Hero's Crossing

[Snowesque]

Spoiler

Just a Little Mushy

Aspiring to be the greatest in their field, Goldie has amassed many skills in the culinary field over the years, gaining a reputation of becoming the best in their humble abode restaurant. Their skills were put to the test when someone from the city heard of their skills; Gracie!

"Franklin!" eagerly exclaiming Goldie on the phone. "I got a request from you would never guess! Gracie of all people!"
"Whoa, that is something else! So what are you making for them?" Franklin replied.
"I have thought about it a lot... and I think I'd like to pick something not too flashy, more of a staple homely food that would represent the restaurant well. I think mushroom potage would be a great choice!" Even when Goldie had finished speaking, you could still hear her excitement though the phone.
"I think that is a great choice! Though are you sure your current ingredients are enough to impress them with a more simple dish?"
"Yes, that is what I wanted to talk to you about! Do you have any ideas on how to spice it up?" It felt as almost a minute passed before Franklin finally replied.
"Well... back when I was basically a poult in the business I heard rumors of a place that had the freshest ingredients, far, far away from here. Whenever the topic came up, they would swear by it, saying that the stuff was almost magical... Not so sure about that though," Franklin ended almost in a continuing thought. "I think there may be at least some truth to it, the area passed the mountains is basically untouched," Franklin exclaimed.
"Sounds like a trip of a lifetime, Frankie!" Goldie shouted. "Talk to you in a few days!"
"Hey, wait a sec-" said Franklin before being cut off by the beep of the phone.

The plants were watered and the supplies were packed; so it was time to go! Using some old maps, Goldie roughly found the route that seems to lead to a gate where after nothing else is documented. Goldie was skeptical of this, but she knew if she didn't at least try it would nag at her. So after dropping the key under the mat, she set out on her journey! Over the course of the day, Goldie passed by a dry sandy beach, a tall forest, grassy plains, and then found herself at the entrance to a large, old, wooden gate. At first, it seemed abandoned, though then out of the shadows a slouched figure appeared.
"Headed passed the gate, ...miss?" It was almost as if they were half-asleep.
"U-um... Yes!" Goldie was slightly startled by their appearance.
"I see... If you want in, the gate requires something as payment," said the mysterious figure.
"Well..." Goldie pondered. "I don't think I have anything valuable on me," Goldie sounded disappointed.
"Oh, nothing like that. It is something specific to one's self, not usually monetary," the figures voice seemed to trail off.
"What do you mean, then?" Goldie was cut off by the sound of the opening gate. Glancing around quickly, the figure appeared to have disappeared. "A problem for later, then?" Goldie shrugged it off as she slowly walked passed the gate.

She didn't make it far before she was overcome by a vast canopy of overgrowth. Slowly making her way through, she found something resembling mushrooms, but not exactly. It was if the process of them growing was incomplete and distorted. It was then that she felt the overwhelming feeling of being watched. Looking around for a moment, she didn't see anything aside from the large overgrowth. Peering further, a light glowing seemed to steadily appear nestled between the dark coverings of the growth.
"A... traveler?" faint whispers seemed to echo out of the darkness.
"Yes... would you be able to help me find something?..." Goldie was presenting with caution but was not frightened. "Would I be able to gather some mushrooms?" The glow from the darkness appears and then revealed itself as a small, winged figure. Flying to one of the odd mushroom tops, it sat to appear at eye-level with Goldie.
"Well..." their voice sounded as soft, metallic, chimes. "I'd give your our mushrooms, though there is an issue," somehow their voice became even softer. "I'm the only remaining fae in this forest; ...the magical knowledge needed to make things grow unfortunately left with all the others that lived here before. I have tried myself, but I cannot get it quite right," the fairy said as they then slouched back onto the mushroom with a sigh.
"Maybe... we could try to figure out the magic together? From what I saw, you seem to be on the right on the right track! In the end, is it not just a series of steps put together, like a recipe?' Goldie voice started to pick with excitement.
"Hmm... I suppose I haven't thought of it that way. We could try to separate the steps that work and then try something else for the rest?" The fairy finally started to perk up.
"Sounds like a plan! I'm glad to have met you. I'm Goldie, and you are?" Goldie was so caught up, she realized she forgot to ask. Letting out a little sparkle with a faint smile the fairy replied "I'm Yip! It is nice to meet you, Goldie!"

Slowly but surely, with separating the dance moves used in the magic, Yip and Goldie were able to figure out which worked and which was causing the magic to fail. Yip was so relived to realize that the magic was not failing because of them, but because they just went about the steps the wrong way. It was not long before they got their first mushroom to grow to a huge size, but also, the forest seemed to have a weight lift away from it. Goldie gathered her required mushrooms and while doing so explained her reasoning to Yip. Yip had never tasted anything other than leaves, so they were delighted at the thought of their mushrooms becoming something so tasty. Goldie happily invited them to traveling home with her so try the dish as well, where Yip excitedly agreed. It was not long before they were happily leaving the forest and passing the gate to make their journey home.

As Goldie had entered her home after the long travel, she came to the realization that she got home way later than expected. Gracie would be there to have the dish ready in only a few hours! Though, when she started remembering about the dish, she started drawing a total blank. Yip trailed in shortly after and noticed the shocked expression on her face. "Is everything ok?" Yip lightly pulled on Goldie's tail as if to bring her back to a normality.
"I... I cannot remember the recipe," Goldie's voice trailed off, as if holding off tears. "This must've been the gates price..." Yip flew to Goldie's face. "Goldie... why don't we work together to figure out the recipe?" Yip let out a genuine smile as they then grabbed a book from the counter.
"Thank you, Yip," Goldie said softly as she sniffled. Within no time at all, the two worked together to make a lovely, rich mushroom potage; it had almost seemed to sparkle. Goldie took a healthy scoop from a bowl while Yip grabbed a potage-soaked piece of mushroom. "Delicious...!" both of them said in unison with letting out a good laugh. Shortly after, there was a knock at the door.

 

[Nefarious]

Just asking, but are we allowed to illustrate something that pertains to the story, like a drawing? Not a whole landscape, but just a small picture (that you drew) to go with it? Or are drawings not allowed here, as this is mainly to do with writing?

As this is a writing event, I'd ask not to include any images along with your story.

If I made up original characters and an original world, but it was inspired by D&D and uses the same general magic and mythology, would that be acceptable, or does it need to be more original than that?

You can take inspiration from D&D, but the names of distinctive myths and spells shouldn't be lifted exactly word for word from the game.

 

[kiwikenobi]

@Nefarious Awesome, that works for me. Thanks!

 

[Mokuren]

Ah oh no. As a non native speaker this is sadly nothing I feel able to attend But I am happy to read everyones amazing stories!

 

[RemMomori]

An Animal Crossing story with some fantasy elements (like magic and stuff) I typed it up in my google docs before putting it here, it's kinda long ^^

Spoiler: Nan and the Giant Tarantula

In the vast ocean there was a magical island known as Muse. One side of the island is draped in the darkness of a vast forest and the other is the bright town of Mori where many animals lived. This town was peaceful until a giant tarantula began to terrorize the town. Animals who stayed out after the sun went down were struck by the venomous beast. The local hospital had been filled with victims of the nightly attacks but no cure was available for the animals. One of the townsfolk who wanted to find a cure was the town’s own librarian Nan, who looked through the vast array of books at the Mori library to search for a cure as her own friend Chevre had been stricken by the foul beast. Nan was a rather normal mage who was afraid of the dark forest but wanted to help her fellow townsfolk in any way she could. One morning after another round of nightly attacks the mayor of Mori, Tortimer, had called all the animals in town for a town meeting.

“Something needs to be done about this giant tarantula thing that keeps attacking our town! The town guards have been sent out two days ago but haven’t returned!” The mayor yelled out into the crowd. The animals began to mummer worriedly to each other. The guards Copper and Booker were the two strongest fighters in town and if they haven’t returned then this beast must be especially dangerous.

“We need to send someone out into the forest to find them! Any volunteers?” The mayor questioned the crowd. Everyone began to shake like leaves out of fear.

“There’s no way I could go out there! We need someone who can burn that bug, like a mage!” a cat yelled out.

“I would go out there but that dark forest is so humid that it would ruin my fur-do, that’s the only reason I’m not going I swear!” a rabbit said with a shaky tone of voice. The other animals in the town were coming up with excuses to not go into the forest until someone noticed Nan at the edge of the crowd not saying anything

“Hey why don’t we send Nan to go slay the tarantula! She’s like the only mage in town who's not in the hospital!” Someone yelled out. The crowd and mayor had turned to face Nan who was now sweating nervously.

“U-um I’m not so sure about this I’m not very strong and-” She was suddenly interrupted by the mayor.

“Yes! Such a perfect idea I could have come up with myself! Nan will go find the guards and defeat the tarantula!” Mayor Tortimer cheered.

“You will gather your things at once and head for the dark forest! Now don’t dilly dally, you know how the island gets at night!” The mayor ordered. Soon Nan found herself being hoisted off to the edge of town with only her spell book by the townsfolk. They dropped her off at the bridge that marked the end of the town. She looked back nervously at the other townsfolk who were cheering her on.

“Yay Nan! You can do it! Save our town!” It seems that Nan could not get herself out of this situation and had only one option, journey into the dark forest. While walking across the bridge she looked back to the town of Mori and waved goodbye as she disappeared into the dense forest. Her first destination was to find the house of the artist Flick, who knew everything about the bugs on the island, and might have knowledge on the giant tarantula. The forest was dark like the people said as Nan had to light up a branch to create a torch just to see where she was going. There were also many hazards in the forest, like pits she had to jump over and giant spider webs that she had to burn with magic to pass. It seems that the giant tarantula was in this area before.

After a while of wandering in the forest with only the light of her torch guiding her, Nan happened upon a small house in a clearing. She noticed many bugs in the front yard and was afraid until she realized they were only statues of bugs, rather realistic statues, but statues nonetheless. Nan assumed that this must be the house of Flick. She walked up to the door and knocked hoping that he was home. Some rushing and items knocking over were heard inside the home before the door was answered.

“Hello and welcome to my insect paradise, what brings you here today?” Flick asked the nervous goat.

“Well my name is Nan and I’m from the town of Mori on the other side of the island, I was hoping that you had some information on the giant tarantula that had been terrorizing my town.” Nan explained. Flick got a look of excitement on his face before rushing back inside to look for his notes.

“Oh I have heard many things about the giant tarantula, what a marvelous, yet dangerous bug. From what I have witnessed from afar, this insect makes its nest in a cave at the top of the mountain, I have seen it drag swaths of other bugs in the giant webs it makes back to its home, I wonder how it feels to be entangled in a web, is it a comforting constriction? Or rather a worrying compression…” Flick began to trail off with his thoughts on the tarantula until he noticed the midday sun outside.

“Oh but this mission must be kinda urgent so here is what you need to know. The giant tarantula can sense movement through vibrations on the ground so it is not wise to run when you see it, instead stay still and use magic on it, oh but please don’t harm it too much! Instead I will give you this legendary net that can capture the creature instead. Please catch it for me. I would love to see it up close!” Flick explained while opening an old cabinet with a yellow star shaped net inside. Nan took the net and hoisted up over one shoulder.

“This net is said to capture any bug but be careful as it can only be used once! If you catch the wrong bug and release it the net would break! This relic took me a long time to find so please be careful with it.” Flick explained to Nan. Nan was about to leave for the mountain when she remembered that she was also looking for the two guards.

“Sorry to bother you some more but have you seen two dogs in uniforms around here by any chance?” She asked. Flick thought for a moment before answering.

“My partner C.J said that he saw two dogs near the river while he was fishing about two days ago. He was going to say something to him but they ran off in the direction of the mountain before he could get one word out.” Flick answered. With this information Nan was setting off to the mountain, while waving goodbye to Flick he had one more thing to say.

“I wish you luck on your journey and I await the majesty of the giant tarantula!” With this encouragement Nan continued on her journey determined to reach the base of the mountain before sundown. She continued through the dark forest with a new torch towards the massive mountain that stood in the center of the island. The sky was beginning to darken when Nan was stopped in her tracks by the vast river that stood between her and the mountain base. This was a deep and fast flowing river located near the waterfall on the mountain. There were no established towns on this side of the island and thus no bridge across. The only way across was to levitate across the river. Nan got out her spell book but was shaking as she turned the pages to the levitation spell. She needed to focus to perform this feat but was very scared of falling into the rushing river. With a flick of her wand she closed her eyes tight as she began to levitate across the river, not wanting to look down. Nan kept her eyes closed trying to focus, she could hear the rushing water right below her and gulped out of fear. Slowly but surely, Nan made her way across the river and landed on the other side. She looked behind her at the side of the river she was on before.

“I actually did it!” Nan yelled out while a rush of excitement washed over her. This excitement did not last long as she looked up at the vast mountain before her. She still had to climb to the cave and hope to find the guards along the way. With a tighter grasp on the legendary net, Nan began to climb the mountain. This mountain was not very steep but very large and it would still take a while for Nan to climb up. On the way up she noticed that there were less traps and danger than in the dark forest, in fact this mountain was well lit as not many trees grew on it. About halfway up the mountain she noticed the setting sun was almost below the horizon, the first stars of the night were twinkling in the sky. Nan looked over to the left side of the island where the lights of Mori could be seen. She began to think out loud to herself.

“I wonder how the people back home are doing, is that tarantula out yet?” Nan then thought about how terrified the people were when the tarantula attacked and the full hospital in town, if any more people got struck by the beast then there would be no room for them in the hospital. Where would they go then? Nan kept thinking but had no more time to rest, this beast needed to be captured tonight! She trekked further up the mountain until she came upon a large cave. It was so dark that Nan had no idea of how deep it was. She stood at the edge of the cave frozen with fear until she came to her senses.

“There’s no stopping now so I must go in!” She exclaimed, trying to build up the courage to enter the cave. Nan used her magic to create an orb of light to see into the cave and took it with her into the depths. While losing all sense of time she wandered throughout the cave system, noticing the bits of web that decorated the walls and the remains of eaten bugs. This must be the den of the giant tarantula. Each step Nan took was shaky but she continued through the cave until she heard voices. She followed the voices until she entered a larger chamber of the cave. She looked around for the owners of these voices until she looked up and found the two guards, Copper and Booker, entangled in a web.

“Hey! Citizen down there! You know this area is dangerous right!?” Copper yelled with concern.

“Um, we tried cutting the web with our spears but the silk is too tough, could you please help us out?” Booker nervously mumbled. Nan used her magical fire to burn the web, careful not to harm the two guards, who fell down from the web and gathered themselves. Just as the two guards were collected the rustling of many feet were heard echoing through the cave.

“Oh no it’s the beast!!” Booker whined while holding his spear tightly. Copper had also taken up his spear ready to attack until Nan remembered what Flick told her.

“Wait! If we move around too much the tarantula would sense the movement of our feet. We should just stay still and hope it doesn’t see us.” Nan whispered to the guards. They were not too sure of this idea but went along with the goat. Nan put out her light orb as the tarantula walked by the large chamber. It stopped for a moment and looked into the room. The trio could feel the beady eyes of the beast staring at them. It stood for a moment before walking away, as the crawling feet went away the trio breathed a sigh of relief. Nan found the two guards unharmed but her quest was not over yet. She still had to capture the beast.

“Thank you for rescuing us but we must return to Mori now before the monster attacks us!” Copper announced. Booker was also ready to go home but Nan stopped them.

“If we just let this tarantula go free then it's going to harm more people and we all would have come here for nothing! Well, Flick gave me this legendary net here and I was hoping we could capture the beast so we could contain it. Now I came up with this plan just seconds ago but please hear me out!” the goat pleaded. The two dogs looked at each other for a moment before Copper spoke up.

“As the guards of Mori it is our duty to protect the townsfolk in any way we can so what is this plan of yours?” Nan then began to explain to the two guards her plan.

“Ok so you and Booker would distract the beast while I sneak up from behind and use this net to capture it.” Booker was a bit unsure about this plan.

“Um, where are we going to be leading this tarantula and how is that net going to catch it, I mean it's a big bug and that's a normal net…” Nan was a bit unsure herself. She heard that this was a legendary net but could not afford to test it on any other bugs, she had to put her trust in Flick that this net could capture the monster.

“This net was given to me by the bug expert Flick and it’s the only hope we have so please trust me with this.” Nan said with some determination in her voice. This was enough to convince Booker to go with this plan. The trio went to the entrance of the cave with Nan leading the way. Now the two guards stand on different sides of the cave entrance prepared to drive the tarantula out while Nan waited just outside with the net ready to capture the beast once it left the cave. Just as everyone got into place the beast had noticed the two guards at the entrance of its den. It began to charge at the two guards who dashed out of the cave and jumped out of the way to make a clearing for Nan to swing the net. The giant bug was illuminated by the twilight sky as Nan was preparing to make her swing. The beast moved erratically, trying to attack the two guards making it harder for Nan to line up her swing. The guards had begun to tire from this constant dodging as they were still weak from being in the web for two days. Nan noticed them slowing down and knew she had to swing. With one big swing of the star shaped net aimed at the beast the net had grown and instantly encapsulated the beast. The bug tried to escape before the net shrunk down to its normal size, capturing the massive insect with a magical field. Nan stood on the mountain top in shock as the two guards began to celebrate.

“Commendable effort, citizen, the town of Mori is now safe from the tarantula threat!” As the sun rose on the island of Muse, Nan stood at the top of the mountain and looked out into the sunrise, then towards her home town of Mori.

“You did a great job but I am really hungry and would like to go home now.” Booker remarked. With the beast captured within the net, the trio began the trek down the mountain and back home. At the base of the mountain Nan was once again met with the rushing river. This time she quickly turned to the levitation spell and floated herself and the two guards across the river without closing her eyes. Once on the other side of the river the trio continued through the dark forest to return to town, but first Nan had to make one more stop. She returned to Flick’s house to find that he dug out a large square hole overnight. The trio was confused as to why this hole was in the ground until Flick climbed out of the hole.

“Ah! I assume that you have captured the gigantic insect now! Hand over the net if you will.” Nan handed over the star shaped net and Flick threw it into the hole. The giant tarantula was released but was contained within the hole.

“I put a magical barrier over the top of this enclosure so that this bug would not escape and cause harm to your town again. I also wanted to keep it here so i could admire it some more, I heard that the venom of this tarantula takes a long time to break down on its own so I hope to make some antivenom elixir for the people of Mori, just in case any of them got bit, although, I do wonder what the bite of this beauty feels like…” Before Flick could trail off again Nan and the two guards bid him farewell while heading back for town. The dark forest still had some danger to it but somehow to Nan it felt less scary than before now that the beast had been contained. While walking across the bridge into town one of the animals had noticed the trio entering town.

“Hey everyone! Nan and the guards are back!” The person yelled before a whole wave of animals came out of buildings to greet the three. The townsfolk began to celebrate with party poppers and confetti.

“Welcome back, we are so glad you are safe! What was in the dark forest? How did you defeat the giant tarantula Nan!? Where were you guys for the past three days?” All the commotion of the animals had woken up Mayor Tortimer from his nap. He exited town hall and noticed the welcoming party that formed around the trio. Tortimer got onto his podium to make an announcement to the town.

“I need Nan, Copper, and Booker to meet with me up here immediately!” The crowd had made space for the three to walk up to the podium where the mayor stood.

“So is it true that you three were able to defeat the giant tarantula that had been terrorizing our town for so long?” the mayor asked.

“Well uh, we didn’t exactly defeat it, Nan captured it with a legendary net and gave it to this Flick guy, says that he’s going to make antivenom for all the people in town, well that’s what I think.” Booker explained nervously. All the animals looked shocked and amazed.

“That’s all I needed to hear so let’s party!” Mayor Tortimer exclaimed as the festivities began. The town was bustling with all types of celebration. Music played from the windows and people danced. Copper decided to go home and get some rest while Booker finally got something to eat. At the center of town was Nan having fun with all the townsfolk and being celebrated as a hero. The party went on until late in the evening. Many wanted to stay out all night now that there was no more threat from the giant beast. While Nan was heading home for the night, tired from her adventure and the party she noticed Flick in town. It’s not common for Flick to visit so she decided to go see what was up.

“Hello, I would like to thank you again for the gorgeous bug that you caught for me. I made the antivenom elixir and was just delivering it to the hospital. Say if you are not busy there is another legendary bug to be caught-” Nan suddenly interrupted him.

“Oh I would love to do that but I am simply too busy running the library so thank you but no thanks goodbye!” Nan said quickly before leaving Flick. She just finished a quest and did not want to immediately start another. Nan ran back to her house and went to bed that night.

The next day in Mori was a busy day for Nan. Everyone in town had heard about her adventure and many people were visiting the library to hear her story and check out books. Being the hero of the town was bringing a lot of attention to the Mori library and Nan was considering hiring some employees to help her manage it all. As she was managing the books she looked out the window and noticed some animals who had been in the hospital before outside walking about town.

“Did you hear? Some guy went into the hospital with antivenom last night!” a dog was gossiping to a sheep.

“Wow so that’s how the hospital got cleared out!” the sheep replied. After Nan had gotten the books sorted she was prepared to tell all the people in the library the tale of her adventure when she heard one last person enter the library. It was Nan’s friend Chevre, who was now out of the hospital thanks to the antivenom.

“Oh am I too late for the story Nan, I would love to hear about your quest!” She said excitedly. Nan turned to her friend with a smile on her face.

“Actually I was just about to get started, please sit anywhere you’d like!” Nan stated while gesturing to the many seats in the room. The Mori library was so full that there was hardly anywhere to sit. Everyone in town wanted to hear the tale of Nan, the hero of Muse island who captured the giant tarantula.

 

[amemome]

Here's my story about an acorn fairy and her journey to find a ginkgo leaf.

Spoiler: Little Bear's Adventure

Little Bear, a small acorn fairy, is a hatter who creates acorn-cap helmets for the pebble fairies who trek the nearby cliffs in search of different nuts and seeds to bring back to Under-Ten-Oak, a small oak tree that grows at the edge of the oak forest. She is the best hatter in Under-Ten-Oak, and is able to nimbly navigate around the foliage to gather acorns and leaf stems to fashion her helmets. Life in Under-Ten-Oak is safe. The fairies have found themselves a small, indiscrete hole under the thickest roots of the oak tree, and under this root have created space to eat, sleep, and care for their elderly. Little Bear watches at dawn as the pebble fairies grab an acorn-cap helmet and knapsack each, and wonders if one day she would be able to leave Under-Ten-Oak for her own adventure.

One day, Little Bear’s friend, a pebble fairy named Grey Squirrel, frantically motions to Little Bear. You see, Grey Squirrel has found a ginkgo nut — a fruit from a tree that Little Bear had been dreaming of finding. Little Bear’s grandmother had told stories about the yellow leaves and gracefully triangular shape of a ginkgo leaf, and Little Bear thought to herself that she would love to one day make a headdress from a ginkgo leaf, one from the most vibrant leaf of the largest tree. After several days and nights of finding all the acorn caps she could to make the most helmets she’s ever made in her life, Little Bear packs her knapsack with several dandelion threads, an acorn flask full of dew, and her handmade acorn-cap helmet. She is ready to follow Grey Squirrel to the cliffs on her quest to find her ginkgo leaf.

Little Bear and Grey Squirrel climb and climb the cliffs, stopping occasionally to forage for small bites of fruit and mushrooms that grow on the rocks. At night, Grey Squirrel unfurls her sewn-leaf tent and under its camouflage and protection, Little Bear and Grey Squirrel share with each other stories — grand legends like that of the Great Acorn and of the Mountain Boulder — as well as smaller stories like the one time Little Bear found a stag beetle sleeping peacefully under an acorn cap, or like the one time Grey Squirrel came face-to-face with a feisty magpie. Up and up the cliffs they go, sharing their hopes and dreams and their fears and worries. By the time they reach the Forest-Atop-the-Cliffs, they have nearly forgotten why they had made this journey in the first place! But Little Bear takes one look at the trees above her and remembers her grandmother’s stories.

Grand trees of all sorts stand towering above her, with red and yellow leaves hanging proudly and vibrantly on the branches. Between the leaves, streaks of sunlight shine onto the forest floor. And there, in the center of the clearing, stands a ginkgo tree ripe with fruits and some of
the most vibrant yellow leaves Little Bear has ever seen. As Little Bear begins to dash towards the tree, Grey Squirrel stops her: around the tree are thick, thorny brambles that would surely hurt them. For you see, when Grey Squirrel had first gotten her ginkgo nut, the brambles were young enough to still be soft. Now that the days are shorter and the nights colder, the brambles are just hard enough to be dangerous to the fairies. Little Bear is taken aback. She didn’t consider that there could be risks in the forest too!

Heads put together, Little Bear and Grey Squirrel think of how to climb past the brambles. Little Bear takes out her dandelion threads, acorn-cap helmet, and flask of dew. Maybe she can fashion something from these items…

Minutes turn to half an hour. As the sun just begins to touch the horizon, Little Bear jumps up.

“Eureka!” shouts Little Bear. She grabs her acorn helmet and ties it onto her head. She asks Grey Squirrel to gather two pebbles big enough to step on. While Grey Squirrel heads back towards the cliffs to find pebbles, Little Bear takes her dandelion threads and begins to weave two strong cords. Braiding in and out, in and out, Little Bear ties off the ends as Grey Squirrel comes back with two granite pebbles. Little Bear takes the dandelion cords and begins to tie the pebbles to her feet — she has made pebble sandals! These shoes will protect her from the brambles for sure. New shoes on her feet and helmet on her head, Little Bear waves to Grey Squirrel as she heads towards the brambles.

Nimbly, Little Bear steps over the thorns that jut from the brambles. With pebble sandals on her feet, Little Bear climbs past the last thicket of brambles and stands at the base of the ginkgo tree. It towers above her, filled with yellow leaves. The last rays of sunshine peek through as a large and vibrant leaf drops from the gingko, fluttering in the gentle breeze. Little Bear catches it with both hands. She’s finally found it: the leaf of her dreams.

The journey back home is filled with happy chatter between Little Bear and Grey Squirrel. Grey Squirrel has received the pebble sandals that Little Bear made, and is very happy with how much easier it is to travel with them on. Little Bear has used the last of her dandelion threads to sew the ginkgo leaf into a fancy headdress. Together, they reach Under-Ten-Oak while grinning ear-to-ear. They make each other promises: Little Bear will make Grey Squirrel pebble sandals and Grey Squirrel will bring back Little Bear ginkgo leaves. The pebble fairies see how sturdy and helpful the pebble sandals are and ask for more to be made for them. The acorn fairies see how beautiful the ginkgo headdresses are and ask for more to be made for them. Little Bear teaches the other acorn fairies how to make pebble sandals and ginkgo headdresses, and soon all the fairies from Under-Ten-Oak are able to wear pebble sandals and ginkgo headdresses.

Tales about these two friends and their impact on their community would spread throughout the oak forest, and young fairies would continue to help each other reach their dreams, no matter how small or big.

 

[dizzy bone]

Ah oh no. As a non native speaker this is sadly nothing I feel able to attend But I am happy to read everyones amazing stories!

You should definitely still try to enter if you have a story in mind! We understand our community might not all be native speakers so don't worry too much about grammatical errors!

 

[Mutti]

I hope people enjoy this story as it took me forever to think of and write

coco and the monster within the forest

Spoiler: Story

coco started her usual routine and went to see which vegetables were ready for picking as it was near the end of harvesting season, due to the dry weather the crops were lower than usual so she decided after collecting all that would be enough for her and the other islanders to enjoy she decided to take a trip to the forest to see if there were any mushrooms she could find to make a stew as she knew many other islanders enjoyed her special spices she added when making her infamous 'coco stew', it was always a favourite among the other islanders and coco did enjoy it herself as it reminded her of back home where she learned the recipe from her mother who she has since moved away from her family home to start her own adult life.

as she was grabbing her basket she couldn't help but notice a sound, it was too quiet to really make out what it was but she knew that her rabbit ears were good for sound, but for coco sadly the noise was just too far away to make out what or who was making that noise and from where.
Coco started to lock up her house and make sure she has her essentials for mushroom picking, her basking, a blanket for a rest and a small picnic sandwich for while she was out as the forest in which has the best mushrooms for her stew was a good hour walk to get to the best part of the forest, the undisturbed patch.

while on her hour long trek she bumped into many other villagers going about their daily routines and all of them while in conversation with coco brought up the fact they were hearing a constant noise within their routes they've taken for their chores, the closer the villager was doing their normal business nearer to the beginning of the forest is how loud the volume of the sound was, coco was determined to find out what was making the noise she heard all morning.

getting closer to the forest coco was admiring all of the beautiful flowers which were on her route to a patch of forest she has been to many times before when finding the right ingredients for her stew, she stumbles upon Joan who was helping her granddaughter pack the turnips for her to go off and sell as it was a sunday morning, she had sold out of the first batch she set off with and was back to grandmas to get another batch to put on her head basket to take back for more customers who were playing the stalk market and many other customers wanted to purchase Joan and daisy’s turnips to eat as they were delicious.

Coco was increasingly hearing the sound echoing, it was starting to become louder and more understandable, although it was getting increasingly nerve wracking as it was sounding either like a growl or a mostorus groan from the one place she wanted to trek to, the forest.

‘Good morning coco, i do hope your not off into the forest as i've been awake since sun up and that noise has not stopped, it sounds like something that shouldn't be angered or crossed in my opinion’

‘I've been hearing faint sounds all morning, i did not know it was coming from the forest’ said coco now debating whether to go into the forest or not

‘Yeah me and gram gram have been debating what it could be all day’ said daisy mae
‘My guess is a grizzly foot, gram gram won't believe such things but she cant think for her where she has heard the noise before’
‘Don't worry daisy, i am on the way to the forest to find some delicious mushrooms for my famous coco stew, if i find out what it is on my trail i will be sure to let you know’
Coco did not sound nervous as she was suspecting it was a bird up in the trees defending its territory

‘If you must go into the forest coco, do be careful’ said Joan
‘Also we will always be welcoming of some of your delicious stew’
Daisy mae giggled as she had heard of but never tried cocos stew before

‘Dont worry ill be okay, and you will be the first to have your hands on some stew first thing tomorrow morning’ coco said while she trekked off after spending precious daylight chatting about what it could or not be, she would soon find out the noise.

After having a slow paced walk she was determined to find a shortcut to her precious untouched part of the forest as she lost much of the morning chatting to many villagers and Coco knew first hand how dark the sun sets within the forest with all the beautiful trees.

She took it upon herself to go a different path into the forest, which she never had been down before as she was always a routine type of bunny, but as she was getting further into the forest the noise was becoming clearer, and louder. Coco was starting to feel worried about what could be a very nasty surprise.

Within sight distance coco saw a cave, a cave which was covered with moss so she thought must be within the untouched part of the forest, she knew the noise was coming from within, but she needed some sort of light if she was ever going to be brave enough to go inside and find out what's going on.

Coco manages to make a homemade lantern from finding a branch which is big enough to burn so she can have light for long enough to get in and out of the cave without it going out.
Inside Coco could hear the noise louder and louder, she was trembling with fear until.

‘WOOF WOOF’ Coco stopped in her tracks with fear, then….

She laughed, it was a puppy plush which was the monster behind all of this noise, a lost puppy plush which must've gotten lost and was stuck within the depth of the cave, after calming herself and the puppy plush down she was able to share her picnic with the pup who was more than happy to give coco puppy kisses in return, when she realised she spent too much time within this cave she had to make a decision, how to get this pup home?

‘Good thing I have this basket’ said Coco as she wrapped the pup in the blanket and placed him in the basket, too late to look for mushrooms for today and within the part of the forest she had never seen before, Coco decided to call it a day and head home.

Getting home coco washed the pup who was covered in mud having coco thinking he was chocolate brown, but after his bath coco realised he was a golden colourd pup, he slept with coco that night at the foot of her bed, without coco knowing this day was the new beginning of her and the pups new life, together and never lost again as both were keen explorers.

The next morning coco woke up to a new friend in her bed, a furry pup who was excited to find out what adventures they would get up to as their new found friendship evolved, then coco thought to herself.

‘OH NO, People will be wanting my stew today’

So she jumped up and got ready for the day, packing herself and pup lunch without knowing if he would follow her into the forest again to find mushrooms.

‘Would you like to come with me to the forest to find mushrooms for tea’ said coco

‘WOOF’ said the pup climbing into the basket himself making coco laugh

‘This time we will stick to the right path’ said coco as she wrapped the pup up and grabbed a torch just in case anything else strange were to appear that day, and off they went back to coco’s new daily routine with a new plus one member to assure everyone about the horrid monster they heard yesterday,

coco’s new best friend

 

[corlee1289]

I'm not the best of storytellers, but here is my story to contribute!

Spoiler

Chester, the very lazy panda villager, lazed about in his room. It was too bright and early in the morning for him to get up to start his day. The birds that were twittering about outside of his comfy warm home did not help aid in his quest to stay home. He decided to rest his head back on the pillow to catch another snooze. “Five more minutes,” he murmured sleepily on his bamboo bed.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. “WAKE UP, CHESTER!” cried someone outside his door, followed by more incessant banging. Chester thought that perhaps the villager outside his door might break down the door, which would not do as that would be more trouble than it was worth to fix it.

“I’m coming,” Chester begrudgingly said aloud and shuffled out of his comfortable bed to open the door.When he opened his door, he was greeted by the very cheerful and peppy Bluebear.

“Good morning, Chester! You promised we would harvest some of the fruits that are hanging from the fruit trees! They look to be ready and I wanted to make a fruit salad with them! Don’t you think you should get up now before the day passes?”

“That was today? I was going to stay home to enjoy the rest of my day. It looks like it might rain and I wouldn’t want to get wet trying to get the fruit off the trees. Besides, we can do it another day when it won’t rain.”

“It doesn’t look like it is supposed to rain,” protested Bluebear. “I asked Isabelle earlier and she said the fruit trees are ready to be picked! We can make a fruit salad later!”

“Hmm… A fruit salad is not enough to tempt me to leave my cozy warm house to venture out into the beyond to get some fruit. Besides, I already have fruit here and can make myself a fruit salad when I want.”

“What about if I bake some fruit tarts with the fruit that we gather today?” inquired Bluebear.

“Hoo… I do like the fruit tarts that you bake, Bluebear. I suppose we should set forth on our journey to gather those fruits for you to make them!”

Chester went about his room looking for his basket to carry the fruit in. Now where did he put it? He could have sworn he left it in his kitchen. Bluebear and Chester went about his house looking for the woven basket, but it was nowhere in sight.

“What should we do? We don’t have the woven basket to carry the fruit in! Without it, we won’t be able to carry them back,” sighed Chester sadly.

“I know! We can gather some wood in the forest and make our own basket?” Bluebear suggested helpfully.

Chester and Bluebear each gathered an axe and they headed off into the forest. Comforted with the knowledge that by the end of their day, they will both be eating sweet desserts in the company of friendship.

At the forest, they noticed two winding paths. Which one should they pick? The path that was more used or the path that appeared less walked upon? Seeing as it was an adventure for them to get wood to make a basket before doing their fruit picking, they decided to take the less walked upon path. After all, if there were less people who walked that way, maybe they would not have to walk so far in to chop down a tree for wood?

But they were wrong… The further in they walked into the forest in search of wood, the darker the woods seem to get. It seemed almost sinister looking.

“Umm… Chester? I don’t think this is where we should be going?” quivered Bluebear.

Suddenly, the noises in the woods went quiet. No small animals were scurrying about and all the chirping birds went quiet. Chester and Bluebear stayed still to listen for any noises and craned their necks to listen intently.

Off in the distance, they could hear a faint thumping noise that seemed to be getting closer to their location. Terrified, they ran to the exit. But where was the exit? They followed along the path to get to where they were and now it seemed that the trail they used vanished. Chester and Bluebear heard the thumping noise get louder and they picked up their pace.

“AH!” cried Bluebear as she tumbled after tripping over a tree root.
“We have to keep going! Whatever is chasing us is getting closer!”

Bluebear struggled to get up and needed help from Chester. It was only a minor scratch on her knees, but she would be fine after applying some medicine on them later on.

The thumping noises were right behind them and a large shadow casted upon them. Chester and Bluebear closed their eyes, expecting the worst. There was nothing else they could do. Chest couldn’t leave Bluebear behind.

“Why hello there! I heard there was someone in this part of the woods and wanted to greet the visitors. Not a lot of people come this way.” greeted the stranger.

Chester and Bluebear opened their eyes and turned around slowly only to be greeted by a BIG yellow looking bunny of a creature. It was Zipper T. Bunny! No one ever knew where Zipper was during the rest of the year when it wasn’t Easter. During Easter, Zipper would hang around the Plaza and give out chocolate eggs to villagers, but for the rest of the year, it seemed he stayed in the woods.

“Why were you running after us?” a shocked Chester asked.
“I thought you saw something interesting and wanted to see what it was!” hopped Zipper.
“We thought there was a monster chasing after us!” cried Bluebear.
“Nope! Just me, Zipper T. Bunny hopping about. What were you both doing in the woods?” inquired Zipper.
“We wanted to gather some woods to weave a basket before we went to pick some fruit to make fruit tarts,” replied Chester.
“OH! In that case, I have a whole basket of different types of fruit you can have to take with you. It is getting dark out and I wouldn't want either of you dilly dallying too long before night falls.”
“Any particular reason why we shouldn’t?” asked Bluebear.
“Tarantulas,” replied Zipper in a grave tone.

Chester and Bluebear gulped. They heard tales of villagers getting stung by tarantulas at night. After the ordeal they had today, they didn’t want to come across a hairy eight-legged creature.

The three of them walked back to Zipper’s egg yellow house to pick up the many baskets of fruits Zipper had gathered earlier during the day. Chester and Bluebear bid their goodbyes to the bunny and waddled back to their house, now burdened with the weight of the tons of fruit.

Chester unloaded the fruit in his kitchen, while Bluebear went to put some medicine on her scratched up knees. It worked almost like magic and after doing a little sparkle spin, Bluebear was good as new!

It didn’t take long for Bluebear to bake the fruit tarts. Both Chester and Bluebear sat on the bamboo chairs eating the freshly made fruit tarts and sipping their tea in contentment. Nothing tasted sweeter than persevering through an ordeal and rewarding oneself with dessert. And dessert they did have!

 

[.: Meri :.]

My entry is finished! ^^ It's an AC fantasy AU starting Knox and Sterling, and comes in at just a little over 2700 words. I hope you all enjoy it!

​

Spoiler: In Shining Armor

Knox stood at his post atop a tower in the kingdom of Newleaf's castle town. He rested his head in his wing, glaring down at his fellow knights on the streets below. The bright afternoon light glimmered off their shining armor. 'That's the only thing about them that shines, though.' When he'd first joined the knighthood, many years ago, he'd had such faith in them. He was thrilled to be finally working alongside his heroes.
But he soon came to learn that most of those so-called knights were only in it for greed, power, or glory. A cloud passed over the sun, and with it, the brilliant gleam of their armor disappeared as if it was never there. He sighed heavily. "Why am I even still working here...?"
"Sir Knox! Sir Knox! The king is calling for you! He didn't share many details with me, but it's probably, like, really important or something!" His thoughts were interrupted by a voice calling out to him. Knox turned to see the young page, Rosie, staring intensely at him from the ladder.
Knox closed his eyes and exhaled. "...Tell him I'll be right there."
"Sir, yes, sir!" Rosie saluted and zipped back down the ladder.

"You wished to see me, Your Majesty?" Knox asked flatly as he kneeled before King Lionel in the throne room.
The king nodded. "We have a new knight, by the name of Sterling, joining our order. He has excelled in his training and thusly, I am assigning him his first mission. I would like for you to go with him to assist him. You will be retrieving the Rainbow Feather from the Guardian of the Forest. It's said to be a remarkably rare treasure of immense beauty."
His head bowed and expression hidden from the king, Knox narrowed his eyes at the floor. 'Is that why we joined your order of knights, Your Majesty? To satisfy your greed?'
"...With all due respect, Your Majesty, I do not understand why you have chosen me for this role," Knox said, looking up to face him.
King Lionel stared out one of the throne room's large windows, and murmured, "...Because I don't want to see either of you become tarnished, too."
"I don't believe I heard you, sire."
"It was of no importance. It is as simple as this: you will be the one to assist Sterling in this mission. I will accept no other."
Knox bowed his head so he could glare at the floor once more. "Yes, Your Majesty."
King Lionel turned to the grand doorway and called out, "Sterling, you may enter."
The doors flung open with startling speed and a young eagle rushed in to kneel beside Knox. "Your Majesty! I'm happy to report that I just finished patrolling the city fifty times! Oh, um, about that, nothing to report! But it was still really good training! If there's ever an emergency, my leg muscles will be ready."
Knox rolled his eyes. 'Fifty? Yeah, right. Who'd ever believe that?'
"That's... very impressive, Sterling, although perhaps a bit excessive. I've called you in about the mission we discussed prior. As it is your first, Knox here will be assisting you," King Lionel explained.
Sterling looked at Knox with shining eyes and extended a wing to him. "My name is Sterling, and I'm really looking forward to working with you! Let's train hard and protect Newleaf together!"
Many years ago, Knox might've said something similar to the other knights... but he and this eagle were not the same. 'You're no different from the others, are you? This is a front. You're really only out for yourself.'
"...Yeah. I'm Knox." He shook Sterling's wing.

They were given a few days to prepare for their mission, and then met in front of the city gate to begin their journey into the forest.
"I've packed thoroughly for the both of us! I mean, I'm sure you packed for yourself too, but I did this just in case! Plus, you can never have enough weight training." Sterling adjusted his satchel, filled to bursting, and smiled proudly as they walked down the path.
Knox stopped in his tracks. With a confused expression, Sterling slowed to a halt as well. The rooster shot him a glare. "Look, you're not fooling me, kid. I don't trust you one bit. Let's just get this over with."
The younger knight looked stunned for a moment, then gave him a sad smile. "If that's how you feel, well, I'll just work doubly hard until I've gained your trust." Knox scoffed and continued walking ahead.
Sterling jogged to catch up with him. "And um, Knox? I don't think you're a bad person. You haven't done anything to make me doubt you."
Knox's eyes widened for a moment, and a heavy feeling pricked at his heart. He shook his head and started walking faster. "Whatever. You're not going to get into my good graces by sucking up to me."
Sterling made no response, but sped up again to match Knox's pace.
They made their way into the forest, and then travelled further still. Sterling pulled a scroll from his satchel and read over it. "According to King Lionel's instructions, we must first make it past a reclusive dragon before we can reach the realm of the Guardian of the Forest," he said, "We should be prepared for anything, Knox."
Knox nodded, and just ahead, past a dense patch of brush, a small cave came into their view. From the darkness, two yellow eyes glowed. "The bugs told me you two would be arriving soon."
Knox reached for the sword at his hip, but Sterling stayed his wing and asked, "Hey, what are you doing?"
The rooster raised his eyebrows incredulously. "The dragon might attack at any moment! What are you doing?!" Sterling's eyes widened in anger and disbelief.
"This dragon hasn't done anything yet! Just what kind of knight are you, Knox?!"
The dragon stepped out of the cave with a yawn. "Oh yeah, um, I don't feel like fighting or anything. I'm Drago. I was just wondering if you wanted some of my pocket candy. I don't get many friends coming over out here in the woods, aside from the bugs, eheheh." Drago scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
At the sight of the sheepish, friendly dragon, Knox's wing fell limply to his side. He stared blankly forward in horror. 'Yeah, what am I doing...?'
In his stunned silence, Sterling stepped forward and bowed politely. "Thank you, Drago, but I'm afraid we'll have to decline. I'm Sterling, and this is Knox. We're knights of Newleaf, and we're on our way to see the Guardian of the Forest," he said with a calm smile.
"Okay. The Guardian of the Forest lives just past that river up ahead. Be careful crossing the log, it can be a little slippery sometimes," Drago turned around to go back into his cave. "Pocket candy, all for me~!"
Waving goodbye to the dragon, Sterling began walking again. Noticing Knox wasn't following, he turned around. "Knox? Come on. We've gotta push forward."
Shaken from his thoughts, Knox responded, "Y-Yeah, you're right." After that, they continued onwards into the depths of the forest. The rooster cast a sideways glance at Sterling, but couldn't read his expression. 'Maybe I was wrong about Sterling... I was wrong about Drago. What else have I been wrong about? There's no doubt that some of the knights in the order are corrupt, but...
'Maybe I was wrong about myself being any different.'

The rush of the river and waterfall below was the only sound that interrupted the two's long silence. They crossed the log bridging the river carefully, and just beyond the opposite shore, the forest was strewn with feathers in an array of beautiful, vibrant colors. Knox took a deep breath. 'Alright. I'm not going to try to offer any excuses. When we meet the Guardian of the Forest, I'll show Sterling what kind of knight I really am.'
He glanced at the young eagle again. Sterling was taking in the sight of the gorgeous feathers with a look of excitement and hope. There was no lingering trace of anger or resentment in his face. Knox smiled bitterly to himself. 'Or maybe I'm really just showing myself.'
A flurry of feathers appeared from nowhere, swirling violently in the clearing before them. Sterling yelped and jumped back, and Knox shielded himself from the lashing winds. When the feathers settled, there stood a magnificent peacock glaring down at them, clothes glimmering with hundreds of gems in the same rainbow of colors as his feathers. "Pavé demands to know what you are doing in Pavé's realm. Dancing into here uninvited would be one thing, but the two of you march most ungracefully."
Swallowing, Knox explained, "We are knights of the kingdom of Newleaf. We have come for the Rainbow Feather, on order of King Lionel."
Pavé narrowed his eyes. "So you plan to take it by force? Because if you want to dance, Pavé is more than willing!" He slid fluidly into what could've been either a fighting stance or the beginning of a dance.
"N-No, that's not—" Sterling tried to protest, waving his wings in front of him placatingly.
Without saying anything further, Knox laid down his sword. "Of course not! A true knight would never do such a thing!"
Sterling stared at him in momentary disbelief. "Knox..." A huge, relieved smile came over the eagle's face. "Yeah!" Still beaming, he set his sword down on the ground beside Knox's.
"...So you expect Pavé to simply give you one of Pavé's precious, glorious Rainbow Feathers?" Pavé asked coldly.
"...Urk." Sterling grimaced, fidgeting uncomfortably.
'Yeah, this isn't going well. But I'm not giving up yet.' Knox knelt down and bowed his head. "Please! It's Sterling's first mission as a knight," he gestured to the eagle beside him, "It'd be one thing if it were just me returning empty-handed to the king, but the order needs more knights like Sterling! I've seen what a kind heart he has, and so I want to make sure he succeeds in this more than anything! I... I believe that Sterling can change things, but he won't have the power to do that if he can't gain the favor of the king first. So, please!"
For a long moment, Pavé silently stared at the two knights. "...Ahahaha! You are very lucky. Pavé likes your boldness, almost as much as Pavé's beloved feathers. Pavé will give you one—just one! But it will not be for free. When Pavé requires a favor, Pavé will call upon your kingdom for aid. When that time comes, you best keep your word, or else. But for now... VIVA FRIENDSHIP!"
With an expert twirl, a feather appeared in Pavé's outstretched grip. It held all the colors of the feathers scattered about the woods, and even seemed to sparkle in the sunlight that shifted softly through the leaves. Though briefly stunned by the beauty of the Rainbow Feather, Knox reached out to take it from the Guardian of the Forest. "Thank you!" Knox said, "I'll make sure the kingdom of Newleaf won't forget this."
Pavé smirked and turned to leave, but then glanced at them over his shoulder. "One more thing. If you wish to negotiate with Pavé again, you negotiate with dance." With another spectacular spin, a flurry of feathers swirled around Pavé until he was no longer visible. When they settled, he was gone.
"...Whew! We did it! Mission complete!" Sterling raised his wing high in the air in triumph. "You were a huge help back there, Knox. I don't know if I could've completed this mission without you."
"Heh, well, don't celebrate too early, kid. We still need to get the Rainbow Feather back to King Lionel."
"Pfft! As if that's going to be a problem!" Sterling strode back the way they came, chest puffed out proudly. Smiling too, Knox followed him. "Oh, and, Knox? I'm glad that I wasn't wrong about you!"
"...Me too, Sterling."
The feathers strewn about the forest floor grew fewer and fewer as they reached the banks of the river once more. Humming triumphantly, Sterling hopped onto the log and skipped across. 'I can't remember the last time I was so happy to complete a mission. I guess I'm not too old to prance around a little bit too.' Knox thought as he hopped onto the log behind Sterling, and attempted to give a twirl like Pavé had done. Sure, there was no way he'd have moves like that guy, but—
Knox's train of thought cut short as his foot slipped awkwardly on the damp log. He scrambled futilely, but felt a sinking dread in the pit of his stomach at the same time he felt his body become weightless. Sterling realized something was amiss and spun around.
"Knox!"
The rooster managed to wrap his wing around the log at the last second. 'It's no good!' Knox struggled to maintain his grip on the wet, mossy trunk. The rest of his body dangled precariously over the rushing river. In his other wing, he still clutched the Rainbow Feather.
Sterling leapt forward and reached out to him. "You can't fly in your armor! Just take my wing!"
Knox winced as he kicked his legs, unable to pull himself back up. 'I've gotta get the feather to Sterling first, to make sure I don't drop it—' A dark thought came to him unbidden. 'And if you do that, what's to stop him from just leaving you behind? An opening in the upper ranks would be nothing but beneficial to a newbie like him...'
Knox clenched his beak. 'No! I know Sterling isn't that kind of knight! I trust him!' He thrust the Rainbow Feather up towards Sterling's extended wing. "Take this first!"
"Ugh! You're so stubborn!" Sterling swiftly pinned the Rainbow Feather to his tunic and hauled Knox back up over the log.
Carefully, the two of them finished crossing the log together, and collapsed in relief on the sandy shore. "What the heck was that, Knox?! 'Take this first'? Your safety is way more important than some stupid feather! But you didn't look like you were gonna let me help you if I didn't take it!"
Knox laughed. "Yeah, you got that right, kid."
Sterling looked like he wanted to make a retort, but instead shrugged and shook his head in defeat.
Looking at the feather, Knox smiled. 'Well, Sterling showed me that I was wrong about a couple things already. It wasn't a great feeling, and yet... I sure hope I was wrong to doubt King Lionel, too.'
"Alright, Sterling, let's get moving again." Knox stood and dusted himself off. 'In any case, I'm not going to fall prey to that old mindset ever again.'

The rest of their return trip was peaceful, and soon they were back in throne room, where Sterling proudly presented the Rainbow Feather to King Lionel.
"You both have done a fine job. I'll make sure that you're rewarded well for this," King Lionel said.
"...Um, Your Majesty, I've been wondering something," Knox pointed to the Rainbow Feather. "That thing... it's not just some pretty little rarity, is it?"
King Lionel beamed. "You still have your quick mind, Knox. The Rainbow Feather is said to possess immense powers of love, healing, and beauty." The king stared out the window into the city, with an expression of hope and determination. "I want to use it to restore my knighthood to the force of good it was always meant to be, and to bring further peace and prosperity to Newleaf."
He faced the two knights again. "Not that I think its power was needed on you. I'll need your help going forward to make this dream a reality, my true, shining knights."
'Heh. This is why I wanted to become a knight in the first place.' Knox closed his eyes and smiled. "...Thank you, Your Majesty, Sterling... I look forward to continuing to protect the kingdom of Newleaf, as one of its proudest knights."
The king smiled quietly in return, and Sterling nodded firmly, eyes full of determination. The light that shined through the large windows of the throne room caught on the armor of the two knights, who gleamed gold and silver.

 

[IonicKarma]

Are we allowed to have someone else take a look at our story for proof reading and grammatical editing?

 

[JellyBeans]

I went into this with absolutely zero plan other than the main character was gonna work at starbucks so. how i've managed to make up 3.5k words as i go is forever going to be a miracle. hope this makes sense but it was super fun to write actually :] and sorry in advance that you have to read through so much i really tried to cut out unnecessary details
also fun fact the entire reason the ~big secret~ takes so long to be said out loud is because i literally did not know what it was going to be so i kept putting it off and i only decided at pretty much the exact second i had to write it in

Spoiler: big word vomit sorry

I'm finally releasing my hair from its hastily tied ponytail as I head towards the car park, shift finally finished, when I almost bump into someone stood in the middle of the pavement.
"Oh- sorry!" I exclaim. "My bad, I wasn't paying attention." I tilt my head up to see who it is, and find myself face to face with a woman I vaguely recognise. She's wearing tight leather trousers and a long black trench coat, despite the sticky heat. I remember; I served her about half an hour ago. A cappuccino, which again I found odd she wouldn't go for something iced to cool down. Her eyes are obscured by a large pair of sunglasses but I can still feel the beginnings of a chill creeping down my spine, echoing the uneasy vibes she emitted earlier. She looked like she wouldn't be out of place in a sci-fi novel, perhaps a time traveller or a visitor from a parallel dimension. "Sorry again," I awkwardly chuckle.
"I was hoping to see you, actually," the lady says hoarsely, and I can't figure out just where her accent is from. It sounds like it could be from a mixture of places, perhaps she's travelled a lot? I'm too busy chasing this train of thought that it takes me a second to fully register what she said.
"See me? Why?" I question. Surely she's not sought me out to this extent just to complain about her drink. That seems extreme, even considering some of the nightmarish customers I've dealt with in the past.
"I've been trying to find you for a while. But you don't make that easy, do you? No... no, you've hidden away well. You really tried to stay that way. But we have our ways." The sense of unease in my stomach grows. I really wish I'd walked out of work faster.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I stutter out, feeling a flush creep across my cheeks, "but I really have to get home now, I'm sorry." I begin to sidestep away, but a hand reaches out and grabs me around the wrist.
"You don't understand how long I've been looking. It's time. You knew this day was coming."
"Ma'am, please let go of me. I think you have the wrong person. I'm going to go home now, sorry." I pry myself free of this woman's grip and walk to my car, hands shaking the entire time. I turn around briefly to see her still stood exactly where she was, phone in hand as if nothing ever happened.

There's no way they managed to find me. It's been so long since I found out about everything, and I feel like I've been obscuring myself pretty well. I'm in an entirely different continent, under a fake name with no obvious ties to my past. This is all for my safety. Mother told me this day might come, as it comes to all the women in my family. I take a deep sigh and look in the mirror, the bags under my eyes evidence of the sleepless night this whole ordeal has caused me. I mostly managed to reach a conclusion though - I'll hand in my notice at work today, giving me two weeks to gather up all my things and reinvent myself again. It's a little longer than I feel comfortable with, but I don't want to draw unnecessary attention to myself right now. As long as I keep my head down I should be fine. And I can always take a few sick days if I need to get away early. A new resolve in my eyes, I set off for work again, praying to get through the day with no interruptions.

But of course, I can't be that lucky. I've barely pulled the handbrake in my car before I spot her again; same white top, leather trousers and black trench coat fluttering gently in the breeze. What are the chances I can get away without her realising? Maybe I can sneak off in the other direction? No, she'll hear my car door slam. A million possibilities are running through my head but before I have a chance to reach a conclusion she manages to spot me and is headed in my direction. Fast. I consider just driving straight off, but the risk of hitting her is too high. Nothing screams 'trying to stay hidden' like a hit and run. I sigh, resigning myself to have another conversation with her. I just have to make her understand that I really am not the right person to help, no matter what my bloodline may suggest. I open the car door and prepare myself to say just that, but I'm interrupted before a single word has left my mouth.
"I hope you've had enough time to process this, because I really am going to need you to come with me," the lady says, holding her hand out as if I'm a misbehaving child.
"And I've told you before, I really don't know what you mean. I'm just trying to go to work, I really can't afford to be late. You need to find someone else." The woman sighs exasperatedly, pulling her sunglasses up onto her head. Her eyes fix with mine and suddenly I'm weak in the knees, my resolve to fight back entirely gone.
"Maybe this will help convince you," she says, passing something to me. I grab it; it's a small gold envelope, barely bigger than my hand, and the only thing written on the front is my name in silver cursive. The handwriting looks vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place it until I open it up and skim through the letter written inside. It's signed by my mother.
"I- wha- how did you get this?" I ask, baffled. I can feel tears swelling behind my eyes as I read the letter properly, the warm familiarity of my mother's tone wrapping around me like a blanket.

my dearest daughter,
I hope this letter finds you well. I realise if you are reading this, you didn't manage to hide as well as you'd hoped. You'll be okay. I promise you. I know your father was never quite so supportive of this aspect of our family, he never really understood its impact, and I think that got to you a bit. Not that you'd ever admit that, of course. You're so sure of yourself in every other aspect of your life. I always admired that in you, you know. Take that security and sense of self with you into this. Believe me, if myself and every other woman back in my family got through this, you are more than capable. It's not quite as scary as it may seem. You are stronger than you know. You can do anything.
I love you forever.
your mother

I take a shaky breath, willing the tears to stay firmly inside of my eyes. One manages to escape down my cheek and I wipe it away furiously. "Okay. I'll come with you."
"I'm glad you've come to your senses," the woman huffs. "Come on. The driver's waiting."
The driver? I mindlessly follow along and find myself sliding into the backseat of a Range Rover, the windows totally tinted so I can barely see where we're going. I focus instead on the inside of the car; there's the driver, and next to him is the mystery woman. I realise I still don't know her name but somehow that feels irrelevant at this point. Next to me is another woman, about the same age as me. She's shaking as tears silently wrack through her body. I thought I was scared but my reaction pales in comparison. I reach my hand out and gently lay it on her arm, cautious to not move too aggressively.
"Hey.. hey, are you okay? I'm Lorelai, nice to meet you. What's your name?" I ask softly, almost whispering. She starts sniffing, clearly trying to compose herself for at least two seconds.
"I'm.. I'm Arya. Sorry about this," she splutters out, a nervous chuckle escaping her lips. "Normally I'm a lot more put together but y'know. Turns out a life altering calling you have no control over can make a personal spiral. Who would've thought?"
I grin despite myself.
"So you're.. like me?" I ask, astounded. I never even considered the possibility that there were other people like me out there. I guess it makes sense - can't have the fate of the world's future resting on the shoulders of one family bloodline.
"Can't say it out loud either, huh?" she chuckles ruefully. "But yeah, I assume so. That's why we're here, isn't it? Our destiny and all that?"
"Yeah.. destiny" I reply, turning my head again to try and look out the window, but all I can discern is the vague outline of trees pierced by the occasional rooftop. We must be pretty far out into the countryside by now. I turn back to Arya. "Do you have any idea where we're going?" She shakes her head.
"No idea. I've heard the mansion is quite isolated, which I guess makes sense. Secrecy and all that. There's not exactly a guidebook around this kind of thing is there?"
"No, there really isn't," I chuckle, grateful for the ease in the tension that hangs thick in the car.

What could be 5 minutes or 5 hours later - I dozed off at some point, last night catching up with me - the car suddenly jolts to a stop. We must be here.
"Okay," the woman in the passenger seat snaps. "You'll be taken through for lunch and then shown to your rooms where you can wait out the afternoon. Nothing can be done until sunset at the earliest, although really the closer to midnight the better. We'll have to see how it goes. These things can be unpredictable."
I just nod numbly, the words tumbling over my head. We follow her into a large dining hall where there's a table fully stacked with food. You would think they were feeding an entire army, not just three of us. We sit down and make our way through as much of the food as we can, the only sounds filling the room the clinking of cutlery on plates and general eating noises. I glance over at Arya to see her staring straight ahead, her hands and mouth never still for a moment. I wonder if she's going through the same turmoil as I am right now.

When we're sufficiently stuffed - although the woman who lead us here didn't seem to eat a single bite - we get shown to two separate, but equally large and plush, bedrooms.
"One for each of you. There's a TV, wifi, bookshelf, bed, whatever you want. Just stay here and I'll come collect you when it's time to go meet with the Leader. Like I said, it will probably be around sunset, maybe a bit later. And if you get hungry just ring the bell next to the door - I'll have someone bring up some of the leftovers from lunch. All clear?" the woman asks, glancing over each of us. We both just nod silently, but that seems to satisfy her. She turns swiftly on her heel and heads back down the corridor, the clack of her heels echoing behind her. Arya and I exchange small smiles before turning into our separate bedrooms. I immediately collapse onto the bed and practically melt into it - I've never felt anything so comfy in my life. Maybe I wouldn't have spent all this time trying to hide if I knew how luxury this place was. I don't even know how long I'm going to be here for. I realise there's actually a lot about this entire situation I don't know. Ignoring all the fun ways to pass the time in the room, I locate a notebook and pen and decide to lay out the facts. Maybe bringing in some logic will help ease my nerves.
what i know
1. Every woman in my family has the capability to receive messages from the dead in a dream. In order to do this, we have to light a candle for them and practice a small meditation that calls them to us.
2. We can only receive messages if that person has something to say. If you try and nothing happens, you can try a second time, but if there's nothing after that, there's nothing that needs to be said.
3. The reason we can do this is because, somehow, the border between the real world and the spirit world is weakened for us. Not to the extent we can invite the undead into our lives, but we have the capability to communicate.
4. At a certain point in your life, you will be summoned to have this removed.

I pause for a second before writing a fifth point.
5. Even if you try and hide from it, this future is certain. You will be tracked down.

I turn to the next page and start a new list.
what i don't know
1. Why we have this ability taken away
2. If I'm strong enough to be able to give this up

I sigh and roll back onto the bed. That helped a little, admittedly, but I suppose I won't know my strength until the time comes. I decide to flick on the TV just to kill the time.

When I finally look out the window again, sunset is well underway. Almost as if looking at it summoned a response, there's a knock at my door, and it's almost immediately opened and the woman enters. She looks at me and doesn't even need to say anything; I know it's time to go. I get up, just about remembering to switch the TV off as she leads me down a maze of corridors. I find myself being lead down into the basement. A set of double doors ahead of me swings open and I walk in, alone now. Something in here calls to me. The room is dimly lit but cosy, not creepy. In the middle is a large throne-like chair, and atop it is potentially the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. This must be the Leader.
"Lorelai... lovely to meet you. I'm sorry we can only first meet under these circumstances. Allow me to run through everything - I'm sure you have questions. As I'm sure you know, you're here today so that we can take away your insightful dreams. I shall explain why, and hopefully it'll make more sense. You see, it's dangerous for too many people to have this close access to the spirit world. The more people that can communicate with them, the weaker the border gets, and the higher the chances are of the two worlds blurring together. You can see how that would be dangerous, right?" She doesn't wait for a response, but I imagine she can see the cogs whirring in my head as I process all this new information.
"The two have to stay separate for a reason. And so every now and then we have to cull this ability from those who have had it for a while, to allow the younger ones to grow up with it before they too can understand why it must be removed. It's a simple process, really. Just drink this tea here," she gestures to a small table and chair set up next to where she resides, "and it'll put you into a gentle sleep. While you rest, I will perform a small ritual that will permanently strengthen the border between worlds for you. You'll no longer be able to receive messages. Do you understand what I've said?"
I can only nod silently. I'm still considering running - surely if I'm fast enough I can get out of here? Except I have no idea where I am, and they've found me once so they'll surely find me again. I know this seems silly: obviously I need to give this up in order to protect the rest of the world from spirits running rampant. But it's always been such a comfort to me. Especially since my mother died - still being able to hear from her has really gotten me through the toughest of times and I'm not sure I'm ready to fully accept that she's gone. Is that selfish of me? Perhaps. But it's the only coping mechanism I've ever known.
I reach my hands into my pocket to try and conceal how hard they're shaking, only to remember the letter in my pocket. The thought of my mother's comforting words fill me with strength. She believed in me. She endured this exact same process and was one of the bravest people I know. I have to do this. For her, if nothing else. I move to sit at the table and take the first sip of the drink. It's sweeter than I expected, honey and rose bursting over my tongue. I swallow it down quickly, determined to get this done before I lose my resolve. The last thing I remember seeing is the Leader looking over me, a sad smile on her face. I wonder if she understands the feeling of this loss.

It's been 3 days since they removed my ability and I've only just returned home. I stayed at the mansion for a few nights, recovering from the aftereffects of the ritual and overall resting and coming to terms with my loss. It was kind of nice being away - they took my phone off me so it almost felt like a relaxing escape from normal life. But now I'm thrown harshly back into reality as I reconnect to the wifi and realise all the notifications that I've missed. First, an email from work - apparently disappearing for days on end with zero warning and missing a lot of shifts is enough to get you fired. I take a deep breath. I should have enough savings to tide me over until I find a new job, and at least I don't have to pay to move country again I suppose. I'll start searching later.
Next set of notifications. There's a string of missed texts in my groupchat with my friends - I completely bailed on them. We'd had longstanding plans to go to the theatre together, a surprise I bought for us all, and of course the day of I am nowhere to be found. They're slightly concerned, but mostly furious I didn't contact them at all before or after. I need to deal with that soon. We'd been so excited for so long, so I felt like the worst person ever to have taken this away from them.
And finally, a voicemail from my dad - he's angry too. I missed our fortnightly phone call. I'd never been that close with him, but I found it was easier to keep in vague contact than to ignore him entirely because then at least he felt included in my life. I slumped onto the floor, the weight of everything I'd missed combining with what I'd just endured suddenly overwhelming. I don't know why I thought I was strong enough for this. A few things happen that can be fixed with just a little communication and effort on my part, and suddenly all I want to do is seek solace in my mother's words. I want nothing more than to hear what she has to say. But I can't. Because even though she's been dead all this time, she's only now truly gone, never to be contacted again. I curl up and cry, letting all my built up emotions from the last few days come flowing out of me at once. But eventually, something snaps inside of me. I remember the note my mother gave me, the one that gave me the power to follow through with this in the first place. I think back fondly on my mother, her motivational speeches every time I was down, the little gifts she would leave me just to brighten up my day. She never seemed to let the loss of her ability bring her down. Neither did her mother, or her mother's mother. So why shouldn't I be able to handle this? I sit up and wipe the tears away from my eyes, a new determination setting in. Sure, I'd lost something that I'd relied on my whole life. I don't know yet how to live without it. But I had also gained something: unwavering belief in myself, powered by my mother's love, and the knowledge that I had the strength to get through anything. And maybe that was the best ability of all.

 

[LittleMissPanda]

My entry is a mixed theme of Animal Crossing and fantasy, but mostly fantasy. Two Animal Crossing villagers completely reimagined in the human world but with a twist of fantasy, one created by me called Haruko, and the other villager? Drago! But he plays his role of dragon very seriously. The world, setting, scenarios and other OCs are all my own.

Spoiler: Cherry Blossom Warrior

Once, in a land of majesty where fields of lush green grass and vibrant wildflowers swayed in the breeze and where great mountains reached the starry heavens, there was a garden which belonged to a wealthy family. It was a vast, beautiful garden with stone-lined pathways and a large clear pond full of richly-colored fish, but what was truly magnificent about the garden were the cherry blossom trees. Every year in spring they bloomed gorgeously, and people from all across the land would visit the garden to admire them.

But no one admired them more fondly and more passionately than Haruko. Parasol in hand, the young woman, dressed in an elegant fuchsia kimono, her hair like the softest pink silk and eyes a lovely hazel, would stroll down the pathways of the garden gazing at the many splendors around her, from the ornate fountains to the exquisite hedges. She would even stop to greet the sparrows; they too were fond of the garden. But most of all Haruko would look forward to sitting upon the stone fence by the cherry blossom trees, surrounding herself in a graceful shower of drifting petals. She held out a hand to them, a warm expression on her face. Truly she could not ask for a better happiness than this.

One peaceful afternoon, Haruko was walking in the garden when distant sprightly music caught her attention. She stopped and listened.

“My, how beautiful…” she said in utter captivation. “I must see who it is,” and intrigued, Haruko strayed off the pathway and wandered into the forest of cherry blossom trees. Following the sound, she soon happened across some thick bushes. She carefully parted their branches, and what she beheld on the other side, mouth opening in a hushed gasp, was a sight so delightful she was certain she had discovered a secret place of magic.

There in the center of the small round clearing was a tree stump and upon it sat a young man. He was vigorously playing the shamisen, his face focused yet graced with a peaceful smile. Hopping in a charming little dance around him were a dog, a cat and a monkey. They merrily sang and clapped their paws in time to the rhythm of the shamisen’s song.

It looked like they were having so much fun Haruko felt the urge to dance herself! She was so spellbound, her cheeks a vivid pink that rivaled the cherry blossom trees, that she stepped a little closer to get a better look, but she clumsily stumbled and cried out as she fell straight out of the bushes. Startled, the animals fled into the forest. At first the young man only eyed her curiously but then, unable to resist an amused chuckle, he went to help her up, extending an open hand to her.

“You hadn’t need to hide; I welcome new guests,” the young man genially began. “Are you all right?”

Haruko, an embarrassed blush deeply burning her face, accepted his hand and got up. “Y-yes, of course!”

The young man smiled. “My name is Toshi,” he said.

“And I am Haruko—but oh! Please forgive me!” she hastily bowed in apology. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you! But you see…when I heard that wonderful music, I simply had to come; it was a spectacular performance.”

“I thank you. This shamisen… It was a gift from my late grandparents. It is my most invaluable treasure.” Toshi played a gentle melody as he spoke. “Music is a divine thing, isn’t it? Hope, joy, sadness… With just a pluck or two of the strings you never know what lies in your heart until you play and suddenly you want to dance or cry. That’s when you are most alive…”

“My, yes! And just listen! Listen to the orchestra of spring!” said the kimono girl. The trills and whistles of the woodland birds surrounded them like sweet harmonious symphonies, the rushing brook and the flowing breeze a happy duet. Haruko was feeling so cheerful she did a twirl of her own, beaming radiantly at him. “I can’t contain my joy! Please, will you not join me and see the wonders of the garden?” Toshi liked her enthusiasm so much that he could not possibly refuse the offer, so he agreed to it.

The young man and woman spent much time together, day after day meeting in the garden, strolling arm in arm. Soon, something wondrous found its way into their hearts, something they never wanted to let go.

It was time to say goodbye one evening. Haruko and Toshi stood on a wooden bridge as cherry blossom petals gently drifted about in the air. It was their special place, and it was there they shared their first kiss. From then on, incredible happiness was all the young man and woman knew and the cherry blossom trees, as though in celebration of their love, were in full bloom and appeared more beautiful than ever.

But then there came a time of great catastrophe in the land. Fearsome demons invaded, attacking villages, robbing families and leaving everything destroyed in their wake. From giant snake monsters to horrid two-headed ogres, the demons swarmed the land, delighting in their evil deeds. The people were in despair, for no one had the courage to fight, fleeing at the very sight of them. But some were not so fortunate to escape… Many people were imprisoned and kept as slaves in the demons’ stronghold far to the north, and amongst those victims were Haruko’s mother and father, and even Toshi… Sorrowful over the plight of her beloved, her parents and all the people of the land, Haruko rushed up the stairway to a shrine to pray.

“I do not wish for this suffering to continue any longer! Is there nothing I can do to help my people?” she sobbed beseechingly into her hands. “I want to be strong; I want to protect this land! Please, grant me the strength to save everyone and everything I love!”

Just then she heard dreadful noises and, looking to the direction, saw something that left her in astonishment: a dragon! What a majestic and beautiful creature! But alas, he was being tormented by two spear-wielding demons, shivering in pain as he tried to fend them off. This angered the young woman, for hers was a heart that could abide no injustice and at once she hastened to the dragon’s side, giving no thought to her own safety. She dauntlessly confronted the two demons, but they were undeterred. Shaking their horned heads and laughing in wicked glee, they surrounded Haruko in an instant as they brandished their weapons. What a fine slave she would be! Seeing that the enemies have dropped their guard and the great peril she was in, the dragon seized the opportunity and attacked them. This stunned the demons long enough.

“Quickly! We must escape!” he then urged the human, beckoning her to climb onto his back. Haruko did so and soon they were off. The dragon was as fast as a gale, soaring high over the wild countryside until they came to a remote forest. In the shade of its trees they found refuge. The dragon coiled his long serpentine body, scales a most dazzling jade, but having waged in many battles against the invading demons, he was left very much weakened.

“You brave creature, I will do all I can to help you,” Haruko’s voice was soft with compassion. She went to collect some healing herbs in the forest, making a strong poultice out of them. She then commenced treating the dragon’s wounds. “This will make you feel better, I promise.” When she was finished she caressed his cheek comfortingly.

“I will never forget the kindness you have shown me,” said the dragon. “Surely I would have perished in the hands of those demons. Indeed you are a human unlike any I have ever met. Were you not afraid?”

“Yes, but I refuse to let fear stop me from doing what I believe is right,” was the young woman’s unwavering conviction.

The dragon nodded approvingly. “Your desire to protect others is strong. This land is teeming with unspeakable evil; this land needs someone like you.”

“But what can I do? I cannot possibly go on such a perilous journey. I am but a mere human…” Haruko lowered her gaze in dejection.

“Ah, this is true, but you are driven by the courage that lies in your soul. This alone makes you powerful,” assured the dragon. “If we join forces we may be able to reclaim this land yet. Just as I will continue to fight, you must fight, too! You must believe that you can!”

Moved by his words, Haruko looked at him once more, this time filled with determination.

“If there is anything I can do to help this land and my people then I won’t give up,” she declared.

And thus was the beginning of their quest to return peace to the land. Mounted upon him as they soared across the skies together, Haruko and the dragon formed a strong, deep bond. Now, in a small mountain village there lived a wise, good-natured man named Kenshiro. Seasoned in the ways of battle, he was impressed by the fortitude the young woman showed. He was reminded of his days as a warrior and felt it was time to pass down his teachings to a new generation.

Haruko was honored; if it meant becoming strong, if it meant being able to save her land, then she would do whatever it took, and so she became his student and he her master. But was she ready to take the path of a warrior? She wasn’t so sure at first, but when Kenshiro demonstrated his techniques with the katana, something was born inside of Haruko, and all her doubts at once disappeared—and that was resolve. Seeing much promise in his pupil, he bestowed upon her the attire befitting a warrior: it was of the finest ivory and peach-colored silk with ornately-crafted leg armor as well as matching fingerless gauntlets. Not only this, but Kenshiro also forged a katana of her very own, its blade gleaming with an indomitable spirit just like hers. Now more purposeful than ever, Haruko sought to protect the land from evil, the dragon her faithful companion.

Every day she and her master had training sessions in the mountain forest. She worked diligently on her sword techniques. Haruko had great reverence for her master, always dedicated to his teachings, and Kenshiro was proud of his student. She possessed a natural talent for the katana and became very skilled, even developing her own fighting style, for her moves were as graceful as cherry blossom petals in the breeze and as nimble as the hare, the symbolic animal of the land. “No matter how great the foe or how difficult the path ahead, the clever hare would persevere through all,” so went an old saying.

The following training session, Kenshiro stood by as he instructed his student in the way of the sword.

“Strike left!” he commanded. Haruko obeyed, katana slicing through a wooden target that substituted for a demon, but the piercing look in her eyes alone could slay any evil. “Strike right! Be swift, alert! Study your enemies, learn their weaknesses, then you must effectively adapt to the battle! Patience, Haruko. It is key in battle. Never forget that!”

“Yes, Master,” the dutiful young woman kept his words close to her heart as she continued practicing against the many targets. Then suddenly, sensing him, she turned around and blocked the forceful attack Kenshiro dashed at her with, and just like that the two commenced battling. A test of strength! Haruko would not disappoint her master! The clang of clashing steel was shrill as their blades were soon locked in an intense stalemate, and though she fought skillfully he was able to overcome her, knocking her weapon right out of her grip. The tip of his katana hovering mere inches from her face, Haruko’s gaze found his stern one. “Your enemies will never hold back,” he then sheathed his weapon. “That is my final lesson.”

“Ooh! I almost had you this time, Master!” said the young woman with glee. “Did you see? Did you?”

Kenshiro chuckled and gave her a smile. “I didn’t just see it, I felt it! Indeed today’s training session has proven your resolve. Haruko, you must remember: everyone has their own true strength; now you must find yours.” In saying these words, he presented her with a sheath for her katana, beautifully crafted with designs of cherry blossoms. Haruko accepted it with much honor. After this, the bond between the teacher and student became stronger than ever, bowing to one another.

But one night, a village was attacked by a demon of terrifying power. Fire spread everywhere, the screams of people a chorus of death that echoed in the wind. When she arrived at the burning village, Haruko froze in shock—how could such destruction even be possible? It was then she spotted Kenshiro, gravely wounded, and quickly went to his aid. He tried to protect the village but was ultimately overpowered.

The demon then approached her, eager for a new challenge. Lizard-like in appearance, back covered in fearsome spines, it screeched evilly, craving for more destruction and bloodshed. Haruko stood fearlessly before it, katana unsheathed. Great was its power, but greater still was her anger.

Without a moment’s hesitation she charged, and thus began their furious battle. The demon unleashed its attack, firing a barrage of spines at her, but the warrior was quick to deflect them, her strikes like a blur. She dodged its savage bite and tried to counterattack but was much too hasty. She left herself open! Just as the demon wanted! Extending its long, chilling tongue, it seized her by the waist and brutally tossed her into the crumbling wall of a house, the human’s cry of pain delighting it. A rivulet of blood trickling down the side of her face, Haruko unsteadily rose to her feet and delivered another attack. In retaliation, the demon slashed at her with its claws. Its tongue seemed to move with a mind of its own as it repeatedly tried to snatch her but she evaded it, jumping from rooftop to rooftop. Haruko then swiftly ran until she was face to face with her enemy, and with a single swing of her katana she sliced the tongue in two.

But the warrior was caught off guard as the demon widened its mouth to a horrifying degree, tongues wriggling forth like tentacles. She sliced as many as she could but was overwhelmed. They slithered about her body, tightly constricting her. She screamed in pain, unable to escape. How the vile demon wheezed in amusement as it tortured its fun human toy…

Just then, a bolt of lightning struck the monster, causing it to release her from its wicked grip. Soaring over the sky and through the flames, the dragon appeared with fangs bared, shooting another bolt of lightning from his mouth.

“Are you ready, my friend? Now is the time to fight!” he said, standing protectively by her side. Passing one another looks of determination, Haruko and the dragon worked together to defeat the demon. With a swing of his mighty tail he staggered it; this was her chance! She jumped high into the air, using the momentum to fall down fast toward the demon.

“Foul devil! Perish!” the warrior let out a cry of willpower, pouring all her heart into her attack; and thus the demon was slain, but the memories of the village Haruko would never forget. Features solemn as she looked at her katana, fingers lightly caressing the blade, she reflected upon the hardships and lessons she had learned since leaving home long ago.

“I must travel north and vanquish the demons; this is the true path I must take!” she told her master, and with all the pride and satisfaction of a master, Kenshiro saw his pupil off. “Mother, father…Toshi my love,” she said. “In honor of this promise, in honor of you, Master, I will rid the land of evil!”

So began Haruko’s journey to the northern stronghold. During her travels she battled many demons and became known as a great demon slayer. All the people marveled at this courageous young woman that seemed to appear like a warrior from the heavens to save them, but Haruko’s greatest challenge would be to conquer the fearsome stronghold; to prepare for this task, she decided to continue her training at a temple. It was an ancient yet beautiful temple, overlooking a vast shimmering lake, but it was also a place of strict discipline that would not permit entry so easily.

“So you wish to train with us? Then you must defeat me in battle! It is the only way!” the leader of the temple told her.

“Very well, I will give it my all!” she beamed, unperturbed even by his imposing stature. Though initially astounded by this answer, the man was indeed impressed by her optimism.

“My test will be no simple feat yet you still wish to continue? You’re quite the spirited girl! What’s your name?”

“I am Haruko,” the warrior gave a polite bow. The battle began at once, the temple’s outer courtyard the arena and his students the audience. He was the first to move, charging at her with his mighty sword but she parried the strike. However, the overwhelming force caused her to stagger. What power! Haruko was so stunned that she barely had time to block the next attack. She struggled to find an opening, so relentless her opponent’s fighting style was.

“Did you truly believe you could prevail over me?” he taunted, their weapons pushing firmly against one another. “Do not think badly of me, but our battle ends here!” And holding nothing back, he launched the foolhardy girl away. Haruko rolled painfully across the arena, but moments later she shakily got up. The fight was surely lost, she worried, but remembering the guidance of her master the warrior calmed herself and focused. She became watchful of her opponent, shifting into a fighting stance while awaiting his next move. Once more he charged toward her but she sidestepped out of the way; it was now her turn to attack! A successful hit! He tried to retaliate but she swiftly dodged.

“You are strong, yes, and I can’t match your power,” she said in realization, “but speed is my true strength! Now, allow me to show you the rhythm of my blade!” Her attacks quick and dancelike, Haruko confounded her opponent, for not even his eyes could keep up with her. In all his years never had he seen someone move as fast as this girl! Wasting no time she caught him in the face with a spin kick, following it up with fierce katana strikes, all of which he ineptly guarded against. With one decisive blow, she knocked his sword from his hands where it fell to the ground with a clang, and after a long difficult fight Haruko stood victorious. The students cheered and went to congratulate her; even the leader had to admire such spirit. And honoring his word, he consented to let her stay at the temple where Haruko trained daily to hone her skills.

But one day, when her training was at last complete, Haruko came to her allies and said, “To truly put an end to the evils that plague this land, I must go now, for I am on my way to the demons’ stronghold.”

Across the skies and above the clouds the warrior and dragon flew, guided only by the northern wind. The realm of clouds was vast and divine as the two companions journeyed for many miles. Soon night came, the light of the full moon pale.

“Look now!” the dragon began. “We have arrived at the northern valley, but alas, an evil curse has corrupted this once beautiful place.” And true to his words, just as the clouds parted, they beheld the catastrophe for themselves. Haruko couldn’t believe her eyes! The river was made of burning lava, the trees were gnarled and withered, reaching up from the scorched gray earth like the hands of the dead, and the sky, once a vivid blue, was now transformed into a nightmarish red.

Not far from where the dragon alighted, Haruko spotted a poor old farmer and his wife being held captive by three ogre brothers. They took cruel pleasure in making the old man and woman do the laborious work of cooking and cleaning for them, but there was no satisfying their ravenous appetites and no matter how much attention the old man and woman gave them the ogres treated them badly. The old man and woman feared the might of their spiked clubs so much they did not fight back against their oppressors.

“This hateful behavior of the ogres must be stopped!” Haruko reached for her katana, but the dragon stopped her.

“You must heed my words,” he warned, “and do not engage the ogres. If you raise your weapon to them they will surely take vengeance upon you by killing the old man and woman.”

“Then if we can’t fight, what can we do?” she asked. The dragon was a cunning creature and knew just what to do.

“You see, demons are very greedy and love money more than anything else,” he explained. “I will try to persuade the ogres to give the old farmer and his wife their freedom in exchange for my gold coins—but they will be no ordinary coins. It is just like vain and greedy creatures to believe anything and I will prove it.” And right away the dragon set his plan to work. He transformed into a man, dressed in a ceremonious green and red robe, and went to amiably greet the ogres, but naturally they were suspicious of this trespasser.

“What do you think you are doing? This is our land! Tell us who you are!” roared the first ogre.

“I am only a passing traveler,” said the man. “Will you not let me through? You are indeed merciful ogres to grant me this simple request as I would stand no chance against you; see how terrible your horns are and how much hair covers your arms. Of all the things I have seen and all the places I have visited never have I met anyone as fearsome as you ogres!”

The ogres were so pleased to hear this that they spared the man a beating from their clubs and allowed him through.

“Now I have another request; do not go on mistreating this old man and woman as I see they have done nothing but work hard for you. Grant them the same mercy you have granted me and let them go.”

“Ho ho! That is a funny thing to say! What will you give us in return?” laughed the second ogre.

“Here is some money for you ogres,” and the man reached into his bag, offering them one hundred gold coins. “Surely this will be enough.”

“You mean to give us only this much? This is nothing! Give us more!” demanded the third ogre.

“Then certainly this will do,” and the man doubled the amount of gold coins. Still the greedy ogres were not satisfied and wanted more. They began to grow impatient and instead of a fair trade they snatched the bag away!

“Now we are rich! What use are these feeble old humans to us compared to these precious gold coins? Think of how sorry you are for trusting us and let it serve as a lesson!” With hoots of evil laughter, the three ogre brothers made off with the bag. The old couple’s gratitude knew no bounds as they bowed to the man, but what wonder filled their faces when right before their eyes he transformed back into the dragon! And by his side was Haruko, the demon slayer of great valor they had heard much about. The old couple knew at once this was the legendary duo that would put a stop to the tyranny of the demons and humbly asked if they may join them on their journey.

So onward the little party went, but meanwhile, when they were sure they were far enough, the three ogre brothers opened the bag to eagerly look upon their prize—but much to their surprise it was filled with only dragon scales! It had been an illusion crafted by the dragon’s magic all along and having fulfilled the purpose of tricking the ogres, the spell wore off. Soon the ogres’ astonishment turned to rage; they stamped their feet and gnashed their teeth and waved their spiked clubs. To prepare for battle against their enemies the warrior and dragon, they hurried to the mountain so as to reach the stronghold first.

Now, it was said in old legends that people would become lost forever while scaling the treacherous trails of the mountain. The mysterious illusions created by the fog would deceive many, but not the old farmer and his wife. It was their daily work to cut the mountain grass and collect water for their crops, and so they had learned the secrets of the mountain. They shared their wisdom with the warrior, showing her the safest path to take so as to avoid the tricks hidden in the fog. They also explained that it was only possible for mortals to reach the summit by appeasing the protector of the mountain, the nine-tailed fox spirit Yukitsune. The little party bowed their heads and prayed before the shrine of Yukitsune for permission to cross her mountain, and because their hearts were full of good intentions, the fox spirit answered their prayers, appearing to them in a whirling gust of wind. The sheen of her nine tails was as luminous as moonlight and her fur was as white as snow. The fox spirit truly was a benevolent being, leading the way through the snowy mountain pass.

But suddenly, the group was ambushed by the three ogre brothers, trying to thwart their efforts. They were protected, however, by the powerful Yukitsune, who unleashed mystical blue fire from each of her nine tails to retaliate against them. The ogres were so overwhelmed by the flames they fell off the mountain to their deaths below; thus was the rightful demise of those wicked monsters. Perilous indeed was the journey to the summit, but Haruko and the dragon were determined to reach it and destroy the evils that awaited them there. They arrived at last. The summit came into view, and crowning it was a large, black fortress—the dreaded demons’ stronghold.

Thrusting open the gate of the stronghold, the warrior and dragon charged at the demons. One-eyed goblins, four-armed giants, monstrous insects and horned beasts—the repulsive monsters attacked in hordes. They could hardly wait to lay further waste upon the land! The battle went on for a long time but no matter how ferocious her enemies’ onslaught was the unfaltering warrior Haruko valiantly fought to the very end. Truly the spirit of the hare was with her, having surmounted all that stood in her way to make it this far in her quest to restore peace. Like the sun, Haruko rose to cast her radiance across the land, the courage in her heart stronger than any evil.

The demons could do nothing against such strength and were defeated once and for all. The prisoners were set free, gathering in great celebration as the curse on the valley was lifted. The dawn of a new day shone beautifully. Above, the sky was clear and brilliant and below, the river glittered like stars and the trees were green with life again. All was as it should be. Haruko’s eyes overflowed with joyous tears as she embraced her dear mother and father and was at last reunited with Toshi, the two sharing a kiss full of love. Having conquered the demons, she was praised as the greatest hero in all the land.

Upon the back of the dragon everyone returned home, to the fields of lush green grass, the great mountains and the garden, its cherry blossom trees welcoming them with their splendor. The dragon then turned to Haruko and said, “The time has come for me to return to my own home in the heavens.”

“Must you go?” she asked sadly. “I don’t want to say goodbye…”

“It is the way it must be,” said the dragon, “for we all have a place where we belong. Though our journey is over, though our worlds are far apart, our hearts are connected.” His eyes were gentle. “This is truly a fine thing.”

The young woman understood he would not be persuaded, so instead she smiled, fondly placing her hand on his head. More difficult than her journey was parting ways with her most cherished friend. “And in my heart you will always remain. I am glad to have met you. Just remember: a parting need not last forever. Now be on your way, my friend.” She watched as the magnificent creature ascended skyward until he disappeared far behind the clouds.

And in remembrance of the journey that took her far and wide, a journey that taught her to believe in her own strengths, Haruko mounted the katana on the wall of her house. The blade gave off a gleam against the rays of the setting sun as she then gazed at the sky, a long-whiskered figure soaring in the distance.

 

[Pyoopi]

Are we allowed to have someone else take a look at our story for proof reading and grammatical editing?

Yeah, that's totally fine! There's nothing wrong with that.

 

[tessa grace]

Hi, so I have a very specific question about formatting and writing forms. Would I be allowed to write and tell my story through poetry, if I met all the points and the word count?

 

[Fye]

Spoiler: story time

Spoiler: access denied

Spoiler: access denied

Spoiler: access denied

Spoiler: ok fine

Shino’s Adventures in Narania


For as long as she could remember, Shino lived alone on a quaint little island in the middle of the big blue sea. The air was crisp and there was food aplenty. But with her only company being the flowers and the bugs, neither of which had much to say, Shino found herself growing lonelier day by day. That is, until the day she caught glimpse of a white rabbit with ruby red eyes, happily munching on an apple. After meeting her gaze, the rabbit darted away from Shino towards the docks. She ran after the rabbit only to find the pier completely empty apart from a lone cooler box sitting at the end. Shino peeked into it, wondering how a rabbit could possibly fit inside, only to find that it was in fact a wardrobe! She called out for the rabbit and after getting no response decided to hop inside herself.


The next thing Shino knew, she was lying on a bed in the middle of a stone plaza and could hear arguing nearby. She got up and saw the same white rabbit from earlier getting an earful from a very mad cat in a top hat and waistcoat.

“What were you thinking visiting another island! You know we have no room for any more villagers here,” yelled the cat.

“I know, I know, stop talking my li’l ears off! I’ve had enough of cherries, all I wanted to do was try a different fruit for a change. How would I know I’d find another person there! Now stop acting so smug and help me find a way to send her back,” replied the rabbit.

Shino stopped them right there and pleaded for them to let her stay. She explained that she’s been alone on a deserted island all her life and desperately wishes she could be part of their world. The rabbit and cat couldn’t bear to say no to her request and decided to seek guidance from the island’s oldest resident.


“Welcome to Narania, capital,” the lion roared. “If you truly wish join our village you’ll have to find someone willing to move out. Word has it that the cold-loving queen of Narania’s north has been growing tired of our tropical climate and is considering exploring other frontiers. If you can find her and convince her to move out, then the house is yours.”

Shino took the challenge and asked for a map to this ice queen’s home, only to learn that such a thing doesn't exist.

“This island experiences so many earthquakes, floods, and other inexplicable events of terraformation that no map we make can be of use for more than a few hours,” the cat explained.

“Worry not traveler, we will have Narania’s finest guide take you on your journey,” the lion assured her as he called over a gangly wolf passing by. The wolf let out a cranky snarrrl but reluctantly agreed to help Shino get to the housing district in the north and no farther. Shino thanked the lion, cat, and rabbit for helping her and waved goodbye to the group before following the wolf into the forest.


Just as the lion said, the wolf was an experienced guide and kept Shino from falling in hidden pitfalls and leaf piles on their way through the dark forest. As the light filtered in between the trees Shino couldn’t help but notice the wolf’s sharp features of a carnivore, so different from her own. Like his big ears (“These old things?” he’d ask, “they’re all the better to listen for trembles in the earth before it swallows us whole.”) Or his big eyes (“They’re perfect for spotting the house you’re looking for from a mile away,” he noted when he found her staring.) And most of all his sharp teeth, far too sharp for fruits alone (“Don’t worry about these,” he assured her when she caught sight of his teeth, “they’re just for scaring any pesky wasps and spiders out of our way.”)

It wasn’t long before the two reached a clearing in the forest where Shino could see three houses in a row, surrounded by a log fence. “This is as far as I go,” the wolf told her, and he left after grumbling something about his old bones and a nap. The wolf had disappeared back into the forest before Shino had the chance to ask him which house was the ice queen’s so she had no choice but to try them all, one by one.


The first house she tried was a log cabin with a nameplate reading “Erik,” a fine home for anyone fond of the winter. When she walked in, she was confronted with a confusing mix of smells all hitting her at the same time. This home had a pizza box on the entertainment table where a TV should be, half eaten fruits littering the floor, and so much spaghetti covering the bed that she couldn’t even see if there was a mattress under the mess. And the most perplexing part – where was all this food coming from when the home had no kitchen or even a fridge? Shino was open-minded and understood that art comes in many forms, but the décor of this house felt lazy and was just far too… eccentric for her taste.

She walked over to the next building – a charming, old-fashioned house with a red brick roof and a nameplate reading “Fauna.” The inside of this house was much more normal than the first. It was filled with a matching set of wooden block furniture and all kinds of books. There were gardening books at the entrance, fairy tales by the bedside, and a stack of Hobby Life magazines in the kitchen. This house felt much more like a home, but Shino couldn’t help but think it was just too simple for her style.


Hoping third time would be the charm Shino reached for the handle of the final house, an elegant white building with a nameplate reading “Diana.” The bubbling sound of a whirlpool bath welcomed Shino into this home that felt every bit more like a spa. The stone walls were carved with beautiful botanical engravings, a queen sized bed shaped like a seashell sat in the corner, and a lily shaped record player played soothing music in the background. This house truly belonged to a queen. It was just right! Before Shino had a chance to hop into the comfy looking bed the front door opened, and a lovely deer walked in.

“Oh my, and who would you be?” asked the deer, surprised to see a new face. Shino explained her predicament and asked if the deer really does want to move to a faraway land, like the rumors say. The deer replied with a sassy “No doy” and eagerly took Shino back to the town plaza where the property was officially transferred over, and the deer was free to leave the island and set sail to new horizons.


The villagers all cheered and gathered to see Shino off as she set sail to her old island to pack up her belongings. It was a short-lived goodbye since they would soon meet again, this time as neighbors of Narania.

 

[Polymathema]

Is there a maximum word count? (I know this might be an unusual question but seeing as I do national novel writing month every year and have written 120k in a month before I figured I should ask jic. I would NOT be writing 120k but atm with my outline and what I currently have it's looking anywhere from 9-12k words for my story soooo just wanna know if I should be narrowing down my word count)

 

[Venn]

Is there a maximum word count? (I know this might be an unusual question but seeing as I do national novel writing month every year and have written 120k in a month before I figured I should ask jic. I would NOT be writing 120k but atm with my outline and what I currently have it's looking anywhere from 9-12k words for my story soooo just wanna know if I should be narrowing down my word count)

This was said:

There's no maximum, but keep in mind nominated stories will go to a public poll for users to read and vote on. If a story is incredibly long it might intimadate some.

 

[Nefarious]

Hi, so I have a very specific question about formatting and writing forms. Would I be allowed to write and tell my story through poetry, if I met all the points and the word count?

Hi, we won't be accepting stories in a poetry format for this event.

Is there a maximum word count? (I know this might be an unusual question but seeing as I do national novel writing month every year and have written 120k in a month before I figured I should ask jic. I would NOT be writing 120k but atm with my outline and what I currently have it's looking anywhere from 9-12k words for my story soooo just wanna know if I should be narrowing down my word count)

As Venn quoted, there is no maximum length, but we do ask to keep in mind that stories that make it to the polls will be read by other users. Some have the willingness to read longer stories while others do not, so I'd encourage you to try and shorten your story where you're able.

 

[tessa grace]

Hi, we won't be accepting stories in a poetry format for this event.

Oh nooo... I was already 500 words in.
Luckily I have a good gist of what I'm going to write and I can reformat it. Thanks for letting me know!