futile, for the bear wasn’t backing down.
She jabbed the mop at him again, and this time, Filbert wasn’t as lucky, because the spike tore a gaping hole in his shirt.
Okay, Filbert, he thought. Remember why you came to do this! You didn’t come this far to die!
He gripped the golden axe from Serena firmly, and when the bear lunged at him again, he sidestepped the attack and swung the axe at the mop, neatly chopping it in two.
“Moppina!” the bear cried, gaping at her broken weapon. “No!” She bent over the piece on the ground and sobbed. Filbert stared awkwardly at the scene, not sure what to make of this bear who suddenly cared more for her mop than the flowers she had been trying to guard with her life. But, remembering his mission, he knelt down and plucked one of the plants, the treasured lily of the valley, placing it carefully in his backpack.
When he turned back to the bear, she was no longer crying, but standing up, both pieces of the mop now on the forest floor. She looked different now—scared, confused, and, most noticeably, her eyes were no longer an eerie neon green, but rather a gentle deep green, the colour of the leaves on the trees surrounding them.
“Oh, no,” she said, trembling. “What happened? What have I done?”
“What do you mean?” Filbert asked, trying to be angry, but it was difficult now that she suddenly appeared so distraught. “You almost killed me!”
“Oh, no,” she said again, looking like she was about to resume crying. “I’m so sorry! The last thing I remember was finding this mop lying here, and… something changed, and everything else after that is kind of a blur. I… do you think it had some kind of control over me?”
“Maybe,” said Filbert, who didn’t know much about evil magical objects, especially mops that seemed to possess people. “Are you alright?”
“I think so,” she said, but seeing the red tips of the mop head, she started sobbing again. “Oh, what have I done?”
“It’s okay,” Filbert said, unsure if he was lying or not. “Look… maybe you did terrible things, but it wasn’t you doing them, right? You were being controlled. But the mop’s destroyed now. Maybe those stains aren’t even from you. Maybe someone else used it before you.”
“I hope so,” the bear said. “How long was I here for?”
“I don’t know,” said Filbert, shrugging. “You said you were protecting those flowers for years.”
“Years?” the bear asked, aghast. “I might not even have a place to live anymore!”
“Well,” said Filbert, “you can come with me back to my village.”
“That would be wonderful!” said the bear. “Are you sure?”
Filbert nodded. “Yeah. Assuming everyone hasn’t starved to death yet.”
--x--
“You succeeded,” Serena said upon seeing the pristine lily of the valley lying in her fountain.
“I did,” said Filbert.
“Well,” said Serena, “since you kept your half of our deal, it’s time I do my end.” She lifted her arms into the sky and great white beams of light shot up out of them. Moments later, it began to rain—first a light drizzle, then a determined downpour, on a mission to make up for all the weeks of drought. Filbert grinned as he looked up at the sky. He was soaking wet, but he didn’t mind; after all, his village would be saved.
“Thank you so much!” Filbert said.
“Thank you,” Serena said. “Here, take these as a present!” The flower in the fountain disappeared, replaced with an unceremoniously dumped pile of axes in various stages of rust and decay. “Take them and give them out to your friends or whatever. I don’t care what you do with these; I just don’t want them in my house anymore. ‘K, b’bye now!”
--x--
Thanks to the rain, Sunglade’s crops recovered and the village was able to continue thriving. The bear who Filbert had freed from the mop’s hold, who had introduced herself as Maple, was starting a fresh new life in the village, determined to make up for the time she had lost in the forest, and quickly made friends, although she refused to touch any more mops.
Filbert was now hailed as a hero, having gotten Serena to end the ceaseless drought. He felt more confident in himself, now, too—he had ventured into the forest, fought for his life, and saved his hometown.
As for the golden axe, Filbert didn’t intend on using it for a long time, but he mounted it on the wall of his bedroom as a reminder of not only his adventure in the enchanted forest, but also the fact that he was capable of more than he knew.
Bluebellie
Senior Member
The Tiniest Toadstool 
In the farthest parts of the woods, miles away from the great white magical willow tree, lived a small little town full of tiny toadstool creatures. These tiny beings hid from the world. They kept to themselves. They were lively at night, and disguised themselves as shrooms by day. Anyone passing by would just assume they were part of the forest flora. Nobody ventured into their territory and they certainly didn’t venture out. The world outside to them was nothing but an awful place full of dangers and strange creatures. That was before things changed. No one could have predicted what would happen and no one could have stopped it. On the worst day of their lives, they were hit by an awful forest fire. Fierce ambers pierced through their tiny little sanctuary. Their once beautiful home was nothing but soot and ashes. They had no food, and they no longer had a home. All they had was themselves. They had lost everything.
These tiny little beings were cold and starving. Everything they have ever known was taken way. Something needed to be done, but no one would venture out. This was their safe place. Except they were no longer safe. This was no longer their sanctuary, but it was the only place they knew.
Among the toadstool people, there lived the tiniest of them all, little Russula. Russula just like everyone else, had just lost her home. She knew she had to protect her people, and she knew she had to venture out in search for help. There had to be someone or something somewhere out there. She had never been outside her home though, and just the thought of going beyond frightened her. Everything was so unfamiliar.
One day, during the daylight while everyone was fast asleep, she decided she was going to step beyond the border. It should not be too hard she thought. She was small. Nobody would notice if she went missing. No one would be awake to see her disappear. All she had to do was make it back before night fall. It seemed simple enough.
Little Russula jumped over the border and just kept walking forward. Any glimpse back, and she knew she would lose her courage. At first her surroundings seemed very similar. She saw the same quaint flowers that bordered her home, and heard the same stream of water flowing by. As she continued farther from her home, things began to look different. She saw strange chirping creatures flying up high, and frightening echos could be heard all around. The darkness of the forest made even the trees look petrifying.
Each step she took felt like the forest only grew bigger, darker, and more menacing. She was scared. She was alone. She ran.
She continued running until her tiny legs could not run any longer. She made it to a little clearing before she finally collapsed. There on the forest floor all alone she cried herself to sleep.
Half dazed and exhausted, she felt a tug on her arm. That startled her awake and so she ran and hid behind the comfort of fallen tree trunk. That did not deter the stranger who followed right behind. Russula was terrified.
Who was this stranger?
The stranger stepped closer and closer. Little Russula was too scared to even move. She was paralyzed with fear, and so she stayed still. The stranger lifted up his arm and offered up some berries and water.
Russula dived right in and devoured them. It could have been due to exhaustion, thirst, hunger, or all three, her caution lost the battle. This made the stranger laugh. He smiled and so did Russula. Who was this stranger? He had the same eyes as her. The same hands. The same feet. He also had a tiny little toadstool, but Russula had never seen him before. He introduced himself as Morel. He talks, and Russula could understand him. They shared the same language. Russula was no longer alone.
Morel and Russula continued talking. They were becoming fast friends. Morel helped her out of the forest and invited her into his home. The world was so menacing and scary and she was glad she had a new friend. Together, they journeyed the rest of the way to his home. Russula could not believe her eyes when they arrived. It was a world of little people just like her. She felt safe. Staring back at her were familiar eyes. These were her people too. Just as surprised as she was, these strangers were just as baffled. Neither knew the other existed. She told them the story of her family, her friends, and her home. She cried, and they cried beside her. It was decided afterwards that they were going to help her. Russula and her family were welcomed to join them.
And so, the two friends embarked on the journey back. They made it past the white willow tree right before nightfall, and were greeted at the border. Everyone back home had been worried about Russula. She thought no one would notice she was gone, but she had been wrong. They were just glad to have her back and safe. She told them of her grand adventure and of the new land just across the border. She spoke to them about all the wonderful friends she had met along the way, and about their new awaiting home.
Unlike Russula who believed herself to be just a small insignificant toadstool, her family and friends knew she was more that that. After all, it’s why they gave her her name. They knew she would amount to something big. She might be small in stature, but she has a heart the size of the world.
Together, Russula, Morel, and her family, made the journey across the forest one more time. Once they arrived, they were greeted with many new faces, and many new friends. This was their new home now. They knew they would be safe here. With the help of their new family, everything would be alright.
I went the route of Magical Realism and it doesn't kick in until the end of the first scene but the forest later on is enchanted indeed so I hope it counts for participation. Note: the hero is overcoming the grief of a cancer diagnosis so TW in case that upsets you.
Some Animal Crossing character allusions are there if you squint hard enough.
Whittled Away: The Tale of the Woodcarver
When the woodcarver received his terminal diagnosis from the surgeon the man tried to make a dark joke to soften the blow of the news, as is commonly practiced, but the woodcarver stopped him and told him he wanted to make sure he was as uncomfortable as he was. He’d grown pale, his hair thinning on his face, his already weathered fingers grew more gaunt than they already were. He’d long been a misery maker in his life, and figured if any death was befitting of him, it should be as miserable as he was.
In addition to being miserable, the woodcarver had grown anti-social, to the point where anyone who sought to visit him couldn’t travel up the mountainous hill he lived on, having converted the driving path into a winding staircase when he noticed his children getting overweight during grade school. The woman they sent from hospice could barely make it to the top and had to catch her breath on the swing chair for a long ten minutes as she stared into the gaping mouth of a monstrous guardian carving at the top of the stairs, a statue that showed little weathering or age, the finish glistening in the direct sunlight.
Were the woodcarver his former self, spry and healthy, he’d have kept her out in the sun and told her all he had was lukewarm tap water. However, these days, a semi-worn walking cane with fine detail rests at the top step. He invited her inside and poured her some of the lavender and turmeric blackberry iced tea, a balance of ingredients he'd yet to fully realize.
As the hospice worker moved through his home and sat down in the dining room she had no choice but to take notice of the dark and twisted carvings that decorated the den and hallway and had begun to appear in the kitchen as well. They were masterful creations, gaunt figures and visages burned into gourds and basswood finished with urushiol lacquer. She stared at the life-sized carving of a young man with hollowed out eyes whose body was fused into one of the seats at the dining table. She decided not to comment on it.
She’d heard and gained the impression about the woodcarver that the discussion she would have with him would be an unpleasant experience, but he was about as antisocial as many other patient’s she’d had. With the exception of a hairstylist visiting to cut his hair as well as trim and shave, and occasional food deliveries, he accepted none of the services offered. She didn’t push religious or spiritual services beyond initial suggestion, the coordinators having taken a hint from some of the anti-religious statements made in the hospital. He turned away opportunities for group therapy and group events.
She grew frustrated and excused herself to the bathroom, located on the second floor. Going upstairs was a breath of fresh air for the woman. The carvings were lighter in color and softer in texture. The furniture seemed older but much more comfortable to rest in. The woodwork was not as advanced as what she’d seen downstairs but she felt lighter in spirit as she was surrounded by carvings of birds, fish, and woodland animals. There was a branch over the door at the end of he hall with a single gold-winged warbler perched on top, the detail was so fine that she wondered if it was taxidermized. She heard a song come from it, faint and light, and decided to wash her face to try and clear her head in the bathroom.
Downstairs, she sat back down at the table with the woodcarver, and tried one last suggestion, “Would you be interested in going out to take nature baths?”
The woodcarver scoffed, “Nature baths? Let me guess, you gather a bunch of miserable oafs and crones in a bus and take them out to ‘soak in the sunshine’ for a few hours?”
The hospice worker raised her brows, “Yes, but it’s just the idea. Doesn’t have to be with a group of old folk. Getting outdoors, going into the woods, there’s something healing about resting underneath the trees. Those tales have been passed down for a long time for a reason. Fire me for saying this if you want, but you need to stop languishin’ in this old house and take a damn hike!”
She saw the woodcarver smile for the first time, “Why would I do that? You’re finally talking to me like a real person. I know about the power of trees, the wood speaks if you listen close enough. Since you came all this way I’ll entertain one of your tales.”
“Before she died my grandmother told me about the story her great-grandmother passed to her, back when she was a runaway slave. She told me that there was a forest so great and deep that you could get lost without a guide, like she was. She was still a little girl, she had no family left, barely got away. Of course she got lost. But she said that just as she was about to die of thirst the trees around her would squeak and lead her back to water. She felt a fatherly presence further in and found a great tree with a face much like yours. Said he spoke. Said he told her and other slaves that they could take all the fruit they wanted from underneath him so long as they carved both their sins and their desires into his bark.” She spoke with her eyes closed and earnestness in her voice.
“The squeakoids, they call them,” the woodcarver interrupted.
The hospice worker opened her eyes, “So you’ve heard this tale?!”
“I’ve heard of a forest many cross country thru-hikers fail to get through that’s a little ways from here. It’s a part of that trail’s mythos for anyone tackling the trail that if they get lost, the younger trees will squeak at them and get them back on the path if they listen. There’s also a shelter with a book where thru-hikers write down all of their confessions of misdeeds they’ve done on the trail.” He explained.
“Did you ever finish the trail?” The hospice worker asked.
“Wife got a shin splint and had us quit. But it did inspire me to build this house not far from the trail and take on the wood carving hobby, since I got to have such an early retirement.” The woodcarver looked out of the window as his voice grew longing.
“Do you want to finish the trail?” The hospice worker spoke with a sense of predilection in her voice.
The woodcarver looked back across the table at her, and with resolute certainty, he responded, “Yes.”
A thump could be heard from upstairs, followed by a flutter, the moment he said that word. The wooden carving of the gold-winged warbler would disappear from the house, never to return. At first it seemed to the woodcarver that he was imagining things when he saw the bird burst forth from one of the windows. Yet over the next day the animals would one by one come to life and walk or fly down the stairs to leave the cottage. The wooden vines of flower and plant carvings would crawl across the surface until they were crawling through his lawn. The grim statue of a man at his dining table would turn its head to face whichever chair he sat in when he sat down for a meal, wordless for the lack of any mouth carved on its visage. The hospice worker refused to come in when she saw a wooden mask burst out of the front door in a celebratory laugh and fly towards town. The woodcarver thought he was losing his mind were she not able to see it as well. The two of them decided to set out on the journey a week sooner than planned.
It only took two days for the woodcarver and the hospice worker to find themselves at the head of a cross-country trail with decades old external-frame backpacks on their backs, turning the head of every youth they passed by, who themselves had the newest ultra-light gear on their backs. Or perhaps it was their appearance that created a pause. An old thin-haired skeleton of a man alongside a heavyset woman whose skin seemed to be a shade darker than most others on the trail. Why they were here, attempting what most hikers in their prime often failed to do, was beyond them.
Starting at the southern terminus, they had hundreds of miles of harsh desert ahead of them. Water carries were long and they had to filter water out of cattle ponds and haul enough food for five days between restocks. The heat was punishing and their sun umbrellas had holes that would lead to assorted burn spots on their skin. For the hospice worker, if a man with stage 4 bladder cancer could carry more than thirty pounds on his back for ten, sometimes twenty miles a day, she had little excuse to complain. Not only that, but she was reminded of that little slave girl who faced this path all on her own with no guide but the stars that shone above them each night.
Human kindness was not absent from the trail. Water caches were set up throughout the desert where water sources were scarce. Fellow hikers would cook them meals or help carry supplies for a few miles. A farmer let the woodcarver ride the back of his horse for a few days of the journey. He began to carve from branches cut from mesquite and acacia, and though the wood wasn’t prime material each creation was special, as if he’d imbued a bit of his soul into it. Each time they stuck their thumbs out a passerby would lend them a hitch to town and they’d be rewarded with one of these pieces. A figure dancing in the bloom of a cactus flower, a snake devouring a rock in ravenous hunger, the sun and moon that lit every step they took. The culture surrounding the trail was deep and rich and he was surprised to find how many people he inspired when he told him about his fate. Whenever someone gave him shelter for the night he would carve a mask inspired by their kind faces and leave it on their mantle. Around half a year later, the masks would shock the homeowners as they came to life and spoke to any guest that entered their home, telling them stories only wood could whisper.
Still, the journey through these hundreds of miles was marked with stretches where even people, civilization, and water was scarce. The desertous region almost washed them out with flash flooding. They hiked up mountains in scorching heat and woke up with their tents sagging underneath the weight of snow, chilled to the bone. For the woodcarver, there were times he felt even the marrow in his bones could freeze. When the environment got unforgiving he found himself vomiting from the heat or urinating blood. At night when the hospice worker would make attempts at conversation and motivation only to be met with a tight-lipped man whittling away at another piece of wood. Whenever either of them felt like opening their mouths to finally quit, a gold-winged warbler would show up far from its habitat and perch itself on a tree or bush in the distance. They followed it, for hundreds of miles, though desert and plains, until they finally reached a sea of trees that stretched out as far as the eye could see. The two of them descended into the treeline, swallowed into what seemed like pure darkness without regard for time of day.
Walking through the forest felt different to them than any other part of the trail. Though even the desert was busy enough to see at least one other hiker a day, not a soul was seen for the first three days not counting the oddly human gazes on any deer, bear, or wolf they could see watching them from the side of the path. When the woodcarver stepped away to go dig a cat hole a racoon emerged from a hole in a tree beside her, held out its hands, and threatened her, “Leave me with a meal or I’ll teach the bears how to cut the guyline of the bags you humans hang in our trees.”
She left an oat bar for the creature and was met with utter silence when she tried to tell the woodcarver what happened.
The next day, a fox would ask the same of him, and when he refused to give the creature even a morsel the lines on the map he’d been using would break into thousands of pieces and float around the paper like a dandelion slammed by a sudden burst of wind.
The more lost the two became the less they understood each other. Each time they spoke to one another, language changed through the air as if a thousand years of use bastardized it in the matter of a second. It was only at this point when they could understand what the occasional squeaking tree was telling them. Though they could no longer communicate, the two of them followed the same words, and before long found themselves at the base of a great tree, the one told in the mythos of the trail.
The woodcarver set his eyes on the trunk of the elderly guardian of the forest; he could see himself in its face, not because it had bushy brows and a mustache much like he did, but because the cause of these formations on the surface of the plant were tumorous burls the being had lived with for hundreds of years. A gold-winged warbler fluttered past his ear and landed on the branch of the tree. It cleaned underneath its wing, let out one final song, and let its body turn into solid wood so that it may watch over the forest from atop its guardian deity.
The hospice worker placed her hand on the frangible bark of the tree and flakes would break off and stick to the surface of her now oversized shirt. The raccoon she’d fed before, which she recognized because of its missing finger, walked up beside her on two feet and spoke the first sentences of English she’d heard in days, “I knew you’d make it to greatfather safely! I never let a friend of mine get lost in the woods. I told the young sprouts to lead you to someone who can help and here you are.”
The raccoon crossed his arms and smiled up at her proudly. His voice reminded her of her neighbor’s, robust yet airy, a short little Italian man who would always make the same pose whenever he fixed one of his family’s broken vehicles and got it running again. He even took the same boastful stance when he fixed her old station wagon free of charge. A tear formed in her eye because she recalled the day she came home from work and found out he’d been murdered by his brother before a standoff with the police resulted in the end of his life as well.
The woodcarver, distracted from even noticing the bipedal raccoon a few feet away from him, gasped as he found the legendary book of hiker’s confessions at the base of the tree, “Hah, so it’s really a thing!”
The hospice worker wiped a tear from her eye and pulled out the last protein bar she had in her pack and offered it to the raccoon. Before his four-fingered paw could reach out and grab a hold of it a burst of orange jumped out between them and snatched it. It was the fox the woodcarver ignored from before. It landed right in front of the man and snatched the book of confessions with its other paw and began to walk upright just as the raccoon did. Her eyes widened when she could suddenly recognize the voice of her neighbor’s brother. Indeed, the fox began to immediately chow down on the bar, talking with his mouthful as he mockingly read specific confessions out loud towards the raccoon.
“I pooped in the middle of the path and didn’t clean it up because I was ashamed of myself,” The fox let out a forced laugh as he added, “Reminds me of when you crapped your shorts in the middle school hallway and ran away crying, remember that shortstack?”
The raccoon’s smile had disappeared and he was looking off in the other direction as the fox continued, “‘I dine in at trail towns every time I take a zero instead of sticking to my diet and now I’ve gained weight on the trail instead of losing it…’ Hah! Story of your life, huh brother?”
The raccoon began to grit his teeth and ball his little paws into fists, “Shut up!”
The fox began to flip through more pages until he paused and a sinister grin flashed across his face, “‘My brother’s girl left their tent one night when he was asleep and had an affair with me, and I didn’t feel bad about it.’ Bet he’ll regret it when his brother finds out and delivers just-”
The raccoon threw himself onto the fox, pulling fur off his face, wailing on him and scratching his face bloody as the dropped the food and book trying to defend himself, “Stop! You know the rules of the forest! Shed blood in front of greatfather and you’ll be turned into a tree!”
The raccoon was blind with rage and the two humans were too confused to break them up, so the consequence was inevitable. The raccoon was too angry to see himself turning to wood. It started spreading from the feet, then the legs, and then all the way up his torso. The fox screamed for help as the raccoon’s next punch froze a few inches from his face and his own arm began to turn to wood because the raccoon still had a hold of it. The woodcarver snapped out of his shock and took swift action, cutting the fox’s arm off to free him before he would be turned into a tree himself.
The fox cried out in pain from losing half an arm but threw himself at the boots of the woodcarver, “Thank you, thank you! To have such mercy on me…I don’t deserve it!”
The woodcarver grabbed a hold of the fox’s wounded arm and cut off the circulation tightly as he clarified, “I only saved you so that the raccoon didn’t have to suffer centuries of life attached to you. If you want to stay alive, fix my map and shut your trap as I might bandage you up!”
The hospice worker unfolded the map as the fox swished his tail and the lines reformed themselves into recognizable topography. The fox whimpered, ears held back, as the woodcarver took care of and cleansed his wound. He even created a makeshift collar and cone to prevent him from pulling the stitches out.
“You are kinder than you look,” the hospice worker says to the woodcarver.
The woodcarver shrugged, “You’re the one who gave away your food when a creature asked for it.”
She looked at the book, and then the great tree, “So should we write our confessions down?”
The woodcarver handed the fox over to her and she held the wounded creature in her lap as she watched the man pull two pieces of bark off the tree. He handed her a tool to cut her words into the tree directly, “You mentioned in the tale that they would carve their sins and desires into the tree itself. That’s what I plan to do, but I ask that you keep my thoughts private.”
The hospice worker took the bark and tool from the woodcarver and the two of them scraped their confessions into the inside of the bark while the exterior was whittled away just enough to write down their hopes and dreams.
The hospice worker confessed: “My family and I stayed busy and weren’t there for my grandmother. She died alone. I’m working in a hospice practice out of guilt. I’m sticking to my man who calls me fat every day and doesn’t love me for who I am because…”
The hospice worker flipped it over and finished on the exterior of the bark, “I want to get married so I can become a mother. I want to make the world better through my children by passing down the stories and traditions that shaped the parts of myself I’m proud of.”
The woodcarver confessed: “I killed countless young men in the war and can’t forget their faces as they died. I lost my emotion in the war. I failed to be a loving father and only understood how to be a disciplinarian. My wife divorced me. She took my daughter with her and I was allowed to keep my son. It was my fault when his life ended in front of me at the dinner table. I let him look at the rifle I used during the war and had forgotten to turn the safety on. There was an accidental discharge when he handled it...we lived too far out for him to be saved in time. I’m afraid of dying even though I know how much I deserve to. It’s just that…”
The woodcarver flipped it over and finished on the exterior of the bark, “Though I have accepted that I will soon die, I still want to create my own miracles with the time I have left in this world and help heal families that are as wounded as mine was.”
The woodcarver stood up, placed the inside of his bark where he tore it from the tree, and the sap held it in place. The hospice worker followed and fit her piece in like the final piece of the puzzle. The wood of the tree began to creak and leaves flutter down onto the forest floor as they watched each other’s words fade and the bark regenerate.
“It’s as if all the weight was just lifted from my shoulders,” Said the hospice worker, “And I’m not talkin’ about those thirty some pounds we keep lugging around.”
The woodcarver smiled gently and took the fox in his arms, “And I feel as if we’re safe in this forest for the first time. You deserve some rest. I’m going to carve out a device for this fellow so he has a chance of walking again.”
The woodcarver noticed the woman’s tears and attempted to hug her for the first time, but the fox cradled in his arm only allowed for a halfhearted attempt. She thanked him regardless and retired to her tent for the night.
The woodcarver’s night was without much rest. He used the spare paracord along with some tent repair tape to fashion a makeshift but sturdy harness according to the fox’s precise measurements. It all connected at the stump where he had to amputate the creature. With a chunk of wood taken from the tree his brother turned into, the woodcarver worked tirelessly to create a beautiful and detailed wooden prosthetic for the fox, secured in place by the less elegant harness. He was a woodcarver, he understood, not a leatherworker.
A voice as old as time spoke to the hospice worker as she dreamed for a better future: “Dearest daughter, whose face I have seen long ago, I ask a simple request of you. I request that you leave your charge in my care and leave this forest in the morning. In return I will give you my promise. A promise that by the time you finish this trail you will find your true love, who shall be your husband, and provide you with three beautiful daughters. You will be able to find me once again once you return to me as a family, so that your daughters may tell me of their hopes and dreams as their mother and her ancestor once did.”
She saw the face of the great tree as she listened to him and watched his face fade once his words had been spoken.
A voice as old as time spoke to the woodcarver as he dreamed for a better future: “Dearest son, whose face is much like my own, I ask a simple request of you. Allow the friend you have made to part ways with you and finish the trail on your behalf. You will never again leave these woods, but my roots stretch far. Within you will encounter families whose bonds can only be repaired with the knowledge you carry. My children and the water that passes around them will provide you with enough nourishment to take as long as you need to complete your task. Once you are ready, rest underneath me, and we shall greet eternity together.”
He saw the face of the great tree as he listened to him and watched his face fade once his words had been spoken.
The woodcarver was woken from his sleep by the sounds of a fox’s cries. When he emerged from his tent, he saw that the fox had walked out of his tent and curled himself up around the base of the small tree his brother was turned into. Standing before the great tree, the hospice worker greeted the woodcarver with a smile on her face and everything she needed already packed onto her back.
The hospice worker looked at a loss for words, and when she found them, mouth beginning to open, she’s interrupted. The woodcarver smiled, closed his eyes, and said to her, “I understand. When love’s ahead of you, never look back. Now go, without a word, you know I don’t talk much.”
The woodcarver kept his eyes closed until the sound of her footsteps grew too distant to hear. He opened his eyes and looked in the direction she traveled, “Thank you for your companionship, my friend.”
Over the next five months the woodcarver traveled through the forest, driven in an enchanted state, to mend the rifts between those who call it home. He was joined by the fox, much more confident in his new paw, to point him in the right direction. After all, it was in his nature of a trickster like himself to know everyone’s faults and take advantage of them. Yet it was under the woodcarver’s care that he would learn to use his cunning for good.
The most emergent situation the fox led the woodcarver to was the case of a dysfunctional beaver family falling behind on the completion of their dam before the imminent rise of the water levels once all the snow had melted from the mountains. The largest river that ran through the forest was already too dangerous for the frail woodcarver to cross but he was able to observe the rift between father and son. The fox explained that in their human lives they died in a flash flood when trying to complete a bridge they fell behind on because of all the time the son was wasting on social media. So far in the forest all he wanted to do is gnaw out sculptures of himself and his friends rather than use the wood to help his father complete the dam. Starstruck, remembering the woodcarver’s face and work on social media, the son pleaded with him to teach him his skills. The woodcarver made a promise to the young beaver that once he assisted him and his father with completing the dam that he’d teach him what he knew. When the snowmelt came, the dam held up beautifully. The son observed the woodcarver’s technical workarounds to complete the project with less wood and learned the pride one can take in using wood carving for more practical application.
A lone bear catching fish witnessed the whole ordeal and spread the word and by the time summer came the other animals gathered around the woodcarver to help him in whatever way he needed. The bears caught him salmon to help sustain him and use their might to lift heavy objects. A wild horse allowed him to use her back to carry his pack and supplies. As the weeks were passing by, the homes of all the animals were seeing long needed improvements.
In spite of help with the heavy lifting there were always cases where the caregiver needed to figure out a more personal approach. A colony of bats, for example, had belonged to a village who saw war end their lives. One of the bats, who wished she could have hid alone during an invasion when she met her end hiding in the church with the other villagers, struggled to ever get a peaceful nights sleep when it got cold and she had to huddle with them to sleep. After hearing her story, the woodcarver went out of his way to make extra houses for some of the bats.
The woodcarver even performed a miracle when he gave flight to a flightless bird. The fox explained that there were two dodo brothers who everyone made fun of because for the past one hundred or so years, one of them continuously got injured trying to build his own wings to do more than just glide. The woodcarver recognized where his place was in making this happen, having been an aircraft engineer during the war, but the issue was that one brother was lying to the other by always giving him false hope that he could fly with his wings one day if he kept trying. The other brother wouldn’t listen to the words of the woodcarver. However, the fox realized that he needed to talk to the one who was giving the other false encouragement and taught him how to give his brother the harsh truth. Once that was out of the way, it only took the woodcarver three or so months of blueprinting before he was able to use a bike abandoned in the forest to make an aircraft even a dodo could operate. By the time the leaves were changing color, the brother with a desire to fly was finally able to achieve his dream and lift off into the skies up above.
As the woodcarver looked up into the air and watched the aircraft disappear into the clouds he took notice that he was beginning to see his own breath. There was no other project to either his or the fox’s knowledge that still needed completion. It was then that the woodcarver decided to return to the great tree. The fish had migrated south by then and the forest was no longer providing the woodcarver fruit to sustain him. The fox, who’d learned the power of kindness from the woodcarver, refused to leave his companion’s side.
When the woodcarver and the fox realized why they struggled to find the great tree once again it was too late. Instead of squeaking trees, it was the sounds of massive saws that led them back to the site where the two of them met. As if out of nowhere, the two of them were blinded with harsh sunlight as they reached the edge of the forest prematurely and were met with a field of stumps overshadowed by massive contraptions of deforestation.
After a long day of grieving, the woodcarver and the fox decided to return to the treeline once it got dark. It would be safer, they imagined, once the workers went home for the night. When they arrived at the treeline, it was clear where they needed to go, as in the distance there was a massive stump surrounded by a pool of glowing sap. They hiked down the barren hill and reached what remained of the great tree and found that even the tree the raccoon turned into was now a stump.
“No! Please! Get up from there!” The fox shouted at the woodcarver when he sat down on the stump of the great tree during its last few hours of life.
The woodcarver’s legs and hands began to fuse onto the stump. He looked up into the air and spoke at what seemed to be himself, nodding, “Yes, they’ve all been taken care of. We can rest easy now.”
The fox ran up to the woodcarver and began to scratch at his now wooden legs with his remaining front paw, “Who are you talking to? Please! You have to stay here! I haven’t known you long but you’re like a father to me!”
The woodcarver looked down as the fox curled up on his lap but he could not lift his hand off the stump to console him. All he could do was muster what air he had left to tell the fox, “I’m glad I could be. Soon I will be with my other son. Now look down, my boy, and remember that I’ll always be a part of you.”
The fox hopped off and looked down at the wooden paw that held him whenever he ran about and held his face into it as he cried, unable to watch the light fade from the woodcarver’s eyes as he completed his transformation.
The moment that the woodcarver closed his eyes and became one with the great tree, light entered another pair of eyes for the first time. Across the land, on the cottage on top of the hill, an apparition floated across the woodcarver’s kitchen and entered the life-sized carving of a young man at the woodcarver’s dining table. The room would shake as the seat broke underneath it and the statue cracked its joints into existence. It climbed up the fireplace in the den and slammed a fist through the glass protecting the woodcutter’s old war rifle. The house, now emptied of its final carving, groaned when it slammed the front door open, toting the rifle in its hand.
The statue looked in the direction of the great forest and marched in that direction.
An entire day would pass and the fox never moved from the woodcarver’s lap. The fox scrambled behind him to hide as two lumbermen would stop on their way past the giant stump and one of them would ask the other, “What’s up with this one? Did we miss a part of it?”
“I dunno but the thing creeps me out,” the other would reply as he avoided looking at the wooden face, “just leave it alone, stump removal will take care of it in a few days.”
The first lumberman would scoff at the other and rev up his chainsaw, “Naw, we got a few minutes before the shift starts. How’s about I take off the head of th-”
The sound of a gunshot interrupted the lumberman and the force of a bullet hitting the dirt blew a cloud of dust into the air. As the first lumberman slumped forward the second turned around in shock and his eyes went wide as the dust cleared he saw a bare and expressionless figure of wood suddenly raise the rifle back up to eye level and walk faster towards him. He ran, trying to scream for help and get the attention of the other workers in the distance, but his shouts were quickly silenced as the carving took him out with one swift and efficient shot. The carving then lowers its rifle, takes a moment from the slaughter to pause and stare at the face of the woodcarver, and then quickly resume pace towards the next lumberman he sees in the distance.
“This must be the great tree’s doing…he would never allow his work to go around killing people in cold blood.” The fox circled around the stump and pleaded with it, “Please, great tree, bring that carving back here to rest and let me handle this in my own way! Please, you know I always have a plan…I’m the cunning fox…”
The fox watched in terror as the carving pulled a lumberman out of a feller buncher and placed the end of the rifle up underneath his chin and held his breath. The sight of a wooden man forcing a hulking lumberman to walk alongside him with just one arm terrified him, but the fox let out a sigh of relief, because the figure was resorting to taking him hostage instead of outright killing him. Knowing this bought him some time, the fox ran off towards the forest, hoping to rally the other animals to his cause.
By the time the fox could get his plan in motion with all of the animals, night had fallen, but given the helicopters, fire department, the media, and a militia of police pointing a high beam light at the hostage situation in front of the stump, it wasn’t difficult to relocate. Snipers couldn’t kill off the figure with a well aimed shot since it was made of wood, use of fire threatened to burn the hostage, and without a mouth the figure had no means of responding to the negotiation team on the loudspeaker.
The fox was prepared to make a lot of noise of his own, but it would not be his face they saw. As if rising from the soil, the colony of bats rose from the shadow of the stump and formed a colossal and frightening face in the sky. With a makeshift loudspeaker of his own, the fox rode in the back of the dodo’s plane and the bats moved around to have the face’s mouth lip-sync to his words, “Trespassers! This is but a sample of the great forest’s army! For every tree you cut down another one of my soldiers will appear to defend the rest. Should you seek to fight them with fire, I will unleash a great flood upon the land. You have five minutes to clear out before I submerge this valley in demonstration. Take your soldier and leave at once!”
The fox lowered the loudspeaker and stared down at the stump with his heart jumping inside his chest. It was up to his greatfather to decide on releasing the hostage. Not a moment after it did, a barrage of gunfire rained down on the figure from the militia and they didn’t stop until the fox pressed the siren button on his megaphone. The ground began to shake as the sound of rushing water filled the air. Deep within the enchanted forest the beavers would use the dam to reroute the water from the river and across the forest floor. The gunfire ceased immediately. The media and the first responders scrambled to their vehicles in a frenzy, rushing away from the incoming wave. The figure, barely able to walk, picked up the pieces of itself and sat down on the stump. The spirit of the son would fade from the eyes of the figure as he finally joined his father and fused with the great tree in order to endure the crash of the incoming wave.
Though there were no further casualties from the incident beyond the two lumbermen, the story took the world by a storm. The trail conservancy, quick to take advantage of the situation, put up a fund for donors across the globe to help buy the land back from the investors who sought to use it for their own greed. It was an offer too great to turn down, even for land. The fox would work hard to rebuild the forest and recover from all the damage but it would be generations before even his offspring would be able to see it the way it was before. Though the entire forest celebrated him as a hero, the fox could not escape his own guilt. He tried to sit down on the stump of his own brother in hopes of fusing into it, only to find nothing happening. Instead, he stared in meditation for hours on end contemplating the woodcarver's features. Finally noticing that a smile was frozen on woodcarver's face, the fox realized that he needed to live the rest of his life helping others as the man once did.
Ten Years Later
Having been broadcast all over the world and immortalized on social media, the events that took place that night brought tourists from around the world to see the site where nature took its stand against mankind. The fox knew that all of the animals and creatures of the enchanted forest needed to learn how to hide in the shadows and appear only when they wanted to and there was no better animal to teach than himself. By now, the woodcarver and the figure of his son had fused together and grown into a young tree that had just recently began to form burls that gave it the appearance of two bushy brows and a mustache. A barrier has been erected around the tree to protect it from visitors and thousands of trinkets have been left at its roots in an offering. The fox, dressed in workers garments, stood with his hands on his hips and a smile on his face.
“I recognize that pose.” A familiar voice of a woman spoke up behind him and caught him in surprise.
Who could possibly see him without appearing to them by his own choice? He turned around and looked up to see a woman with her arm around a towering man and three beautiful young daughters lined up in front of her. The fox’s own face was covered in graying fur that covered his mouth and most of his eyes but a grin emerged from underneath his whiskers and glimmers of light would flash from his beady eyes, “We’ve waited for so long for your return, friend.”
In addition to being miserable, the woodcarver had grown anti-social, to the point where anyone who sought to visit him couldn’t travel up the mountainous hill he lived on, having converted the driving path into a winding staircase when he noticed his children getting overweight during grade school. The woman they sent from hospice could barely make it to the top and had to catch her breath on the swing chair for a long ten minutes as she stared into the gaping mouth of a monstrous guardian carving at the top of the stairs, a statue that showed little weathering or age, the finish glistening in the direct sunlight.
Were the woodcarver his former self, spry and healthy, he’d have kept her out in the sun and told her all he had was lukewarm tap water. However, these days, a semi-worn walking cane with fine detail rests at the top step. He invited her inside and poured her some of the lavender and turmeric blackberry iced tea, a balance of ingredients he'd yet to fully realize.
As the hospice worker moved through his home and sat down in the dining room she had no choice but to take notice of the dark and twisted carvings that decorated the den and hallway and had begun to appear in the kitchen as well. They were masterful creations, gaunt figures and visages burned into gourds and basswood finished with urushiol lacquer. She stared at the life-sized carving of a young man with hollowed out eyes whose body was fused into one of the seats at the dining table. She decided not to comment on it.
She’d heard and gained the impression about the woodcarver that the discussion she would have with him would be an unpleasant experience, but he was about as antisocial as many other patient’s she’d had. With the exception of a hairstylist visiting to cut his hair as well as trim and shave, and occasional food deliveries, he accepted none of the services offered. She didn’t push religious or spiritual services beyond initial suggestion, the coordinators having taken a hint from some of the anti-religious statements made in the hospital. He turned away opportunities for group therapy and group events.
She grew frustrated and excused herself to the bathroom, located on the second floor. Going upstairs was a breath of fresh air for the woman. The carvings were lighter in color and softer in texture. The furniture seemed older but much more comfortable to rest in. The woodwork was not as advanced as what she’d seen downstairs but she felt lighter in spirit as she was surrounded by carvings of birds, fish, and woodland animals. There was a branch over the door at the end of he hall with a single gold-winged warbler perched on top, the detail was so fine that she wondered if it was taxidermized. She heard a song come from it, faint and light, and decided to wash her face to try and clear her head in the bathroom.
Downstairs, she sat back down at the table with the woodcarver, and tried one last suggestion, “Would you be interested in going out to take nature baths?”
The woodcarver scoffed, “Nature baths? Let me guess, you gather a bunch of miserable oafs and crones in a bus and take them out to ‘soak in the sunshine’ for a few hours?”
The hospice worker raised her brows, “Yes, but it’s just the idea. Doesn’t have to be with a group of old folk. Getting outdoors, going into the woods, there’s something healing about resting underneath the trees. Those tales have been passed down for a long time for a reason. Fire me for saying this if you want, but you need to stop languishin’ in this old house and take a damn hike!”
She saw the woodcarver smile for the first time, “Why would I do that? You’re finally talking to me like a real person. I know about the power of trees, the wood speaks if you listen close enough. Since you came all this way I’ll entertain one of your tales.”
“Before she died my grandmother told me about the story her great-grandmother passed to her, back when she was a runaway slave. She told me that there was a forest so great and deep that you could get lost without a guide, like she was. She was still a little girl, she had no family left, barely got away. Of course she got lost. But she said that just as she was about to die of thirst the trees around her would squeak and lead her back to water. She felt a fatherly presence further in and found a great tree with a face much like yours. Said he spoke. Said he told her and other slaves that they could take all the fruit they wanted from underneath him so long as they carved both their sins and their desires into his bark.” She spoke with her eyes closed and earnestness in her voice.
“The squeakoids, they call them,” the woodcarver interrupted.
The hospice worker opened her eyes, “So you’ve heard this tale?!”
“I’ve heard of a forest many cross country thru-hikers fail to get through that’s a little ways from here. It’s a part of that trail’s mythos for anyone tackling the trail that if they get lost, the younger trees will squeak at them and get them back on the path if they listen. There’s also a shelter with a book where thru-hikers write down all of their confessions of misdeeds they’ve done on the trail.” He explained.
“Did you ever finish the trail?” The hospice worker asked.
“Wife got a shin splint and had us quit. But it did inspire me to build this house not far from the trail and take on the wood carving hobby, since I got to have such an early retirement.” The woodcarver looked out of the window as his voice grew longing.
“Do you want to finish the trail?” The hospice worker spoke with a sense of predilection in her voice.
The woodcarver looked back across the table at her, and with resolute certainty, he responded, “Yes.”
A thump could be heard from upstairs, followed by a flutter, the moment he said that word. The wooden carving of the gold-winged warbler would disappear from the house, never to return. At first it seemed to the woodcarver that he was imagining things when he saw the bird burst forth from one of the windows. Yet over the next day the animals would one by one come to life and walk or fly down the stairs to leave the cottage. The wooden vines of flower and plant carvings would crawl across the surface until they were crawling through his lawn. The grim statue of a man at his dining table would turn its head to face whichever chair he sat in when he sat down for a meal, wordless for the lack of any mouth carved on its visage. The hospice worker refused to come in when she saw a wooden mask burst out of the front door in a celebratory laugh and fly towards town. The woodcarver thought he was losing his mind were she not able to see it as well. The two of them decided to set out on the journey a week sooner than planned.
It only took two days for the woodcarver and the hospice worker to find themselves at the head of a cross-country trail with decades old external-frame backpacks on their backs, turning the head of every youth they passed by, who themselves had the newest ultra-light gear on their backs. Or perhaps it was their appearance that created a pause. An old thin-haired skeleton of a man alongside a heavyset woman whose skin seemed to be a shade darker than most others on the trail. Why they were here, attempting what most hikers in their prime often failed to do, was beyond them.
Starting at the southern terminus, they had hundreds of miles of harsh desert ahead of them. Water carries were long and they had to filter water out of cattle ponds and haul enough food for five days between restocks. The heat was punishing and their sun umbrellas had holes that would lead to assorted burn spots on their skin. For the hospice worker, if a man with stage 4 bladder cancer could carry more than thirty pounds on his back for ten, sometimes twenty miles a day, she had little excuse to complain. Not only that, but she was reminded of that little slave girl who faced this path all on her own with no guide but the stars that shone above them each night.
Human kindness was not absent from the trail. Water caches were set up throughout the desert where water sources were scarce. Fellow hikers would cook them meals or help carry supplies for a few miles. A farmer let the woodcarver ride the back of his horse for a few days of the journey. He began to carve from branches cut from mesquite and acacia, and though the wood wasn’t prime material each creation was special, as if he’d imbued a bit of his soul into it. Each time they stuck their thumbs out a passerby would lend them a hitch to town and they’d be rewarded with one of these pieces. A figure dancing in the bloom of a cactus flower, a snake devouring a rock in ravenous hunger, the sun and moon that lit every step they took. The culture surrounding the trail was deep and rich and he was surprised to find how many people he inspired when he told him about his fate. Whenever someone gave him shelter for the night he would carve a mask inspired by their kind faces and leave it on their mantle. Around half a year later, the masks would shock the homeowners as they came to life and spoke to any guest that entered their home, telling them stories only wood could whisper.
Still, the journey through these hundreds of miles was marked with stretches where even people, civilization, and water was scarce. The desertous region almost washed them out with flash flooding. They hiked up mountains in scorching heat and woke up with their tents sagging underneath the weight of snow, chilled to the bone. For the woodcarver, there were times he felt even the marrow in his bones could freeze. When the environment got unforgiving he found himself vomiting from the heat or urinating blood. At night when the hospice worker would make attempts at conversation and motivation only to be met with a tight-lipped man whittling away at another piece of wood. Whenever either of them felt like opening their mouths to finally quit, a gold-winged warbler would show up far from its habitat and perch itself on a tree or bush in the distance. They followed it, for hundreds of miles, though desert and plains, until they finally reached a sea of trees that stretched out as far as the eye could see. The two of them descended into the treeline, swallowed into what seemed like pure darkness without regard for time of day.
Walking through the forest felt different to them than any other part of the trail. Though even the desert was busy enough to see at least one other hiker a day, not a soul was seen for the first three days not counting the oddly human gazes on any deer, bear, or wolf they could see watching them from the side of the path. When the woodcarver stepped away to go dig a cat hole a racoon emerged from a hole in a tree beside her, held out its hands, and threatened her, “Leave me with a meal or I’ll teach the bears how to cut the guyline of the bags you humans hang in our trees.”
She left an oat bar for the creature and was met with utter silence when she tried to tell the woodcarver what happened.
The next day, a fox would ask the same of him, and when he refused to give the creature even a morsel the lines on the map he’d been using would break into thousands of pieces and float around the paper like a dandelion slammed by a sudden burst of wind.
The more lost the two became the less they understood each other. Each time they spoke to one another, language changed through the air as if a thousand years of use bastardized it in the matter of a second. It was only at this point when they could understand what the occasional squeaking tree was telling them. Though they could no longer communicate, the two of them followed the same words, and before long found themselves at the base of a great tree, the one told in the mythos of the trail.
The woodcarver set his eyes on the trunk of the elderly guardian of the forest; he could see himself in its face, not because it had bushy brows and a mustache much like he did, but because the cause of these formations on the surface of the plant were tumorous burls the being had lived with for hundreds of years. A gold-winged warbler fluttered past his ear and landed on the branch of the tree. It cleaned underneath its wing, let out one final song, and let its body turn into solid wood so that it may watch over the forest from atop its guardian deity.
The hospice worker placed her hand on the frangible bark of the tree and flakes would break off and stick to the surface of her now oversized shirt. The raccoon she’d fed before, which she recognized because of its missing finger, walked up beside her on two feet and spoke the first sentences of English she’d heard in days, “I knew you’d make it to greatfather safely! I never let a friend of mine get lost in the woods. I told the young sprouts to lead you to someone who can help and here you are.”
The raccoon crossed his arms and smiled up at her proudly. His voice reminded her of her neighbor’s, robust yet airy, a short little Italian man who would always make the same pose whenever he fixed one of his family’s broken vehicles and got it running again. He even took the same boastful stance when he fixed her old station wagon free of charge. A tear formed in her eye because she recalled the day she came home from work and found out he’d been murdered by his brother before a standoff with the police resulted in the end of his life as well.
The woodcarver, distracted from even noticing the bipedal raccoon a few feet away from him, gasped as he found the legendary book of hiker’s confessions at the base of the tree, “Hah, so it’s really a thing!”
The hospice worker wiped a tear from her eye and pulled out the last protein bar she had in her pack and offered it to the raccoon. Before his four-fingered paw could reach out and grab a hold of it a burst of orange jumped out between them and snatched it. It was the fox the woodcarver ignored from before. It landed right in front of the man and snatched the book of confessions with its other paw and began to walk upright just as the raccoon did. Her eyes widened when she could suddenly recognize the voice of her neighbor’s brother. Indeed, the fox began to immediately chow down on the bar, talking with his mouthful as he mockingly read specific confessions out loud towards the raccoon.
“I pooped in the middle of the path and didn’t clean it up because I was ashamed of myself,” The fox let out a forced laugh as he added, “Reminds me of when you crapped your shorts in the middle school hallway and ran away crying, remember that shortstack?”
The raccoon’s smile had disappeared and he was looking off in the other direction as the fox continued, “‘I dine in at trail towns every time I take a zero instead of sticking to my diet and now I’ve gained weight on the trail instead of losing it…’ Hah! Story of your life, huh brother?”
The raccoon began to grit his teeth and ball his little paws into fists, “Shut up!”
The fox began to flip through more pages until he paused and a sinister grin flashed across his face, “‘My brother’s girl left their tent one night when he was asleep and had an affair with me, and I didn’t feel bad about it.’ Bet he’ll regret it when his brother finds out and delivers just-”
The raccoon threw himself onto the fox, pulling fur off his face, wailing on him and scratching his face bloody as the dropped the food and book trying to defend himself, “Stop! You know the rules of the forest! Shed blood in front of greatfather and you’ll be turned into a tree!”
The raccoon was blind with rage and the two humans were too confused to break them up, so the consequence was inevitable. The raccoon was too angry to see himself turning to wood. It started spreading from the feet, then the legs, and then all the way up his torso. The fox screamed for help as the raccoon’s next punch froze a few inches from his face and his own arm began to turn to wood because the raccoon still had a hold of it. The woodcarver snapped out of his shock and took swift action, cutting the fox’s arm off to free him before he would be turned into a tree himself.
The fox cried out in pain from losing half an arm but threw himself at the boots of the woodcarver, “Thank you, thank you! To have such mercy on me…I don’t deserve it!”
The woodcarver grabbed a hold of the fox’s wounded arm and cut off the circulation tightly as he clarified, “I only saved you so that the raccoon didn’t have to suffer centuries of life attached to you. If you want to stay alive, fix my map and shut your trap as I might bandage you up!”
The hospice worker unfolded the map as the fox swished his tail and the lines reformed themselves into recognizable topography. The fox whimpered, ears held back, as the woodcarver took care of and cleansed his wound. He even created a makeshift collar and cone to prevent him from pulling the stitches out.
“You are kinder than you look,” the hospice worker says to the woodcarver.
The woodcarver shrugged, “You’re the one who gave away your food when a creature asked for it.”
She looked at the book, and then the great tree, “So should we write our confessions down?”
The woodcarver handed the fox over to her and she held the wounded creature in her lap as she watched the man pull two pieces of bark off the tree. He handed her a tool to cut her words into the tree directly, “You mentioned in the tale that they would carve their sins and desires into the tree itself. That’s what I plan to do, but I ask that you keep my thoughts private.”
The hospice worker took the bark and tool from the woodcarver and the two of them scraped their confessions into the inside of the bark while the exterior was whittled away just enough to write down their hopes and dreams.
The hospice worker confessed: “My family and I stayed busy and weren’t there for my grandmother. She died alone. I’m working in a hospice practice out of guilt. I’m sticking to my man who calls me fat every day and doesn’t love me for who I am because…”
The hospice worker flipped it over and finished on the exterior of the bark, “I want to get married so I can become a mother. I want to make the world better through my children by passing down the stories and traditions that shaped the parts of myself I’m proud of.”
The woodcarver confessed: “I killed countless young men in the war and can’t forget their faces as they died. I lost my emotion in the war. I failed to be a loving father and only understood how to be a disciplinarian. My wife divorced me. She took my daughter with her and I was allowed to keep my son. It was my fault when his life ended in front of me at the dinner table. I let him look at the rifle I used during the war and had forgotten to turn the safety on. There was an accidental discharge when he handled it...we lived too far out for him to be saved in time. I’m afraid of dying even though I know how much I deserve to. It’s just that…”
The woodcarver flipped it over and finished on the exterior of the bark, “Though I have accepted that I will soon die, I still want to create my own miracles with the time I have left in this world and help heal families that are as wounded as mine was.”
The woodcarver stood up, placed the inside of his bark where he tore it from the tree, and the sap held it in place. The hospice worker followed and fit her piece in like the final piece of the puzzle. The wood of the tree began to creak and leaves flutter down onto the forest floor as they watched each other’s words fade and the bark regenerate.
“It’s as if all the weight was just lifted from my shoulders,” Said the hospice worker, “And I’m not talkin’ about those thirty some pounds we keep lugging around.”
The woodcarver smiled gently and took the fox in his arms, “And I feel as if we’re safe in this forest for the first time. You deserve some rest. I’m going to carve out a device for this fellow so he has a chance of walking again.”
The woodcarver noticed the woman’s tears and attempted to hug her for the first time, but the fox cradled in his arm only allowed for a halfhearted attempt. She thanked him regardless and retired to her tent for the night.
The woodcarver’s night was without much rest. He used the spare paracord along with some tent repair tape to fashion a makeshift but sturdy harness according to the fox’s precise measurements. It all connected at the stump where he had to amputate the creature. With a chunk of wood taken from the tree his brother turned into, the woodcarver worked tirelessly to create a beautiful and detailed wooden prosthetic for the fox, secured in place by the less elegant harness. He was a woodcarver, he understood, not a leatherworker.
A voice as old as time spoke to the hospice worker as she dreamed for a better future: “Dearest daughter, whose face I have seen long ago, I ask a simple request of you. I request that you leave your charge in my care and leave this forest in the morning. In return I will give you my promise. A promise that by the time you finish this trail you will find your true love, who shall be your husband, and provide you with three beautiful daughters. You will be able to find me once again once you return to me as a family, so that your daughters may tell me of their hopes and dreams as their mother and her ancestor once did.”
She saw the face of the great tree as she listened to him and watched his face fade once his words had been spoken.
A voice as old as time spoke to the woodcarver as he dreamed for a better future: “Dearest son, whose face is much like my own, I ask a simple request of you. Allow the friend you have made to part ways with you and finish the trail on your behalf. You will never again leave these woods, but my roots stretch far. Within you will encounter families whose bonds can only be repaired with the knowledge you carry. My children and the water that passes around them will provide you with enough nourishment to take as long as you need to complete your task. Once you are ready, rest underneath me, and we shall greet eternity together.”
He saw the face of the great tree as he listened to him and watched his face fade once his words had been spoken.
The woodcarver was woken from his sleep by the sounds of a fox’s cries. When he emerged from his tent, he saw that the fox had walked out of his tent and curled himself up around the base of the small tree his brother was turned into. Standing before the great tree, the hospice worker greeted the woodcarver with a smile on her face and everything she needed already packed onto her back.
The hospice worker looked at a loss for words, and when she found them, mouth beginning to open, she’s interrupted. The woodcarver smiled, closed his eyes, and said to her, “I understand. When love’s ahead of you, never look back. Now go, without a word, you know I don’t talk much.”
The woodcarver kept his eyes closed until the sound of her footsteps grew too distant to hear. He opened his eyes and looked in the direction she traveled, “Thank you for your companionship, my friend.”
Over the next five months the woodcarver traveled through the forest, driven in an enchanted state, to mend the rifts between those who call it home. He was joined by the fox, much more confident in his new paw, to point him in the right direction. After all, it was in his nature of a trickster like himself to know everyone’s faults and take advantage of them. Yet it was under the woodcarver’s care that he would learn to use his cunning for good.
The most emergent situation the fox led the woodcarver to was the case of a dysfunctional beaver family falling behind on the completion of their dam before the imminent rise of the water levels once all the snow had melted from the mountains. The largest river that ran through the forest was already too dangerous for the frail woodcarver to cross but he was able to observe the rift between father and son. The fox explained that in their human lives they died in a flash flood when trying to complete a bridge they fell behind on because of all the time the son was wasting on social media. So far in the forest all he wanted to do is gnaw out sculptures of himself and his friends rather than use the wood to help his father complete the dam. Starstruck, remembering the woodcarver’s face and work on social media, the son pleaded with him to teach him his skills. The woodcarver made a promise to the young beaver that once he assisted him and his father with completing the dam that he’d teach him what he knew. When the snowmelt came, the dam held up beautifully. The son observed the woodcarver’s technical workarounds to complete the project with less wood and learned the pride one can take in using wood carving for more practical application.
A lone bear catching fish witnessed the whole ordeal and spread the word and by the time summer came the other animals gathered around the woodcarver to help him in whatever way he needed. The bears caught him salmon to help sustain him and use their might to lift heavy objects. A wild horse allowed him to use her back to carry his pack and supplies. As the weeks were passing by, the homes of all the animals were seeing long needed improvements.
In spite of help with the heavy lifting there were always cases where the caregiver needed to figure out a more personal approach. A colony of bats, for example, had belonged to a village who saw war end their lives. One of the bats, who wished she could have hid alone during an invasion when she met her end hiding in the church with the other villagers, struggled to ever get a peaceful nights sleep when it got cold and she had to huddle with them to sleep. After hearing her story, the woodcarver went out of his way to make extra houses for some of the bats.
The woodcarver even performed a miracle when he gave flight to a flightless bird. The fox explained that there were two dodo brothers who everyone made fun of because for the past one hundred or so years, one of them continuously got injured trying to build his own wings to do more than just glide. The woodcarver recognized where his place was in making this happen, having been an aircraft engineer during the war, but the issue was that one brother was lying to the other by always giving him false hope that he could fly with his wings one day if he kept trying. The other brother wouldn’t listen to the words of the woodcarver. However, the fox realized that he needed to talk to the one who was giving the other false encouragement and taught him how to give his brother the harsh truth. Once that was out of the way, it only took the woodcarver three or so months of blueprinting before he was able to use a bike abandoned in the forest to make an aircraft even a dodo could operate. By the time the leaves were changing color, the brother with a desire to fly was finally able to achieve his dream and lift off into the skies up above.
As the woodcarver looked up into the air and watched the aircraft disappear into the clouds he took notice that he was beginning to see his own breath. There was no other project to either his or the fox’s knowledge that still needed completion. It was then that the woodcarver decided to return to the great tree. The fish had migrated south by then and the forest was no longer providing the woodcarver fruit to sustain him. The fox, who’d learned the power of kindness from the woodcarver, refused to leave his companion’s side.
When the woodcarver and the fox realized why they struggled to find the great tree once again it was too late. Instead of squeaking trees, it was the sounds of massive saws that led them back to the site where the two of them met. As if out of nowhere, the two of them were blinded with harsh sunlight as they reached the edge of the forest prematurely and were met with a field of stumps overshadowed by massive contraptions of deforestation.
After a long day of grieving, the woodcarver and the fox decided to return to the treeline once it got dark. It would be safer, they imagined, once the workers went home for the night. When they arrived at the treeline, it was clear where they needed to go, as in the distance there was a massive stump surrounded by a pool of glowing sap. They hiked down the barren hill and reached what remained of the great tree and found that even the tree the raccoon turned into was now a stump.
“No! Please! Get up from there!” The fox shouted at the woodcarver when he sat down on the stump of the great tree during its last few hours of life.
The woodcarver’s legs and hands began to fuse onto the stump. He looked up into the air and spoke at what seemed to be himself, nodding, “Yes, they’ve all been taken care of. We can rest easy now.”
The fox ran up to the woodcarver and began to scratch at his now wooden legs with his remaining front paw, “Who are you talking to? Please! You have to stay here! I haven’t known you long but you’re like a father to me!”
The woodcarver looked down as the fox curled up on his lap but he could not lift his hand off the stump to console him. All he could do was muster what air he had left to tell the fox, “I’m glad I could be. Soon I will be with my other son. Now look down, my boy, and remember that I’ll always be a part of you.”
The fox hopped off and looked down at the wooden paw that held him whenever he ran about and held his face into it as he cried, unable to watch the light fade from the woodcarver’s eyes as he completed his transformation.
The moment that the woodcarver closed his eyes and became one with the great tree, light entered another pair of eyes for the first time. Across the land, on the cottage on top of the hill, an apparition floated across the woodcarver’s kitchen and entered the life-sized carving of a young man at the woodcarver’s dining table. The room would shake as the seat broke underneath it and the statue cracked its joints into existence. It climbed up the fireplace in the den and slammed a fist through the glass protecting the woodcutter’s old war rifle. The house, now emptied of its final carving, groaned when it slammed the front door open, toting the rifle in its hand.
The statue looked in the direction of the great forest and marched in that direction.
An entire day would pass and the fox never moved from the woodcarver’s lap. The fox scrambled behind him to hide as two lumbermen would stop on their way past the giant stump and one of them would ask the other, “What’s up with this one? Did we miss a part of it?”
“I dunno but the thing creeps me out,” the other would reply as he avoided looking at the wooden face, “just leave it alone, stump removal will take care of it in a few days.”
The first lumberman would scoff at the other and rev up his chainsaw, “Naw, we got a few minutes before the shift starts. How’s about I take off the head of th-”
The sound of a gunshot interrupted the lumberman and the force of a bullet hitting the dirt blew a cloud of dust into the air. As the first lumberman slumped forward the second turned around in shock and his eyes went wide as the dust cleared he saw a bare and expressionless figure of wood suddenly raise the rifle back up to eye level and walk faster towards him. He ran, trying to scream for help and get the attention of the other workers in the distance, but his shouts were quickly silenced as the carving took him out with one swift and efficient shot. The carving then lowers its rifle, takes a moment from the slaughter to pause and stare at the face of the woodcarver, and then quickly resume pace towards the next lumberman he sees in the distance.
“This must be the great tree’s doing…he would never allow his work to go around killing people in cold blood.” The fox circled around the stump and pleaded with it, “Please, great tree, bring that carving back here to rest and let me handle this in my own way! Please, you know I always have a plan…I’m the cunning fox…”
The fox watched in terror as the carving pulled a lumberman out of a feller buncher and placed the end of the rifle up underneath his chin and held his breath. The sight of a wooden man forcing a hulking lumberman to walk alongside him with just one arm terrified him, but the fox let out a sigh of relief, because the figure was resorting to taking him hostage instead of outright killing him. Knowing this bought him some time, the fox ran off towards the forest, hoping to rally the other animals to his cause.
By the time the fox could get his plan in motion with all of the animals, night had fallen, but given the helicopters, fire department, the media, and a militia of police pointing a high beam light at the hostage situation in front of the stump, it wasn’t difficult to relocate. Snipers couldn’t kill off the figure with a well aimed shot since it was made of wood, use of fire threatened to burn the hostage, and without a mouth the figure had no means of responding to the negotiation team on the loudspeaker.
The fox was prepared to make a lot of noise of his own, but it would not be his face they saw. As if rising from the soil, the colony of bats rose from the shadow of the stump and formed a colossal and frightening face in the sky. With a makeshift loudspeaker of his own, the fox rode in the back of the dodo’s plane and the bats moved around to have the face’s mouth lip-sync to his words, “Trespassers! This is but a sample of the great forest’s army! For every tree you cut down another one of my soldiers will appear to defend the rest. Should you seek to fight them with fire, I will unleash a great flood upon the land. You have five minutes to clear out before I submerge this valley in demonstration. Take your soldier and leave at once!”
The fox lowered the loudspeaker and stared down at the stump with his heart jumping inside his chest. It was up to his greatfather to decide on releasing the hostage. Not a moment after it did, a barrage of gunfire rained down on the figure from the militia and they didn’t stop until the fox pressed the siren button on his megaphone. The ground began to shake as the sound of rushing water filled the air. Deep within the enchanted forest the beavers would use the dam to reroute the water from the river and across the forest floor. The gunfire ceased immediately. The media and the first responders scrambled to their vehicles in a frenzy, rushing away from the incoming wave. The figure, barely able to walk, picked up the pieces of itself and sat down on the stump. The spirit of the son would fade from the eyes of the figure as he finally joined his father and fused with the great tree in order to endure the crash of the incoming wave.
Though there were no further casualties from the incident beyond the two lumbermen, the story took the world by a storm. The trail conservancy, quick to take advantage of the situation, put up a fund for donors across the globe to help buy the land back from the investors who sought to use it for their own greed. It was an offer too great to turn down, even for land. The fox would work hard to rebuild the forest and recover from all the damage but it would be generations before even his offspring would be able to see it the way it was before. Though the entire forest celebrated him as a hero, the fox could not escape his own guilt. He tried to sit down on the stump of his own brother in hopes of fusing into it, only to find nothing happening. Instead, he stared in meditation for hours on end contemplating the woodcarver's features. Finally noticing that a smile was frozen on woodcarver's face, the fox realized that he needed to live the rest of his life helping others as the man once did.
Ten Years Later
Having been broadcast all over the world and immortalized on social media, the events that took place that night brought tourists from around the world to see the site where nature took its stand against mankind. The fox knew that all of the animals and creatures of the enchanted forest needed to learn how to hide in the shadows and appear only when they wanted to and there was no better animal to teach than himself. By now, the woodcarver and the figure of his son had fused together and grown into a young tree that had just recently began to form burls that gave it the appearance of two bushy brows and a mustache. A barrier has been erected around the tree to protect it from visitors and thousands of trinkets have been left at its roots in an offering. The fox, dressed in workers garments, stood with his hands on his hips and a smile on his face.
“I recognize that pose.” A familiar voice of a woman spoke up behind him and caught him in surprise.
Who could possibly see him without appearing to them by his own choice? He turned around and looked up to see a woman with her arm around a towering man and three beautiful young daughters lined up in front of her. The fox’s own face was covered in graying fur that covered his mouth and most of his eyes but a grin emerged from underneath his whiskers and glimmers of light would flash from his beady eyes, “We’ve waited for so long for your return, friend.”
END
Some Animal Crossing character allusions are there if you squint hard enough.
My story
The blazing sun shines intensely on the small island of Citrius Island all year round, fostering the growth of crops that keep the village people well fed. Flowing directly right of the town was a river that provided pristine waters, that quenched the thirst of the village. This river in combination with the blazing sun was perfect for the abundant orange trees that dotted the town in waves of bright orange, almost blinding to the eye. The villagers under leadership of the island representative, Lemonhead, lived harmoniously in their day to day lives, enjoying the wealth that they're oranges brought upon the island. However, things would unexpectedly turn sour very quickly.
On the morning of August 28 2022, the orange trees that covered the town were reduced to no more than stumps. Isabelle, the first to notice made the emergency announcement exclaiming through the island's speakers, where shock came across the city. Accusations soon began, "I heard Beau is allergic to oranges, I think he did it!", Molly exclaimed, with Peggy shouting "Last night was the full moon, Wolfgang must have gone feral!", however this was all squandered when Kapp'n revealed he saw a ship coming from up north late in the night. As the island representative, it was Lemonhead's duty to figure out what was going on. At first he was hesitant, for which Citrius was the only island he has ever known, but his island reliant on the income of oranges needed him, Thus, Lemonhead left the island of Citruis in hopes of answers and justice.
North to Citrius was Appletown, Bananabomb and Peachplace, all of which were rivals in the fruit market. With Kapp'n stowing the boat up to Appletown first, who were good friends of the people of Citrius, the sight if the island from the horizon was shocking to Lemonhead. No red was seen amongst the trees, eerily similar to Citrius where only stumps remained. While expecting to see Redson from Appletown upon his arrival, Lemonhead was met by Momo, the island representative of Peachplace. "I see you've come here for the same as I", he stated. All three had suffered the same serial axe wielder.
Redson soon arrived with his villagers, also in despair now that all his trees have been cut down. With Lemonhead, Redson and Momo all suffering from the same fate, it was evident who was responsible, the people of Bananabomb. Bananabomb did not have a remarkable reputation in the first place, known for stealing their banana crops from foreign uninhabited islands, and leaving the island barren of its resources. Momo suggested to sail to Appletown first in case the culprit left any clues, for which Redson replied the slight smell of bananas lingered across the town. It was quickly decided that Lemonhead, Redson and Momo were to sail to Bananabomb, to bring justice to the culprit.
Much further from the other islands, Bananabomb was a lengthy voyage, but as soon as the island became visible on the horizon, the bright yellow bananas untouched by the unknown axe wielder soon confirmed the beliefs on the 3 island representatives. As the boat approached closer to the shore, wave breakers standing firmly along the shores to block the passage of any incoming ships were spotted. Despite these attempted barriers, the northern dock were Redd visits was unguarded, where there quietly arrived.
The three voyagers step foot upon the lush jungles of Bananaboom, trekking their way through the island with the assistance of NookMaps, despite the poor signal upon these towering trees. The town hall wasn't far now, but what hid in the jungle took them by surprise. Yielding an axe in one hand and a banana in the other, Ladyfinger was fired up in the eyes, swinging at the trees around her. Golden its glory, was her axe, most likely stolen from another island, responsible for the stumps that covered the three islands of Citrius, Appletown and Peachplace. No normal axe could do much damage, and getting rid of this golden axe would likely solve their problems. Startled by their arrival, Ladyfinger whistled violently, as the trees began to rummage, and slingshots took aim at the three.
Ladyfinger took off into the forest with her axe, leaving her villagers to take the first line of defence. The three, unarmed retreated back into the lush, for which all the trees looked the same, making it difficult to know where they were. Holding his eye, Redson was struck directly. Whistles were heard from a distance, but the three had gotten away, for now. Redson was already much older and slower, and this would slow him down more, hence it was decided he would stay for the meantime. Much wiser too, he reminded them "get the axe now, solve our other problems later".
Lemonhead and Momo pressed on with their goal, to remove the axe from the unhinged representative of Bananaboom. Momo suggested revenge, cutting down their trees down too, but Lemonhead knew this would only make matters worse. Moving through the trees, they began to see houses, indicating the town centre was close. Soon, voices were heard, meaning that there were close. Peering through the palm leaves, Ladyfinger and her villagers were in the town centre, carrying bags of bells to the shore, where they were planning to make their escape. With her axe wedged into a nearby tree, focusing more on the money than her axe, now was the time to strike.
They crept up upon the tree, unwedging the axe from it and quickly making their departure. As they ran back towards Redd's dock, the began to hear screams from Ladyfinger, now knowing that her axe was gone. The golden axe, shining against the sun that was now setting, sat on Lemonhead's back as they made their return.
With darkness coming quickly, so was Ladyfinger and her villagers, and they knew the forest better than those two did. Redson, already preparing the boat ushered them on quickly, as they made their departure. Only moments later did the Bananaboom residents arrive, flinging their slingshots, but the three had made the horizon already.
With the axe now in their hands, Ladyfinger still had not been served justice. Momo again suggested revenge, cutting down the trees of Bananaboom so that they could suffer the same consequences, but Lemonhead suggested something else. The golden axe one of its kind, would yield the three a lot of money, enough to make a humble start to their fruit orchards again. It wouldn't be hard to fetch a nice price either, as many islands would pay top bell for the axe.
Upon returning to their islands, the axe was quickly sold via auction through Redd's global market. The three islands shared the profits, as they began to replant their trees. It would only take 3 days for a tree to reach full maturity in the world of Animal Crossing anyways. With their money made back sooner than later, Lemonhead invested in defences to protect from any foreign invaders that would wash upon their shore in future. This would protect the oranges of Citrius, but also the villagers who now lived in fear of the Banana dictator.
If only they had known who the axe was sold to
On the morning of August 28 2022, the orange trees that covered the town were reduced to no more than stumps. Isabelle, the first to notice made the emergency announcement exclaiming through the island's speakers, where shock came across the city. Accusations soon began, "I heard Beau is allergic to oranges, I think he did it!", Molly exclaimed, with Peggy shouting "Last night was the full moon, Wolfgang must have gone feral!", however this was all squandered when Kapp'n revealed he saw a ship coming from up north late in the night. As the island representative, it was Lemonhead's duty to figure out what was going on. At first he was hesitant, for which Citrius was the only island he has ever known, but his island reliant on the income of oranges needed him, Thus, Lemonhead left the island of Citruis in hopes of answers and justice.
North to Citrius was Appletown, Bananabomb and Peachplace, all of which were rivals in the fruit market. With Kapp'n stowing the boat up to Appletown first, who were good friends of the people of Citrius, the sight if the island from the horizon was shocking to Lemonhead. No red was seen amongst the trees, eerily similar to Citrius where only stumps remained. While expecting to see Redson from Appletown upon his arrival, Lemonhead was met by Momo, the island representative of Peachplace. "I see you've come here for the same as I", he stated. All three had suffered the same serial axe wielder.
Redson soon arrived with his villagers, also in despair now that all his trees have been cut down. With Lemonhead, Redson and Momo all suffering from the same fate, it was evident who was responsible, the people of Bananabomb. Bananabomb did not have a remarkable reputation in the first place, known for stealing their banana crops from foreign uninhabited islands, and leaving the island barren of its resources. Momo suggested to sail to Appletown first in case the culprit left any clues, for which Redson replied the slight smell of bananas lingered across the town. It was quickly decided that Lemonhead, Redson and Momo were to sail to Bananabomb, to bring justice to the culprit.
Much further from the other islands, Bananabomb was a lengthy voyage, but as soon as the island became visible on the horizon, the bright yellow bananas untouched by the unknown axe wielder soon confirmed the beliefs on the 3 island representatives. As the boat approached closer to the shore, wave breakers standing firmly along the shores to block the passage of any incoming ships were spotted. Despite these attempted barriers, the northern dock were Redd visits was unguarded, where there quietly arrived.
The three voyagers step foot upon the lush jungles of Bananaboom, trekking their way through the island with the assistance of NookMaps, despite the poor signal upon these towering trees. The town hall wasn't far now, but what hid in the jungle took them by surprise. Yielding an axe in one hand and a banana in the other, Ladyfinger was fired up in the eyes, swinging at the trees around her. Golden its glory, was her axe, most likely stolen from another island, responsible for the stumps that covered the three islands of Citrius, Appletown and Peachplace. No normal axe could do much damage, and getting rid of this golden axe would likely solve their problems. Startled by their arrival, Ladyfinger whistled violently, as the trees began to rummage, and slingshots took aim at the three.
Ladyfinger took off into the forest with her axe, leaving her villagers to take the first line of defence. The three, unarmed retreated back into the lush, for which all the trees looked the same, making it difficult to know where they were. Holding his eye, Redson was struck directly. Whistles were heard from a distance, but the three had gotten away, for now. Redson was already much older and slower, and this would slow him down more, hence it was decided he would stay for the meantime. Much wiser too, he reminded them "get the axe now, solve our other problems later".
Lemonhead and Momo pressed on with their goal, to remove the axe from the unhinged representative of Bananaboom. Momo suggested revenge, cutting down their trees down too, but Lemonhead knew this would only make matters worse. Moving through the trees, they began to see houses, indicating the town centre was close. Soon, voices were heard, meaning that there were close. Peering through the palm leaves, Ladyfinger and her villagers were in the town centre, carrying bags of bells to the shore, where they were planning to make their escape. With her axe wedged into a nearby tree, focusing more on the money than her axe, now was the time to strike.
They crept up upon the tree, unwedging the axe from it and quickly making their departure. As they ran back towards Redd's dock, the began to hear screams from Ladyfinger, now knowing that her axe was gone. The golden axe, shining against the sun that was now setting, sat on Lemonhead's back as they made their return.
With darkness coming quickly, so was Ladyfinger and her villagers, and they knew the forest better than those two did. Redson, already preparing the boat ushered them on quickly, as they made their departure. Only moments later did the Bananaboom residents arrive, flinging their slingshots, but the three had made the horizon already.
With the axe now in their hands, Ladyfinger still had not been served justice. Momo again suggested revenge, cutting down the trees of Bananaboom so that they could suffer the same consequences, but Lemonhead suggested something else. The golden axe one of its kind, would yield the three a lot of money, enough to make a humble start to their fruit orchards again. It wouldn't be hard to fetch a nice price either, as many islands would pay top bell for the axe.
Upon returning to their islands, the axe was quickly sold via auction through Redd's global market. The three islands shared the profits, as they began to replant their trees. It would only take 3 days for a tree to reach full maturity in the world of Animal Crossing anyways. With their money made back sooner than later, Lemonhead invested in defences to protect from any foreign invaders that would wash upon their shore in future. This would protect the oranges of Citrius, but also the villagers who now lived in fear of the Banana dictator.
If only they had known who the axe was sold to
This is my story, I don't believe I've written once since the winter contest on The Bell Tree.
Once upon a time in a land far away there was a village called Cherry. Three animal friends named Bones, Samson, and Kiki lived by the bamboo forest. There was a legend that a magical crystal that could summon the spirit ghost Wisp was hidden within. Nobody had ever wandered in this forest before, it was told to be extremely dangerous. People said that Wisp could make any item appear out of thin air! Of course this was just a rumor and nobody had actually seen him in 100 years. Kiki had always been fascinated by this story. One day she was fishing in the river for dinner when Samson walked by.
“I heard Bones went into the forest looking for the crystal and got lost!!” He said
“What? Is he ok?” She asked concerned.
“I don’t know” he said while shrugging.
Kiki put down her fishing pole and went to her house to gather her backpack. She was going on a journey. She packed some snacks, a change of clothes, her Nookphone, net, and fishing rod and headed into the forest. The bamboo trees were at least 9 feet tall, much taller than Kiki who stood at just 3 feet. She was scared but took out her Nookphone to Google a photo of the crystal when all a sudden she had heard shouting.
“Help me, Help!!!” She heard in a distance
“Hello??” She yelled”
“Over here, to your left. Up high!” Kiki looked over in that direction and saw bones sitting on a bench.
“What happened to you, why are you in the tree?”
“I was hiding from the Gnome!!”
“What? Gnomes can’t talk?” She asked confused
“Well that one did!”
“You’re insane.” She rolled her eyes “I’m here for the Crystal” she showed him a picture on her phone.
“Oh, I saw that before that gnome started chasing me!”
“Well where is it?” She asked
“I’ll show you!”
Kiki followed Bones through the forest, it was nothing but bamboo for miles.
“Are you sure you know your way around?” Kiki asked
“Yes, just keep following-
Just then a gnome with a red hat jumped from a tree
“Nobody passes here unless they can answer my riddle… Get it wrong and you will regret everything” the gnome spoke.
“I’m sorry riddle what?” Kiki asked confused. Bones started shaking.
“That’s the last I remember before I ended up in the tree and saw you” he whispered in her ear
“Well what’s the riddle?” Kiki asked
The gnome stood in front of them and put both hands on his hips
“What fills a room but takes up no space?” He asked
Kikis face was puzzled and she started to think.
“Hmm… air? light? I think I’m going to go with light!”
The gnomes mouth dropped.
“Nobody has ever been able to solve that in 100 years! How did you come up with that?” He asked
Kiki shrugged “uh... I didn’t think that hard honestly? It sort of just came to mind?”
“Fair enough. Maybe you are the chosen one. The crystal will be light blue in color and you will find it southwest if you take 500 steps” The gnome’s eyes glowed red and he disappeared in a puff of smoke!
“How strange was that?” Kiki looked over at Bones, who also shrugged.
“Well this should be easy…” She pulled out her nook phone to her NookMaps app.
“Can’t find location...” Hmm… how can I tell which way is southwest?” She asked
“Maybe with this?” Bones pulled out a compass from his pocket.
“Bones you are awesome thank you!!” She hugged him.
Kiki held out the compass and started walking southwest, and counted her steps
“399… 400… 401… 402.. almost there…”
After what seemed like forever there it was! The crystal sat on the ground and started to glow blue just like the gnome said it would. Kiki was apprehensive to touch it but she stuck out her paw and Wisp appeared!
“N-N-NOOOOOOOO! A G-G-GHOOOOOOOOOST!” He yelled
“Uh.. you’re the ghost? Not me?” Kiki looked around confused.
This was the great Wisp told in legends?
Wisp spun in a circle and turned into a small flame.
“A cat? A dog? I have been in this forest for a while and have never seen a cat or dog before…maybe you can help me? My spirits just flew away and I need them to survive... if you can find them you will be rewarded very greatly. If you cannot find them, then you will be both turned into gnomes! You have until sunrise. Please help me!”
“WHAT? I DON’T WANT TO BE A GNOME!” Bones yelled.
“Neither do I..” Kiki looked over and Wisp was gone.
“Guess we have to go look for these spirits now! I don’t remember this part of the legend!” She said frustrated.
They heard laughter in the distance. They both followed it and saw a small flame, a spirit moving quickly. Kiki took out her net and chased the spirit and finally caught it. She heard another voice... and another and a final one. She chased them all down. When the final one was caught the Wisp appeared out of thin air. The spirits flew out of Kikis net and onto Wisp.
“Thank you, I am now whole again! You shall be rewarded. Now you can choose a furniture item of your choice or even let me decide. Choose wisely.”
Kiki thought for a while, she wondered if she should trust Wisp. She had always dreamed of owning a Rococo bed but wondered if there could possibly be something better for her. Ultimately Kiki decided to go with the bed.
“Wise choice! Maybe we will cross paths again, until then farewell!” He disappeared.
Bones mouth dropped “is this a dream?” He asked.
“I don’t know.. but let’s go home” Kiki looked off into the distance and they both started walking. After three days they eventually made it out of the bamboo forest. Everyone praised Kiki for being a hero, for finding Bones, and ultimately finding the crystal. She enjoyed her days on her new Rococo bed and they all lived happily ever after. The end.
“I heard Bones went into the forest looking for the crystal and got lost!!” He said
“What? Is he ok?” She asked concerned.
“I don’t know” he said while shrugging.
Kiki put down her fishing pole and went to her house to gather her backpack. She was going on a journey. She packed some snacks, a change of clothes, her Nookphone, net, and fishing rod and headed into the forest. The bamboo trees were at least 9 feet tall, much taller than Kiki who stood at just 3 feet. She was scared but took out her Nookphone to Google a photo of the crystal when all a sudden she had heard shouting.
“Help me, Help!!!” She heard in a distance
“Hello??” She yelled”
“Over here, to your left. Up high!” Kiki looked over in that direction and saw bones sitting on a bench.
“What happened to you, why are you in the tree?”
“I was hiding from the Gnome!!”
“What? Gnomes can’t talk?” She asked confused
“Well that one did!”
“You’re insane.” She rolled her eyes “I’m here for the Crystal” she showed him a picture on her phone.
“Oh, I saw that before that gnome started chasing me!”
“Well where is it?” She asked
“I’ll show you!”
Kiki followed Bones through the forest, it was nothing but bamboo for miles.
“Are you sure you know your way around?” Kiki asked
“Yes, just keep following-
Just then a gnome with a red hat jumped from a tree
“Nobody passes here unless they can answer my riddle… Get it wrong and you will regret everything” the gnome spoke.
“I’m sorry riddle what?” Kiki asked confused. Bones started shaking.
“That’s the last I remember before I ended up in the tree and saw you” he whispered in her ear
“Well what’s the riddle?” Kiki asked
The gnome stood in front of them and put both hands on his hips
“What fills a room but takes up no space?” He asked
Kikis face was puzzled and she started to think.
“Hmm… air? light? I think I’m going to go with light!”
The gnomes mouth dropped.
“Nobody has ever been able to solve that in 100 years! How did you come up with that?” He asked
Kiki shrugged “uh... I didn’t think that hard honestly? It sort of just came to mind?”
“Fair enough. Maybe you are the chosen one. The crystal will be light blue in color and you will find it southwest if you take 500 steps” The gnome’s eyes glowed red and he disappeared in a puff of smoke!
“How strange was that?” Kiki looked over at Bones, who also shrugged.
“Well this should be easy…” She pulled out her nook phone to her NookMaps app.
“Can’t find location...” Hmm… how can I tell which way is southwest?” She asked
“Maybe with this?” Bones pulled out a compass from his pocket.
“Bones you are awesome thank you!!” She hugged him.
Kiki held out the compass and started walking southwest, and counted her steps
“399… 400… 401… 402.. almost there…”
After what seemed like forever there it was! The crystal sat on the ground and started to glow blue just like the gnome said it would. Kiki was apprehensive to touch it but she stuck out her paw and Wisp appeared!
“N-N-NOOOOOOOO! A G-G-GHOOOOOOOOOST!” He yelled
“Uh.. you’re the ghost? Not me?” Kiki looked around confused.
This was the great Wisp told in legends?
Wisp spun in a circle and turned into a small flame.
“A cat? A dog? I have been in this forest for a while and have never seen a cat or dog before…maybe you can help me? My spirits just flew away and I need them to survive... if you can find them you will be rewarded very greatly. If you cannot find them, then you will be both turned into gnomes! You have until sunrise. Please help me!”
“WHAT? I DON’T WANT TO BE A GNOME!” Bones yelled.
“Neither do I..” Kiki looked over and Wisp was gone.
“Guess we have to go look for these spirits now! I don’t remember this part of the legend!” She said frustrated.
They heard laughter in the distance. They both followed it and saw a small flame, a spirit moving quickly. Kiki took out her net and chased the spirit and finally caught it. She heard another voice... and another and a final one. She chased them all down. When the final one was caught the Wisp appeared out of thin air. The spirits flew out of Kikis net and onto Wisp.
“Thank you, I am now whole again! You shall be rewarded. Now you can choose a furniture item of your choice or even let me decide. Choose wisely.”
Kiki thought for a while, she wondered if she should trust Wisp. She had always dreamed of owning a Rococo bed but wondered if there could possibly be something better for her. Ultimately Kiki decided to go with the bed.
“Wise choice! Maybe we will cross paths again, until then farewell!” He disappeared.
Bones mouth dropped “is this a dream?” He asked.
“I don’t know.. but let’s go home” Kiki looked off into the distance and they both started walking. After three days they eventually made it out of the bamboo forest. Everyone praised Kiki for being a hero, for finding Bones, and ultimately finding the crystal. She enjoyed her days on her new Rococo bed and they all lived happily ever after. The end.
I need the participation tickets more than I hate writing, so here it is. I hope I didn't mess up somehow 
Once upon a time, on the humble island of Alinguia, there lived a distinguished gentlebear named Beardo. Beardo was revered by all who gazed upon him for his glorious, perfectly grown and perfectly kept moustache. It was his pride and joy, and every morning he would admire it the mirror, making sure not a single strand was out of place.
Until one fateful morning, tragedy struck. Beardo awoke from his peaceful slumber to a horrifying sight- the hairs of his beloved moustache strewn across his pillow. He dashed to his mirror in disbelief, but his reflection only brought further anguish. Staring back at him was a face of only smooth blue fur, brown fuzz no longer adorning it.
Beardo ran into the streets, eyes brimming with tears, and started to wail at the top of his lungs about his predicament. A crowd of townsfolk began to gather around him, murmuring amongst themselves. No one knew how to comfort the sulking bear and could only watch his antics with pity.
"Quit yer yammering!" a voice finally bellowed out.
The crowd parted to reveal a scowling, camouflage patterned frog.
"Camofrog!" Beardo exclaimed. "You won't believe what happened!"
"You lost your 'tache? Yeah, I heard. I heard your bellyaching from all the way across town!" the cranky frog hissed. "Now can you shut up so I can finish my sudoku in peace?"
"You don't understand," Beardo whined, "this is a travesty of untold proportions! I can never recover from this! My life is o... ov... WAHHHHHH-" The blue bear fell to the ground in hysterics.
Camofrog rubbed his temples and sighed. "Look, I may know a way to help you-"
Beardo perked up. "H- how?"
"Legend has it that a rabbit with magnificent facial hair used to live on an island nearby. The islanders say something similar happened to him, but one day he miraculously recovered. Maybe he'd know how to fix this. But..."
"But?"
"...He moved away 20 years ago. No one knows exactly where he went, but they say he mentioned something about The Enchanted Forest on Belltree Island."
Beardo gasped. "Not The Enchanted Forest! That's way too dangerous to visit!"
Camofrog shrugged. "It may be your only hope."
---
The next day, Beardo found himself standing at the edge of the Enchanted Forest, taking in the seemingly endless expanse of ancient trees.
'It's not too late to turn back...' he thought to himself, 'Oh who am I kidding? This adventurer's outfit is non-refundable, and this look is way too chic to let go to waste!'
He took in a deep breath before taking his first step into the unknown.
---
The forest was a damp, dense, and dark maze. The sky above was completely blocked out by the thick greenery, with only strange, glowing moss and fungus providing much needed light. The bear spent hours upon hours navigating the woods, with no signs of the rabbit... or any civilization at all.
Beardo hunched over, grabbing his growling stomach, no longer able to tolerate his growing hunger. "I'm going to die!" he yowled, "I'm going to die alone and face-bald!"
Suddenly, as if the heavens had taken mercy on him, he spotted the largest, most scrumptious looking orange he had ever laid eyes upon, just lying in a bush. He lunged at it and took a giant bite.
"YOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWCCCCHHHHHH!!!!!!" screeched the orange. Only it wasn't an orange, it was a feline creature!
"WHATDOYOUTHINKYOU'REDOING?!?!?!?!?!?" yelled the cat.
Beardo began to sweat profusely. "I am so sorry!" he apologized, "I thought you were an orange!"
The cat's eyes were ablaze with anger. "An orange? DO I LOOK LIKE AN ORANGE TO YOU??!?!?!?!?"
"Uhhhh... kinda," he admitted.
The cat pounced at the bear, claws at the ready. Beardo scrambled to get out of the way, barely missing a nasty scratch. He ran and ran and ran, trying his best to lose his pursuer. In his haste, he did not notice the giant root in his path, causing him to tumble over. He rolled and rolled and rolled across the ground until he rolled straight off a cliff! He hit the ground with a loud thud, knocking him unconscious.
---
When Beardo came to, he could smell a delicious stew brewing, and through his hazy vision he could make out what seemed to be the inside of a cabin.
"Where... where am I?" he whimpered, head throbbing.
"You're at my house," a gruff voice replied.
Beardo turned his head towards the voice. His focus kept going in and out, but he could see what appeared to be a yellow rabbit. A yellow rabbit... with a marvelous moustache!
"It's YOU!" Beardo exclaimed, bolting up in excitement.
The rabbit stared at him inquisitively. "We know each other?" he asked.
"No, but I know you- you're the guy who lost his moustache!" Beardo chirped.
The rabbit frowned. "Ugh. Don't remind me. Anyways, that 'guy' has a name: Gaston." The rabbit warily offered up his hand. "I would say 'a pleasure to meet you' but under these circumstances..."
"I am Beardo!" the bear proclaimed proudly, vigorously shaking Gaston's hand.
"So, what exactly brings you to these woods?" Gaston inquired, "Don't see many folks 'round these parts and for good reason."
"Why, to find you, of course!"
"Me?" The rabbit was bewildered.
"I heard of the tragic-but-triumphant tale of your moustache and thought you could help solve my own follicle crisis. As you can see, I am currently bare-faced... or should I say 'BEAR' faced."
Gaston let out a groan.
"Anyways," Beardo continued, "I've always taken great care of my wonderful whiskers, but yesterday I woke up and it had all fallen out! Please Gaston, please help me!"
"Hmm... By any chance, did ya happen to eat anything containing fairy dust? I did the night before my stache fell out, and I'm pretty sure that's what caused it."
"AHA!" A lightbulb went off in the bear's brain. "Truffles' cookies! She said the dust would be great for my skin- I can't believe- ohhhhh I'm going to sue her to the ground! Hmm... what colour suit should I wear to court? Burgundy is-"
"Ahem," Gaston interrupted.
"Ah, right," Beardo was brought back on track. "But how did you fix it?"
"Oh, I just waited a month and it grew back."
The bear's face contorted in confusion. "It... grew back?"
"Yeah. It was just like if I had shaved it. It came back like normal."
"Oh."
The two sat in silence until dinner was ready.
---
Gaston generously offered to let Beardo stay the night, as the bear was in no condition to travel. When dawn broke, he led Beardo safely out of the forest. The two said their goodbyes at the Belltree airport.
"I owe you my life, my dear friend!" said Beardo, eyes full of tears, "I will never forget you and your second-best moustache in the world!"
"Actually, I think mine is the-"
"FARWEEEEELLLLLLL!" Beardo waved while boarding the seaplane.
---
The next month was spent mostly in solitude, contemplating life and learning how to play the viola. Until the day had finally come: the day when every facial follicle had grown back to the perfect length, in the perfect shape, to create the perfect moustache. Beardo burst open his doors, and roared to the world:
"BEARDO IS BACK, BABY! AND BETTER THAN EV-HAIR!"
Beardo's Bizarre Adventure
Once upon a time, on the humble island of Alinguia, there lived a distinguished gentlebear named Beardo. Beardo was revered by all who gazed upon him for his glorious, perfectly grown and perfectly kept moustache. It was his pride and joy, and every morning he would admire it the mirror, making sure not a single strand was out of place.
Until one fateful morning, tragedy struck. Beardo awoke from his peaceful slumber to a horrifying sight- the hairs of his beloved moustache strewn across his pillow. He dashed to his mirror in disbelief, but his reflection only brought further anguish. Staring back at him was a face of only smooth blue fur, brown fuzz no longer adorning it.
Beardo ran into the streets, eyes brimming with tears, and started to wail at the top of his lungs about his predicament. A crowd of townsfolk began to gather around him, murmuring amongst themselves. No one knew how to comfort the sulking bear and could only watch his antics with pity.
"Quit yer yammering!" a voice finally bellowed out.
The crowd parted to reveal a scowling, camouflage patterned frog.
"Camofrog!" Beardo exclaimed. "You won't believe what happened!"
"You lost your 'tache? Yeah, I heard. I heard your bellyaching from all the way across town!" the cranky frog hissed. "Now can you shut up so I can finish my sudoku in peace?"
"You don't understand," Beardo whined, "this is a travesty of untold proportions! I can never recover from this! My life is o... ov... WAHHHHHH-" The blue bear fell to the ground in hysterics.
Camofrog rubbed his temples and sighed. "Look, I may know a way to help you-"
Beardo perked up. "H- how?"
"Legend has it that a rabbit with magnificent facial hair used to live on an island nearby. The islanders say something similar happened to him, but one day he miraculously recovered. Maybe he'd know how to fix this. But..."
"But?"
"...He moved away 20 years ago. No one knows exactly where he went, but they say he mentioned something about The Enchanted Forest on Belltree Island."
Beardo gasped. "Not The Enchanted Forest! That's way too dangerous to visit!"
Camofrog shrugged. "It may be your only hope."
---
The next day, Beardo found himself standing at the edge of the Enchanted Forest, taking in the seemingly endless expanse of ancient trees.
'It's not too late to turn back...' he thought to himself, 'Oh who am I kidding? This adventurer's outfit is non-refundable, and this look is way too chic to let go to waste!'
He took in a deep breath before taking his first step into the unknown.
---
The forest was a damp, dense, and dark maze. The sky above was completely blocked out by the thick greenery, with only strange, glowing moss and fungus providing much needed light. The bear spent hours upon hours navigating the woods, with no signs of the rabbit... or any civilization at all.
Beardo hunched over, grabbing his growling stomach, no longer able to tolerate his growing hunger. "I'm going to die!" he yowled, "I'm going to die alone and face-bald!"
Suddenly, as if the heavens had taken mercy on him, he spotted the largest, most scrumptious looking orange he had ever laid eyes upon, just lying in a bush. He lunged at it and took a giant bite.
"YOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWCCCCHHHHHH!!!!!!" screeched the orange. Only it wasn't an orange, it was a feline creature!
"WHATDOYOUTHINKYOU'REDOING?!?!?!?!?!?" yelled the cat.
Beardo began to sweat profusely. "I am so sorry!" he apologized, "I thought you were an orange!"
The cat's eyes were ablaze with anger. "An orange? DO I LOOK LIKE AN ORANGE TO YOU??!?!?!?!?"
"Uhhhh... kinda," he admitted.
The cat pounced at the bear, claws at the ready. Beardo scrambled to get out of the way, barely missing a nasty scratch. He ran and ran and ran, trying his best to lose his pursuer. In his haste, he did not notice the giant root in his path, causing him to tumble over. He rolled and rolled and rolled across the ground until he rolled straight off a cliff! He hit the ground with a loud thud, knocking him unconscious.
---
When Beardo came to, he could smell a delicious stew brewing, and through his hazy vision he could make out what seemed to be the inside of a cabin.
"Where... where am I?" he whimpered, head throbbing.
"You're at my house," a gruff voice replied.
Beardo turned his head towards the voice. His focus kept going in and out, but he could see what appeared to be a yellow rabbit. A yellow rabbit... with a marvelous moustache!
"It's YOU!" Beardo exclaimed, bolting up in excitement.
The rabbit stared at him inquisitively. "We know each other?" he asked.
"No, but I know you- you're the guy who lost his moustache!" Beardo chirped.
The rabbit frowned. "Ugh. Don't remind me. Anyways, that 'guy' has a name: Gaston." The rabbit warily offered up his hand. "I would say 'a pleasure to meet you' but under these circumstances..."
"I am Beardo!" the bear proclaimed proudly, vigorously shaking Gaston's hand.
"So, what exactly brings you to these woods?" Gaston inquired, "Don't see many folks 'round these parts and for good reason."
"Why, to find you, of course!"
"Me?" The rabbit was bewildered.
"I heard of the tragic-but-triumphant tale of your moustache and thought you could help solve my own follicle crisis. As you can see, I am currently bare-faced... or should I say 'BEAR' faced."
Gaston let out a groan.
"Anyways," Beardo continued, "I've always taken great care of my wonderful whiskers, but yesterday I woke up and it had all fallen out! Please Gaston, please help me!"
"Hmm... By any chance, did ya happen to eat anything containing fairy dust? I did the night before my stache fell out, and I'm pretty sure that's what caused it."
"AHA!" A lightbulb went off in the bear's brain. "Truffles' cookies! She said the dust would be great for my skin- I can't believe- ohhhhh I'm going to sue her to the ground! Hmm... what colour suit should I wear to court? Burgundy is-"
"Ahem," Gaston interrupted.
"Ah, right," Beardo was brought back on track. "But how did you fix it?"
"Oh, I just waited a month and it grew back."
The bear's face contorted in confusion. "It... grew back?"
"Yeah. It was just like if I had shaved it. It came back like normal."
"Oh."
The two sat in silence until dinner was ready.
---
Gaston generously offered to let Beardo stay the night, as the bear was in no condition to travel. When dawn broke, he led Beardo safely out of the forest. The two said their goodbyes at the Belltree airport.
"I owe you my life, my dear friend!" said Beardo, eyes full of tears, "I will never forget you and your second-best moustache in the world!"
"Actually, I think mine is the-"
"FARWEEEEELLLLLLL!" Beardo waved while boarding the seaplane.
---
The next month was spent mostly in solitude, contemplating life and learning how to play the viola. Until the day had finally come: the day when every facial follicle had grown back to the perfect length, in the perfect shape, to create the perfect moustache. Beardo burst open his doors, and roared to the world:
"BEARDO IS BACK, BABY! AND BETTER THAN EV-HAIR!"
Here's my story, it's finally done! In all honesty I had difficulty writing it as a 'short' story since (1) I haven't properly written anything in years, and (2) I'm a slow-burn hurt/comfort trash. I do hope it tugs some heartstrings out there, though. I hope it's worth a read (and if you did read it to the end, thank you. It means the world to me. 
).
(By the way, I meant to write them more platonically!)
).(By the way, I meant to write them more platonically!)
'A story of two moons in search of the warmth of the sun.'
I called this story 'sunkissed moons.' 
The warm spring breeze was no stranger to the hills, especially during the sun's early rise. A tinge of light yellow shaded the horizon, slowly covering the quaint town of Tanpopo below in a blanket of warmth. The sun would soon smile down on them; the day would soon start.
There was something to be said, therefore, of the well-groomed rabbit looking down on the ragged wolf sat beneath a tree on the hill.
"Excuse me," said the rabbit, a small and soft voice inquiring, "are you lost?"
The wolf, wry on first impression, responded, "No, I've actually been looking for you all this time, sweetheart."
She was appalled by the lack of formality; she supposed not everyone was a pleasant first meet. "You better leave soon, or else you're not going to like what comes next."
To her surprise, he raised in hands in easy defeat. "I'm going to leave soon, don't worry. But come watch the sunrise with me first, won't you?"
It was a rarity, a rabbit and a wolf sat together in silence, watching the sun embrace the night sky. Here were two strangers, contrasting yet still willing to let their paths intersect in a happenstance.
As they say, there are no mistakes, just happy accidents.
"Lobo," the wolf broke the ice after a moment, his mouth curling up to what may be a genuine smile. "It's a pleasure to meet a fine lady like you."
"Ruby," said the other, returning the sincere greeting. "The pleasure is all mine."
It was their first of many daybreaks.
Lobo was an oddity.
Ruby admittedly hadn't met many people in her life, being born and raised in the town of Tanpopo, so to meet someone like Lobo was quite the experience. He came and left without a set schedule for the day; she would catch a glimpse of him for a second and lose track of him in the next. Sometimes she would ask the townsfolk of him, and it was always, "Yeah, I think I saw him for a brief moment in so-and-so, doing this-and-that."
In theory, he was hard to miss because of his eyes, fur color, and demeanor, but he did a damn well job of being missed regardless.
The only times when Ruby would catch a long glimpse of the wolf was during dawn. He would sit under the same tree on the same hill, watching every second of the changing horizon. This happened every day since his arrival that Ruby slowly got into the habit of waking early just to sit with him.
Quite so, there was much comfort in each other’s company, even if there was everything or nothing to be said. They warmed up to each other, slowly but surely, and talked about many great things in life during the wee hours of the morning. Secrets were told and secrets were kept between once-strangers beneath the tree on the hill.
Ruby told him of her past, how she lost her parents as a child after a perilous commission outside town, and how she currently lived with an old friend at the foot of the hill. The loss of both her mother and her father affected her deeply so that she feared ever leaving the walls of her town and the comfort of her home again.
Lobo was a stark contrast to Ruby, although they did share pieces of similarities. He too was orphaned, although without much memory of his family, and was raised in an orphanage with a caretaker and other children. His dream was to see as much of the world as he could, which was the reason why he suddenly appeared in Tanpopo one day with only a small bag and ragged clothes to boot.
"It must be nice to live your dreams without fear, isn't it?" Ruby commented, mindlessly moving her feet as she sat on the grass.
"Frankly," he paused, staring at his shadow forming from the oncoming daybreak, "it just feels like I'm running away."
"I can understand that." The rabbit responded, bringing her knees closer to her chest. "We all have something we want to run away from, even if we don’t realize it at first.”
Lobo clicked his tongue in interest. “What are you running away from?”
The question came all too soon. “I guess… I’m running away from what you’re running towards, which is seeing the world. I used to go on adventures all the time when my parents were still around, but…”
“…I’m sorry for your loss.” It was the only proper thing to say.
A small chuckle escaped the rabbit. “It’s alright. I’ve learned to be thankful of my quaint life right now. I’m glad I got to meet you, too.”
There was a pause, perhaps to let the moment sink in.
“How about you?” The rabbit chimed in. “What are you running away from?”
The wolf clicked his tongue once more, in thought. “Hmm, just some responsibilities.”
“You... aren't a fugitive, are you?" It was a burning question.
Lobo gave a hearty guffaw, breaking the melancholy. "And if I was?"
"I'm reporting you to Ma’am Isabelle." Ruby scrunched her eyebrows. "And if you run away right now, I'm going to chase after you to the ends of the earth for deceiving me. You wouldn't want to break my heart now, would you?"
"I'd honestly like to see you try and chase after me." Lobo turned towards his companion with a smirk. "But no, darling, all I am is a simple wolf living his life. I’m not a criminal. A hundred percent honest, I promise."
She grinned in return.
"As long as you're honest."
Lobo's honesty came rather frighteningly one summer dawn.
It had been around four months since his arrival in town, yet he remained a mystery to a great number of townsfolk. Sometimes he was seen fishing by the river in the outskirts of town, other times he was tending to a small number of harvests somewhere around the hillside. He helped with several town commissions here and there, but never too often for him to leave an impression on anyone. Anyone, but a single white rabbit.
"Ruby," he started, staring far towards the dark horizon, missing the ruby eyes that glanced towards him. "Don't miss me too much when I leave, okay?"
Ruby opened her mouth all too quick but stopped short of saying anything. All she then mustered up to say was, "Leaving soon for your next big adventure?"
"More or less."
Ruby thought she heard some hesitance in his voice but decided not to probe him further. She'd never seen a wolf cry anyway, and she assumed Lobo wouldn't want to be her first.
"Take care and have fun then." Her hands found their way to the grass for comfort. "Write letters to me from time to time. And if you ever you want to go home, you know where to find me."
There were no better words he could come up with than simply, “Thank you, Ruby.”
Despite the silence that ensued, the comfort of the moment never left their company. They had watched the sunrise a great number of times with each other, but its novelty did not once wane.
That day the horizon was a tad clouded, but the sun managed to peek through the crevices of gray, reassuring its presence to the world.
In a split second, lightning struck beyond the horizon, startling the wolf.
"The rainy seasons are coming close," the rabbit commented, surprisingly unfazed by the flash. "That reminds me, Nature Day is next week, April 22. Do you do anything for Nature Day, Lobo?"
Lobo tilted his head. "I used to help out in gardening in my orphanage before, if that counts."
Ruby brought her hands together in a clap. "Well, here in Tanpopo, we garden, set aside cooked crops, place them on altars, and pray for good weather. It’s an important tradition."
Lobo's eyes widened, quite interested. "Tanpopo was the town that got heavily damaged in a flood a long time ago, right?"
Ruby nodded. "Yeah, it was the great flood of 1922. They said no one was hurt, but the town had to be rebuilt from almost nothing. Valleys are always at risk during heavy rains. That's why every year since the great flood, we plant trees and give back to Mother Nature as much as we can. "
All Lobo replied with was, "That's great. I want to give back to Mother Nature, too."
"Then stay until Nature Day," Ruby responded almost immediately, grasping the blades of grass beneath her hands. "Just until then."
Lobo glanced away from her; he knew that he would lose the moment he looked into her eyes.
"No promises."
And just like that, Lobo was gone.
He left without any promises, without traces, without even a goodbye. After that conversation, he simply disappeared from the face of Tanpopo. He failed to show up in their meeting spot by the same tree on the hill. He was not there that dawn, nor the dawn after, nor every dawn after the next. It had only been days since his disappearance, yet the silence had grown so loud it was uncomfortable.
Ruby kept repeating to herself, it's no matter. He laid out his plans for her to hear, how he was going to continue travelling and seeing the world. She may be a footnote in his journey, but she could only hope she was a significant footnote nonetheless. Perhaps she could be his favorite footnote? Oh, but that might be too much to ask.
All she could do now was be his rest, if and when he comes back to Tanpopo.
That was enough, perhaps.
Besides, today was Nature Day. She had a lot on her to-do list: plant new flowers and shrubs, help in the community tree-planting, harvest some fruits, cook minestrone soup, and maybe do some spring cleaning. This day was a for celebrating nature and her gifts, and Ruby took every opportunity she could to brush aside the thoughts of the lone wolf.
“Are you ready, Ruby?” Her friend and housemate Bea called by the door. “We’re going to be late for the tree-planting!”
“I’m coming!” She shouted, and into town the two women went.
The day was eventful, to say the least. Celebrations were done both in town and in the comfort of their own home; minestrone soup was cooked and served in a small altar lit by candles. Bea and Ruby shared their prayers for the upcoming rainy season and the town’s harvest and wished the same everywhere else. Nature was bountiful and beautiful, and it was only right to say their thanks and give back in any way they could.
Somehow, beyond the happenings of today, Ruby’s mind still found its way to the crevices that held memories of her and Lobo. The setting of the sun meant the day was almost over, and Ruby would usually try and recall interesting segments for her to share with the wolf when dawn came the following morning. Today was different, because there was nothing to look forward to the next daybreak, so she whispered her stories in a prayer and ended it by wishing for Lobo’s safety in his journeys. It was the least she could do for him these days.
Nightfall came, and silence fell upon the town of Tanpopo. The pitter-patter of the rain and the cool winds of April lulled many to sleep, a good ambiance to conclude Nature Day of 2022. It had been a century since Tanpopo’s flooding incident, which was believed by the elderlies to be Nature expressing anger for not giving back enough on Nature Day. Since then, much celebration was done every Nature Day, especially in the town of Tanpopo, to continue the balance between Nature and its inhabitants.
Thus, it came to the shock of the townsfolk when a large flash of lightning struck that tree on the hill the midnight after Nature Day.
Ruby, along with Bea and the rest of the townsfolk, evacuated the area in a frenzy following the first bouts of lightning and falling trees. By the grace of Nature no one was harmed by the happenings, and the animals sought shelter in a town just beyond the valleys. Despite their distance, the crashing thunders could still be heard, as if mimicking a voice of pure rage and dissatisfaction.
The town of Tanpopo was deserted overnight.
At the break of dawn, majority of the townsfolk gathered in the town’s city hall to discuss their next steps. Understandably, many were rattled by the sudden outburst, some attributing it to coincidence and others to Nature herself. Left and right, conversations between the animals were being thrown in the ring, leaving no consensus for any plans of action.
“…Ruby?” Bea called out to the rabbit beside her. “How are you?”
How was she?
How could she describe how absolutely scared she was, how she had always feared leaving her home, her town, her quaint little life, all of which were destroyed in the blink of her eye? How could she say that, with each passing moment, she grew more worried about the safety of a wolf no one truly knew?
And what had she left to even call a home?
It was everything all at once: it was unbearable, it was uncomfortable, it was terrifying, and the only thing she knew what to do if she lost something or someone was cry. Cry, until she finds a new equilibrium, even if she never truly recovers from the heartbreak. Cry, until she convinces herself that she couldn’t do anything about it, even if she knows that deep down, she could’ve fought a little harder.
She let her parents go without telling them she was terrified of their safety. She let Lobo go without telling him that she had very much wanted to see the world with him.
If she had been just a little selfish and brave, would it have changed the tides of fate? Would she have kept her parents alive? Would she continue having Lobo with her? Would she still have her home, her town, her quaint little life with her?
The slam of a wooden stick pulled Ruby back to ground zero, and she instinctively wiped away her tears. She felt Bea’s caress on her back, warm and full of care, perhaps the remaining fragment of her once-called home. Billy, one of the Tanpopo’s town elderlies, had effectively silenced the entire hall with his walking stick.
“We can’t do much right now but wait for the thunderstorms to subside. It’s dangerous for any one of us to go back to our homes, lest you want to risk your lives for nothing but material possessions. We must also be on our toes in the event this neighboring town falls down the same fate as ours.”
Whispers floated around the hall, dissipated by another slam of the wooden stick.
“While we all have our assumptions, we have no proof to reject that Nature is displeased. Thus, while this is a dangerous commission, I propose that someone, anyone from town, bring a portion of our salvaged harvests to the Great Town Tree up north as an offering of peace.”
The crowd reached its breaking point, and the hall erupted into an uproar once more.
“Are you saying someone should risk their life for this?!”
“Do you think it’s wise to subtract from our already limited harvest?”
“Nature has left us to fend for ourselves despite out efforts! This is worse than the great flood of 1922!”
“I’ll go.”
In the sea of words, a mere two-word sentence managed to stand above all else, silencing the townsfolk.
“What?” repeated Billy, uncertain he heard correctly.
“I said I’ll go.”
All eyes fell on the lone rabbit standing in the middle of the crowd.
“Do you really have to go?” asked the brown canine, fixing the knot of handkerchief surrounding Ruby's neck.
The thought scared her. “Someone has to do it.”
"Alright… stay safe out there, then," whispered Bea, “Will you also be trying to find your wolf friend?”
He had already crossed her mind the moment she decided, but she shook her head in refusal.
“Right, it’s wise not to sidetrack. Just come back home to us, alright?” Bea smiled, patting the rabbit’s chest.
Come back home. She had said this to many others in the past, but today was the first she was told.
"I promise."
And just like that, Ruby was gone. She left with a promise, a trace, and a simple goodbye. The townsfolk of Tanpopo knew of her departure: they did love her, after all.
This was how much Ruby loved as well.
With a grass knapsack that held her life, she departed her small comfort zone and headed out into the great unknown. What little she knew about adventuring came from her accompanying her parents when they were alive: what to eat, where to hide, how to flee — a lot of the survival skills she knew in theory finally put to practice.
(Ironic that they didn't survive for long.)
She was but a small white rabbit against the terrors of the forests. Tall trees towered her at every corner, allowing her to bask in what little light fell to the forest floor. Darkness hugged her like a dear old friend and hid the many secrets of the world outside her old walls, her only safe spaces being each town far and few in between. It wasn't until now that she witnessed enchanted perils with her own two ruby eyes, and she was both in awe and in fear.
Despite it all, she pushed forward. On to one town, towards the next, befriending some creatures, avoiding others, and ultimately risking her life, because this was how much Ruby loved.
Perhaps if she completed her pilgrimage, not only would she be able to help her town greatly (assuming their offerings would be enough), but she'd finally be able to have closure for the people she loved and lost along the way. That included her old self, too.
That's why when she came across a poster in her last town stopover, she was more determined than ever to find closure.
WANTED: Midnight blue wolf with moon-colored eyes. If found, please report to authorities immediately.
She ran.
Ruby ran with the two dainty feet Nature gave her, travelling the last stretch of land that separated her from the Great Town Tree. Her heart raced as quickly as tears welled in her eyes.
Liar.
Liar.
Liar.
It hurt just as much as when her parents promised her they’d come home safe and never did.
How could she be so foolish — to entrust herself with a wolf, of all creatures, and a mysterious one at that — to spend time with a fugitive, to enjoy the sunrise with him, to give him a time of her day – even just a lick of a minute? How could she stomach having been absolutely fascinated with someone running away from Nature knows what responsibilities, unwilling to share that these might have likely been terrible deeds?
She couldn’t lie that, for brief moments in her journey, she had hoped to catch even a glimpse of the wolf. A midnight blue shadow, moon-hued glances, or an echo of a hearty guffaw would have been enough. She hadn’t at all expected that the next time she saw his face was on a wanted poster.
Lost in thought – such silly thoughts about a silly wolf, she concluded – she hadn’t realized that something was just by the horizon. Fragments of orange light and clear droplets scattered across the forest, spreading wider the closer she ran towards them. A scent of petrichor crept through her nose, calming much of the senses that had once been filled with adrenaline. It was rare for this much of the sun to peek through the forest, so it meant only one thing.
She was finally here.
It was a large forest clearing, perhaps bigger than anything she’s seen on her journey. Here stood the Great Town Tree, standing firmly in its position as its leaves presented itself from one stretch of the clearing to another. The roots of the trees implanted themselves on the forest floor, running a great distance on the ground surface. It was a grand sight to behold, and she took every moment to breath it in, to remember it.
Much of her mind had been occupied by the view that she hadn’t realized it was already dusk, the fireflies starting to dance their rituals under the setting sun. As Ruby was facing the west, the Great Town Tree blocked the sun, leaving a towering shadow towards her direction.
It was faint in the shadow, but therein lay the moon.
Like a moth to a flame, she was lured. Entranced, she walked closer to it, her hand involuntarily reaching out.
"Excuse me," a low and gruff voice inquired, "are you lost?"
The rabbit, cautious on first impression, responded, "No… I've actually been looking for you all this time."
"You better leave soon, or else you're not going to like what comes next."
She clutched her knapsack and angled her feet in defense. "I'm going to leave soon, don't worry. But tell me: why have you stopped watching the sunrise with me?"
It was a rarity, a rabbit and a wolf standing together in silence as the night sky embraced the sun. Here were two strangers, contrasting yet still willing to let their paths intersect in a happenstance.
As they say, there are no mistakes.
"Ruby," the wolf broke the ice after a moment, his mouth unwavering in a frown. "I didn’t think you’d be here."
"Lobo," said the other, returning the glare. "As did I."
It was their first nightfall.
Silence ensued, ironically much louder than the heavy breaths from the rabbit. Exhausted from the physical and mental torment she’d subjected herself to the past days, all she wanted at this point was to break her resolve and end this.
It had to start with breaking the great walls that stood between the two.
“Let me just give my offerings and I’ll leave.” Ruby began, extending the arm that held the knapsack. “I want nothing to do with you anymore.”
“It’s probably for the best, anyway,” whispered Lobo, almost inaudibly from her.
“What?”
“Nothing.” He rolled his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
The rabbit walked towards the looming tree, passing by the wolf and lightly shaking her knapsack. Ruby glanced away the entire time; she knew that she would lose the moment she looked into his eyes. “I already told you, just going to drop some offerings.”
“For what?”
Ruby stopped dead in her tracks, her back facing him. “Tanpopo got struck by a lightning storm overnight after Nature Day. Lucky you for avoiding it, much like you’ve avoided everything else.”
The silent response was what she had hoped for.
After setting down the basket of harvests near the proximity of the trunk, Ruby stood back up, mulling for a moment. She hoped for some sort of resolution, some sort of epiphany, some sort of enchantment that would overcome her feelings of self-worth and doubt now that she had completed her pilgrimage, but it felt empty. Her hands were scarred, her feet were muddied, and her clothes were tattered – all for what felt like nothing. She was lost, she was confused, and she started becoming frustrated once again.
The tears started to well in her eyes, and she refused to turn around for fear that the wolf would take every opportunity to tear her apart: physically, emotionally, or both.
“I’m sorry.”
It was incredibly faint, but the words came across to her as clear as day.
“For what?”
“For everything,” Lobo said, grass rustling beneath his feet as he inched closer to the rabbit. “For dragging you into my responsibilities.”
Ruby finally snapped, turning around to face him. “What are your responsibilities anyway?! You’ve not got a single care in the world even though you’re a wanted man! I’ve had to leave comfort to sacrifice my life for people, and you just—”
“We’re here for the exact same thing, Ruby.”
She was caught off-guard and visibly confused, and he took this opportunity.
“Nature does like a give-and-take balance,” Lobo started, glancing at the basket of offerings that lay in front of them. “It’s the most fundamental law of Nature. We thrive with Her gifts, and She asks a simple thing from us every century. If we don’t deliver on time, She gets outraged.”
He started walking once more, passing the unspoken Ruby to gaze at the Great Town Tree. “I lived a dull past, sheltered in the walls of the orphanage. But I wanted to have some purpose in life, I wanted to be a hero, so I mustered everything in me to agree to this, even if I was afraid. I proposed one more wish: to let me be, to see the world, one last time.”
The cogs in Ruby’s mind started turning like clockwork from his statements, and she blinked the tears away. “What… what did you agree to?”
“To sacrifice my life for people,” he stated frankly. “It’s the one simple thing She asks from us every century. It’s a whispered secret by those far and few in between, and I suppose you’re now in on it.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. “So those wanted posters…”
“I told them to look for me if I didn’t come here on time.”
“That’s why on Nature Day…”
“I couldn’t possibly promise you I’d stay.”
“And when you said you were running away from your responsibilities…”
There was a pause from the wolf caught off-guard.
“I didn’t mean to stay in Tanpopo longer than I did. I didn’t mean to be attached to anyone, nor did I mean to find company, but I suppose was impulsive. I know it was wrong, it was reckless, it was a mistake—”
“There are no mistakes,” Ruby interrupted, “just happy accidents.”
Another pause, perhaps to let the moment sink in.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated his previous statement. “For everything. For dragging you into my responsibilities. For being a tad bit too late to save your home, your town, your quaint little life.”
Her vexation slowly dissipated like smoke.
“As long as you’re honest.” She looked at her companion, the corners of her lips curving just a little upwards. “I’m not angry. A hundred percent honest. I promise.”
He smiled in return, comfort creeping its way to break down the walls that once stood between them. She made a promise she upheld.
“Thank you, Lobo.” There were no better words she could come up with.
The wolf nodded his head, positioning himself under the Great Town Tree. “It was a pleasure to meet a fine lady like you.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” she returned. “Will we see each other in the next life, perchance?”
Lobo glanced towards her; he knew that he would lose the moment he looked into her eyes.
“I promise.”
And just like that, Lobo was gone.
Just like the sun had disappeared over the horizon with the moon at the distance, so too did the wolf fade from the rabbit’s view. A whisper of unintelligible words and he was soon enshrouded in fragments of green light, resonating with the vessels of the tree that also grew brighter with the same shade of green. Under the light of dusk and the dancing of the fireflies it was an ethereal view, and Ruby was a split second too late of running towards him before the glow of green dispelled in the wind.
She collapsed on the grass, feeling both mirth and misery. Tears once again welled her ruby eyes, and the moment she spent sitting on the grass felt like an eternity. It was all too bittersweet, and she was always on the receiving end.
A moment of her clarity found its way towards a small seed where he once stood, a faint moon glow emanating from its core. She cupped it in her hands and noticed how small yet warm it was to touch.
Truly did Nature uphold the laws of balance.
It was a long journey back home, where Ruby found the skies clear and beautiful, a stark contrast to when she left. Joyous cheers of ‘You did it!’ ‘Nature is restored!’ ‘Praise to our little Ruby!’ resounded throughout town, celebrating the coming back home of their now-hero.
(Oh, but she couldn’t possibly take all the credit.)
"You came home," Bea said, pushing through the crowd of people as she hugged the rabbit. "I knew you would come home. I wonder, did you find that wolf friend of yours along the way?"
She nodded. She found him, and she brought him home.
Seasons changed, time flew, and things came and went, just as all stories progressed. Ruby was now an academic, majoring in ecological sciences that required her to go to far-out places occasionally. More than just the rekindled love for adventuring, she was working on a dissertation surrounding the mysteries of Nature.
She remembered the words of a time long gone.
Having spent the wee hours of the morning tapping away on her typewriter, Ruby stretched from her position and stood up, deciding to get a cup of coffee. Looking out the kitchen window, she hadn't realized it was almost daybreak, and decided to walk outside with her cup for a fresh breath of air.
"A lot of the folks say I look like the rabbit on the moon, you know," she whispered to no one in particular.
As nothing but silence responded, Ruby sat down on the soft grass and leaned back, horizon in her view.
"But in all honesty, I've grown to love the rising sun because of you."
The warm spring breeze was no stranger to the hills, especially during the sun's early rise. A tinge of light yellow shaded the horizon, slowly covering the quaint town of Tanpopo below in a blanket of warmth. The sun would soon smile down on the rabbit and the newly grown tree beside her; their days would soon start. ■
There was something to be said, therefore, of the well-groomed rabbit looking down on the ragged wolf sat beneath a tree on the hill.
"Excuse me," said the rabbit, a small and soft voice inquiring, "are you lost?"
The wolf, wry on first impression, responded, "No, I've actually been looking for you all this time, sweetheart."
She was appalled by the lack of formality; she supposed not everyone was a pleasant first meet. "You better leave soon, or else you're not going to like what comes next."
To her surprise, he raised in hands in easy defeat. "I'm going to leave soon, don't worry. But come watch the sunrise with me first, won't you?"
It was a rarity, a rabbit and a wolf sat together in silence, watching the sun embrace the night sky. Here were two strangers, contrasting yet still willing to let their paths intersect in a happenstance.
As they say, there are no mistakes, just happy accidents.
"Lobo," the wolf broke the ice after a moment, his mouth curling up to what may be a genuine smile. "It's a pleasure to meet a fine lady like you."
"Ruby," said the other, returning the sincere greeting. "The pleasure is all mine."
It was their first of many daybreaks.
Lobo was an oddity.
Ruby admittedly hadn't met many people in her life, being born and raised in the town of Tanpopo, so to meet someone like Lobo was quite the experience. He came and left without a set schedule for the day; she would catch a glimpse of him for a second and lose track of him in the next. Sometimes she would ask the townsfolk of him, and it was always, "Yeah, I think I saw him for a brief moment in so-and-so, doing this-and-that."
In theory, he was hard to miss because of his eyes, fur color, and demeanor, but he did a damn well job of being missed regardless.
The only times when Ruby would catch a long glimpse of the wolf was during dawn. He would sit under the same tree on the same hill, watching every second of the changing horizon. This happened every day since his arrival that Ruby slowly got into the habit of waking early just to sit with him.
Quite so, there was much comfort in each other’s company, even if there was everything or nothing to be said. They warmed up to each other, slowly but surely, and talked about many great things in life during the wee hours of the morning. Secrets were told and secrets were kept between once-strangers beneath the tree on the hill.
Ruby told him of her past, how she lost her parents as a child after a perilous commission outside town, and how she currently lived with an old friend at the foot of the hill. The loss of both her mother and her father affected her deeply so that she feared ever leaving the walls of her town and the comfort of her home again.
Lobo was a stark contrast to Ruby, although they did share pieces of similarities. He too was orphaned, although without much memory of his family, and was raised in an orphanage with a caretaker and other children. His dream was to see as much of the world as he could, which was the reason why he suddenly appeared in Tanpopo one day with only a small bag and ragged clothes to boot.
"It must be nice to live your dreams without fear, isn't it?" Ruby commented, mindlessly moving her feet as she sat on the grass.
"Frankly," he paused, staring at his shadow forming from the oncoming daybreak, "it just feels like I'm running away."
"I can understand that." The rabbit responded, bringing her knees closer to her chest. "We all have something we want to run away from, even if we don’t realize it at first.”
Lobo clicked his tongue in interest. “What are you running away from?”
The question came all too soon. “I guess… I’m running away from what you’re running towards, which is seeing the world. I used to go on adventures all the time when my parents were still around, but…”
“…I’m sorry for your loss.” It was the only proper thing to say.
A small chuckle escaped the rabbit. “It’s alright. I’ve learned to be thankful of my quaint life right now. I’m glad I got to meet you, too.”
There was a pause, perhaps to let the moment sink in.
“How about you?” The rabbit chimed in. “What are you running away from?”
The wolf clicked his tongue once more, in thought. “Hmm, just some responsibilities.”
“You... aren't a fugitive, are you?" It was a burning question.
Lobo gave a hearty guffaw, breaking the melancholy. "And if I was?"
"I'm reporting you to Ma’am Isabelle." Ruby scrunched her eyebrows. "And if you run away right now, I'm going to chase after you to the ends of the earth for deceiving me. You wouldn't want to break my heart now, would you?"
"I'd honestly like to see you try and chase after me." Lobo turned towards his companion with a smirk. "But no, darling, all I am is a simple wolf living his life. I’m not a criminal. A hundred percent honest, I promise."
She grinned in return.
"As long as you're honest."
Lobo's honesty came rather frighteningly one summer dawn.
It had been around four months since his arrival in town, yet he remained a mystery to a great number of townsfolk. Sometimes he was seen fishing by the river in the outskirts of town, other times he was tending to a small number of harvests somewhere around the hillside. He helped with several town commissions here and there, but never too often for him to leave an impression on anyone. Anyone, but a single white rabbit.
"Ruby," he started, staring far towards the dark horizon, missing the ruby eyes that glanced towards him. "Don't miss me too much when I leave, okay?"
Ruby opened her mouth all too quick but stopped short of saying anything. All she then mustered up to say was, "Leaving soon for your next big adventure?"
"More or less."
Ruby thought she heard some hesitance in his voice but decided not to probe him further. She'd never seen a wolf cry anyway, and she assumed Lobo wouldn't want to be her first.
"Take care and have fun then." Her hands found their way to the grass for comfort. "Write letters to me from time to time. And if you ever you want to go home, you know where to find me."
There were no better words he could come up with than simply, “Thank you, Ruby.”
Despite the silence that ensued, the comfort of the moment never left their company. They had watched the sunrise a great number of times with each other, but its novelty did not once wane.
That day the horizon was a tad clouded, but the sun managed to peek through the crevices of gray, reassuring its presence to the world.
In a split second, lightning struck beyond the horizon, startling the wolf.
"The rainy seasons are coming close," the rabbit commented, surprisingly unfazed by the flash. "That reminds me, Nature Day is next week, April 22. Do you do anything for Nature Day, Lobo?"
Lobo tilted his head. "I used to help out in gardening in my orphanage before, if that counts."
Ruby brought her hands together in a clap. "Well, here in Tanpopo, we garden, set aside cooked crops, place them on altars, and pray for good weather. It’s an important tradition."
Lobo's eyes widened, quite interested. "Tanpopo was the town that got heavily damaged in a flood a long time ago, right?"
Ruby nodded. "Yeah, it was the great flood of 1922. They said no one was hurt, but the town had to be rebuilt from almost nothing. Valleys are always at risk during heavy rains. That's why every year since the great flood, we plant trees and give back to Mother Nature as much as we can. "
All Lobo replied with was, "That's great. I want to give back to Mother Nature, too."
"Then stay until Nature Day," Ruby responded almost immediately, grasping the blades of grass beneath her hands. "Just until then."
Lobo glanced away from her; he knew that he would lose the moment he looked into her eyes.
"No promises."
And just like that, Lobo was gone.
He left without any promises, without traces, without even a goodbye. After that conversation, he simply disappeared from the face of Tanpopo. He failed to show up in their meeting spot by the same tree on the hill. He was not there that dawn, nor the dawn after, nor every dawn after the next. It had only been days since his disappearance, yet the silence had grown so loud it was uncomfortable.
Ruby kept repeating to herself, it's no matter. He laid out his plans for her to hear, how he was going to continue travelling and seeing the world. She may be a footnote in his journey, but she could only hope she was a significant footnote nonetheless. Perhaps she could be his favorite footnote? Oh, but that might be too much to ask.
All she could do now was be his rest, if and when he comes back to Tanpopo.
"If ever you want to go home, you know where to find me."
That was enough, perhaps.
Besides, today was Nature Day. She had a lot on her to-do list: plant new flowers and shrubs, help in the community tree-planting, harvest some fruits, cook minestrone soup, and maybe do some spring cleaning. This day was a for celebrating nature and her gifts, and Ruby took every opportunity she could to brush aside the thoughts of the lone wolf.
“Are you ready, Ruby?” Her friend and housemate Bea called by the door. “We’re going to be late for the tree-planting!”
“I’m coming!” She shouted, and into town the two women went.
The day was eventful, to say the least. Celebrations were done both in town and in the comfort of their own home; minestrone soup was cooked and served in a small altar lit by candles. Bea and Ruby shared their prayers for the upcoming rainy season and the town’s harvest and wished the same everywhere else. Nature was bountiful and beautiful, and it was only right to say their thanks and give back in any way they could.
Somehow, beyond the happenings of today, Ruby’s mind still found its way to the crevices that held memories of her and Lobo. The setting of the sun meant the day was almost over, and Ruby would usually try and recall interesting segments for her to share with the wolf when dawn came the following morning. Today was different, because there was nothing to look forward to the next daybreak, so she whispered her stories in a prayer and ended it by wishing for Lobo’s safety in his journeys. It was the least she could do for him these days.
Nightfall came, and silence fell upon the town of Tanpopo. The pitter-patter of the rain and the cool winds of April lulled many to sleep, a good ambiance to conclude Nature Day of 2022. It had been a century since Tanpopo’s flooding incident, which was believed by the elderlies to be Nature expressing anger for not giving back enough on Nature Day. Since then, much celebration was done every Nature Day, especially in the town of Tanpopo, to continue the balance between Nature and its inhabitants.
Thus, it came to the shock of the townsfolk when a large flash of lightning struck that tree on the hill the midnight after Nature Day.
Ruby, along with Bea and the rest of the townsfolk, evacuated the area in a frenzy following the first bouts of lightning and falling trees. By the grace of Nature no one was harmed by the happenings, and the animals sought shelter in a town just beyond the valleys. Despite their distance, the crashing thunders could still be heard, as if mimicking a voice of pure rage and dissatisfaction.
The town of Tanpopo was deserted overnight.
At the break of dawn, majority of the townsfolk gathered in the town’s city hall to discuss their next steps. Understandably, many were rattled by the sudden outburst, some attributing it to coincidence and others to Nature herself. Left and right, conversations between the animals were being thrown in the ring, leaving no consensus for any plans of action.
“…Ruby?” Bea called out to the rabbit beside her. “How are you?”
How was she?
How could she describe how absolutely scared she was, how she had always feared leaving her home, her town, her quaint little life, all of which were destroyed in the blink of her eye? How could she say that, with each passing moment, she grew more worried about the safety of a wolf no one truly knew?
And what had she left to even call a home?
It was everything all at once: it was unbearable, it was uncomfortable, it was terrifying, and the only thing she knew what to do if she lost something or someone was cry. Cry, until she finds a new equilibrium, even if she never truly recovers from the heartbreak. Cry, until she convinces herself that she couldn’t do anything about it, even if she knows that deep down, she could’ve fought a little harder.
She let her parents go without telling them she was terrified of their safety. She let Lobo go without telling him that she had very much wanted to see the world with him.
If she had been just a little selfish and brave, would it have changed the tides of fate? Would she have kept her parents alive? Would she continue having Lobo with her? Would she still have her home, her town, her quaint little life with her?
The slam of a wooden stick pulled Ruby back to ground zero, and she instinctively wiped away her tears. She felt Bea’s caress on her back, warm and full of care, perhaps the remaining fragment of her once-called home. Billy, one of the Tanpopo’s town elderlies, had effectively silenced the entire hall with his walking stick.
“We can’t do much right now but wait for the thunderstorms to subside. It’s dangerous for any one of us to go back to our homes, lest you want to risk your lives for nothing but material possessions. We must also be on our toes in the event this neighboring town falls down the same fate as ours.”
Whispers floated around the hall, dissipated by another slam of the wooden stick.
“While we all have our assumptions, we have no proof to reject that Nature is displeased. Thus, while this is a dangerous commission, I propose that someone, anyone from town, bring a portion of our salvaged harvests to the Great Town Tree up north as an offering of peace.”
The crowd reached its breaking point, and the hall erupted into an uproar once more.
“Are you saying someone should risk their life for this?!”
“Do you think it’s wise to subtract from our already limited harvest?”
“Nature has left us to fend for ourselves despite out efforts! This is worse than the great flood of 1922!”
“I’ll go.”
In the sea of words, a mere two-word sentence managed to stand above all else, silencing the townsfolk.
“What?” repeated Billy, uncertain he heard correctly.
“I said I’ll go.”
All eyes fell on the lone rabbit standing in the middle of the crowd.
“Do you really have to go?” asked the brown canine, fixing the knot of handkerchief surrounding Ruby's neck.
The thought scared her. “Someone has to do it.”
"Alright… stay safe out there, then," whispered Bea, “Will you also be trying to find your wolf friend?”
He had already crossed her mind the moment she decided, but she shook her head in refusal.
“Right, it’s wise not to sidetrack. Just come back home to us, alright?” Bea smiled, patting the rabbit’s chest.
Come back home. She had said this to many others in the past, but today was the first she was told.
"I promise."
And just like that, Ruby was gone. She left with a promise, a trace, and a simple goodbye. The townsfolk of Tanpopo knew of her departure: they did love her, after all.
This was how much Ruby loved as well.
With a grass knapsack that held her life, she departed her small comfort zone and headed out into the great unknown. What little she knew about adventuring came from her accompanying her parents when they were alive: what to eat, where to hide, how to flee — a lot of the survival skills she knew in theory finally put to practice.
(Ironic that they didn't survive for long.)
She was but a small white rabbit against the terrors of the forests. Tall trees towered her at every corner, allowing her to bask in what little light fell to the forest floor. Darkness hugged her like a dear old friend and hid the many secrets of the world outside her old walls, her only safe spaces being each town far and few in between. It wasn't until now that she witnessed enchanted perils with her own two ruby eyes, and she was both in awe and in fear.
Despite it all, she pushed forward. On to one town, towards the next, befriending some creatures, avoiding others, and ultimately risking her life, because this was how much Ruby loved.
Perhaps if she completed her pilgrimage, not only would she be able to help her town greatly (assuming their offerings would be enough), but she'd finally be able to have closure for the people she loved and lost along the way. That included her old self, too.
That's why when she came across a poster in her last town stopover, she was more determined than ever to find closure.
WANTED: Midnight blue wolf with moon-colored eyes. If found, please report to authorities immediately.
She ran.
Ruby ran with the two dainty feet Nature gave her, travelling the last stretch of land that separated her from the Great Town Tree. Her heart raced as quickly as tears welled in her eyes.
“I’m not a criminal.”
Liar.
“A hundred percent honest.”
Liar.
“I promise.”
Liar.
It hurt just as much as when her parents promised her they’d come home safe and never did.
How could she be so foolish — to entrust herself with a wolf, of all creatures, and a mysterious one at that — to spend time with a fugitive, to enjoy the sunrise with him, to give him a time of her day – even just a lick of a minute? How could she stomach having been absolutely fascinated with someone running away from Nature knows what responsibilities, unwilling to share that these might have likely been terrible deeds?
"And if you run away right now, I'm going to chase after you to the ends of the earth for deceiving me. You wouldn't want to break my heart now, would you?"
She couldn’t lie that, for brief moments in her journey, she had hoped to catch even a glimpse of the wolf. A midnight blue shadow, moon-hued glances, or an echo of a hearty guffaw would have been enough. She hadn’t at all expected that the next time she saw his face was on a wanted poster.
Lost in thought – such silly thoughts about a silly wolf, she concluded – she hadn’t realized that something was just by the horizon. Fragments of orange light and clear droplets scattered across the forest, spreading wider the closer she ran towards them. A scent of petrichor crept through her nose, calming much of the senses that had once been filled with adrenaline. It was rare for this much of the sun to peek through the forest, so it meant only one thing.
She was finally here.
It was a large forest clearing, perhaps bigger than anything she’s seen on her journey. Here stood the Great Town Tree, standing firmly in its position as its leaves presented itself from one stretch of the clearing to another. The roots of the trees implanted themselves on the forest floor, running a great distance on the ground surface. It was a grand sight to behold, and she took every moment to breath it in, to remember it.
Much of her mind had been occupied by the view that she hadn’t realized it was already dusk, the fireflies starting to dance their rituals under the setting sun. As Ruby was facing the west, the Great Town Tree blocked the sun, leaving a towering shadow towards her direction.
It was faint in the shadow, but therein lay the moon.
Like a moth to a flame, she was lured. Entranced, she walked closer to it, her hand involuntarily reaching out.
"Excuse me," a low and gruff voice inquired, "are you lost?"
The rabbit, cautious on first impression, responded, "No… I've actually been looking for you all this time."
"You better leave soon, or else you're not going to like what comes next."
She clutched her knapsack and angled her feet in defense. "I'm going to leave soon, don't worry. But tell me: why have you stopped watching the sunrise with me?"
It was a rarity, a rabbit and a wolf standing together in silence as the night sky embraced the sun. Here were two strangers, contrasting yet still willing to let their paths intersect in a happenstance.
As they say, there are no mistakes.
"Ruby," the wolf broke the ice after a moment, his mouth unwavering in a frown. "I didn’t think you’d be here."
"Lobo," said the other, returning the glare. "As did I."
It was their first nightfall.
Silence ensued, ironically much louder than the heavy breaths from the rabbit. Exhausted from the physical and mental torment she’d subjected herself to the past days, all she wanted at this point was to break her resolve and end this.
It had to start with breaking the great walls that stood between the two.
“Let me just give my offerings and I’ll leave.” Ruby began, extending the arm that held the knapsack. “I want nothing to do with you anymore.”
“It’s probably for the best, anyway,” whispered Lobo, almost inaudibly from her.
“What?”
“Nothing.” He rolled his eyes. “What are you doing here?”
The rabbit walked towards the looming tree, passing by the wolf and lightly shaking her knapsack. Ruby glanced away the entire time; she knew that she would lose the moment she looked into his eyes. “I already told you, just going to drop some offerings.”
“For what?”
Ruby stopped dead in her tracks, her back facing him. “Tanpopo got struck by a lightning storm overnight after Nature Day. Lucky you for avoiding it, much like you’ve avoided everything else.”
The silent response was what she had hoped for.
After setting down the basket of harvests near the proximity of the trunk, Ruby stood back up, mulling for a moment. She hoped for some sort of resolution, some sort of epiphany, some sort of enchantment that would overcome her feelings of self-worth and doubt now that she had completed her pilgrimage, but it felt empty. Her hands were scarred, her feet were muddied, and her clothes were tattered – all for what felt like nothing. She was lost, she was confused, and she started becoming frustrated once again.
The tears started to well in her eyes, and she refused to turn around for fear that the wolf would take every opportunity to tear her apart: physically, emotionally, or both.
“I’m sorry.”
It was incredibly faint, but the words came across to her as clear as day.
“For what?”
“For everything,” Lobo said, grass rustling beneath his feet as he inched closer to the rabbit. “For dragging you into my responsibilities.”
Ruby finally snapped, turning around to face him. “What are your responsibilities anyway?! You’ve not got a single care in the world even though you’re a wanted man! I’ve had to leave comfort to sacrifice my life for people, and you just—”
“We’re here for the exact same thing, Ruby.”
She was caught off-guard and visibly confused, and he took this opportunity.
“Nature does like a give-and-take balance,” Lobo started, glancing at the basket of offerings that lay in front of them. “It’s the most fundamental law of Nature. We thrive with Her gifts, and She asks a simple thing from us every century. If we don’t deliver on time, She gets outraged.”
He started walking once more, passing the unspoken Ruby to gaze at the Great Town Tree. “I lived a dull past, sheltered in the walls of the orphanage. But I wanted to have some purpose in life, I wanted to be a hero, so I mustered everything in me to agree to this, even if I was afraid. I proposed one more wish: to let me be, to see the world, one last time.”
The cogs in Ruby’s mind started turning like clockwork from his statements, and she blinked the tears away. “What… what did you agree to?”
“To sacrifice my life for people,” he stated frankly. “It’s the one simple thing She asks from us every century. It’s a whispered secret by those far and few in between, and I suppose you’re now in on it.”
Her eyes widened in disbelief. “So those wanted posters…”
“I told them to look for me if I didn’t come here on time.”
“That’s why on Nature Day…”
“I couldn’t possibly promise you I’d stay.”
“And when you said you were running away from your responsibilities…”
There was a pause from the wolf caught off-guard.
“I didn’t mean to stay in Tanpopo longer than I did. I didn’t mean to be attached to anyone, nor did I mean to find company, but I suppose was impulsive. I know it was wrong, it was reckless, it was a mistake—”
“There are no mistakes,” Ruby interrupted, “just happy accidents.”
Another pause, perhaps to let the moment sink in.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated his previous statement. “For everything. For dragging you into my responsibilities. For being a tad bit too late to save your home, your town, your quaint little life.”
Her vexation slowly dissipated like smoke.
“As long as you’re honest.” She looked at her companion, the corners of her lips curving just a little upwards. “I’m not angry. A hundred percent honest. I promise.”
He smiled in return, comfort creeping its way to break down the walls that once stood between them. She made a promise she upheld.
“Thank you, Lobo.” There were no better words she could come up with.
The wolf nodded his head, positioning himself under the Great Town Tree. “It was a pleasure to meet a fine lady like you.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” she returned. “Will we see each other in the next life, perchance?”
Lobo glanced towards her; he knew that he would lose the moment he looked into her eyes.
“I promise.”
And just like that, Lobo was gone.
Just like the sun had disappeared over the horizon with the moon at the distance, so too did the wolf fade from the rabbit’s view. A whisper of unintelligible words and he was soon enshrouded in fragments of green light, resonating with the vessels of the tree that also grew brighter with the same shade of green. Under the light of dusk and the dancing of the fireflies it was an ethereal view, and Ruby was a split second too late of running towards him before the glow of green dispelled in the wind.
She collapsed on the grass, feeling both mirth and misery. Tears once again welled her ruby eyes, and the moment she spent sitting on the grass felt like an eternity. It was all too bittersweet, and she was always on the receiving end.
A moment of her clarity found its way towards a small seed where he once stood, a faint moon glow emanating from its core. She cupped it in her hands and noticed how small yet warm it was to touch.
Truly did Nature uphold the laws of balance.
It was a long journey back home, where Ruby found the skies clear and beautiful, a stark contrast to when she left. Joyous cheers of ‘You did it!’ ‘Nature is restored!’ ‘Praise to our little Ruby!’ resounded throughout town, celebrating the coming back home of their now-hero.
(Oh, but she couldn’t possibly take all the credit.)
"You came home," Bea said, pushing through the crowd of people as she hugged the rabbit. "I knew you would come home. I wonder, did you find that wolf friend of yours along the way?"
"If ever you want to go home, you know where to find me."
She nodded. She found him, and she brought him home.
Seasons changed, time flew, and things came and went, just as all stories progressed. Ruby was now an academic, majoring in ecological sciences that required her to go to far-out places occasionally. More than just the rekindled love for adventuring, she was working on a dissertation surrounding the mysteries of Nature.
"It’s a whispered secret by those far and few in between, and I suppose you’re now in on it."
She remembered the words of a time long gone.
Having spent the wee hours of the morning tapping away on her typewriter, Ruby stretched from her position and stood up, deciding to get a cup of coffee. Looking out the kitchen window, she hadn't realized it was almost daybreak, and decided to walk outside with her cup for a fresh breath of air.
"A lot of the folks say I look like the rabbit on the moon, you know," she whispered to no one in particular.
As nothing but silence responded, Ruby sat down on the soft grass and leaned back, horizon in her view.
"But in all honesty, I've grown to love the rising sun because of you."
The warm spring breeze was no stranger to the hills, especially during the sun's early rise. A tinge of light yellow shaded the horizon, slowly covering the quaint town of Tanpopo below in a blanket of warmth. The sun would soon smile down on the rabbit and the newly grown tree beside her; their days would soon start. ■
Millysaurusrexjr
Got 2 Be Real
I never write stuff so I hope this isn't too bad. It's about 1600 words
The time was 8:55 AM on a Monday morning. With a serene blanket of fog clouding the domain of Orkberk, the city was anything but quiet. Situated high up in a canopy of trees, Orkberk is comprised of dozens of buildings and skyscrapers carved among thousands of thick branches. On one of those branches, Gilbert Darkclaw was just finishing up his daily commute to the office.
He checked his watch. “Darn, five minutes too early” He grumbled to himself. Gilbert considered taking his time walking into the building but dreaded the idea of the extra boredom that would undoubtedly come with taking no more than a few strides per minute.
“At least the coffee will be piping hot, I guess.”
Alas, Gilbert crawled his way into Dynastes Incorporated, hoping to get to his cubicle undisturbed. Navigating the twists and turns of the hallways of Dynastes like a pro, Gilbert was hopeful that there would be no obstructions in the additional journey of his daily commute. Just as he was about to round the final corner, Gilbert nearly crashed into none other than Jeff Gyngnort, his boss.
“GILBERT! JUST THE BEETLE I NEEDED TO SEE! HOW GOES IT, MY MAN?”
Jeff yelled, giving Gilbert no time at all to respond.
“GOOD, GOOD! SOOO I KNOW YOU’RE STILL WORKING ON THE PEGLI ACCOUNT BUT I HAVE SOME MORE WORK FOR YA –”
Gilbert began walking to his cubicle as Jeff followed, continuing to shout his expectations of Gilbert.
Why does he always have to talk this loudly?
Eventually Jeff faded into the background, and at some point he had gone completely.
Gilbert had mountains upon mountains of folders, files, and other miscellaneous paperwork that needed processing. Looking at the insurmountable tasks before him, Gilbert sighed and glanced out the window just outside of his cubicle. Expecting to see the hazy outline of the city, Gilbert instead noticed a strange circle on the glass. A circle of pure black, it swallowed light whole. The circle began to grow, as if it were a pupil slowly dilating. Gilbert looked around to see if anyone else had noticed the strange circle, but it was business as usual in the office.
Swivelling out of his chair, Gilbert tenderly walked up to the dark circle, nudging it with his horn. The magnetic force of the circle nearly pulled his horn in! He took a step back, both impressed and confused by this strange black hole. Suddenly, he overheard his boss yelling, “WE’LL GET GILBERT ON IT RIGHT AWAY! LET’S BRING HIM INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM!” Gilbert panicked and before he knew it, he was stepping through the circle.
In a daze, Gilbert slowly opened his eyes, trying to adjust to his surroundings. It was a forest, but not the busy treetops of Orkberk that he was so familiar with. This... this was the ground! Never before had he been so far from the sun. It was at this point that he noticed that the trees had become silhouettes against a dark blue sky. Had he been unconscious the entire day? How did he even get here?
Shaking the dust off his wings, Gilbert surveyed his immediate surroundings, when suddenly a bunch of little blinking lights encircled him.
“H-Hello?” Gilbert’s voice cracked. “Where am I?”
“It’s him!” A voice whispered. “The one who will save us! Save all of us! He’s here!”
Many other voices began to whisper, creating a crescendo of noise. The lights began to blink rapidly, getting closer and closer to Gilbert.
“H-hey, what’s going on? What’s the big idea?!” Gilbert was getting ready to strike.
“Wait! Waaaait!” A little voice cried out. The sounds of the little lights came to a pause.
One of the little lights gently landed on Gilberts horn. He could see much clearer now; it was a firefly! Relief washed over him. Fireflies were very rarely seen in Orkberk; he had nearly forgotten of their existence... Some even thought of fireflies as mythical beings.
“You… are Gilbert Darkclaw!” The little voice said matter-of-factly.
“Correct.”
“And not much of a talker, it seems.” Some of the lights in the crowd tried to stifle their laughs. “Getting to the point! We summoned you here to help us! You see, there’s this… there’s this… this BEAST that likes to terrorize our little community here in Anglidu.”
“A beast?”
“The beast is some kind of Giant… Always trotting through our humble abode, always lumbering through and- and- and galumphing on our lawns, on our homes, on our people, oh the humanity—”
“And how do I fit into all this?” Gilbert inquired.
“Well, we requested the biggest, strongest, burliest bug in all the land, and Gilbert, your name came up. You’re the one. The one who can take on… The Beast!” The crowd of fireflies began to cheer excitedly.
“I guess I can give it a shot.”
The two insects began to hatch a plan. The little firefly, now known to Gilbert as Lowenna, showed him around the modest village of Anglidu. At least, Lowenna showed Gilbert what she could, for there were many homes that Gilbert could not even fit his horn in, let alone his entire person.
The fireflies of Anglidu persuaded Gilbert to become a temporary resident, and built him a house that he could actually fit in. Gilbert spent the entire Spring training. Lifting weights, pulling carts, hopping from tree to tree, throwing hand-axes, chopping wood, crushing boulders. Gilbert was all in. His life as an accountant at Dynastes Incorporated became a distant memory with every passing second. It began to seem as if Gilbert had always lived here in the quiet village of Anglidu.
After a long day of training, Gilbert retired to the local tavern for some well-deserved Maple Ale. He couldn’t quite fit inside of course, but at this point the locals had graciously carved out a window suitable for Gilbert’s head. Gilbert had become well-loved in this tiny community. A beacon of safety for all the firefly inhabitants.
As Gilbert was clinking his glass with his fellow tavern-goers, an irregular series of rumblings shook the village. “THE BEAST IS UPON US! THE BEAST IS UPON US!” Warning bells chimed through the air, families rushed into their abodes, torches were lit by the local Guard. Gilbert drank the last of his Ale and set off to battle, with axes in tow. He thought he would be more nervous, but adrenaline rushed through his bug veins.
Standing with the Guard of Anglidu, the village became silent. A few whispers among the troops could be heard as they waited for The Beast to arrive. Gilbert’s curiosity was burning bright, for he had no idea what this creature looked like. After what felt like an eternity, a final series of rumbles brought forth an ever-growing image of The Beast... It was nothing like Gilbert had ever seen. It was certainly no insect, nor tree. It towered almost a quarter of the way up to the canopy of the trees where Gilbert had once lived. So tall and yet it had only four limbs – perhaps a weakness?
As The Beast descended upon the village perimeter, all hell broke loose. The Guard bravely charged forth. “FOR ANGLIDU!” The Leader called out. “FOR ANGLIDU!!” The army repeated.
While a noble effort, the fireflies were no match for this beast. Almost instantly The Beast had materialized a strange contraption, swatting at the poor souls who dared to get close. A loud voice boomed “WHOO! I CAUGHT A FIREFLY! NOW I DON’T NEED A FLASHLIGHT!”
The screams of the village magnified upon hearing The Beast cry out.
We’re running out of time.
Gilbert climbed the trunk of a nearby tree and assessed the situation. He noticed that The Beast had eyes. Finally, something in common with insect-folk. It was perhaps his only chance – the village’s saving grace. Gilbert clutched on to the trunk with his back legs, and sturdied his axes with his front legs.
Here goes nothing!
Gilbert pounced at The Beast’s face and stuck with both of his axes at once. He cut a gash just below the eye of The Beast. Gilbert’s bug heart sank immediately, knowing he had failed to blind The Beast… However, The Beast cried out in pain! Gilbert leapt off and landed on the ground, getting ready to strike again. However, as he turned around, he witnessed The Beast running away from Anglidu. Did he manage to scare it off?!
Once The Beast had gone, the village quietly stepped out to inspect. The silence erupted into cheers. Gilbert Darkclaw had really done it! Anglidu was saved! Not even a few moments later the entire village began to party. A firefly bard danced sprightly around Gilbert while also somehow managing to play the lute and sing at the same time.
“Gilbert Darkclaw! Champion of Anglidu! What would we ever do without you?!”
After a night of merriment, Gilbert returned to his home and plopped down on to his bed. Lowenna had given him the titles Champion of Anglidu, Slayer of Beasts, Bringer of Peace, The Mighty Horned Hercules… and to top it all off he was gifted a Permanent Resident visa. As his bug head hit the pillow he fell asleep immediately.
Gilbert soon awoke to fluorescent lighting and dull chatter. This certainly wasn’t Anglidu. Where in the world was he now? As his eyes adjusted, he could see he was back in Dynastes Incorporated. His mountains of paperwork towered over him instead of the trees. It must have been a dream… A very vivid dream.
Gilbert defeatedly went into the breakroom and poured himself a cup of coffee. Peering into the mug, he noticed that his coffee was pure black, absorbing all light. How strange…
Beetle and The Beast
The time was 8:55 AM on a Monday morning. With a serene blanket of fog clouding the domain of Orkberk, the city was anything but quiet. Situated high up in a canopy of trees, Orkberk is comprised of dozens of buildings and skyscrapers carved among thousands of thick branches. On one of those branches, Gilbert Darkclaw was just finishing up his daily commute to the office.
He checked his watch. “Darn, five minutes too early” He grumbled to himself. Gilbert considered taking his time walking into the building but dreaded the idea of the extra boredom that would undoubtedly come with taking no more than a few strides per minute.
“At least the coffee will be piping hot, I guess.”
Alas, Gilbert crawled his way into Dynastes Incorporated, hoping to get to his cubicle undisturbed. Navigating the twists and turns of the hallways of Dynastes like a pro, Gilbert was hopeful that there would be no obstructions in the additional journey of his daily commute. Just as he was about to round the final corner, Gilbert nearly crashed into none other than Jeff Gyngnort, his boss.
“GILBERT! JUST THE BEETLE I NEEDED TO SEE! HOW GOES IT, MY MAN?”
Jeff yelled, giving Gilbert no time at all to respond.
“GOOD, GOOD! SOOO I KNOW YOU’RE STILL WORKING ON THE PEGLI ACCOUNT BUT I HAVE SOME MORE WORK FOR YA –”
Gilbert began walking to his cubicle as Jeff followed, continuing to shout his expectations of Gilbert.
Why does he always have to talk this loudly?
Eventually Jeff faded into the background, and at some point he had gone completely.
Gilbert had mountains upon mountains of folders, files, and other miscellaneous paperwork that needed processing. Looking at the insurmountable tasks before him, Gilbert sighed and glanced out the window just outside of his cubicle. Expecting to see the hazy outline of the city, Gilbert instead noticed a strange circle on the glass. A circle of pure black, it swallowed light whole. The circle began to grow, as if it were a pupil slowly dilating. Gilbert looked around to see if anyone else had noticed the strange circle, but it was business as usual in the office.
Swivelling out of his chair, Gilbert tenderly walked up to the dark circle, nudging it with his horn. The magnetic force of the circle nearly pulled his horn in! He took a step back, both impressed and confused by this strange black hole. Suddenly, he overheard his boss yelling, “WE’LL GET GILBERT ON IT RIGHT AWAY! LET’S BRING HIM INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM!” Gilbert panicked and before he knew it, he was stepping through the circle.
In a daze, Gilbert slowly opened his eyes, trying to adjust to his surroundings. It was a forest, but not the busy treetops of Orkberk that he was so familiar with. This... this was the ground! Never before had he been so far from the sun. It was at this point that he noticed that the trees had become silhouettes against a dark blue sky. Had he been unconscious the entire day? How did he even get here?
Shaking the dust off his wings, Gilbert surveyed his immediate surroundings, when suddenly a bunch of little blinking lights encircled him.
“H-Hello?” Gilbert’s voice cracked. “Where am I?”
“It’s him!” A voice whispered. “The one who will save us! Save all of us! He’s here!”
Many other voices began to whisper, creating a crescendo of noise. The lights began to blink rapidly, getting closer and closer to Gilbert.
“H-hey, what’s going on? What’s the big idea?!” Gilbert was getting ready to strike.
“Wait! Waaaait!” A little voice cried out. The sounds of the little lights came to a pause.
One of the little lights gently landed on Gilberts horn. He could see much clearer now; it was a firefly! Relief washed over him. Fireflies were very rarely seen in Orkberk; he had nearly forgotten of their existence... Some even thought of fireflies as mythical beings.
“You… are Gilbert Darkclaw!” The little voice said matter-of-factly.
“Correct.”
“And not much of a talker, it seems.” Some of the lights in the crowd tried to stifle their laughs. “Getting to the point! We summoned you here to help us! You see, there’s this… there’s this… this BEAST that likes to terrorize our little community here in Anglidu.”
“A beast?”
“The beast is some kind of Giant… Always trotting through our humble abode, always lumbering through and- and- and galumphing on our lawns, on our homes, on our people, oh the humanity—”
“And how do I fit into all this?” Gilbert inquired.
“Well, we requested the biggest, strongest, burliest bug in all the land, and Gilbert, your name came up. You’re the one. The one who can take on… The Beast!” The crowd of fireflies began to cheer excitedly.
“I guess I can give it a shot.”
The two insects began to hatch a plan. The little firefly, now known to Gilbert as Lowenna, showed him around the modest village of Anglidu. At least, Lowenna showed Gilbert what she could, for there were many homes that Gilbert could not even fit his horn in, let alone his entire person.
The fireflies of Anglidu persuaded Gilbert to become a temporary resident, and built him a house that he could actually fit in. Gilbert spent the entire Spring training. Lifting weights, pulling carts, hopping from tree to tree, throwing hand-axes, chopping wood, crushing boulders. Gilbert was all in. His life as an accountant at Dynastes Incorporated became a distant memory with every passing second. It began to seem as if Gilbert had always lived here in the quiet village of Anglidu.
After a long day of training, Gilbert retired to the local tavern for some well-deserved Maple Ale. He couldn’t quite fit inside of course, but at this point the locals had graciously carved out a window suitable for Gilbert’s head. Gilbert had become well-loved in this tiny community. A beacon of safety for all the firefly inhabitants.
As Gilbert was clinking his glass with his fellow tavern-goers, an irregular series of rumblings shook the village. “THE BEAST IS UPON US! THE BEAST IS UPON US!” Warning bells chimed through the air, families rushed into their abodes, torches were lit by the local Guard. Gilbert drank the last of his Ale and set off to battle, with axes in tow. He thought he would be more nervous, but adrenaline rushed through his bug veins.
Standing with the Guard of Anglidu, the village became silent. A few whispers among the troops could be heard as they waited for The Beast to arrive. Gilbert’s curiosity was burning bright, for he had no idea what this creature looked like. After what felt like an eternity, a final series of rumbles brought forth an ever-growing image of The Beast... It was nothing like Gilbert had ever seen. It was certainly no insect, nor tree. It towered almost a quarter of the way up to the canopy of the trees where Gilbert had once lived. So tall and yet it had only four limbs – perhaps a weakness?
As The Beast descended upon the village perimeter, all hell broke loose. The Guard bravely charged forth. “FOR ANGLIDU!” The Leader called out. “FOR ANGLIDU!!” The army repeated.
While a noble effort, the fireflies were no match for this beast. Almost instantly The Beast had materialized a strange contraption, swatting at the poor souls who dared to get close. A loud voice boomed “WHOO! I CAUGHT A FIREFLY! NOW I DON’T NEED A FLASHLIGHT!”
The screams of the village magnified upon hearing The Beast cry out.
We’re running out of time.
Gilbert climbed the trunk of a nearby tree and assessed the situation. He noticed that The Beast had eyes. Finally, something in common with insect-folk. It was perhaps his only chance – the village’s saving grace. Gilbert clutched on to the trunk with his back legs, and sturdied his axes with his front legs.
Here goes nothing!
Gilbert pounced at The Beast’s face and stuck with both of his axes at once. He cut a gash just below the eye of The Beast. Gilbert’s bug heart sank immediately, knowing he had failed to blind The Beast… However, The Beast cried out in pain! Gilbert leapt off and landed on the ground, getting ready to strike again. However, as he turned around, he witnessed The Beast running away from Anglidu. Did he manage to scare it off?!
Once The Beast had gone, the village quietly stepped out to inspect. The silence erupted into cheers. Gilbert Darkclaw had really done it! Anglidu was saved! Not even a few moments later the entire village began to party. A firefly bard danced sprightly around Gilbert while also somehow managing to play the lute and sing at the same time.
“Gilbert Darkclaw! Champion of Anglidu! What would we ever do without you?!”
After a night of merriment, Gilbert returned to his home and plopped down on to his bed. Lowenna had given him the titles Champion of Anglidu, Slayer of Beasts, Bringer of Peace, The Mighty Horned Hercules… and to top it all off he was gifted a Permanent Resident visa. As his bug head hit the pillow he fell asleep immediately.
Gilbert soon awoke to fluorescent lighting and dull chatter. This certainly wasn’t Anglidu. Where in the world was he now? As his eyes adjusted, he could see he was back in Dynastes Incorporated. His mountains of paperwork towered over him instead of the trees. It must have been a dream… A very vivid dream.
Gilbert defeatedly went into the breakroom and poured himself a cup of coffee. Peering into the mug, he noticed that his coffee was pure black, absorbing all light. How strange…
Here's my entry! Trying to keep a cohesive theme throughout my submissions.
Hyacinth took his watering can and began pouring some water on his white roses. Birds were singing in the distance and a slight breeze caressed his clothes.
Then, suddenly, he heard running and some quite heavy pants.
"H-Hyacinth! Hyacinth! We need your help right now!"
Hyacinth turned around and saw Puddles running towards him at full speed.
"Hey, hey, calm down! What's the matter Puddles?"
"It's.. oh... it's the swamp... the swamp waters, they're turning all brown and muddy! We can't bathe in them anymore, we need this water to survive!" Puddles answered.
"Okay, okay stay calm, I'll go and see what I can do."
"Thanks... phew... I'm exhausted, we're counting on you...!"
Hyacinth put his can back inside his shed, and took one of his trekking poles. He then proceeded to go to the swamp which were exactly as Puddles described them: brown and muddy. He looked around and searched for any clues on why the waters became this way but couldn't find much. He planted his pole inside of the water and stood back quite shocked as to how deep it went. After trying again in a different spot he decided to go in himself. He carefully let his left foot touch the flithy waters and all of a sudden felt a grip. He fought back and almost fell right in but managed to go out safely. After recovering from what just happened he went back to Puddles.
"Hey, I'm back. I have bad news though."
"Oh no... what's the problem?"
"I tried to look for anything outside the swamp but couldn't find a single thing out of the ordinary, I also tried getting inside the water and it felt like it tried to grab me and push me right into it."
"Oh my...! I'm so sorry I sent you there... I didn't know it was that dangerous! I'm very glad you're safe and sound."
"Please don't worry! It's okay, I'm the one who tried to go in... looking back that was kinda stupid."
"Hm... I think I have another idea to resolve this mystery, follow me." And so, Hyacinth followed Puddles to Lily's hut, inside the Mystical Forest
.
"Knock knock!" Said Puddles while softly moving the fabric door.
"Please, come in." Lily answered in a poised voice.
"We need your help Lily, the swamp waters look like they've been severely intoxicated... we don't understand how!"
"Can I get anymore details perchance?"
"I went." Hyacinth answered. "I almost got sucked in! I tried looking around but I couldn't find anything strange so I wanted to go inside but it felt like the water grabbed me!"
"I see. Did you try to throw anything inside other than... well, yourself?"
"Yes, I actually brought one of my trekking poles and I was very astonished as to how deep the waters were."
"And did the water try to grab the pole?"
"...Now that I think about it, no... it didn't. Why?"
"The answer is very simple, the swamp waters have been poisoned not by nature, but by someone."
"Excuse me?!" said Puddles, in shock.
"And I might know who are the culprits."
"...Who "are"?" emphasized Hyacinth.
"Yes, I'm quite certain the ones who did this are three diabolical witches. Gigi, Diva and Jambette, none other."
"Oh dear! Why would they do that!" answered Puddles trying not to loose her composure.
"Why not? They're evil, they don't need motivation, only results."
"I suppose that makes sense... I guess. But how can we cure the waters, we need them to survive!"
"I only see one way. Someone needs to go, and this someone will have to get the witches to remove their curse, by any means available to them."
"I volunteer" Hyacinth said, determined. "I shall not fail again!"
"Are you sure Hyacinth..? I could go if really needed..." Puddles said.
"I'm certain. I will do it."
"Perfect." said Lily. "However, before you go, you'll need this" Lily stood up and began some kind of praying stance. After a few seconds a slight glow came out of her and materialized in front of Hyacinth in the form of a drop.
"Here, this is my blessed dew, if you ever need to confront the witches, it will protect you from their hexes."
"W...Wow, thanks, it feels so pure!"
"Of course. Now go! Save our swamp! You must seek the witches deeper in this forest."
And with that, Hyacinth left the hut and started walking witches" lair.
As he wandered through the forest, he felt a weird feeling surrounding him. But, somehow, he felt good, the Blessed Dew seemed to interact with the forest and repulse the ambient darkness.
After exploring for quite a while, our hero saw a faint purple-y hue coming out of a group of distant trees and rushed to it. He knew that that was it.
He then approached what seemed like a very small entryway and peeped through it.
What he saw was out of this world. He rubbed his eyes and looked, as the three witches danced and chanted around what seemed like a neon pink pentagram on the ground. Some candles were floating around, going in circles around the pentagram as well.
He couldn't contain his shock and let out a gasp.
All of a sudden everything stopped. The pentagram turned purple and the candles fell on the floor as the three witches faced his direction. The entire area turned black except for Gigi's left eye, Diva's right eye and Jambette mouth who was standing inbetween the two others.
"Who dares trespass our lair. Show yourself or be cursed for eternity." The three frogs said together in a straight tone.
Hyacinth swallowed his saliva and took a step forward, showing himself to the three atrocities.
"Who are YOU?"
"I...I'm Hyacinth, from Navis. I'm here to investigate as to why our swamp got poisoned... our frogs need it to survive."
"And how does that concern us, weakling?"
"I've.. uh... I've been told that you were responsible for the intoxication."
"Oh... and who told you such bold accusations?" The witches said, getting closer to Hyacinth.
"...Lily did."
The witches began to laugh hysterically while forming a circle around our hero and floating around him.
"SHE did? Will she ever LEARN? We are NOT to be messed with. You will PAY for coming here, in HER name."
Hyacinth tried fighting back but the witches powers were too powerful, he crouched on himself trying to ignore their atrocious voices.
"It's time. For YOU. To DIE. INSECT!"
The three witches went straight for Hyacinth but right when they were about to touch him everything stopped for what seemed like eternity. Then, all of a sudden, a blue bubble formed around Hyacinth and sent the witches flying each into a tree.
"Wh...What is THIS? Who are YOU? Get away from HERE!"
Hyacinth stood up and understood immediatly how the Blessed Dew saved him, and the extent of its powers.
"Remove your curse right now. Or I'll make you boil in your very own cauldron." Hyacinth said, getting up and surrounded by a powerful blue glow.
"We... We will do it. Please NEVER come back. NEVER!" the witches gathered up their last ressources and expelled Hyacinth out of their lair.
After a few seconds he looked around, a bit disoriented. Did he do it? Did he succeed? He wandered off back to Lily hut, dubitative.
As he neared his destination he saw a pink spot off in the distance, coming closer surprisingly fast.
"H-Hyacinth! You...phew... You did it! Our swamp is saved!"
Swampy Business
Hyacinth took his watering can and began pouring some water on his white roses. Birds were singing in the distance and a slight breeze caressed his clothes.
Then, suddenly, he heard running and some quite heavy pants.
"H-Hyacinth! Hyacinth! We need your help right now!"
Hyacinth turned around and saw Puddles running towards him at full speed.
"Hey, hey, calm down! What's the matter Puddles?"
"It's.. oh... it's the swamp... the swamp waters, they're turning all brown and muddy! We can't bathe in them anymore, we need this water to survive!" Puddles answered.
"Okay, okay stay calm, I'll go and see what I can do."
"Thanks... phew... I'm exhausted, we're counting on you...!"
Hyacinth put his can back inside his shed, and took one of his trekking poles. He then proceeded to go to the swamp which were exactly as Puddles described them: brown and muddy. He looked around and searched for any clues on why the waters became this way but couldn't find much. He planted his pole inside of the water and stood back quite shocked as to how deep it went. After trying again in a different spot he decided to go in himself. He carefully let his left foot touch the flithy waters and all of a sudden felt a grip. He fought back and almost fell right in but managed to go out safely. After recovering from what just happened he went back to Puddles.
"Hey, I'm back. I have bad news though."
"Oh no... what's the problem?"
"I tried to look for anything outside the swamp but couldn't find a single thing out of the ordinary, I also tried getting inside the water and it felt like it tried to grab me and push me right into it."
"Oh my...! I'm so sorry I sent you there... I didn't know it was that dangerous! I'm very glad you're safe and sound."
"Please don't worry! It's okay, I'm the one who tried to go in... looking back that was kinda stupid."
"Hm... I think I have another idea to resolve this mystery, follow me." And so, Hyacinth followed Puddles to Lily's hut, inside the Mystical Forest
.
"Knock knock!" Said Puddles while softly moving the fabric door.
"Please, come in." Lily answered in a poised voice.
"We need your help Lily, the swamp waters look like they've been severely intoxicated... we don't understand how!"
"Can I get anymore details perchance?"
"I went." Hyacinth answered. "I almost got sucked in! I tried looking around but I couldn't find anything strange so I wanted to go inside but it felt like the water grabbed me!"
"I see. Did you try to throw anything inside other than... well, yourself?"
"Yes, I actually brought one of my trekking poles and I was very astonished as to how deep the waters were."
"And did the water try to grab the pole?"
"...Now that I think about it, no... it didn't. Why?"
"The answer is very simple, the swamp waters have been poisoned not by nature, but by someone."
"Excuse me?!" said Puddles, in shock.
"And I might know who are the culprits."
"...Who "are"?" emphasized Hyacinth.
"Yes, I'm quite certain the ones who did this are three diabolical witches. Gigi, Diva and Jambette, none other."
"Oh dear! Why would they do that!" answered Puddles trying not to loose her composure.
"Why not? They're evil, they don't need motivation, only results."
"I suppose that makes sense... I guess. But how can we cure the waters, we need them to survive!"
"I only see one way. Someone needs to go, and this someone will have to get the witches to remove their curse, by any means available to them."
"I volunteer" Hyacinth said, determined. "I shall not fail again!"
"Are you sure Hyacinth..? I could go if really needed..." Puddles said.
"I'm certain. I will do it."
"Perfect." said Lily. "However, before you go, you'll need this" Lily stood up and began some kind of praying stance. After a few seconds a slight glow came out of her and materialized in front of Hyacinth in the form of a drop.
"Here, this is my blessed dew, if you ever need to confront the witches, it will protect you from their hexes."
"W...Wow, thanks, it feels so pure!"
"Of course. Now go! Save our swamp! You must seek the witches deeper in this forest."
And with that, Hyacinth left the hut and started walking witches" lair.
As he wandered through the forest, he felt a weird feeling surrounding him. But, somehow, he felt good, the Blessed Dew seemed to interact with the forest and repulse the ambient darkness.
After exploring for quite a while, our hero saw a faint purple-y hue coming out of a group of distant trees and rushed to it. He knew that that was it.
He then approached what seemed like a very small entryway and peeped through it.
What he saw was out of this world. He rubbed his eyes and looked, as the three witches danced and chanted around what seemed like a neon pink pentagram on the ground. Some candles were floating around, going in circles around the pentagram as well.
He couldn't contain his shock and let out a gasp.
All of a sudden everything stopped. The pentagram turned purple and the candles fell on the floor as the three witches faced his direction. The entire area turned black except for Gigi's left eye, Diva's right eye and Jambette mouth who was standing inbetween the two others.
"Who dares trespass our lair. Show yourself or be cursed for eternity." The three frogs said together in a straight tone.
Hyacinth swallowed his saliva and took a step forward, showing himself to the three atrocities.
"Who are YOU?"
"I...I'm Hyacinth, from Navis. I'm here to investigate as to why our swamp got poisoned... our frogs need it to survive."
"And how does that concern us, weakling?"
"I've.. uh... I've been told that you were responsible for the intoxication."
"Oh... and who told you such bold accusations?" The witches said, getting closer to Hyacinth.
"...Lily did."
The witches began to laugh hysterically while forming a circle around our hero and floating around him.
"SHE did? Will she ever LEARN? We are NOT to be messed with. You will PAY for coming here, in HER name."
Hyacinth tried fighting back but the witches powers were too powerful, he crouched on himself trying to ignore their atrocious voices.
"It's time. For YOU. To DIE. INSECT!"
The three witches went straight for Hyacinth but right when they were about to touch him everything stopped for what seemed like eternity. Then, all of a sudden, a blue bubble formed around Hyacinth and sent the witches flying each into a tree.
"Wh...What is THIS? Who are YOU? Get away from HERE!"
Hyacinth stood up and understood immediatly how the Blessed Dew saved him, and the extent of its powers.
"Remove your curse right now. Or I'll make you boil in your very own cauldron." Hyacinth said, getting up and surrounded by a powerful blue glow.
"We... We will do it. Please NEVER come back. NEVER!" the witches gathered up their last ressources and expelled Hyacinth out of their lair.
After a few seconds he looked around, a bit disoriented. Did he do it? Did he succeed? He wandered off back to Lily hut, dubitative.
As he neared his destination he saw a pink spot off in the distance, coming closer surprisingly fast.
"H-Hyacinth! You...phew... You did it! Our swamp is saved!"
Midoriya
Go beyond! Plus ultra!
Not sure that I'll have time to submit a story before the deadline. I'm a good writer through and through, so I don't necessarily want to rush a story either, even if it's for participation tickets.
I've loved reading everyone else's though! You guys are all seriously creative writers.
I've loved reading everyone else's though! You guys are all seriously creative writers.
this story turned into a beast but i had so much fun!
phyllis never thought of herself as a hero. she worked a normal job as the night clerk at the post office. she ignored customers and collected a regular paycheck from the town, which she spent on one of the few things that brought her happiness: coffee (kilimanjaro, no milk or sugar) before a shift.
she saw all sorts of mail when she was working, but most of it was mundane. taxes, bills, letters from moms. sometimes she got a stray love letter (and she loved reading those), but that was rare. one day, she got something particularly out of the ordinary. there was a letter today that fluttered and flew around the whole office, sprinkling glitter everywhere as it bumped repeatedly into phyllis until she opened it.
the time to change your life is now. climb to the top of the lighthouse on the night of the next full moon to save your sister.
phyllis rolled her eyes. junk mail. she tossed it without a second thought. sure, there were some nights where she wondered if there was more to life than just going to work every night and paying her bills on time. she knew the bit about saving pelly was just flat out false, because pelly was a good bird and everyone liked her. who on earth would even think about hurting her? this letter just seemed like a stupid prank by kids; it had timmy and tommy written all over it.
the rest of the shift went on uneventfully. once the sun began to peak out from the horizon, it was time for phyllis to go. she packed up her things in her messenger bag before heading out the door when she almost ran into a giant moai statue that was not there when she clocked in.
“phyllis…” the headstone boomed menacingly. now, phyllis had felt herself growing progressively more and more dead inside with every shift, but even a talking statue was enough to shake even her out of her apathy.
“aAAaGH!” she shouted in surprise.
“ignoring my letter… and your problems… won’t make them go away.” was it possible for a rock to look disappointed? this rock looked disappointed. scratch that - how was it possible for the rock to even be talking? phyllis scowled at the judgment. so what if the monotony wasn’t exactly what she’d planned when she left her parent’s nest? so what if she knew that she was capable of more than just sorting mail and counting down the hours until her shift ended?
“get out of my way,” she grumbled before pulling her bag tighter against her body. what happened next was something phyllis could have never predicted, even from a freaking talking headstone.
the statue jumped up and landed right in front of her. “i’m not leaving until you at least try. i believe in you, phyllis.”
that made phyllis pause, absurdity of the situation aside. no one had ever said they believed in her before. that was the sort of thing people said to pelly, not her. before she could think better of it (frankly, the statue was still blocking her way home), phyllis blurted out what she was really worried about.
“what if i fail?” she asked.
“what if you fly?” they answered.
it was a simple argument but something about it struck phyllis profoundly. the moai seemed to sense its mission was complete, and simply hopped off to its spot in the forest where it had been all along.
phyllis had no idea how to prepare for what was ahead of her. sure enough, no one had been able to find pelly and she didn’t show up for her morning shift which meant something was very, very wrong. as phyllis sat alone in her room the night before the full moon, she wondered if all she needed to do was believe in herself and actually try for once. she had to risk losing it all otherwise she would actually lose her sister, which for all of her annoyances with pelly, scared her more than anything.
it was time. phyllis found herself perched at the top of the town’s lighthouse feeling alone and cold. the light passed over her once, twice… and just when she was about to leave, the light blinded her momentarily.
when she was able to reorient herself, phyllis blinked in confusion. she was somehow now on an island. she heard the ocean waves around her and smelled tropical flowers and coconuts. she got on her feet and felt the sand beneath her.
before phyllis could make sense of her new surroundings, a camel with a stachel was in front of her giving her an appraising look. “a special person requires a special rug…” the stranger intoned. the camel shuffled through her sack. somehow, after a talking head statue, this was acceptable to phyllis. from her knapsack that seemed to magically expand (for how on earth did she fit one rug, let alone multiple on her back?) came an oriental-style rug with tassels on the ends.
of course, the rug wasn’t just a rug. it fluttered and zipped circles around phyllis until she grew dizzy, bumping into her until she understood and got on top of the rug.
“thank you?” she sputtered. the camel was already on their way. “a hero always has help along the way,” they said cryptically. the rug seemed to pay no mind, zig-zagging through palm trees on the beach that turned into an eerie-looking forest.
time seemed to pass differently in the forest. it felt as though trial after trial awaited phyllis in the forest. first, a chameleon named flick asked phyllis to deliver a letter to c.j., his partner and roommate, on the other side of the island. she did that with minimal huffing and with the aid of her magic carpet. c.j. thanked her only to ask her to catch a sea bass for him. she hated fishing and bugs and the outdoors, but phyllis did it anyway because it seemed like the sort of thing phyllis would do - help others without looking for anything in return. she missed her sister, as much as phyllis hated to admit it.
the only good thing to come out of the time spent in the forest was that c.j. had said he thought the island’s fortune teller, katarina, might know where pelly had been taken. together, flick, c.j. and phyllis sumitted the volcano on the northeastern edge of the island where katarina was known to reside. after tests of patience and skill, it was now time for the trio to conquer endurance as they climbed higher than any of them had ever climbed before. on the mountaintop, they came face to face with the fortune teller herself.
“i’ve been waiting for you, phyllis,” she purred from beneath her glittered veil.
“where’s my sister, you wicked cat?” phyllis crowed.
“she befell misfortune… a fate destined by the stars.” katarina explained, those bright yellow eyes blinking at the trio like a pair of headlights. “screw the stars. i’m not leaving here without her,” phyllis said defiantly.
if it was possible, katarina’s eyes seemed to glow impossibly more as her mouth stretched out into a wide smile. “well then… there is one way.” the cat said cryptically. a paw gestured to the mouth of the volcano which was presently steaming, bubbling, and gurgling with heat.
flick and c.j. both looked at phyllis with worry in their eyes. “don’t do it, phyllis. we’ll think of something… just need another snack first…” c.j. said. “i think you’ll transcend reality a little too much if you jump,” flick added.
phyllis didn’t hear them. she only looked at katarina’s eyes and knew there was no other way. it didn’t make sense, but she just had a gut feeling that everything would work out. without a second thought, she lept into the mouth of the volcano and let the fiery heat engulf her as she fell…
and fell…
and fell…
and then everything went black.
phyllis woke up on the beach with sound of waves and concerned whisperings above her. she blinked her eyes open to find her newfound friends, her sister, and a seagull looking down at her. before she could get up, pelly squealed with delight and pulled her into a tight embrace with blubbering tears.
“ohmigosh, phyllis!!! i’msogladyou’reawake! iwassoscared! we’vegottogohomenow!” her words all blurred together in their excitement. flick and c.j. gave phyllis hearty pats on the back with matching grins. “our friend gulliver is going to help us go home!” pelly beamed. phyllis took one look at gulliver who looked like he didn’t know portside from starboard. “we just have to help him find his communicator parts!” pelly continued.
“no. no. no. we’re not helping anyone with anything and i’ve never met this seagull in my life,” phyllis declared. she kept the thoughts about his competency to herself. “we don’t need anyone. i can do this on my own.” phyllis began ushering pelly in a direction that she wasn’t sure was right when she looked back. she’d expected gulliver, the not-friend, to look sad - but it was flick and c.j’s hurt that struck at the cold rock where her heart was supposed to be. she grimaced and continued marching on for a few steps before she realized they were both lost now and pelly was upset with her.
phyllis wasn’t used to apologies, but apologize she did. her friends (and gulliver…) were far more forgiving than she was. together, the group located all the communicator parts and boarded gulliver’s ship back to their hometown where flick and c.j. promised to visit.
patrons of the post office said that when phyllis returned, she wasn’t the same bird. she was kinder, even when they forgot their stamps. she even started sharing poetry at the coffee house before her shift and made new friends with the town residents. she hardly complained when pelly showered her in hugs and affection anymore. even timmy and tommy liked this “new” phyllis, as they called her, who took time to babysit them when tom nook was busy at the shop.
one night, she was tucking the brothers into bed when they asked for a bedtime story. phyllis thought carefully before making a big show when she’d decided on one.
“how would you like to hear the story about a bird who saved her sister and discovered the power of friendship?”
“i’d love that…” timmy said.
“love that…” tommy echoed.
she saw all sorts of mail when she was working, but most of it was mundane. taxes, bills, letters from moms. sometimes she got a stray love letter (and she loved reading those), but that was rare. one day, she got something particularly out of the ordinary. there was a letter today that fluttered and flew around the whole office, sprinkling glitter everywhere as it bumped repeatedly into phyllis until she opened it.
the time to change your life is now. climb to the top of the lighthouse on the night of the next full moon to save your sister.
phyllis rolled her eyes. junk mail. she tossed it without a second thought. sure, there were some nights where she wondered if there was more to life than just going to work every night and paying her bills on time. she knew the bit about saving pelly was just flat out false, because pelly was a good bird and everyone liked her. who on earth would even think about hurting her? this letter just seemed like a stupid prank by kids; it had timmy and tommy written all over it.
the rest of the shift went on uneventfully. once the sun began to peak out from the horizon, it was time for phyllis to go. she packed up her things in her messenger bag before heading out the door when she almost ran into a giant moai statue that was not there when she clocked in.
“phyllis…” the headstone boomed menacingly. now, phyllis had felt herself growing progressively more and more dead inside with every shift, but even a talking statue was enough to shake even her out of her apathy.
“aAAaGH!” she shouted in surprise.
“ignoring my letter… and your problems… won’t make them go away.” was it possible for a rock to look disappointed? this rock looked disappointed. scratch that - how was it possible for the rock to even be talking? phyllis scowled at the judgment. so what if the monotony wasn’t exactly what she’d planned when she left her parent’s nest? so what if she knew that she was capable of more than just sorting mail and counting down the hours until her shift ended?
“get out of my way,” she grumbled before pulling her bag tighter against her body. what happened next was something phyllis could have never predicted, even from a freaking talking headstone.
the statue jumped up and landed right in front of her. “i’m not leaving until you at least try. i believe in you, phyllis.”
that made phyllis pause, absurdity of the situation aside. no one had ever said they believed in her before. that was the sort of thing people said to pelly, not her. before she could think better of it (frankly, the statue was still blocking her way home), phyllis blurted out what she was really worried about.
“what if i fail?” she asked.
“what if you fly?” they answered.
it was a simple argument but something about it struck phyllis profoundly. the moai seemed to sense its mission was complete, and simply hopped off to its spot in the forest where it had been all along.
phyllis had no idea how to prepare for what was ahead of her. sure enough, no one had been able to find pelly and she didn’t show up for her morning shift which meant something was very, very wrong. as phyllis sat alone in her room the night before the full moon, she wondered if all she needed to do was believe in herself and actually try for once. she had to risk losing it all otherwise she would actually lose her sister, which for all of her annoyances with pelly, scared her more than anything.
it was time. phyllis found herself perched at the top of the town’s lighthouse feeling alone and cold. the light passed over her once, twice… and just when she was about to leave, the light blinded her momentarily.
when she was able to reorient herself, phyllis blinked in confusion. she was somehow now on an island. she heard the ocean waves around her and smelled tropical flowers and coconuts. she got on her feet and felt the sand beneath her.
before phyllis could make sense of her new surroundings, a camel with a stachel was in front of her giving her an appraising look. “a special person requires a special rug…” the stranger intoned. the camel shuffled through her sack. somehow, after a talking head statue, this was acceptable to phyllis. from her knapsack that seemed to magically expand (for how on earth did she fit one rug, let alone multiple on her back?) came an oriental-style rug with tassels on the ends.
of course, the rug wasn’t just a rug. it fluttered and zipped circles around phyllis until she grew dizzy, bumping into her until she understood and got on top of the rug.
“thank you?” she sputtered. the camel was already on their way. “a hero always has help along the way,” they said cryptically. the rug seemed to pay no mind, zig-zagging through palm trees on the beach that turned into an eerie-looking forest.
time seemed to pass differently in the forest. it felt as though trial after trial awaited phyllis in the forest. first, a chameleon named flick asked phyllis to deliver a letter to c.j., his partner and roommate, on the other side of the island. she did that with minimal huffing and with the aid of her magic carpet. c.j. thanked her only to ask her to catch a sea bass for him. she hated fishing and bugs and the outdoors, but phyllis did it anyway because it seemed like the sort of thing phyllis would do - help others without looking for anything in return. she missed her sister, as much as phyllis hated to admit it.
the only good thing to come out of the time spent in the forest was that c.j. had said he thought the island’s fortune teller, katarina, might know where pelly had been taken. together, flick, c.j. and phyllis sumitted the volcano on the northeastern edge of the island where katarina was known to reside. after tests of patience and skill, it was now time for the trio to conquer endurance as they climbed higher than any of them had ever climbed before. on the mountaintop, they came face to face with the fortune teller herself.
“i’ve been waiting for you, phyllis,” she purred from beneath her glittered veil.
“where’s my sister, you wicked cat?” phyllis crowed.
“she befell misfortune… a fate destined by the stars.” katarina explained, those bright yellow eyes blinking at the trio like a pair of headlights. “screw the stars. i’m not leaving here without her,” phyllis said defiantly.
if it was possible, katarina’s eyes seemed to glow impossibly more as her mouth stretched out into a wide smile. “well then… there is one way.” the cat said cryptically. a paw gestured to the mouth of the volcano which was presently steaming, bubbling, and gurgling with heat.
flick and c.j. both looked at phyllis with worry in their eyes. “don’t do it, phyllis. we’ll think of something… just need another snack first…” c.j. said. “i think you’ll transcend reality a little too much if you jump,” flick added.
phyllis didn’t hear them. she only looked at katarina’s eyes and knew there was no other way. it didn’t make sense, but she just had a gut feeling that everything would work out. without a second thought, she lept into the mouth of the volcano and let the fiery heat engulf her as she fell…
and fell…
and fell…
and then everything went black.
phyllis woke up on the beach with sound of waves and concerned whisperings above her. she blinked her eyes open to find her newfound friends, her sister, and a seagull looking down at her. before she could get up, pelly squealed with delight and pulled her into a tight embrace with blubbering tears.
“ohmigosh, phyllis!!! i’msogladyou’reawake! iwassoscared! we’vegottogohomenow!” her words all blurred together in their excitement. flick and c.j. gave phyllis hearty pats on the back with matching grins. “our friend gulliver is going to help us go home!” pelly beamed. phyllis took one look at gulliver who looked like he didn’t know portside from starboard. “we just have to help him find his communicator parts!” pelly continued.
“no. no. no. we’re not helping anyone with anything and i’ve never met this seagull in my life,” phyllis declared. she kept the thoughts about his competency to herself. “we don’t need anyone. i can do this on my own.” phyllis began ushering pelly in a direction that she wasn’t sure was right when she looked back. she’d expected gulliver, the not-friend, to look sad - but it was flick and c.j’s hurt that struck at the cold rock where her heart was supposed to be. she grimaced and continued marching on for a few steps before she realized they were both lost now and pelly was upset with her.
phyllis wasn’t used to apologies, but apologize she did. her friends (and gulliver…) were far more forgiving than she was. together, the group located all the communicator parts and boarded gulliver’s ship back to their hometown where flick and c.j. promised to visit.
patrons of the post office said that when phyllis returned, she wasn’t the same bird. she was kinder, even when they forgot their stamps. she even started sharing poetry at the coffee house before her shift and made new friends with the town residents. she hardly complained when pelly showered her in hugs and affection anymore. even timmy and tommy liked this “new” phyllis, as they called her, who took time to babysit them when tom nook was busy at the shop.
one night, she was tucking the brothers into bed when they asked for a bedtime story. phyllis thought carefully before making a big show when she’d decided on one.
“how would you like to hear the story about a bird who saved her sister and discovered the power of friendship?”
“i’d love that…” timmy said.
“love that…” tommy echoed.
Pintuition
ho ho ho!!
Here's my story!
Maple sighed as she glanced out the window of her small cottage. A soft breeze was blowing through, airing out the place. In truth Maple had no love of housekeeping and only did the bare minimum should a guest happen to call unexpectedly. However, this day was different; it was Bones’ birthday.
She had grown closer to her neighbor, a white dog named Bones since he had arrived in their small coastal town last year. Both of their homes sat dangerously near the enchanted forest but neither paid any of the folk stories circling the island much attention. For Bones it was out of sheer laziness, but for Maple the answer was clear: magic and fairy dust only exists within the pages of the many books in her library. A fool’s hope to think magic exists, so thought the little brown cub as she made to gather her things to see out for the day, how foolish indeed.
Maple fastened a cloak about her neck. It was a rich green velvet she’d had sewn by Sable, the proprietor of the local dress shop. She swung her wicker basket in her hand gingerly as she walked down the path to the berry patch. If Bones loved anything in this world, it was cake. Maple worried the townsfolk would forget his birthday and took it upon herself to bake a cake for him. And so to the berry patch she went.
The forest loomed over the berry patch, casting half of it in shadow. Little had grown there this season. Still, Maple set about picking the freshest fruit she could find. There was a sharp and unseasonable chill in the air, which made Maple shiver even under her dense fur. When she had gathered all she came for she set up the winding path back to the village.
As she rounded the corner to the glenn on which her home sat next to Bones she noticed his door was open. How odd, she thought, as she stood upon the precipice of the doorway, calling, “Bones? Bones? Are you home?”
The house was still and empty, Bones did not answer her call. Perhaps he’s gone into town, she thought as she grasped the handle of the teacup sitting by the big tatty armchair Bones loved so much. It’s still hot, she thought, spinning around to look at the place a second time, and the carpet is folded. Just there! She pointed at the spot and whirled her head around, half forgetting Bones wouldn’t be there to hear her. There were dark black marks upon the floor that led to the doorway as well. Her heart sank, she dropped the berry basket to the floor.
Bones would never leave a cup of tea behind. His house was always in a poor state for certain, but he’d never leave the place like this. He had to have been taken. But by who? Butterflies swarmed through her stomach, more than even Flick could hope to catch. Were the tall tales we’ve heard of late not so tall indeed?
“M-Maple?” a soft voice called from the doorway.
Maple spun around, clenching her fist, readying her guard; she’d not be taken in the same manner Bones had, she’d make sure of that. However, when she looked upon the doorway her neighbor Nan stood upon it. Nan was a small black goat that lived across the way from them, the only neighbor close by. “Thank goodness, Nan,” Maple clutched her chest, “Something terrible has happened.”
“I-I know,” Nan admitted, “I was out for a walk this morning and I thought I’d pay dear Bones a visit, owing to his birthday and whatnot, and I got a lot more than I bargained for.
“What’s happened here, Nan?” Maple asked gently; the goat was already well past spooked.
“They came so suddenly upon him,” Nan started, “Hideous creatures, they were. They had eyes of red and wings the size of blackened cedar trees. Three of them emerged from the forest and took Bones away deep inside. They had him tied in vines, poor dear.”
“We have to get him back,” Maple said decisively, “But how?”
“You’re mad if you go into that forest, Maple,” Nan shook her head, “Bones is as good as gone.”
“I refuse to believe that,” Maple stomped her paw upon the ground.
“I must caution you not to follow them,” Nan warned her, “I don’t want to see the same thing happen to you next. Please don’t be reckless.”
“I promise to be careful,” Maple smiled, with every intention of going to the forest once Nan left. She had to try at the least
As Nan turned to leave she picked back up her berry basket and slammed it onto Bones’ countertop.
“Ow!” a soft voice rung out, or rather squeaked, or so Maple thought for the noise was narry more than a whisper, “You’re squashing me!”
Maple pulled back the basket and found the most curious thing. At first she thought it was a small butterfly but upon closer inspection it was an impossibly small pink winged creature. It emitted a soft rosy light. “Oh!” Maple stepped backwards, “You’re not going to get me too!!”
“Goodness me!” the creature squeaked, brushing herself off, “I came to help you, but if you think you can get Bones back on your own, feel free!”
“And just what are you?” Maple questioned her.
“I am Malina,” she started, “I am one of the fairy folk that lives in the enchanted forest. I have come in the hopes that you will be capable of learning our magicks to defeat the foes that kidnapped your friend.”
“And how do I know I can trust you?” Maple crossed her arms, “For all I know you could be aligned with them.”
The tiny fairy laughed, “What other choice do you have? If you try nothing or go it alone you’ll surely lose.”
“I know your heart is pure,” the fairy added hastily, “I’ve been watching you now for quite some time now.”
“That does little to quell my fears,” Maple wrinkled her nose, “But it seems I have no other choice. I shall go with you, learn these magicks, and get Bones back.”
And with that the pair set off down to the berry patch. All sun had left the place; the trees of the forest were dense and dark, Maple could hardly see anything in front of her if not for Malina’s soft, unearthly glow.
“How far must we journey?” a weary Maple asked breathlessly, eager to reach their destination.
“Patience, young one,” Malina cautioned her, “My home is deep within the forest.”
Maple glanced around nervously, who knows what was lurking behind the trees. “Oh!” she inhaled sharply as they came upon a soft blue glow; they emerged into a forest glade.
The place was alight with magic; a bright spot amongst the darkness of the trees. Dozens of small fairy folk hung in the air before her. “Welcome to our glade,” Malina sung out.
“Here we will teach you our magicks,” she said, “For in the enchanted woods your powers will be far greater than in the village.”
“How so?” Maple inquired.
“The center of the forest is the spot at which all magic on this island sprung forth. It is the portal to the fairy folk’s realm,” Malina explained, “It’s a very special place, you know.”
“Is that where we are now?” Maple asked.
“Goodness no,” the fairy laughed, “The center of the forest is currently the stronghold of all the evil we hope to fight against.”
“You see, when magic was born here it had some unintended consequences,” Malina started, gesturing for Maple to take a seat on a fallen log, “For many becoming in touch with one’s magicks was a blessing, it allowed them to ascend, as we fairy folk have, to a higher plane of existence, one of goodness and light.”
“However, when comes magic so too does the desire for power, which can turn otherwise good people to evil, through greed,” Malina revealed, “That is why half of our land is in darkness.”
“Will I turn evil then too?” Maple’s brow furrowed with worry, “If I continue?”
“We fairy folk have watched over you since you came here. You were chosen for your kind heart,” Malina reassured her, “Be cautious, and true, and you will be fine.”
“Don’t give into temptation,” she added, warning, “For even the purest hearts can be corrupted by power.
Maple gulped and asked, “What must I do?”
“This is a highly spiritual place. Breathe in deeply, and feel the warmth spreading throughout your body,” Malina explained, “Before you can learn to use your power, you have to recognize it.”
Maple sat amongst the fairies for a long while, breathing deeply. The air was heavy, murky almost. She felt as though she might pass out any minute. “As long as you allow fear to dominate your emotions, the magic within will never come forth,” Malina warned her.
Time passed oddly in this place; Maple hardly knew if it had been a few minutes or a few days. Finally, at long last, she felt a warmth in her stomach. “I feel it,” she barely eked out, her eyes still closed, “What do I do now?”
“Feel it swirl and spread inside of you. What color is it? Does it tingle? Soothe?” Malina peppered Maple with questions, “Recognize it, know it, and try channeling it into your fingers.”
To Maple the sensation felt warm and comforting. It was like being wrapped in a large woolen blanket. The color was a deep brown, the very same as the pads of her feet and paws. She got the feeling she had felt this sensation before. In a dream? No, she wrote that off, but I’ve definitely felt this before.
“Do you feel it?” Malina asked cautiously.
“Yes,” Maple breathed.
“Good,” the fairy nodded, “Now see if you can channel it into your hand. You’ll feel your fingertips tingling.”
“I feel it,” Maple looked at her paw in wonderment, standing, holding it out before her.
She scanned the glade for a place to release it. Her eyes finally fell upon a blank spot and she aimed at a tree. A tiny disappointing shimmering poof poured out from it. “Oh!” Maple stamped her foot, defeated, “That’s it?”
Malina laughed and said, “What were you expecting? To be fully adept at magic within a few hours? You’re doing fine.”
“I just thought I’d be further along,” Maple groaned, “For poor Bones’ sake.”
“Each individual has a different magicks within them,” Malina explained, “It may well be that you don’t have the defensive magic you’re looking for.”
“No, that doesn’t sound very much like me,” Maple conceded, “But if that’s true, how can I help Bones?”
“Tis true, you may not possess flashy magic. But I have seen your heart,” Malina explains, “And I believe your magic can be used to purify.”
“How do I use it?” Maple inquired.
“Magic has a lot to do with intent. If your intentions are pure, to save your friend, or work for the forces of goodness, you will be able to stop and exorcize the dark spirits that seek to do you harm.”
“Your mind, heart, and soul must work as one.”
Maple practiced for many long hours to fully recognize and understand the powers within her. In the glade she felt more connected with her true self than ever before. She half wondered if she could even find her magicks outside the forest, for the woods amplified them in an otherworldly way. It was like she had come to life inside one of her dreams.
“Are you sure I’ll be powerful enough to stop them?” Maple worried, “What if the darkness should overtake me too?”
“You are strong-willed,” Malina assuaged her fears, “I fear they have much more to worry of you than you do of them.”
“If that much is true,” Maple reasoned, “Then why was Bones not able to overpower them too? Is he not pure of heart?”
“I cannot deny your friend has a kind soul,” Malina smiled, “But I sensed no magicks within him. It is not something all folk have.”
“Okay…” Maple closed her fist and turned to the fairy, “I’m willing to try. Where must I go?”
“They likely will have taken him into the heart of the forest, where the trees are the darkest and their magic will be the strongest. A great tree stands in the center of the woods,” Malina explained, “You must walk that path alone, for I, unlike you, could be corrupted by the forest’s dark powers.”
Okay, thought Maple, as long as I stay true to myself then I’ll be fine. I just have to plunge myself into total darkness..alone. That was a scary thought to be sure. Am I really capable of such a journey? Maple tried to shake the negative thoughts off, as it would be those very thoughts that would lead her to her downfall.
“Once you exit the glade and make towards the center of the forest we will not be able to protect you,” Malina warned her, “You must find the strength in your heart to continue to the great tree.”
“Thank you for all you have done for me,” Maple smiled, “And my friend.”
As Maple set down the forest path, the glowing light of the fairy folk’s glade began to fade, darkness growing with each step forward. The trees and bushes rustled about her but she’d not stray from her path. The forest was starting to play tricks on her, and she wasn’t easily fooled.
Maple almost fell forward as she came to a sudden stop. A shining shimmering portal was before her. “Oh!” she exclaimed as she stumbled upon it.
It swirled ominously before her, lit from within. After staring at it for a long while she decided she must pass through it to get to Bones. She reached out her hand and felt a sting in the air. She took a deep breath, I can do this, she thought, before entering the portal.
As firelight reached her eyes after many long hours of total darkness she shut them tight and raised up her hand. She blinked several times and her eyes adjusted. A large tree was in the center of a mossy clearing. It was dead, blasted with a large hole inside. A ring of fire surrounded her on all sides; the portal was gone. Is this a trap?
Bones sat in front of the tree in the ground. His eyes were both closed and his fur had become almost brown with dirt. She made to run to him, but was quickly stopped as three black shapes swirled into view. They were the very same beings that had stolen away Bones in the first place. Fear flickered over Maple’s eyes.
“Let me pass!” Maple demanded, bravely putting her foot down, “You have kidnapped my friend and I have come to take him back home.”
“Don’t you worry,” the tallest figure spoke darkly, “Now that we have you, we have no use for your little friend here.”
“Let Bones go!” Maple yelled as loud as she could, “I’ll do whatever you want me to. Please don’t hurt him.”
If only they would set Bones free, Maple wished, then I could just focus on defeating them. But this wish was a fool’s hope. A cold laugh pierced the air. The three figures closed in on her. “Let him go?” a small but sinister voice rang out.
“Go…” the other small being echoed ominously.
“No, no. I should think not,” the largest shrouded being stepped toward her, “Not when I can collect from the both of you at once!”
“Collect?” Maple shook her head confused, “Our magic?”
“No,” the man laughed as he lifted his arms to remove the hood of his cloak, “Your debt,”
His tiny companions followed suit. As their hoods flew back to reveal their faces, Maple could hardly believe her eyes. Tom Nook stood before her, flanked by Tommy and Timmy. Their eyes were red as blood and their faces almost dead and expressionless. Could they be cursed?
“Tom?” Maple breathed, “But we’re friends!”
Tom started for her. Maple put her hand up to defend herself but it was no use; she had no defensive magicks. No, no! I will not lose! Her claws dug deep into the mossy ground beneath her. She wouldn’t be going down without a fight.
Tom lunged at her with unimaginable strength, throwing Maple against the tree besides Bones. “If we harvest the power within you,” Tom smiled evilly, “We can get the tree to bloom and I will be the richest tanuki in all of the world.”
“Yes, yes! The world!” echoed behind him, “-World!”
“Oh Mr. Nook,” Maple breathed, taken aback, struggling to catch her breath, “I knew you always were out to make quick money but this? This isn’t you.”
Maple reached her paw up to the bark of the tree to push herself up from the ground. When she did it stung like acid and her arm turned black. She scuttled backward from the tree. Thick dark green vines rose from the earth and tangled around her arms; she was trapped there. She had failed.
Her strength had begun to wane as the blackness spread up her arm to her shoulder, and eventually to her face. She could feel a poison within her, seeking to draw out her magicks, to turn them evil. The closer to the tree she got, the worse her pain felt.
If only I could stop this wretched poison, Maple thought, as she watched it spread throughout her body. Bones looked at her worriedly. Through bleary eyes she peered back up at the tree. I wonder… she thought, half delirious, outstretching her hand.
It was clear defensive magic was not amongst her talents but purification? Yes, purification she could do. With the last of her strength she bolstered her confidence and tried to purify that which ailed her. She felt the familiar warm sensation spread within her, fighting against the foreign black poison that threatened to overtake her.
The blackness began to recede from her arm back into the tree. It’s working. It’s working! If I can only carry on for a bit longer, I can heal this tree. And hopefully Mr. Nook and his nephews too!
Bones watched in wonderment as the trunk of the tree began to regain its color; a thick canopy of leaves burst forth from the main branches. It had become a live tree again. The large hole in it sealed up, and multicolored mushrooms sprang up around its roots.
Maple fell back in exhaustion, the vines had finally released her. “Are you alright, Bones?” she barely eked out.
“Me!?” exclaimed, “Of course! What about you?”
“Oh you know me,” she said cooly with a smile through heavy panting, “Always fine.”
“M-Maple?!” a voice stammered over the pair of them.
It was Tom Nook. His eyes had regained their usual color. Timmy and Tommy were dazed but still standing by his side. “Why are you in the forest?” he asked, confused.
“I was hoping you could answer me that question,” Maple frowned, sitting up, clutching her head, “How did you come to be cursed by dark magic?!”
“Cursed!” Tom Nook exclaimed, “Ho ho! So that’s what has happened here… I’ll crown that rascal fox if it’s the last thing I do.”
Tom Nook shook his fist in the air. A ripped piece of parchment was clenched inside it. “What has happened here?” Maple prodded him for answers.
“You see,” Tom started hesitantly, “A few residents have been behind on their home repayments recently…and I was chatting with that shady Redd fellow…and he told me he could sell me a spell that would provide infinite bells for our little town. And, well…I–”
“You thought you could get your money back and help the town with a…spell?” Maples scoffed.
“It does sound a bit silly now that I say it outloud,” Tom Nook faltered, “I assure you I came here with only the best of intentions. I-I even wanted to share it with my nephews here.”
“But when I looked upon the tree and imagined the kind of fortune that could afford, something took ahold of me,” he explained.
“It was the darkness within you,” Maple informed him, “Though you began with good intentions, greediness led to your downfall.”
Maple rose to her feet with Bones’ help. The air in the clearing had been cleansed, all fire and darkness had blown itself out. It looked more of something of the fairy folk now. All was well.
“Forgive me,” Tom Nook asked of the pair of them.
“You were not yourself,” Maple conceded yet made no mention of forgiveness.
Maple opened her mouth to say more, but was stunned into silence as dozens of fairy folk glittered into view. The clearing was lit up like starlight. Malina hung in the air before her, “Thank you for restoring our forest, young one. I knew I was right to place my faith in you.”
Maple smiled and said, “It is I who should thank you. You have gifted me with the belief in myself I sorely needed. I had no idea I possessed the strength to do something like this.”
“Continue to hone your power,” Malina said, “Even after we are gone.”
“You’re leaving aren’t you,” Maple frowned.
“Now that our sacred tree is restored we must return to our own realm,” Malina smiled, “Our work in this world is finished.”
“We’re relying on you to watch over the forest now,” she said, already floating up towards the sky, “Farewell.”
Maple was stunned at what happened to her. She hardly knew what to do with herself. All she could do was pick herself back up and begin the long slow limp through the forest back home. The trees didn’t seem as foreboding or scary anymore now.
She leaned on Bones as they marched towards home. Am I dreaming? Maple asked herself, was any of this real? It was like she had been transported inside one of her books.
At long last she reached the forest’s edge and rounded the corner by the little berry patch. Her warm cottage came into view. She and Bones hung back as Tom Nook and his nephews scuttled up the path and away from them. He still looked half furious at being duped by Redd. “I’ll get that scoundrel,” Tom Nook half muttered, half-yelled, “Him and that stupid boat of garbage!”
In truth she felt bad for Tom getting duped by Redd’s dodgy spell. She thought a businessman would have better sense than to fall for something stupid like that. Still, he had good intentions; he didn’t ask for this to happen. She decided she wouldn’t share this particular story with the village folk, they’d have a field day with that information.
She chuckled to herself as she grasped her doorknob to her beloved little home. Bones smiled at her from his stoop. “Oh!” Maple called to him, “Bones!”
“Maple?” he called back.
“Happy birthday,” she smiled, closed her door, and promptly went to bed, utterly tuckered out from the grand adventure she’d just been on. All was calm at last.
Maple's Courage
Maple sighed as she glanced out the window of her small cottage. A soft breeze was blowing through, airing out the place. In truth Maple had no love of housekeeping and only did the bare minimum should a guest happen to call unexpectedly. However, this day was different; it was Bones’ birthday.
She had grown closer to her neighbor, a white dog named Bones since he had arrived in their small coastal town last year. Both of their homes sat dangerously near the enchanted forest but neither paid any of the folk stories circling the island much attention. For Bones it was out of sheer laziness, but for Maple the answer was clear: magic and fairy dust only exists within the pages of the many books in her library. A fool’s hope to think magic exists, so thought the little brown cub as she made to gather her things to see out for the day, how foolish indeed.
Maple fastened a cloak about her neck. It was a rich green velvet she’d had sewn by Sable, the proprietor of the local dress shop. She swung her wicker basket in her hand gingerly as she walked down the path to the berry patch. If Bones loved anything in this world, it was cake. Maple worried the townsfolk would forget his birthday and took it upon herself to bake a cake for him. And so to the berry patch she went.
The forest loomed over the berry patch, casting half of it in shadow. Little had grown there this season. Still, Maple set about picking the freshest fruit she could find. There was a sharp and unseasonable chill in the air, which made Maple shiver even under her dense fur. When she had gathered all she came for she set up the winding path back to the village.
As she rounded the corner to the glenn on which her home sat next to Bones she noticed his door was open. How odd, she thought, as she stood upon the precipice of the doorway, calling, “Bones? Bones? Are you home?”
The house was still and empty, Bones did not answer her call. Perhaps he’s gone into town, she thought as she grasped the handle of the teacup sitting by the big tatty armchair Bones loved so much. It’s still hot, she thought, spinning around to look at the place a second time, and the carpet is folded. Just there! She pointed at the spot and whirled her head around, half forgetting Bones wouldn’t be there to hear her. There were dark black marks upon the floor that led to the doorway as well. Her heart sank, she dropped the berry basket to the floor.
Bones would never leave a cup of tea behind. His house was always in a poor state for certain, but he’d never leave the place like this. He had to have been taken. But by who? Butterflies swarmed through her stomach, more than even Flick could hope to catch. Were the tall tales we’ve heard of late not so tall indeed?
“M-Maple?” a soft voice called from the doorway.
Maple spun around, clenching her fist, readying her guard; she’d not be taken in the same manner Bones had, she’d make sure of that. However, when she looked upon the doorway her neighbor Nan stood upon it. Nan was a small black goat that lived across the way from them, the only neighbor close by. “Thank goodness, Nan,” Maple clutched her chest, “Something terrible has happened.”
“I-I know,” Nan admitted, “I was out for a walk this morning and I thought I’d pay dear Bones a visit, owing to his birthday and whatnot, and I got a lot more than I bargained for.
“What’s happened here, Nan?” Maple asked gently; the goat was already well past spooked.
“They came so suddenly upon him,” Nan started, “Hideous creatures, they were. They had eyes of red and wings the size of blackened cedar trees. Three of them emerged from the forest and took Bones away deep inside. They had him tied in vines, poor dear.”
“We have to get him back,” Maple said decisively, “But how?”
“You’re mad if you go into that forest, Maple,” Nan shook her head, “Bones is as good as gone.”
“I refuse to believe that,” Maple stomped her paw upon the ground.
“I must caution you not to follow them,” Nan warned her, “I don’t want to see the same thing happen to you next. Please don’t be reckless.”
“I promise to be careful,” Maple smiled, with every intention of going to the forest once Nan left. She had to try at the least
As Nan turned to leave she picked back up her berry basket and slammed it onto Bones’ countertop.
“Ow!” a soft voice rung out, or rather squeaked, or so Maple thought for the noise was narry more than a whisper, “You’re squashing me!”
Maple pulled back the basket and found the most curious thing. At first she thought it was a small butterfly but upon closer inspection it was an impossibly small pink winged creature. It emitted a soft rosy light. “Oh!” Maple stepped backwards, “You’re not going to get me too!!”
“Goodness me!” the creature squeaked, brushing herself off, “I came to help you, but if you think you can get Bones back on your own, feel free!”
“And just what are you?” Maple questioned her.
“I am Malina,” she started, “I am one of the fairy folk that lives in the enchanted forest. I have come in the hopes that you will be capable of learning our magicks to defeat the foes that kidnapped your friend.”
“And how do I know I can trust you?” Maple crossed her arms, “For all I know you could be aligned with them.”
The tiny fairy laughed, “What other choice do you have? If you try nothing or go it alone you’ll surely lose.”
“I know your heart is pure,” the fairy added hastily, “I’ve been watching you now for quite some time now.”
“That does little to quell my fears,” Maple wrinkled her nose, “But it seems I have no other choice. I shall go with you, learn these magicks, and get Bones back.”
And with that the pair set off down to the berry patch. All sun had left the place; the trees of the forest were dense and dark, Maple could hardly see anything in front of her if not for Malina’s soft, unearthly glow.
“How far must we journey?” a weary Maple asked breathlessly, eager to reach their destination.
“Patience, young one,” Malina cautioned her, “My home is deep within the forest.”
Maple glanced around nervously, who knows what was lurking behind the trees. “Oh!” she inhaled sharply as they came upon a soft blue glow; they emerged into a forest glade.
The place was alight with magic; a bright spot amongst the darkness of the trees. Dozens of small fairy folk hung in the air before her. “Welcome to our glade,” Malina sung out.
“Here we will teach you our magicks,” she said, “For in the enchanted woods your powers will be far greater than in the village.”
“How so?” Maple inquired.
“The center of the forest is the spot at which all magic on this island sprung forth. It is the portal to the fairy folk’s realm,” Malina explained, “It’s a very special place, you know.”
“Is that where we are now?” Maple asked.
“Goodness no,” the fairy laughed, “The center of the forest is currently the stronghold of all the evil we hope to fight against.”
“You see, when magic was born here it had some unintended consequences,” Malina started, gesturing for Maple to take a seat on a fallen log, “For many becoming in touch with one’s magicks was a blessing, it allowed them to ascend, as we fairy folk have, to a higher plane of existence, one of goodness and light.”
“However, when comes magic so too does the desire for power, which can turn otherwise good people to evil, through greed,” Malina revealed, “That is why half of our land is in darkness.”
“Will I turn evil then too?” Maple’s brow furrowed with worry, “If I continue?”
“We fairy folk have watched over you since you came here. You were chosen for your kind heart,” Malina reassured her, “Be cautious, and true, and you will be fine.”
“Don’t give into temptation,” she added, warning, “For even the purest hearts can be corrupted by power.
Maple gulped and asked, “What must I do?”
“This is a highly spiritual place. Breathe in deeply, and feel the warmth spreading throughout your body,” Malina explained, “Before you can learn to use your power, you have to recognize it.”
Maple sat amongst the fairies for a long while, breathing deeply. The air was heavy, murky almost. She felt as though she might pass out any minute. “As long as you allow fear to dominate your emotions, the magic within will never come forth,” Malina warned her.
Time passed oddly in this place; Maple hardly knew if it had been a few minutes or a few days. Finally, at long last, she felt a warmth in her stomach. “I feel it,” she barely eked out, her eyes still closed, “What do I do now?”
“Feel it swirl and spread inside of you. What color is it? Does it tingle? Soothe?” Malina peppered Maple with questions, “Recognize it, know it, and try channeling it into your fingers.”
To Maple the sensation felt warm and comforting. It was like being wrapped in a large woolen blanket. The color was a deep brown, the very same as the pads of her feet and paws. She got the feeling she had felt this sensation before. In a dream? No, she wrote that off, but I’ve definitely felt this before.
“Do you feel it?” Malina asked cautiously.
“Yes,” Maple breathed.
“Good,” the fairy nodded, “Now see if you can channel it into your hand. You’ll feel your fingertips tingling.”
“I feel it,” Maple looked at her paw in wonderment, standing, holding it out before her.
She scanned the glade for a place to release it. Her eyes finally fell upon a blank spot and she aimed at a tree. A tiny disappointing shimmering poof poured out from it. “Oh!” Maple stamped her foot, defeated, “That’s it?”
Malina laughed and said, “What were you expecting? To be fully adept at magic within a few hours? You’re doing fine.”
“I just thought I’d be further along,” Maple groaned, “For poor Bones’ sake.”
“Each individual has a different magicks within them,” Malina explained, “It may well be that you don’t have the defensive magic you’re looking for.”
“No, that doesn’t sound very much like me,” Maple conceded, “But if that’s true, how can I help Bones?”
“Tis true, you may not possess flashy magic. But I have seen your heart,” Malina explains, “And I believe your magic can be used to purify.”
“How do I use it?” Maple inquired.
“Magic has a lot to do with intent. If your intentions are pure, to save your friend, or work for the forces of goodness, you will be able to stop and exorcize the dark spirits that seek to do you harm.”
“Your mind, heart, and soul must work as one.”
Maple practiced for many long hours to fully recognize and understand the powers within her. In the glade she felt more connected with her true self than ever before. She half wondered if she could even find her magicks outside the forest, for the woods amplified them in an otherworldly way. It was like she had come to life inside one of her dreams.
“Are you sure I’ll be powerful enough to stop them?” Maple worried, “What if the darkness should overtake me too?”
“You are strong-willed,” Malina assuaged her fears, “I fear they have much more to worry of you than you do of them.”
“If that much is true,” Maple reasoned, “Then why was Bones not able to overpower them too? Is he not pure of heart?”
“I cannot deny your friend has a kind soul,” Malina smiled, “But I sensed no magicks within him. It is not something all folk have.”
“Okay…” Maple closed her fist and turned to the fairy, “I’m willing to try. Where must I go?”
“They likely will have taken him into the heart of the forest, where the trees are the darkest and their magic will be the strongest. A great tree stands in the center of the woods,” Malina explained, “You must walk that path alone, for I, unlike you, could be corrupted by the forest’s dark powers.”
Okay, thought Maple, as long as I stay true to myself then I’ll be fine. I just have to plunge myself into total darkness..alone. That was a scary thought to be sure. Am I really capable of such a journey? Maple tried to shake the negative thoughts off, as it would be those very thoughts that would lead her to her downfall.
“Once you exit the glade and make towards the center of the forest we will not be able to protect you,” Malina warned her, “You must find the strength in your heart to continue to the great tree.”
“Thank you for all you have done for me,” Maple smiled, “And my friend.”
As Maple set down the forest path, the glowing light of the fairy folk’s glade began to fade, darkness growing with each step forward. The trees and bushes rustled about her but she’d not stray from her path. The forest was starting to play tricks on her, and she wasn’t easily fooled.
Maple almost fell forward as she came to a sudden stop. A shining shimmering portal was before her. “Oh!” she exclaimed as she stumbled upon it.
It swirled ominously before her, lit from within. After staring at it for a long while she decided she must pass through it to get to Bones. She reached out her hand and felt a sting in the air. She took a deep breath, I can do this, she thought, before entering the portal.
As firelight reached her eyes after many long hours of total darkness she shut them tight and raised up her hand. She blinked several times and her eyes adjusted. A large tree was in the center of a mossy clearing. It was dead, blasted with a large hole inside. A ring of fire surrounded her on all sides; the portal was gone. Is this a trap?
Bones sat in front of the tree in the ground. His eyes were both closed and his fur had become almost brown with dirt. She made to run to him, but was quickly stopped as three black shapes swirled into view. They were the very same beings that had stolen away Bones in the first place. Fear flickered over Maple’s eyes.
“Let me pass!” Maple demanded, bravely putting her foot down, “You have kidnapped my friend and I have come to take him back home.”
“Don’t you worry,” the tallest figure spoke darkly, “Now that we have you, we have no use for your little friend here.”
“Let Bones go!” Maple yelled as loud as she could, “I’ll do whatever you want me to. Please don’t hurt him.”
If only they would set Bones free, Maple wished, then I could just focus on defeating them. But this wish was a fool’s hope. A cold laugh pierced the air. The three figures closed in on her. “Let him go?” a small but sinister voice rang out.
“Go…” the other small being echoed ominously.
“No, no. I should think not,” the largest shrouded being stepped toward her, “Not when I can collect from the both of you at once!”
“Collect?” Maple shook her head confused, “Our magic?”
“No,” the man laughed as he lifted his arms to remove the hood of his cloak, “Your debt,”
His tiny companions followed suit. As their hoods flew back to reveal their faces, Maple could hardly believe her eyes. Tom Nook stood before her, flanked by Tommy and Timmy. Their eyes were red as blood and their faces almost dead and expressionless. Could they be cursed?
“Tom?” Maple breathed, “But we’re friends!”
Tom started for her. Maple put her hand up to defend herself but it was no use; she had no defensive magicks. No, no! I will not lose! Her claws dug deep into the mossy ground beneath her. She wouldn’t be going down without a fight.
Tom lunged at her with unimaginable strength, throwing Maple against the tree besides Bones. “If we harvest the power within you,” Tom smiled evilly, “We can get the tree to bloom and I will be the richest tanuki in all of the world.”
“Yes, yes! The world!” echoed behind him, “-World!”
“Oh Mr. Nook,” Maple breathed, taken aback, struggling to catch her breath, “I knew you always were out to make quick money but this? This isn’t you.”
Maple reached her paw up to the bark of the tree to push herself up from the ground. When she did it stung like acid and her arm turned black. She scuttled backward from the tree. Thick dark green vines rose from the earth and tangled around her arms; she was trapped there. She had failed.
Her strength had begun to wane as the blackness spread up her arm to her shoulder, and eventually to her face. She could feel a poison within her, seeking to draw out her magicks, to turn them evil. The closer to the tree she got, the worse her pain felt.
If only I could stop this wretched poison, Maple thought, as she watched it spread throughout her body. Bones looked at her worriedly. Through bleary eyes she peered back up at the tree. I wonder… she thought, half delirious, outstretching her hand.
It was clear defensive magic was not amongst her talents but purification? Yes, purification she could do. With the last of her strength she bolstered her confidence and tried to purify that which ailed her. She felt the familiar warm sensation spread within her, fighting against the foreign black poison that threatened to overtake her.
The blackness began to recede from her arm back into the tree. It’s working. It’s working! If I can only carry on for a bit longer, I can heal this tree. And hopefully Mr. Nook and his nephews too!
Bones watched in wonderment as the trunk of the tree began to regain its color; a thick canopy of leaves burst forth from the main branches. It had become a live tree again. The large hole in it sealed up, and multicolored mushrooms sprang up around its roots.
Maple fell back in exhaustion, the vines had finally released her. “Are you alright, Bones?” she barely eked out.
“Me!?” exclaimed, “Of course! What about you?”
“Oh you know me,” she said cooly with a smile through heavy panting, “Always fine.”
“M-Maple?!” a voice stammered over the pair of them.
It was Tom Nook. His eyes had regained their usual color. Timmy and Tommy were dazed but still standing by his side. “Why are you in the forest?” he asked, confused.
“I was hoping you could answer me that question,” Maple frowned, sitting up, clutching her head, “How did you come to be cursed by dark magic?!”
“Cursed!” Tom Nook exclaimed, “Ho ho! So that’s what has happened here… I’ll crown that rascal fox if it’s the last thing I do.”
Tom Nook shook his fist in the air. A ripped piece of parchment was clenched inside it. “What has happened here?” Maple prodded him for answers.
“You see,” Tom started hesitantly, “A few residents have been behind on their home repayments recently…and I was chatting with that shady Redd fellow…and he told me he could sell me a spell that would provide infinite bells for our little town. And, well…I–”
“You thought you could get your money back and help the town with a…spell?” Maples scoffed.
“It does sound a bit silly now that I say it outloud,” Tom Nook faltered, “I assure you I came here with only the best of intentions. I-I even wanted to share it with my nephews here.”
“But when I looked upon the tree and imagined the kind of fortune that could afford, something took ahold of me,” he explained.
“It was the darkness within you,” Maple informed him, “Though you began with good intentions, greediness led to your downfall.”
Maple rose to her feet with Bones’ help. The air in the clearing had been cleansed, all fire and darkness had blown itself out. It looked more of something of the fairy folk now. All was well.
“Forgive me,” Tom Nook asked of the pair of them.
“You were not yourself,” Maple conceded yet made no mention of forgiveness.
Maple opened her mouth to say more, but was stunned into silence as dozens of fairy folk glittered into view. The clearing was lit up like starlight. Malina hung in the air before her, “Thank you for restoring our forest, young one. I knew I was right to place my faith in you.”
Maple smiled and said, “It is I who should thank you. You have gifted me with the belief in myself I sorely needed. I had no idea I possessed the strength to do something like this.”
“Continue to hone your power,” Malina said, “Even after we are gone.”
“You’re leaving aren’t you,” Maple frowned.
“Now that our sacred tree is restored we must return to our own realm,” Malina smiled, “Our work in this world is finished.”
“We’re relying on you to watch over the forest now,” she said, already floating up towards the sky, “Farewell.”
Maple was stunned at what happened to her. She hardly knew what to do with herself. All she could do was pick herself back up and begin the long slow limp through the forest back home. The trees didn’t seem as foreboding or scary anymore now.
She leaned on Bones as they marched towards home. Am I dreaming? Maple asked herself, was any of this real? It was like she had been transported inside one of her books.
At long last she reached the forest’s edge and rounded the corner by the little berry patch. Her warm cottage came into view. She and Bones hung back as Tom Nook and his nephews scuttled up the path and away from them. He still looked half furious at being duped by Redd. “I’ll get that scoundrel,” Tom Nook half muttered, half-yelled, “Him and that stupid boat of garbage!”
In truth she felt bad for Tom getting duped by Redd’s dodgy spell. She thought a businessman would have better sense than to fall for something stupid like that. Still, he had good intentions; he didn’t ask for this to happen. She decided she wouldn’t share this particular story with the village folk, they’d have a field day with that information.
She chuckled to herself as she grasped her doorknob to her beloved little home. Bones smiled at her from his stoop. “Oh!” Maple called to him, “Bones!”
“Maple?” he called back.
“Happy birthday,” she smiled, closed her door, and promptly went to bed, utterly tuckered out from the grand adventure she’d just been on. All was calm at last.
This was the only event I thought I would not participate in, as writing has always been really hard for me (and also English isn't my first language). But I did it! I have no idea how, but I did it, and it has 1,854 words. Crazy, I know. And more surprisingly, I even had some fun putting it together.
I've never written a dialogue in English, I hope it's formatted correctly.
The Astronaut stepped out from the spaceship. The small planet he arrived at wasn’t visited by the travelers for years, as it was lacking any unusual things to see. Logbook said it was basically one big forest populated only by some small animals. Nothing new, the same as hundreds of others. If you were a fauna and flora maniac maybe you would find it interesting, but he wasn’t.
The big, flat landing area was empty. The only thing that stood out was an ugly square block of concrete with steel door and windows on both sides. It was required by the regulations that each planet needed to have at least one facility building with basic communication equipment and emergency nutrition pills.
The Astronaut walked into the direction of the shelter. To his surprise, there was a wooden box lying on the ground next to the door. Why would someone leave anything outside? It was very strange. He quickly opened the door with his finger implant and looked around the room. There was nothing extraordinary here, some furniture, freezer and computer station. Traveler took some pills from the locker and put them in his bag, then he returned to the box. Inside was a piece of paper. Who even uses paper these days?...
Hello whoever you are! I’m living in the forest nearby. If you need water, food, rest or just some company, you are most welcome to visit.
What? WHAT?! Ok, that is something new. There shouldn’t be anyone here, and most definitely there shouldn’t be anyone living here. Astronaut felt the rush of excitement. It was just supposed to be a quick stop for the nutrients before returning home, but it could actually turn into an adventure! Oh, it would be so great. He looked around in search for the trees, which were pretty much all around in the distance. He jumped into the building once again, took even more pills and then set off on his expedition.
*
It turned out that the forest is quite strange. There were eerie whispers now and then, some parts of the forest were as dark as if it were night, and from time to time glowing sparkles could be seen in the distance. The database of this planet was very flawed and needed to be corrected.
After several hours of wandering Astronaut found a path that made exploration much easier. Then, within an hour, he reached the first clearing and finally saw a cottage. There was an old man working outside.
When the person emerged from between the trees, the old man spotted that instantly. He dropped the hoe he was holding and began to mumble in shock. The Traveler approached.
“Hello!” He greeted and turned on the translation feature in his chip.
“You’re finally here! Finally! Oh, I can’t believe it!” The old man was already running to meet his guest. Tears were pouring down his face. He used official common language, the translator wasn’t needed.
“Woah, easy there,” said the surprised Astronaut as the man grabbed him in his arms and sobbed loudly. “It really must have been a long time since you had visitors. Calm down, please. It’s alright, we can call for help, everything will be alright.”
“I-I’m sorry, I’m just so happy, happy that you arrived, that you finally arrived!” He wiped tears with the sleeve and looked deeply into the visitor’s eyes with a huge grin. “That I’m finally here.”
“Wait, d-do I know you?” The lighting struck Astronaut’s heart. “Are you… me?”
*
He was. They were the same person. The only difference was the time between them.
“But how is it possible?” The Astronaut asked and took the sip of tea. “Is this some kind of time paradox? Or a time loop?”
“Something like this, or magic.” Old man answered while pouring himself another cup. “I think both options are equally possible. Unfortunately, I don’t have any advanced equipment here to confirm either way.”
“Magic? That’s just silly. There is no magic. I recall that there were some studies but the scientists didn’t prove any single thing.”
“At the time, yes, you’re right. But just you wait next few years and the magic will be official.”
He was waiting for himself for over twenty years. All alone, as no one was ever visiting the most boring planet. But he knew that there would be a visitor one day, the most important visitor. He knew, because he was on the other side a long time ago.
“You will live the life I have lived. Just like the man who I’ve met when I was your age. Just like his predecessor. We are trapped in this endless circle.”
“Then we need to break it. When I leave I’ll let the authorities know about this whole situation and they’ll figure something out.” the Astronaut said firmly.
“I know you will, I did too. They won’t even move a finger. They only supervise time related events where something significant happens. Like major disaster or a new alien invasion. It’s even suggested that one should refrain from taking any unnecessary action, as timeline interference may be punished by law. You’ll know all about the procedures, don’t worry about it now. Just accept that it has to happen. Like all the other unpleasant things.”
They sat quiet for a while. The Astronaut was thinking intensively.
“Well, I’m still not convinced. The fact that you know about my past… it could have easily been known through the right connections.”
“That’s true.”
“And changing the look is not a big problem either. Or you can even be a shapeshifter, I’ve heard of those.”
“I’m well aware that you won’t be fully convinced here, on this planet. Only the time and the future will ensure your faith in me. So let me tell you everything I can remember about what awaits you.”
*
They spend a few days together. The old man was telling stories about his past life, and the Astronaut listened about what would happen in his future. And it was a good future. He made a career as a scientist, had a beautiful wife and wonderful children. He lived his life as a happy, fulfilled man, until one terrible thing changed everything.
Then it was the darkest time, time of madness and despair. He wanted to end his life during one last escapade into the space. Flying straight into the star seemed like a good idea, but the meteor shower caught his ship, the turbulences were so strong that he lost consciousness. That was the moment he returned to this planet. When he woke up he was lying on the ground safely, the ship was nowhere to be seen. The despair was still within him, but he also felt the spark of curiosity.
So he lived on. This was the time of healing, understanding himself and achieving inner peace. Turned out that the planet was full of magic, so he experimented with it and grow more experienced through the time. He was happy to learn new knowledge and once again appreciated his life. His inner essence was almost complete. Almost, because he knew that there was still a one thing that needed to be done. So he waited patiently.
*
They were coming back to the spaceship. It was nice weather, the stroll through the forest was a pleasant one.
“I’m gonna miss you. It was nice to talk to the actual human being after all these years.” The old man said sadly.
“I can only imagine. Too bad there’s no room for other person in the cockpit. I will try to come back here for you anyway, even if you said that it won’t work.”
“Just don’t torture yourself over it too much.”
They keep walking in silence for a while. As they stepped out from the forest into the landing area the Astronaut asked:
“Did we just pass the grave, there by the path?”
“That was a grave, yes.” – Old man answered quietly - “En, do you want to come back to it?”
“No, there is no need. I’m assuming that was the me before you?”
“That was the other guy, yeah…”
They passed by the ship and came inside the square building. Just like the old man said, the computer wasn’t working. The Astronaut spend a while trying to fix it, but it was no use.
“So I guess this is a goodbye? Assuming you’re telling the truth that we will never meet.”
“Not like this. The next time you will be on the other side.”
They stared at each other for a moment. Then the Astronaut stretched out his hand, the old man grabbed it and shook it with force.
“Remember that you’ll make it through the nightmare. Fight for hope when it reappears because your life will depend on it.”
***********************
40 years later:
He opened his eyes and saw a vast blue sky. He was alive. Tears started running down his face and he sobbed loudly. It wasn't supposed to be like this! He should be dead. But deep down his heart the Astronaut knew that the fate couldn’t be changed. If he’s alive then he probably came back to this cursed planet and his new life will began here. He did not want it, he did now want any of this!
*
When it started to get dark the Astronaut finally got up and took a proper look of the surroundings. Of course there was no trace of the ship or its wreckage. But… in the distance light was coming from the concrete shelter. Which meant that someone was there! The old man was still alive? Not surprising, 120 years wasn’t even that much. But he said so many times that they would not meet again. Then was it someone else?
The Astronaut pulled out a pill from his pocket, swallowed it and instantly felt better. Then he made his way into the building. Curiosity almost took him over but he approached with caution and slowly opened the door.
“Who’s there?!” he heard his voice. But he didn't even parted his lips. The Astronaut froze and blinked in in disbelief when he saw the person who turned away from the locker.
He was looking at himself. Just as he would be looking in the mirror. The exact copy, only a little more messy.
“What’s going on? Have we meet before? Are you the old man I’ve meet here years ago?”
“N-No” his other self replied “I’ve arrived today, just a few hours ago.”
They keep staring at each other in tense silence.
“So… I guess you are me. And I am you.”
“Yeah…”
“What are we going to do? Have you tried using the computer already?”
The man slowly reached to his arm pocket. The Astronaut knew what was inside.
“Woah, woah, what are you doing?!”
“I’m sorry but I don’t see any other option.”
He remembered now. There was a grave.
“You’re the other guy” they both said at the same time.
In a flash the Astronaut took out his emergency knife and jumped forward.
The big, flat landing area was empty. The only thing that stood out was an ugly square block of concrete with steel door and windows on both sides. It was required by the regulations that each planet needed to have at least one facility building with basic communication equipment and emergency nutrition pills.
The Astronaut walked into the direction of the shelter. To his surprise, there was a wooden box lying on the ground next to the door. Why would someone leave anything outside? It was very strange. He quickly opened the door with his finger implant and looked around the room. There was nothing extraordinary here, some furniture, freezer and computer station. Traveler took some pills from the locker and put them in his bag, then he returned to the box. Inside was a piece of paper. Who even uses paper these days?...
Hello whoever you are! I’m living in the forest nearby. If you need water, food, rest or just some company, you are most welcome to visit.
What? WHAT?! Ok, that is something new. There shouldn’t be anyone here, and most definitely there shouldn’t be anyone living here. Astronaut felt the rush of excitement. It was just supposed to be a quick stop for the nutrients before returning home, but it could actually turn into an adventure! Oh, it would be so great. He looked around in search for the trees, which were pretty much all around in the distance. He jumped into the building once again, took even more pills and then set off on his expedition.
*
It turned out that the forest is quite strange. There were eerie whispers now and then, some parts of the forest were as dark as if it were night, and from time to time glowing sparkles could be seen in the distance. The database of this planet was very flawed and needed to be corrected.
After several hours of wandering Astronaut found a path that made exploration much easier. Then, within an hour, he reached the first clearing and finally saw a cottage. There was an old man working outside.
When the person emerged from between the trees, the old man spotted that instantly. He dropped the hoe he was holding and began to mumble in shock. The Traveler approached.
“Hello!” He greeted and turned on the translation feature in his chip.
“You’re finally here! Finally! Oh, I can’t believe it!” The old man was already running to meet his guest. Tears were pouring down his face. He used official common language, the translator wasn’t needed.
“Woah, easy there,” said the surprised Astronaut as the man grabbed him in his arms and sobbed loudly. “It really must have been a long time since you had visitors. Calm down, please. It’s alright, we can call for help, everything will be alright.”
“I-I’m sorry, I’m just so happy, happy that you arrived, that you finally arrived!” He wiped tears with the sleeve and looked deeply into the visitor’s eyes with a huge grin. “That I’m finally here.”
“Wait, d-do I know you?” The lighting struck Astronaut’s heart. “Are you… me?”
*
He was. They were the same person. The only difference was the time between them.
“But how is it possible?” The Astronaut asked and took the sip of tea. “Is this some kind of time paradox? Or a time loop?”
“Something like this, or magic.” Old man answered while pouring himself another cup. “I think both options are equally possible. Unfortunately, I don’t have any advanced equipment here to confirm either way.”
“Magic? That’s just silly. There is no magic. I recall that there were some studies but the scientists didn’t prove any single thing.”
“At the time, yes, you’re right. But just you wait next few years and the magic will be official.”
He was waiting for himself for over twenty years. All alone, as no one was ever visiting the most boring planet. But he knew that there would be a visitor one day, the most important visitor. He knew, because he was on the other side a long time ago.
“You will live the life I have lived. Just like the man who I’ve met when I was your age. Just like his predecessor. We are trapped in this endless circle.”
“Then we need to break it. When I leave I’ll let the authorities know about this whole situation and they’ll figure something out.” the Astronaut said firmly.
“I know you will, I did too. They won’t even move a finger. They only supervise time related events where something significant happens. Like major disaster or a new alien invasion. It’s even suggested that one should refrain from taking any unnecessary action, as timeline interference may be punished by law. You’ll know all about the procedures, don’t worry about it now. Just accept that it has to happen. Like all the other unpleasant things.”
They sat quiet for a while. The Astronaut was thinking intensively.
“Well, I’m still not convinced. The fact that you know about my past… it could have easily been known through the right connections.”
“That’s true.”
“And changing the look is not a big problem either. Or you can even be a shapeshifter, I’ve heard of those.”
“I’m well aware that you won’t be fully convinced here, on this planet. Only the time and the future will ensure your faith in me. So let me tell you everything I can remember about what awaits you.”
*
They spend a few days together. The old man was telling stories about his past life, and the Astronaut listened about what would happen in his future. And it was a good future. He made a career as a scientist, had a beautiful wife and wonderful children. He lived his life as a happy, fulfilled man, until one terrible thing changed everything.
Then it was the darkest time, time of madness and despair. He wanted to end his life during one last escapade into the space. Flying straight into the star seemed like a good idea, but the meteor shower caught his ship, the turbulences were so strong that he lost consciousness. That was the moment he returned to this planet. When he woke up he was lying on the ground safely, the ship was nowhere to be seen. The despair was still within him, but he also felt the spark of curiosity.
So he lived on. This was the time of healing, understanding himself and achieving inner peace. Turned out that the planet was full of magic, so he experimented with it and grow more experienced through the time. He was happy to learn new knowledge and once again appreciated his life. His inner essence was almost complete. Almost, because he knew that there was still a one thing that needed to be done. So he waited patiently.
*
They were coming back to the spaceship. It was nice weather, the stroll through the forest was a pleasant one.
“I’m gonna miss you. It was nice to talk to the actual human being after all these years.” The old man said sadly.
“I can only imagine. Too bad there’s no room for other person in the cockpit. I will try to come back here for you anyway, even if you said that it won’t work.”
“Just don’t torture yourself over it too much.”
They keep walking in silence for a while. As they stepped out from the forest into the landing area the Astronaut asked:
“Did we just pass the grave, there by the path?”
“That was a grave, yes.” – Old man answered quietly - “En, do you want to come back to it?”
“No, there is no need. I’m assuming that was the me before you?”
“That was the other guy, yeah…”
They passed by the ship and came inside the square building. Just like the old man said, the computer wasn’t working. The Astronaut spend a while trying to fix it, but it was no use.
“So I guess this is a goodbye? Assuming you’re telling the truth that we will never meet.”
“Not like this. The next time you will be on the other side.”
They stared at each other for a moment. Then the Astronaut stretched out his hand, the old man grabbed it and shook it with force.
“Remember that you’ll make it through the nightmare. Fight for hope when it reappears because your life will depend on it.”
***********************
40 years later:
He opened his eyes and saw a vast blue sky. He was alive. Tears started running down his face and he sobbed loudly. It wasn't supposed to be like this! He should be dead. But deep down his heart the Astronaut knew that the fate couldn’t be changed. If he’s alive then he probably came back to this cursed planet and his new life will began here. He did not want it, he did now want any of this!
*
When it started to get dark the Astronaut finally got up and took a proper look of the surroundings. Of course there was no trace of the ship or its wreckage. But… in the distance light was coming from the concrete shelter. Which meant that someone was there! The old man was still alive? Not surprising, 120 years wasn’t even that much. But he said so many times that they would not meet again. Then was it someone else?
The Astronaut pulled out a pill from his pocket, swallowed it and instantly felt better. Then he made his way into the building. Curiosity almost took him over but he approached with caution and slowly opened the door.
“Who’s there?!” he heard his voice. But he didn't even parted his lips. The Astronaut froze and blinked in in disbelief when he saw the person who turned away from the locker.
He was looking at himself. Just as he would be looking in the mirror. The exact copy, only a little more messy.
“What’s going on? Have we meet before? Are you the old man I’ve meet here years ago?”
“N-No” his other self replied “I’ve arrived today, just a few hours ago.”
They keep staring at each other in tense silence.
“So… I guess you are me. And I am you.”
“Yeah…”
“What are we going to do? Have you tried using the computer already?”
The man slowly reached to his arm pocket. The Astronaut knew what was inside.
“Woah, woah, what are you doing?!”
“I’m sorry but I don’t see any other option.”
He remembered now. There was a grave.
“You’re the other guy” they both said at the same time.
In a flash the Astronaut took out his emergency knife and jumped forward.
I've never written a dialogue in English, I hope it's formatted correctly.
filbert's ant-venture
*THUD* “ow… morning already?” filbert lifted up the corner of his fluffy blue sleep mask. “ah that light is bright,” filbert said putting his sleep mask back down and stretching his body out on the floor. every morning without fail, filbert wakes up by falling out of his bed and onto the hard wooden floor. after a few more minutes of dozing, filbert slowly sits up and lets out a big yawn as he stretches out his arms. “breakfast!” filbert hopped up leaving his blanket in a messy pile and headed for the kitchen. like every day, filbert was eager for his first meal. “snacks!!” filbert exclaimed, as he reached for the cabinet doors. he flung them open and the cabinet doors slammed backwards with a great crash. “AH!!” filbert jumped back startled by the sudden noise. “oh thank goodness, it was just the cabinet doors.” filbert let out a sigh of relief, grateful that there were no monsters. he looked up at the cabinets eagerly. choosing which snack to eat was always filbert’s favorite part of the day. second to eating of course. “AHHH!!!" filbert collapsed onto the ground. a single tear tenderly ran down his cheek. “there’s no more food!!!!!” *GuRgLe* “ohhh my tummy is rumbling. i don’t know if i can go on any longer” filbert reached out and slowly dragged himself across the wooden floorboards away from the barren cabinet. “not even a crumb.” filbert looked up as tears welled in his big dark eyes. the tears sparkled in the early afternoon sun. “i know what i must do,” filbert stated proudly as he got back to his feet. he quickly wiped the tear from his cheek. “i must get snacks.” filbert threw on his sunny yellow t-shirt and headed out the door.
“whoa!!! ants!” filbert exclaimed shutting the front door behind him and lunging towards a small pile of dirt. he leaned over to get a better look. tiny black ants marched along one after the other out of the ant hill and deep into the forest. “i wonder where they’re going,” filbert’s big eyes were fixated on the tiny army parading dutifully into the thick woods. these ants seem like they know what they’re doing filbert thought to himself. i always see ants show up for the crumbs i drop. “i’ve got it!” filbert stood up, puffed out his chest, and pointed towards the forest. “these ants are definitely after food.” *GuRgLe* “and we don’t have much time.”
filbert raced towards the forest arms extended like an airplane's wings. “ha ha! look how fast i am!” filbert shouted down at the ants. “you are so slow! ha ha!” the line of ants seemed endless as filbert approached the tree-line. filbert stopped. he looked intently into the thick green of the seemingly infinite forest. the line of ants continued their march disappearing into the darkness. “i’ve never been into this part of the forest before,” filbert stated quietly. he hesitantly started into the trees. i can’t let these ants make me look like a scaredy squirrel. i’ve got to do this. i’ve got to at least try. *GuRgLe* for the snacks. filbert disappeared into the trees.
“wow it’s surprisingly dark in here,” filbert said in a shaking voice. “these trees really block out a lot of light.” he looked nervously around him. green trees. more green trees. they all looked he same. how long have i been walking he wondered pressing onward. it’s so dark now i can’t even see the ground. how will i find my way out?? filbert’s heart started to race. he could feel his throat tightening and sweat forming on the palms of his hands. “it’s been a while since I’ve seen the ants.” filbert continued pushing his way through the branches, the thick trees scratched at his arms and legs. “oh no! the forest is getting denser! i have no idea which way to go to get home” *HOO HOO* an owl screeched nearby. “AHH!!” filbert cried falling to his knees. he was now shaking. “i made a huge mistake!” he was struggling to hold back tears. i wonder if ill ever get to enjoy the sweet taste of strawberry ice-cream again. or chocolate pudding. or potato chips! filbert was sobbing. *GuRgLe* “i’m so sorry!” filbert yelled out while choking on his tears. “i let you down!!!” *GuRgLe* filbert looked down at the dark forest floor. tears were raining down creating small puddles in the dirt. and now it looks like i’ve met my end. just know. filbert raised his now muddy hand to his stomach and gave it a soft caress. i did this all for you.
“fillbertttt” an angelic voice echoed through the forest. “don’t give up yet, filberttt. you must not give up. this is a journey that only you can take, filberttttt” the soft voice disappeared. *sniffle* “that weird voice is right,” filbert said stiffening his lip and wiping the tears off his furry blue face. “I’M COMING FOR YOU, FOOD!!!” as filbert got to his feet, he noticed the faintest glimmer of light past the trees in the distance. “AHH” filbert screeched his war cry and ran stumbling blindly through the forest. “you won’t get the best of me, ants!!” the branches scratched at filbert’s arms and legs as he made his way towards the light. “ha! boo boos!” filbert scoffed. “you think you can stop me with boo boos?!” filbert yelled angrily at no tree in particular. “i’m filbert” *GuRgLe* “and i haven’t had any food today.” the light grew brighter as filbert heroically fought back each branch and headed bravely into the unknown.
as he exited the last of the trees, the white light was blinding. jaunty music was playing. “wha?” filbert squinted his eyes trying hard to see without letting too much light in. “yo ho!” “ha ho!” “he ho!” the air was filled with the sounds of utensils hitting plates, laughter, cheering, and wooden mugs being hit together. “forest gnomes?” filbert said confused as his eyes adjusted to light. dozens of sprightly gnomes in colored caps danced around the clearing. suddenly the most amazing aroma of sweet and spicy hit filbert’s nostrils. he took in a deep breath. “foooood,” filbert exhaled with a pleased and sleepy smile on his face. drool was pooling in his mouth. many happy gnomes sat at an enormous banquet table with all kinds of colorful foods and deserts, many that filbert had never seen before. “we’re having a feast, little lad!” one heavily bearded gnome exclaimed gesturing his mug towards filbert. the frothy drink splashed with the sudden motion, and a small amount of the golden brew dripped down the gnomes hand. “come! take a seat and eat to your little heart’s content!” filbert’s eyes grew huge and and his cheeks flushed. “really?!?” filbert was overwhelmed by the magical and thoroughly bearded scene. “thank you.” filbert said as he took a seat. he was tired, but mostly he was hungry. *GuRgLeEeEe* the gnomes erupted in laughter. one set a plate down in front of filbert as others began piling food onto it. filbert’s big eyes sparkled. this was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t wait to dig in. drool was falling down onto his muddied t-shirt.
filbert shoveled a piece of yellow cake with bright pink frosting into his mouth. his eyes widened. “THIS IS AMAZNG!!” the gnomes all laughed and cheered and clinked their mugs. as filbert was enjoying his next treat, a candied apple, he noticed beyond his heaping pile of food, a much smaller table with tiny foods on it and little chairs with “the ants!!!” filbert exclaimed with glee! many tiny black ants sat down at their tiny table covered in tiny treats and tiny frothy mugs. one ant waved up at filbert. “i forgot about the ants! thanks for showing me the way here!” filbert had an amazing time tasting all the new foods and listening to the gnomes tell stories, some of which he thought couldn’t possibly be true. then it dawned on him. “what about that weird voice in the forest??” a few gnomes shrugged as others looked away disinterested. the heavily bearded gnome put his hand on filbert’s shoulder. “the forest is full of mysteries, little lad,” he said with certainty. the gnome then gestured towards the forest, his large snow-white beard cascading over his arm. filbert turned around and saw that there was now a clear path winding through the forest. filbert looked back to the gnome and said tenderly, “thank you for the food.”
*THUD* “ow… morning already?” filbert lifted up the corner of his fluffy blue sleep mask. “ah that light is bright,” filbert said putting his sleep mask back down and stretching his body out on the floor. every morning without fail, filbert wakes up by falling out of his bed and onto the hard wooden floor. after a few more minutes of dozing, filbert slowly sits up and lets out a big yawn as he stretches out his arms. “breakfast!” filbert hopped up leaving his blanket in a messy pile and headed for the kitchen. like every day, filbert was eager for his first meal. “snacks!!” filbert exclaimed, as he reached for the cabinet doors. he flung them open and the cabinet doors slammed backwards with a great crash. “AH!!” filbert jumped back startled by the sudden noise. “oh thank goodness, it was just the cabinet doors.” filbert let out a sigh of relief, grateful that there were no monsters. he looked up at the cabinets eagerly. choosing which snack to eat was always filbert’s favorite part of the day. second to eating of course. “AHHH!!!" filbert collapsed onto the ground. a single tear tenderly ran down his cheek. “there’s no more food!!!!!” *GuRgLe* “ohhh my tummy is rumbling. i don’t know if i can go on any longer” filbert reached out and slowly dragged himself across the wooden floorboards away from the barren cabinet. “not even a crumb.” filbert looked up as tears welled in his big dark eyes. the tears sparkled in the early afternoon sun. “i know what i must do,” filbert stated proudly as he got back to his feet. he quickly wiped the tear from his cheek. “i must get snacks.” filbert threw on his sunny yellow t-shirt and headed out the door.
“whoa!!! ants!” filbert exclaimed shutting the front door behind him and lunging towards a small pile of dirt. he leaned over to get a better look. tiny black ants marched along one after the other out of the ant hill and deep into the forest. “i wonder where they’re going,” filbert’s big eyes were fixated on the tiny army parading dutifully into the thick woods. these ants seem like they know what they’re doing filbert thought to himself. i always see ants show up for the crumbs i drop. “i’ve got it!” filbert stood up, puffed out his chest, and pointed towards the forest. “these ants are definitely after food.” *GuRgLe* “and we don’t have much time.”
filbert raced towards the forest arms extended like an airplane's wings. “ha ha! look how fast i am!” filbert shouted down at the ants. “you are so slow! ha ha!” the line of ants seemed endless as filbert approached the tree-line. filbert stopped. he looked intently into the thick green of the seemingly infinite forest. the line of ants continued their march disappearing into the darkness. “i’ve never been into this part of the forest before,” filbert stated quietly. he hesitantly started into the trees. i can’t let these ants make me look like a scaredy squirrel. i’ve got to do this. i’ve got to at least try. *GuRgLe* for the snacks. filbert disappeared into the trees.
“wow it’s surprisingly dark in here,” filbert said in a shaking voice. “these trees really block out a lot of light.” he looked nervously around him. green trees. more green trees. they all looked he same. how long have i been walking he wondered pressing onward. it’s so dark now i can’t even see the ground. how will i find my way out?? filbert’s heart started to race. he could feel his throat tightening and sweat forming on the palms of his hands. “it’s been a while since I’ve seen the ants.” filbert continued pushing his way through the branches, the thick trees scratched at his arms and legs. “oh no! the forest is getting denser! i have no idea which way to go to get home” *HOO HOO* an owl screeched nearby. “AHH!!” filbert cried falling to his knees. he was now shaking. “i made a huge mistake!” he was struggling to hold back tears. i wonder if ill ever get to enjoy the sweet taste of strawberry ice-cream again. or chocolate pudding. or potato chips! filbert was sobbing. *GuRgLe* “i’m so sorry!” filbert yelled out while choking on his tears. “i let you down!!!” *GuRgLe* filbert looked down at the dark forest floor. tears were raining down creating small puddles in the dirt. and now it looks like i’ve met my end. just know. filbert raised his now muddy hand to his stomach and gave it a soft caress. i did this all for you.
“fillbertttt” an angelic voice echoed through the forest. “don’t give up yet, filberttt. you must not give up. this is a journey that only you can take, filberttttt” the soft voice disappeared. *sniffle* “that weird voice is right,” filbert said stiffening his lip and wiping the tears off his furry blue face. “I’M COMING FOR YOU, FOOD!!!” as filbert got to his feet, he noticed the faintest glimmer of light past the trees in the distance. “AHH” filbert screeched his war cry and ran stumbling blindly through the forest. “you won’t get the best of me, ants!!” the branches scratched at filbert’s arms and legs as he made his way towards the light. “ha! boo boos!” filbert scoffed. “you think you can stop me with boo boos?!” filbert yelled angrily at no tree in particular. “i’m filbert” *GuRgLe* “and i haven’t had any food today.” the light grew brighter as filbert heroically fought back each branch and headed bravely into the unknown.
as he exited the last of the trees, the white light was blinding. jaunty music was playing. “wha?” filbert squinted his eyes trying hard to see without letting too much light in. “yo ho!” “ha ho!” “he ho!” the air was filled with the sounds of utensils hitting plates, laughter, cheering, and wooden mugs being hit together. “forest gnomes?” filbert said confused as his eyes adjusted to light. dozens of sprightly gnomes in colored caps danced around the clearing. suddenly the most amazing aroma of sweet and spicy hit filbert’s nostrils. he took in a deep breath. “foooood,” filbert exhaled with a pleased and sleepy smile on his face. drool was pooling in his mouth. many happy gnomes sat at an enormous banquet table with all kinds of colorful foods and deserts, many that filbert had never seen before. “we’re having a feast, little lad!” one heavily bearded gnome exclaimed gesturing his mug towards filbert. the frothy drink splashed with the sudden motion, and a small amount of the golden brew dripped down the gnomes hand. “come! take a seat and eat to your little heart’s content!” filbert’s eyes grew huge and and his cheeks flushed. “really?!?” filbert was overwhelmed by the magical and thoroughly bearded scene. “thank you.” filbert said as he took a seat. he was tired, but mostly he was hungry. *GuRgLeEeEe* the gnomes erupted in laughter. one set a plate down in front of filbert as others began piling food onto it. filbert’s big eyes sparkled. this was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen, and he couldn’t wait to dig in. drool was falling down onto his muddied t-shirt.
filbert shoveled a piece of yellow cake with bright pink frosting into his mouth. his eyes widened. “THIS IS AMAZNG!!” the gnomes all laughed and cheered and clinked their mugs. as filbert was enjoying his next treat, a candied apple, he noticed beyond his heaping pile of food, a much smaller table with tiny foods on it and little chairs with “the ants!!!” filbert exclaimed with glee! many tiny black ants sat down at their tiny table covered in tiny treats and tiny frothy mugs. one ant waved up at filbert. “i forgot about the ants! thanks for showing me the way here!” filbert had an amazing time tasting all the new foods and listening to the gnomes tell stories, some of which he thought couldn’t possibly be true. then it dawned on him. “what about that weird voice in the forest??” a few gnomes shrugged as others looked away disinterested. the heavily bearded gnome put his hand on filbert’s shoulder. “the forest is full of mysteries, little lad,” he said with certainty. the gnome then gestured towards the forest, his large snow-white beard cascading over his arm. filbert turned around and saw that there was now a clear path winding through the forest. filbert looked back to the gnome and said tenderly, “thank you for the food.”
Newbiemayor
Fish enthusiast
Tbh I am not a writer and I really struggled with this but at least it's done now
"Ready or not here I come!"
It was just like any other day on the beautiful island of Rico. The sunlight was shining through the leaves and Kody was eagerly searching for his friends in an intense round of hide and seek.
"Found you, Marina!" He cried as she peeked out from behind a tree. "Aww, and I thought I was well hidden blurp. Good job, Kody. " Together, they went in search of the others when suddenly Marina spotted Zucker asleep inside a bush.
"Ugh, Zucker, wake up! You need to help us find Flora now." "Sorry" Zucker yawned as he stood up to join his friends. "Any idea where she's at?" Suddenly, they heard a voice crying out. "Help! Somebody, please help!" A small gray monkey came running over to the group.
"Please, can you help me?" "Whoa, calm down! Who are you? Tell us what happened. " Kody replied. "My name is Niko, and my home on Paradise Island has been taken over by the evil Rasher EX!" He said as he looked around nervously. "Don't worry Niko, you've come to the right place! We're the magical defenders of Rico!" Said Kody. "My name is Kody and I use my mythical sword to protect this island. This is Marina, she is a magical healer and can fix anything! That's Zucker, a powerful wizard but he's a little lazy at times. And that's-" "I'm Flora! I like to take down bad guys with my super awesome karate kicks pinky!"
"I sure hope our magic will be enough." worried Marina. "This 'Rasher EX' sounds dangerous" "OK guys, let's do this!" Said Kody as he readied his sword. "Come on! I can take you in my boat." said Niko. "Can we get some food on the way there bloop?" Said Zucker. "No, Zucker! Focus. " Kody said. "...So, does this mean I won?" Flora said. "I think that means I won..."
And so our heroes set off to paradise island to defeat Rasher EX but little did they know what the future held. When they arrived at the island it was dark and desolate. Not a soul was to be seen and the brave adventurers were feeling... not quite so brave.
"W-where is everyone?" Said Zucker as he hid behind Kody. "Rasher EX kidnapped them all. I barely managed to escape!" Said Niko "We have to find out where Rasher EX is hiding." "Well then let's take a look around." Flora said. She looked around slowly to get a better understanding of the damage done to the island. The sky was black and gloomy clouds hovered overhead. The trees and flowers seemed dull and droopy and some were missing leaves. "Wow... what happened to this place? It used to be so beautiful." "Things have changed since Rasher EX took over. I just hope we're not too late to save my friends." Niko said sadly and they set off down the path.
As they were walking they saw in the distance a large cage that looked to be occupied by some of the islanders. "Look! Over there! I see someone." Flora exclaimed and they ran over to see if they could free them. "It's locked up tight!" Said Kody pulling at the lock. "It's no use Rasher EX has the only key." Said Lottie from inside the cage. "You'll have to get it from him." "Look out behind you!" One of the islanders inside the cage said. They turned around and there before them stood Rasher EX. He was a fearsome sight. He wore a long black cape that appeared to be engulfed in flames; but it didn't burn away. He glared at them menacingly and said "You can try all you want 'heroes' but you'll never stop me! I am the ruler of this island now swine. And soon I'll take your precious island of Rico as well!"
"We'll see about that!" Kody lunged at Rasher EX with his sword but Rasher EX deftly dodged the attack. "Haha! Do you really think that little thing is going to stop me?" He charged up his magic and launched a fireball at the heroes. "Look out!" Said Marina. She summoned a magic shield to protect them. Kody attacked again with his sword. "Agh! You fools! How dare you. You'll pay for that" Rasher said and shot flames at Kody. "Ow! That's hot!" "Don't worry Kody, I've got you!" Marina said as she cast a healing spell.
"Hey, Rasher! Look over here!" Said Flora dodging Rasher EX's flames. "Huh?" "Now Zucker!" Zucker readied his magic and shot a great lightning bolt at Rasher EX. It struck Rasher EX and sent him flying backwards. He regained his footing and prepared to strike with a devastating blow. "Take this!" He yelled and called forth a great whirlwind of fire. But in his preparation he didn't notice Flora sneaking up behind him. "Super amazing surprise attack!" She screamed and karate chopped him on the head. The surprise threw him off balance and his whirlwind veered off course and was easily dodged.
Rasher could only watch as Zucker enchanted Kody's sword with magical power. "Get ready for this!" Said Kody as he landed the finishing blow. "Nooo! How could you defeat me..." Rasher EX crumbled to the floor in a heap. Kody snatched the key from Rasher EX's now torn cape and with it he unlocked the cage and freed all the islanders. "Thank you all so much!" Said Lottie hugging each one tightly. ".......thanks!" Mumbled Wardell. "I can take you guys back to Rico on my boat but... what are we going to do about Rasher EX? Or is he just 'rasher' now?" Said Niko. "We will take him back home to face justice" Said Kody. "Couldn't we just, like, throw him in the ocean or something? That's so much less work." Said Flora.
And so our heroes bundled back into their new friend's boat with villain in tow. They were soon back on familiar sands and they all walked back towards Rico; towards home. Suddenly they heard a voice behind them saying "I ain't bein' the bad guy next time if you kids are gonna hit me so hard!" And laughter was heard all around. "Haha, sorry, rasher." Kody said. "That sure was a fun game, wasn't it? " said Zucker. "Say... Does anyone want to play hide and seek?" Five voices rang out with a resounding "YEAH!"
It was just like any other day on the beautiful island of Rico. The sunlight was shining through the leaves and Kody was eagerly searching for his friends in an intense round of hide and seek.
"Found you, Marina!" He cried as she peeked out from behind a tree. "Aww, and I thought I was well hidden blurp. Good job, Kody. " Together, they went in search of the others when suddenly Marina spotted Zucker asleep inside a bush.
"Ugh, Zucker, wake up! You need to help us find Flora now." "Sorry" Zucker yawned as he stood up to join his friends. "Any idea where she's at?" Suddenly, they heard a voice crying out. "Help! Somebody, please help!" A small gray monkey came running over to the group.
"Please, can you help me?" "Whoa, calm down! Who are you? Tell us what happened. " Kody replied. "My name is Niko, and my home on Paradise Island has been taken over by the evil Rasher EX!" He said as he looked around nervously. "Don't worry Niko, you've come to the right place! We're the magical defenders of Rico!" Said Kody. "My name is Kody and I use my mythical sword to protect this island. This is Marina, she is a magical healer and can fix anything! That's Zucker, a powerful wizard but he's a little lazy at times. And that's-" "I'm Flora! I like to take down bad guys with my super awesome karate kicks pinky!"
"I sure hope our magic will be enough." worried Marina. "This 'Rasher EX' sounds dangerous" "OK guys, let's do this!" Said Kody as he readied his sword. "Come on! I can take you in my boat." said Niko. "Can we get some food on the way there bloop?" Said Zucker. "No, Zucker! Focus. " Kody said. "...So, does this mean I won?" Flora said. "I think that means I won..."
And so our heroes set off to paradise island to defeat Rasher EX but little did they know what the future held. When they arrived at the island it was dark and desolate. Not a soul was to be seen and the brave adventurers were feeling... not quite so brave.
"W-where is everyone?" Said Zucker as he hid behind Kody. "Rasher EX kidnapped them all. I barely managed to escape!" Said Niko "We have to find out where Rasher EX is hiding." "Well then let's take a look around." Flora said. She looked around slowly to get a better understanding of the damage done to the island. The sky was black and gloomy clouds hovered overhead. The trees and flowers seemed dull and droopy and some were missing leaves. "Wow... what happened to this place? It used to be so beautiful." "Things have changed since Rasher EX took over. I just hope we're not too late to save my friends." Niko said sadly and they set off down the path.
As they were walking they saw in the distance a large cage that looked to be occupied by some of the islanders. "Look! Over there! I see someone." Flora exclaimed and they ran over to see if they could free them. "It's locked up tight!" Said Kody pulling at the lock. "It's no use Rasher EX has the only key." Said Lottie from inside the cage. "You'll have to get it from him." "Look out behind you!" One of the islanders inside the cage said. They turned around and there before them stood Rasher EX. He was a fearsome sight. He wore a long black cape that appeared to be engulfed in flames; but it didn't burn away. He glared at them menacingly and said "You can try all you want 'heroes' but you'll never stop me! I am the ruler of this island now swine. And soon I'll take your precious island of Rico as well!"
"We'll see about that!" Kody lunged at Rasher EX with his sword but Rasher EX deftly dodged the attack. "Haha! Do you really think that little thing is going to stop me?" He charged up his magic and launched a fireball at the heroes. "Look out!" Said Marina. She summoned a magic shield to protect them. Kody attacked again with his sword. "Agh! You fools! How dare you. You'll pay for that" Rasher said and shot flames at Kody. "Ow! That's hot!" "Don't worry Kody, I've got you!" Marina said as she cast a healing spell.
"Hey, Rasher! Look over here!" Said Flora dodging Rasher EX's flames. "Huh?" "Now Zucker!" Zucker readied his magic and shot a great lightning bolt at Rasher EX. It struck Rasher EX and sent him flying backwards. He regained his footing and prepared to strike with a devastating blow. "Take this!" He yelled and called forth a great whirlwind of fire. But in his preparation he didn't notice Flora sneaking up behind him. "Super amazing surprise attack!" She screamed and karate chopped him on the head. The surprise threw him off balance and his whirlwind veered off course and was easily dodged.
Rasher could only watch as Zucker enchanted Kody's sword with magical power. "Get ready for this!" Said Kody as he landed the finishing blow. "Nooo! How could you defeat me..." Rasher EX crumbled to the floor in a heap. Kody snatched the key from Rasher EX's now torn cape and with it he unlocked the cage and freed all the islanders. "Thank you all so much!" Said Lottie hugging each one tightly. ".......thanks!" Mumbled Wardell. "I can take you guys back to Rico on my boat but... what are we going to do about Rasher EX? Or is he just 'rasher' now?" Said Niko. "We will take him back home to face justice" Said Kody. "Couldn't we just, like, throw him in the ocean or something? That's so much less work." Said Flora.
And so our heroes bundled back into their new friend's boat with villain in tow. They were soon back on familiar sands and they all walked back towards Rico; towards home. Suddenly they heard a voice behind them saying "I ain't bein' the bad guy next time if you kids are gonna hit me so hard!" And laughter was heard all around. "Haha, sorry, rasher." Kody said. "That sure was a fun game, wasn't it? " said Zucker. "Say... Does anyone want to play hide and seek?" Five voices rang out with a resounding "YEAH!"
nothing 2 see here
Under different circumstances, parading through an enchanted forest might’ve been enjoyable. The birdsong calling from ways above, accompanied by the rich scent of some magical hanging fruits. It was a ways away from the humble village our hero hailed from. Although if you asked her, she had no such thing as a “humble beginning”. The thought of having been so dull stirred up a strong emotion within the heroine. The forest and its splendor were her “home” now, thoughts of her old village be damned. She hated when her past popped up into her mind.
Leaves rustled above as the sun started to set in the sky. Unlike all of her other midnoon strolls, this one felt quite different. The grass no longer looked vibrant, the crystalline water no longer clear. She supposed anyone would feel that way after being around intense beauty for so long.
The girl had only been fifteen when she tripped down that tavern well. Sixteen when she defeated that hag of a witch, and seventeen when she was hailed as the forest’s great savior. Years had passed and still no one knew where she came from.
And she made sure no one would care to know.
The girl had just shown up one day, adorn with soot, ragged clothing, and dripping in well water. The rest was just a fuzzy memory that she would prefer to forget. A lot has changed since then. She had gone through great lengths to erase the unbecoming image of her former self. To fit in with the beautiful people who lived in this beautiful forest. After going on a grand adventure befitting any fantasy fairy tale, she emerged from the other side a completely different person. Gone was the clumsy little girl who was dull enough to trip down a deep well. In her place stood someone who she thought would belong in this fantastical world.
The girl kicked a rock as she continued her walk, shaking her head to distill thoughts of her past. The sun was almost completely checked out by now, and she knew she had people awaiting her return. With a glance at the emerging moon, she turned and began the trek back to her house, noting the fading bird calls as she went.
—-
Upon crossing the front gate, the girl was immediately met with a crowd of her admirers. They gently stroked her hair and attempted to massage her aching legs. She was quickly bathed in florals as they rained expensive perfume upon her, much to her dismay. Once upon a time, she would have quite literally killed to be waited on hand and foot. Things seem to be changing nowadays. After shrugging off the myriad of offerings consisting of intricate hairpins and jeweled slippers, the girl finally made it inside her house. As she shut the oak door, she was greeted by silence and an extremely cold floor. The icy flooring didn’t damper her mood, rather it was the lack of noise that grated her ears. Growing up in a big family she had gotten used to her brother’s incessant bickering, or her mother’s endless nagging. Of course, it was annoying then, sharing a small house with what could be the loudest people alive. But to her endless surprise, she ended up missing it. Especially on nights like this one.
Frowning at her sudden idiocy, the girl made a motion to light the candles, struggling to find her socks as she did so.
Laying down in her plush bed after such a day made her tired, which she was grateful for. It seemed to be common for her nowadays to sleep as soon as her head touched a pillow. Not that she minded all too much. She closed her eyes and welcomed another night of dreamless rest, ready to wake the next day and continue on as she has been.
Except she did not get her usual black void.
—-
The girl woke up with a start, checking her surroundings as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She was not home. The ground was damp with a pool of glassy water, the sky nowhere to be found. Her bed was still intact, but that was about it. There was a darkness that seemed to stretch for miles as she craned her neck to look around her. She seemed to be at the center of a watery landscape, still sat in the very bed she had fallen asleep in. The girl tried to remain calm, this was surely some strange dream at the very worst. She reached a foot out of bed, stepping onto the wet floor. Her socks were now soaked through, but she paid them no mind as she started wandering in a random direction.
It was so incredibly dark. There seemed to be no way to tell time either. The girl could only imagine how long she had been away. The wetness of her socks had started catching up to her, and she cringed as she finally removed them. Her only reprieve was that the previous day’s aches seemed to be gone, she was able to trek for miles without having any need for rest or hydration.
Stamina be damned, it was all pointless in the end.
To her dismay, there was nothing. No point of exit, no sign of life, she could not even locate her bed anymore. After hours of waiting to wake up, she had had enough. The girl ran right, left, backwards, forwards. She launched her hair tie, shouted at nothing, and tried finding a wall to pound her fists on. After a while, she slumped to the floor, mentally exhausted. This predicament baffled her. As she lay with her back on the cool, damp floor, she thought of all the people she had to see when the sun rose, all the meetings she promised to attend. She was the resident savior after all, there was always much to be done. They did not care that she was tired, or that she wished for some goddamn peace. She was always expected to be perfect. To uphold the values that that stupid magical forest held so dear. Her hair had to be shiny, but not too shiny, her smile welcoming, but never too kind. God forbid she stepped out in anything other than the finest of silks or the fanciest of jewels.
Her hopelessness was then replaced by anger. Who cares if she never made it out. She certainly would not care. How bad was this void compared to her stifling fantasy life anyway. It may have been cold and empty, but at least she had no one breathing down her back.
The fall of water brought her out of her mind. Rain had seemed to be coming from the darkness above. She looked down to see that her face was perfectly reflected in the rippling liquid, and she dropped all thoughts of others. Her mind traveled to the past once more, as it always seemed to these days. She recalled her boisterous home, her brother’s twinkling laughter, and her sister’s gentle touch. What she would not give to have her hair braided by someone she actually cared about. What she would not give to care about someone at all.
As the rain ran down her cheeks, and as her reflection became blurred by tears, our heroine curled up and cried. She bawled for her family, for her home, not her stupid overly fancy, tasteless house, but her home. The girl wanted to be dull again. She wanted to go back in time and pull her past self out of that wretched well. Splendor was nothing compared to feeling alive again. She cursed ever wanting to belong in such a cold world, for completely erasing who she used to be.
Time passed on as she wept. The rain stopped falling, and the water became still once more. She was out of tears. The girl laid there for a while, unmoving and silent. Why had her mind brought her here? What was she trying to tell herself? She did not get a response, but the answer was one she already knew.
Not even bothering to clean up her appearance, the girl got up and started walking once more. Her cheeks were sallow and stained with tear tracks, her hair a rat's nest of tangles. The fancy silk pajamas she wore were soaked through, dripping water as she stepped. She marched on. The damp ground soon gave way to lush grass, the darkness warming into sunlight upon her skin. She heard a distant bird song as she made her way out of the void, getting louder the further she went.
—-
The girl took one last look around the enchanted forest. At the endless beauty it held, and the wonder it had possessed. She had wanted to be a part of it once. To belong to that world. She was older now. She knew better now. The girl turned on her heel and did not look back at the place she had once so desperately wished to call home.
Leaves rustled above as the sun started to set in the sky. Unlike all of her other midnoon strolls, this one felt quite different. The grass no longer looked vibrant, the crystalline water no longer clear. She supposed anyone would feel that way after being around intense beauty for so long.
The girl had only been fifteen when she tripped down that tavern well. Sixteen when she defeated that hag of a witch, and seventeen when she was hailed as the forest’s great savior. Years had passed and still no one knew where she came from.
And she made sure no one would care to know.
The girl had just shown up one day, adorn with soot, ragged clothing, and dripping in well water. The rest was just a fuzzy memory that she would prefer to forget. A lot has changed since then. She had gone through great lengths to erase the unbecoming image of her former self. To fit in with the beautiful people who lived in this beautiful forest. After going on a grand adventure befitting any fantasy fairy tale, she emerged from the other side a completely different person. Gone was the clumsy little girl who was dull enough to trip down a deep well. In her place stood someone who she thought would belong in this fantastical world.
The girl kicked a rock as she continued her walk, shaking her head to distill thoughts of her past. The sun was almost completely checked out by now, and she knew she had people awaiting her return. With a glance at the emerging moon, she turned and began the trek back to her house, noting the fading bird calls as she went.
—-
Upon crossing the front gate, the girl was immediately met with a crowd of her admirers. They gently stroked her hair and attempted to massage her aching legs. She was quickly bathed in florals as they rained expensive perfume upon her, much to her dismay. Once upon a time, she would have quite literally killed to be waited on hand and foot. Things seem to be changing nowadays. After shrugging off the myriad of offerings consisting of intricate hairpins and jeweled slippers, the girl finally made it inside her house. As she shut the oak door, she was greeted by silence and an extremely cold floor. The icy flooring didn’t damper her mood, rather it was the lack of noise that grated her ears. Growing up in a big family she had gotten used to her brother’s incessant bickering, or her mother’s endless nagging. Of course, it was annoying then, sharing a small house with what could be the loudest people alive. But to her endless surprise, she ended up missing it. Especially on nights like this one.
Frowning at her sudden idiocy, the girl made a motion to light the candles, struggling to find her socks as she did so.
Laying down in her plush bed after such a day made her tired, which she was grateful for. It seemed to be common for her nowadays to sleep as soon as her head touched a pillow. Not that she minded all too much. She closed her eyes and welcomed another night of dreamless rest, ready to wake the next day and continue on as she has been.
Except she did not get her usual black void.
—-
The girl woke up with a start, checking her surroundings as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. She was not home. The ground was damp with a pool of glassy water, the sky nowhere to be found. Her bed was still intact, but that was about it. There was a darkness that seemed to stretch for miles as she craned her neck to look around her. She seemed to be at the center of a watery landscape, still sat in the very bed she had fallen asleep in. The girl tried to remain calm, this was surely some strange dream at the very worst. She reached a foot out of bed, stepping onto the wet floor. Her socks were now soaked through, but she paid them no mind as she started wandering in a random direction.
It was so incredibly dark. There seemed to be no way to tell time either. The girl could only imagine how long she had been away. The wetness of her socks had started catching up to her, and she cringed as she finally removed them. Her only reprieve was that the previous day’s aches seemed to be gone, she was able to trek for miles without having any need for rest or hydration.
Stamina be damned, it was all pointless in the end.
To her dismay, there was nothing. No point of exit, no sign of life, she could not even locate her bed anymore. After hours of waiting to wake up, she had had enough. The girl ran right, left, backwards, forwards. She launched her hair tie, shouted at nothing, and tried finding a wall to pound her fists on. After a while, she slumped to the floor, mentally exhausted. This predicament baffled her. As she lay with her back on the cool, damp floor, she thought of all the people she had to see when the sun rose, all the meetings she promised to attend. She was the resident savior after all, there was always much to be done. They did not care that she was tired, or that she wished for some goddamn peace. She was always expected to be perfect. To uphold the values that that stupid magical forest held so dear. Her hair had to be shiny, but not too shiny, her smile welcoming, but never too kind. God forbid she stepped out in anything other than the finest of silks or the fanciest of jewels.
Her hopelessness was then replaced by anger. Who cares if she never made it out. She certainly would not care. How bad was this void compared to her stifling fantasy life anyway. It may have been cold and empty, but at least she had no one breathing down her back.
The fall of water brought her out of her mind. Rain had seemed to be coming from the darkness above. She looked down to see that her face was perfectly reflected in the rippling liquid, and she dropped all thoughts of others. Her mind traveled to the past once more, as it always seemed to these days. She recalled her boisterous home, her brother’s twinkling laughter, and her sister’s gentle touch. What she would not give to have her hair braided by someone she actually cared about. What she would not give to care about someone at all.
As the rain ran down her cheeks, and as her reflection became blurred by tears, our heroine curled up and cried. She bawled for her family, for her home, not her stupid overly fancy, tasteless house, but her home. The girl wanted to be dull again. She wanted to go back in time and pull her past self out of that wretched well. Splendor was nothing compared to feeling alive again. She cursed ever wanting to belong in such a cold world, for completely erasing who she used to be.
Time passed on as she wept. The rain stopped falling, and the water became still once more. She was out of tears. The girl laid there for a while, unmoving and silent. Why had her mind brought her here? What was she trying to tell herself? She did not get a response, but the answer was one she already knew.
Not even bothering to clean up her appearance, the girl got up and started walking once more. Her cheeks were sallow and stained with tear tracks, her hair a rat's nest of tangles. The fancy silk pajamas she wore were soaked through, dripping water as she stepped. She marched on. The damp ground soon gave way to lush grass, the darkness warming into sunlight upon her skin. She heard a distant bird song as she made her way out of the void, getting louder the further she went.
—-
The girl took one last look around the enchanted forest. At the endless beauty it held, and the wonder it had possessed. She had wanted to be a part of it once. To belong to that world. She was older now. She knew better now. The girl turned on her heel and did not look back at the place she had once so desperately wished to call home.
I cut this one a little too close. I wish I had time for another proofread and a few revisions, but this will have to do. I'm still really pleased with it. I hope anyone who takes the time to read it will enjoy it. It's pure fantasy and comes in at just under 2600 words.
The sacred glade was awash with moonlight. A hush had fallen over the Verillion Woods as the revered Faerie Council assembled. Cicadas, crickets, and frogs all silenced their cries in deference to the ritual about to be performed.
From the surrounding darkness, a pair of golden eyes, glowing like fireflies, peered around the base of an old elm tree. Vinya had longed to participate in the Sylvan Song since her earliest days as a youngling. Every full moon, she pleaded with her parents to be allowed to join them, but each time she was denied. Now, only a few lunar cycles away from coming of age, she felt the call stronger than ever.
She watched intently as the Faerie Council formed a circle and, drawing upon their inner magic, cloaked themselves in brilliant auras spanning the spectrum from crimson to indigo, citrine to violet. Closing their eyes, they began to sing.
Soft, ethereal voices carried their chant through the still night air. Streams of embers poured forth from their auras, flowing in the wake of their intonations to pool in the center of the circle, where they flickered and danced under the glow of the silvery moon.
Captivated by the display, Vinya edged closer, heedless of the light now illuminating her delicate features. Her acorn-brown skin gleamed like bronze. Her eyes sparkled and her lips parted in awe as she hovered, enraptured, on the outskirts of the glade.
In perfect harmony, the Faerie Council shifted their refrain, causing it to deepen and intensify. The mass of embers swirled, converging on a single point to form a radiant opalescent orb. Vinya knew that this orb was known as the Celestine and, once lifted and positioned within the firmament, it would protect and replenish the forest until the next full moon.
The Faerie Council raised their hands in preparation for this final all-important task but were cut short by a crashing sound in the nearby brush. A lone goblin emerged, leaping into the midst of the circle and snatching the Celestine from the air. With panicked eyes, the goblin launched itself toward the safety of the woods on the other side, colliding with Vinya in the process.
Stunned, Vinya looked up from where she had fallen to see the goblin standing over her. It reached for her and she closed her eyes, bracing for a blow. So she was surprised when the goblin gently lifted her and croaked out a few unintelligible syllables. It was gazing at her curiously, without malice.
Vinya fluttered her wings tentatively and drifted out of the goblin’s palm. She felt a bit unsteady but was able to remain aloft. Seemingly satisfied, the goblin left her and raced on into the forest.
That’s when Vinya became aware of the commotion surrounding her. Members of the council were rushing in every direction. Some trailed after the goblin, aiming bursts of faerie flame at its head. Others dashed off to gather resources and warriors to mount a more organized attempt to retrieve the precious orb. The King and Queen were in the center of the glade, directing these efforts.
“Mother! Father!” Vinya shouted to be heard over the din.
They both paused in the midst of giving orders.
“Vinya? What are you doing here?” the King asked.
“Before you get mad, I know I shouldn’t be here, but you can punish me later. I want to help.”
“This is no place for you,” said the King. “You are yet a child.”
“But–” Vinya was interrupted as a sentry appeared at her father’s side.
“Darling, please go home and wait,” the Queen said tenderly. “We will be distracted from our duties if we must worry about your safety. Goblins are as unpredictable as they are fierce.”
“That’s what I wanted to tell you. This goblin didn’t seem fierce at all. It was almost…kind.”
“You had an encounter with it?” The Queen’s brow wrinkled in concern and her eyes scanned the girl quickly for any traces of injury.
Vinya shifted uneasily. “Well, I was watching the ceremony.” Here she glanced up to catch her mother’s reaction. The Queen waited patiently for her to continue. “When the goblin escaped, it ran into me. But then it stopped, Mother. It stopped to pick me up and make sure I wasn’t harmed.”
“That doesn’t sound like goblin behavior,” the King interjected. Having finished with the sentry, he had returned to the conversation in time to hear the last part. “Are you certain that was its purpose? Perhaps it intended to abduct you but was chased off when we attacked.”
“I don’t think so, Father. I believe this goblin can be reasoned with.”
“Even if what you say is true, and I admit to having my doubts, the Celestine is our primary objective. It must be recovered at all costs.”
“Please,” Vinya said clinging to her father’s arm, “please don’t hurt it. Try communicating with it first.”
“We will take it under advisement, but for now you must go home,” the King said in a tone that did not allow for continued debate.
Vinya cast a pleading look at her mother.
“Go home, dear,” her mother said. “We will consider your words carefully.”
Dejected, Vinya floated away from the glade into the darkened forest. Faeries were still darting back and forth all around her, but their sense of urgency meant that she went largely unnoticed. Perceiving this, her head perked up and her eyes shone with a sudden determination.
She slipped away from the crowd, gliding covertly through the trees until she had circled back to the location where the goblin had fled. Perching on a lofty branch, high above the activities of her clan, Vinya called on her own magical power. Her aura sparked to life, as rich and golden as the faerie crown that would one day rest upon her head.
After whispering a brief incantation, a shimmering trail of light appeared before her, the spiritual residue left by the Celestine as it was whisked away. Without hesitation, Vinya plunged into the night. With only a few powerful strokes of her long iridescent wings, she was surging through the forest with unrivaled swiftness.
Her hair flowed behind her like endless fields of lavender. The rush of the wind on her face left an exhilarating tingle. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn’t suppress her smile.
“This,” she thought, “is freedom.”
She followed the trail until it rounded a hillside, disappearing into a cave carefully concealed behind rocks and vines. There she paused to examine the entrance. Vinya knew better than to rush into a goblin cave without first checking for traps.
Just as she expected, a pair of goblin runes were carved on either side of the opening. However, she recognized them from her studies as nothing more than protection runes. As long as she intended no harm, she could safely pass.
Dousing her aura, Vinya entered the cool and earthy atmosphere of the goblin abode. She moved slowly, scanning the walls, ceiling, and floor for more runes. She located several, but none of any concern. Every rune was focused solely on defense.
As she advanced deeper into the cave, a shrill keening sound reached her ears. It was eerily discomfiting, but Vinya pressed on. Around the next corner, she was rewarded by a pale light stretching out from a narrow corridor.
Cautiously, she drifted down the passage to locate its source. The light became stronger and the pitiful wails more discordant as she drew closer. Finally, she laid eyes on the Celestine, hovering at the far end of a small chamber above a swaddled baby goblin. The despairing mother crouched at its side, rocking anxiously, howling in misery.
Vinya ducked behind a gnarled tree root to observe. The goblin matron had mossy green skin covered in muddy brown spots. Her wide pointed ears were notched with bite marks. A handful of straggling hairs clung to her misshapen skull and singe marks from the barrage of faerie magic dotted her scalp. Vinya knew she should be afraid but all she felt was compassion.
Easing out into the open but still maintaining her distance, she spoke softly. “May I help?”
The goblin sprang forward to guard her baby, growling aggressively and glaring at Vinya with hard, pebble-like eyes.
Instinctively, Vinya retreated from the menacing display. However, noticing the goblin’s reluctance to stray too far from her child, she quickly regained her courage and tried again.
“I assure you I have no ill intent. If I did, your runes would have activated.”
The goblin thought this over carefully before relaxing her stance. Then, she spoke. Her tone was pleading but Vinya could not understand her words. She had learned that goblin speech was limited to guttural sounds due to their vocal cords, but this was her first experience with it.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know your language, but you can understand mine?”
The goblin nodded.
“That’s a start,” Vinya said, then pointed at herself. “I’m Vinya. You are?”
The goblin touched her finger to her angular nose. “Lok-Tuk-Tuk.”
“And your baby?”
Lok-Tuk-Tuk turned her head and gazed sadly at the silent bundle on the ground. “Awk-Lok,” she said with as much tenderness as the goblin language would allow. When she looked at Vinya again, her stony eyes had moistened.
“I’m going to check on Awk-Lok now. Is that fine?”
Lok-Tuk-Tuk indicated her consent by stepping out of the way. She went back to Awk-Lok’s side and rested her hand on his tiny malformed head.
Vinya approached with trepidation, fearing that it could already be too late. So when she laid her head against the child’s chest, she was delighted to detect a heartbeat. Though it was weak, it had not failed yet. She looked up into Lok-Tuk-Tuk’s troubled visage and smiled reassuringly.
Next, she felt for the rise and fall of Awk-Lok’s chest. “It’s much too shallow,” she thought. Lowering her head once more, she was met with a dreadful sound, a deathly rattle each time the infant took a breath. Vinya grimaced.
“He has the breathing sickness,” she informed Lok-Tuk-Tuk.
The goblin tilted her head questioningly. “Groglug?”
“Are you asking if I can heal him?”
Lok-Tuk-Tuk bobbed her head eagerly.
Vinya contemplated this. She was trained in all manner of healing magic but had only put it into practice for minor illnesses and injuries. The breathing sickness, although curable, was one of the more serious ailments. It required a level of expertise that she wasn’t sure she possessed yet. However, it couldn’t hurt to try.
“I’ll do my best,” Vinya said.
Placing her hands on Awk-Lok’s chest, she concentrated on each sensation associated with his breathing. As he inhaled, she envisioned the air entering his body unimpeded, filling him with life and vitality. When he exhaled, she imagined all of the impurities being expelled, leaving him clean and refreshed. As she did this, she slowly fed her magic into his fragile form.
With each passing moment, Vinya felt him growing stronger, his breathing becoming deeper and more regulated. Finally, he sighed and gurgled. She glanced up to see a pair of gleaming obsidian eyes and a playful smile.
Lok-Tuk-Tuk bounded to her feet, hopping with excitement. She clasped Vinya’s miniature hands in her own and cried, “Guttle, guttle!” Then, she scooped up her baby and hugged him tightly.
Vinya watched the affectionate embrace between mother and child with satisfaction. Then, her eyes fell on the Celestine, still floating nearby. In her concern for Awk-Lok’s well-being, she had completed forgotten it.
“Lok-Tuk-Tuk?”
The goblin looked at her inquisitively.
“The Celestine?” She pointed at the orb. “Did you take it because you thought it would cure Awk-Lok?”
Lok-Tuk-Tuk lowered her gaze apologetically and nodded.
“We need to return it. The faeries are coming for it.”
Fear took hold of the mother. Cradling her child, her eyes darted toward the corridor.
“Don’t worry,” Vinya said. “I promise all will be well once the Celestine is restored. Do you trust me?”
Lok-Tuk-Tuk lovingly regarded Awk-Lok, who was now vigorously tugging on her ears. With resolve, she walked over and plucked the Celestine from the air.
Together, they made their way through the passageways in silence. Vinya occasionally patted Lok-Tuk-Tuk’s shoulder for encouragement while Awk-Lok innocently attempted to grab her whenever she flew too close.
However, upon reaching the cave’s entrance, they were confronted by the din of the entire faerie army attempting to break through the protection runes. Lok-Tuk-Tuk faltered. Her instinct was to flee. Even Vinya’s confidence waned, but she could not back down now.
“Wait here until I call for you,” she instructed.
Gliding forward, she parted the vines and emerged before her clan. A shout went up and all weapons were suddenly directed at her. Vinya felt her insides flip, but when she spoke her voice held authority.
“Put down your arms!”
The soldiers hesitated, looking at each other uncertainly.
“Will you continue to take aim at my daughter?” the King’s voice boomed.
A murmur swept through the crowd. Weapons were lowered, magic was extinguished. The King and Queen moved to the forefront.
“What is the meaning of this, Vinya? Did we not tell you to go home?”
Vinya met her father’s gaze levelly. “Yes, but I knew force was not needed. And I was right. Father, Mother, I spoke with the goblin. I healed her child. That was all she wanted. Now, she’s willing to return the Celestine.”
The Queen put a hand to her heart, empathizing with a fellow mother. “And you are unharmed?”
Vinya twirled slowly around. “I’m fine...and so is the Celestine,” she said, glancing at her father.
“Darling, I care about you far more than the Celestine.” He pulled her in for an unexpected embrace. “I’m just relieved that you’re safe.”
When he released her, Vinya called for Lok-Tuk-Tuk and presented her to the clan. She stood as rigid as an oak tree, eyes bouncing in all directions, but she delivered the Celestine with a certain amount of dignity and it was received graciously by the Faerie Council.
Lok-Tuk-Tuk was even invited back to the glade to watch the raising of the Celestine. She stood just beyond the circle, attempting to quiet the now very vocal Awk-Lok. Vinya whispered a calming chant and the child settled.
“Guttle,” Lok-Tuk-Tuk said with a slight bow of her head.
“Is that an expression of gratitude?” Vinya asked.
Lok-Tuk-Tuk nodded.
“You’re very welcome...for everything.”
The council was prepared to begin, but the Queen motioned for a pause. “Esteemed Faerie Council, the King and I wish to put forth a petition. If all are in agreement, we believe that, in view of her actions this very night, Vinya has proven herself a worthy heir. Are there any here who would disagree that she has earned a position on the Council?”
The vote in her favor was unanimous. In disbelief, Vinya joined her parents. Her father looked down at her and smiled. “We’re thinking of making you an ambassador to the goblins as well, if that would please you?”
Vinya’s eyes widened. “Yes! Of course!”
Then, the ritual began anew. The lilting melody of the Faerie Council, including their newest member, lifted the Celestine into the heavens where it nestled among the stars. And even when the ceremony had concluded and the faeries had fallen silent, the echo of their song still reverberated in the hearts of all the flora and fauna residing in the Verillion Woods.
Now that I'm done with my own contest entries, I hope to have time to read all of your stories. I can't wait to see what everyone came up with!
Sylvan Song
The sacred glade was awash with moonlight. A hush had fallen over the Verillion Woods as the revered Faerie Council assembled. Cicadas, crickets, and frogs all silenced their cries in deference to the ritual about to be performed.
From the surrounding darkness, a pair of golden eyes, glowing like fireflies, peered around the base of an old elm tree. Vinya had longed to participate in the Sylvan Song since her earliest days as a youngling. Every full moon, she pleaded with her parents to be allowed to join them, but each time she was denied. Now, only a few lunar cycles away from coming of age, she felt the call stronger than ever.
She watched intently as the Faerie Council formed a circle and, drawing upon their inner magic, cloaked themselves in brilliant auras spanning the spectrum from crimson to indigo, citrine to violet. Closing their eyes, they began to sing.
Soft, ethereal voices carried their chant through the still night air. Streams of embers poured forth from their auras, flowing in the wake of their intonations to pool in the center of the circle, where they flickered and danced under the glow of the silvery moon.
Captivated by the display, Vinya edged closer, heedless of the light now illuminating her delicate features. Her acorn-brown skin gleamed like bronze. Her eyes sparkled and her lips parted in awe as she hovered, enraptured, on the outskirts of the glade.
In perfect harmony, the Faerie Council shifted their refrain, causing it to deepen and intensify. The mass of embers swirled, converging on a single point to form a radiant opalescent orb. Vinya knew that this orb was known as the Celestine and, once lifted and positioned within the firmament, it would protect and replenish the forest until the next full moon.
The Faerie Council raised their hands in preparation for this final all-important task but were cut short by a crashing sound in the nearby brush. A lone goblin emerged, leaping into the midst of the circle and snatching the Celestine from the air. With panicked eyes, the goblin launched itself toward the safety of the woods on the other side, colliding with Vinya in the process.
Stunned, Vinya looked up from where she had fallen to see the goblin standing over her. It reached for her and she closed her eyes, bracing for a blow. So she was surprised when the goblin gently lifted her and croaked out a few unintelligible syllables. It was gazing at her curiously, without malice.
Vinya fluttered her wings tentatively and drifted out of the goblin’s palm. She felt a bit unsteady but was able to remain aloft. Seemingly satisfied, the goblin left her and raced on into the forest.
That’s when Vinya became aware of the commotion surrounding her. Members of the council were rushing in every direction. Some trailed after the goblin, aiming bursts of faerie flame at its head. Others dashed off to gather resources and warriors to mount a more organized attempt to retrieve the precious orb. The King and Queen were in the center of the glade, directing these efforts.
“Mother! Father!” Vinya shouted to be heard over the din.
They both paused in the midst of giving orders.
“Vinya? What are you doing here?” the King asked.
“Before you get mad, I know I shouldn’t be here, but you can punish me later. I want to help.”
“This is no place for you,” said the King. “You are yet a child.”
“But–” Vinya was interrupted as a sentry appeared at her father’s side.
“Darling, please go home and wait,” the Queen said tenderly. “We will be distracted from our duties if we must worry about your safety. Goblins are as unpredictable as they are fierce.”
“That’s what I wanted to tell you. This goblin didn’t seem fierce at all. It was almost…kind.”
“You had an encounter with it?” The Queen’s brow wrinkled in concern and her eyes scanned the girl quickly for any traces of injury.
Vinya shifted uneasily. “Well, I was watching the ceremony.” Here she glanced up to catch her mother’s reaction. The Queen waited patiently for her to continue. “When the goblin escaped, it ran into me. But then it stopped, Mother. It stopped to pick me up and make sure I wasn’t harmed.”
“That doesn’t sound like goblin behavior,” the King interjected. Having finished with the sentry, he had returned to the conversation in time to hear the last part. “Are you certain that was its purpose? Perhaps it intended to abduct you but was chased off when we attacked.”
“I don’t think so, Father. I believe this goblin can be reasoned with.”
“Even if what you say is true, and I admit to having my doubts, the Celestine is our primary objective. It must be recovered at all costs.”
“Please,” Vinya said clinging to her father’s arm, “please don’t hurt it. Try communicating with it first.”
“We will take it under advisement, but for now you must go home,” the King said in a tone that did not allow for continued debate.
Vinya cast a pleading look at her mother.
“Go home, dear,” her mother said. “We will consider your words carefully.”
Dejected, Vinya floated away from the glade into the darkened forest. Faeries were still darting back and forth all around her, but their sense of urgency meant that she went largely unnoticed. Perceiving this, her head perked up and her eyes shone with a sudden determination.
She slipped away from the crowd, gliding covertly through the trees until she had circled back to the location where the goblin had fled. Perching on a lofty branch, high above the activities of her clan, Vinya called on her own magical power. Her aura sparked to life, as rich and golden as the faerie crown that would one day rest upon her head.
After whispering a brief incantation, a shimmering trail of light appeared before her, the spiritual residue left by the Celestine as it was whisked away. Without hesitation, Vinya plunged into the night. With only a few powerful strokes of her long iridescent wings, she was surging through the forest with unrivaled swiftness.
Her hair flowed behind her like endless fields of lavender. The rush of the wind on her face left an exhilarating tingle. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she couldn’t suppress her smile.
“This,” she thought, “is freedom.”
She followed the trail until it rounded a hillside, disappearing into a cave carefully concealed behind rocks and vines. There she paused to examine the entrance. Vinya knew better than to rush into a goblin cave without first checking for traps.
Just as she expected, a pair of goblin runes were carved on either side of the opening. However, she recognized them from her studies as nothing more than protection runes. As long as she intended no harm, she could safely pass.
Dousing her aura, Vinya entered the cool and earthy atmosphere of the goblin abode. She moved slowly, scanning the walls, ceiling, and floor for more runes. She located several, but none of any concern. Every rune was focused solely on defense.
As she advanced deeper into the cave, a shrill keening sound reached her ears. It was eerily discomfiting, but Vinya pressed on. Around the next corner, she was rewarded by a pale light stretching out from a narrow corridor.
Cautiously, she drifted down the passage to locate its source. The light became stronger and the pitiful wails more discordant as she drew closer. Finally, she laid eyes on the Celestine, hovering at the far end of a small chamber above a swaddled baby goblin. The despairing mother crouched at its side, rocking anxiously, howling in misery.
Vinya ducked behind a gnarled tree root to observe. The goblin matron had mossy green skin covered in muddy brown spots. Her wide pointed ears were notched with bite marks. A handful of straggling hairs clung to her misshapen skull and singe marks from the barrage of faerie magic dotted her scalp. Vinya knew she should be afraid but all she felt was compassion.
Easing out into the open but still maintaining her distance, she spoke softly. “May I help?”
The goblin sprang forward to guard her baby, growling aggressively and glaring at Vinya with hard, pebble-like eyes.
Instinctively, Vinya retreated from the menacing display. However, noticing the goblin’s reluctance to stray too far from her child, she quickly regained her courage and tried again.
“I assure you I have no ill intent. If I did, your runes would have activated.”
The goblin thought this over carefully before relaxing her stance. Then, she spoke. Her tone was pleading but Vinya could not understand her words. She had learned that goblin speech was limited to guttural sounds due to their vocal cords, but this was her first experience with it.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know your language, but you can understand mine?”
The goblin nodded.
“That’s a start,” Vinya said, then pointed at herself. “I’m Vinya. You are?”
The goblin touched her finger to her angular nose. “Lok-Tuk-Tuk.”
“And your baby?”
Lok-Tuk-Tuk turned her head and gazed sadly at the silent bundle on the ground. “Awk-Lok,” she said with as much tenderness as the goblin language would allow. When she looked at Vinya again, her stony eyes had moistened.
“I’m going to check on Awk-Lok now. Is that fine?”
Lok-Tuk-Tuk indicated her consent by stepping out of the way. She went back to Awk-Lok’s side and rested her hand on his tiny malformed head.
Vinya approached with trepidation, fearing that it could already be too late. So when she laid her head against the child’s chest, she was delighted to detect a heartbeat. Though it was weak, it had not failed yet. She looked up into Lok-Tuk-Tuk’s troubled visage and smiled reassuringly.
Next, she felt for the rise and fall of Awk-Lok’s chest. “It’s much too shallow,” she thought. Lowering her head once more, she was met with a dreadful sound, a deathly rattle each time the infant took a breath. Vinya grimaced.
“He has the breathing sickness,” she informed Lok-Tuk-Tuk.
The goblin tilted her head questioningly. “Groglug?”
“Are you asking if I can heal him?”
Lok-Tuk-Tuk bobbed her head eagerly.
Vinya contemplated this. She was trained in all manner of healing magic but had only put it into practice for minor illnesses and injuries. The breathing sickness, although curable, was one of the more serious ailments. It required a level of expertise that she wasn’t sure she possessed yet. However, it couldn’t hurt to try.
“I’ll do my best,” Vinya said.
Placing her hands on Awk-Lok’s chest, she concentrated on each sensation associated with his breathing. As he inhaled, she envisioned the air entering his body unimpeded, filling him with life and vitality. When he exhaled, she imagined all of the impurities being expelled, leaving him clean and refreshed. As she did this, she slowly fed her magic into his fragile form.
With each passing moment, Vinya felt him growing stronger, his breathing becoming deeper and more regulated. Finally, he sighed and gurgled. She glanced up to see a pair of gleaming obsidian eyes and a playful smile.
Lok-Tuk-Tuk bounded to her feet, hopping with excitement. She clasped Vinya’s miniature hands in her own and cried, “Guttle, guttle!” Then, she scooped up her baby and hugged him tightly.
Vinya watched the affectionate embrace between mother and child with satisfaction. Then, her eyes fell on the Celestine, still floating nearby. In her concern for Awk-Lok’s well-being, she had completed forgotten it.
“Lok-Tuk-Tuk?”
The goblin looked at her inquisitively.
“The Celestine?” She pointed at the orb. “Did you take it because you thought it would cure Awk-Lok?”
Lok-Tuk-Tuk lowered her gaze apologetically and nodded.
“We need to return it. The faeries are coming for it.”
Fear took hold of the mother. Cradling her child, her eyes darted toward the corridor.
“Don’t worry,” Vinya said. “I promise all will be well once the Celestine is restored. Do you trust me?”
Lok-Tuk-Tuk lovingly regarded Awk-Lok, who was now vigorously tugging on her ears. With resolve, she walked over and plucked the Celestine from the air.
Together, they made their way through the passageways in silence. Vinya occasionally patted Lok-Tuk-Tuk’s shoulder for encouragement while Awk-Lok innocently attempted to grab her whenever she flew too close.
However, upon reaching the cave’s entrance, they were confronted by the din of the entire faerie army attempting to break through the protection runes. Lok-Tuk-Tuk faltered. Her instinct was to flee. Even Vinya’s confidence waned, but she could not back down now.
“Wait here until I call for you,” she instructed.
Gliding forward, she parted the vines and emerged before her clan. A shout went up and all weapons were suddenly directed at her. Vinya felt her insides flip, but when she spoke her voice held authority.
“Put down your arms!”
The soldiers hesitated, looking at each other uncertainly.
“Will you continue to take aim at my daughter?” the King’s voice boomed.
A murmur swept through the crowd. Weapons were lowered, magic was extinguished. The King and Queen moved to the forefront.
“What is the meaning of this, Vinya? Did we not tell you to go home?”
Vinya met her father’s gaze levelly. “Yes, but I knew force was not needed. And I was right. Father, Mother, I spoke with the goblin. I healed her child. That was all she wanted. Now, she’s willing to return the Celestine.”
The Queen put a hand to her heart, empathizing with a fellow mother. “And you are unharmed?”
Vinya twirled slowly around. “I’m fine...and so is the Celestine,” she said, glancing at her father.
“Darling, I care about you far more than the Celestine.” He pulled her in for an unexpected embrace. “I’m just relieved that you’re safe.”
When he released her, Vinya called for Lok-Tuk-Tuk and presented her to the clan. She stood as rigid as an oak tree, eyes bouncing in all directions, but she delivered the Celestine with a certain amount of dignity and it was received graciously by the Faerie Council.
Lok-Tuk-Tuk was even invited back to the glade to watch the raising of the Celestine. She stood just beyond the circle, attempting to quiet the now very vocal Awk-Lok. Vinya whispered a calming chant and the child settled.
“Guttle,” Lok-Tuk-Tuk said with a slight bow of her head.
“Is that an expression of gratitude?” Vinya asked.
Lok-Tuk-Tuk nodded.
“You’re very welcome...for everything.”
The council was prepared to begin, but the Queen motioned for a pause. “Esteemed Faerie Council, the King and I wish to put forth a petition. If all are in agreement, we believe that, in view of her actions this very night, Vinya has proven herself a worthy heir. Are there any here who would disagree that she has earned a position on the Council?”
The vote in her favor was unanimous. In disbelief, Vinya joined her parents. Her father looked down at her and smiled. “We’re thinking of making you an ambassador to the goblins as well, if that would please you?”
Vinya’s eyes widened. “Yes! Of course!”
Then, the ritual began anew. The lilting melody of the Faerie Council, including their newest member, lifted the Celestine into the heavens where it nestled among the stars. And even when the ceremony had concluded and the faeries had fallen silent, the echo of their song still reverberated in the hearts of all the flora and fauna residing in the Verillion Woods.
Now that I'm done with my own contest entries, I hope to have time to read all of your stories. I can't wait to see what everyone came up with!
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