Life had never been the same since I came back from the forest. Despite being in constant peril whilst I was there, I wanted more than anything to go back there now. I couldn't stop thinking about their world. I'm Mary-Katherine, but everyone calls me MK. I had been transformed by Queen Tara to save the Forest, but once my mission was complete I had to go back to being a stomper- much to my dismay. I fell in love with the beauty of the forest, the magic of the forest and the life within the forest. Particularly one life, a leafman called Nod. Though I wouldn't admit it, I was falling more and more in love with him each time I saw him. Everything about him was enticing; even his glossy, brown eyes invited me in. But it couldn't work, and the worst thing was I knew that from the moment I returned to my stomper form. Any conversation we had was through a device my dad had created, which didn't exactly complement my appearance, honestly I felt so embarrassed using it but I had no alternative. I would have given anything to go back to the forest and spend just a day with Nod.

I had spent the day with my dad, he was a professor who had studied the leafmen for years. Recently, he had been trying to create a more efficient type of armour for the leafmen, which meant I had to spend my days collecting materials from the forest to make into tiny suits of armour. But today we had finished the all the suits and decided to test them all. My dad had a cornucopia of weapons from dead boggans piled on the table. I used a magnifying glass to pick out the swords, one for each suit, and placed them in a separate pile. I would be lying if I said it wasn't fun stabbing miniature suits of armour with a blade the size of a toothpick. After we evaluated the suits, one seemed to have considerably less damage than the others, it was made of leaves from a waterlily. The suit was perfect; light enough for the leafmen's agility and speed, and strong enough to reduce the damage inflicted by a weapon. My dad then went on to sketch the 'perfect' armour while I trudged up to my bedroom. I hadn't realized how tired I was until I was lying in my small bed, I found it hard to keep my eyes open against the intense drowsiness I felt. With one last glance at the fairies dancing on the pink wallpaper of my room I let sleep engulf me and I descended into darkness.

I expected a random meaningless dream like I usually had every other night. But instead my head whirled with what looked like gold glitter, eventually the glitter began to form the familiar face of Queen Tara. Her shimmering form was stunning, she looked like she was made out of pure magic, I felt like the blackness of my mind wasn't worthy to hold such an image. Then she began to speak with a somber expression.
"MK I'm sorry about invading your dream, but it's the only way I could tell you this message." Her voice had lost it's usual playfulness and was now only filled with sadness.
"I was told a prophecy about you MK and I'm afraid I must ask for your help in saving the forest again. The prophecy I heard said:
'A woman not of leafman blood,
Will be asked to help a world within the wood.
The only one who can save them all,
Will transform herself from tall to small.
She will return to the forest once again,
To protect the queen and leafmen.
She will fight among many in the final stand,
But fall by the blade evil carries at hand.
Her decision will protect the man she loves true,
And magic will return to the form it once knew.'
I can't expect you to offer your life for a world that isn't yours and it's completely your own decision. But if you choose to go, stand at the edge of the forest at dawn and my magic will transform you. Goodbye MK, I will watch over you." As she said those final words her image faded before returning into the golden glitter.

Suddenly, I woke up. Perplexed at what had just happened, I threw off the bed sheets and ran into the bathroom, I stared into the mirror convincing myself it was just a dream. I had been fixated on Nod's world so it seemed logical that my mind would come up with a fantasy for me to return there. As quickly as the thoughts had crossed my mind, my reflection in the mirror glittered with gold. I knew then it had been real. I ran downstairs as quick as I could and looked at the ageing grandfather clock. It was 4:12am, dawn was soon and I had a grave decision to make before it arrived. Then I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and my father appeared in the doorway looking confused and curious.
"MK what on earth are you doing up at this time?" He said wearily.
We sat down and I told him everything that had happened in my dream, he looked extremely concerned when I repeated the prophecy and didn't say a word the whole way through my story. I knew he would believe me, but I also knew a part of him wouldn't want to.
"You have to do this don't you?" He asked, but he already knew the answer.
"I can't let the forest die. Or Nod. I can't let them down if I am the only one who can save them. I'm sorry dad I really am but one life compared to hundreds seems pretty insignificant."
"I will really miss you MK, but I understand, I'm proud of you for doing this." At this he went over to his work bench, picked up something in his hand and brought it to me. After he set it on the table I gazed in awe. It was the waterlily leaf armour, but a new model for a leafwoman. It had been silver plated and had been engraved with intricate flowers, but the most striking feature was the stone at the centre of the chest, a large diamond.
"I made it after you went to bed for the Queen, but I want you to have it to help protect you, it's the least I can do. It's almost dawn you had better go. I love you MK, try to come home alive." I swear I saw his eyes brimming with tears.
I raced into my room and abducted a doll from the play house that resided in the corner, I pulled her white dress off and rushed back downstairs to the door. I ran outside to see the dark of the night battling with the blazing light of the sun. I got to the edge of the forest just in time for dawn. I had only been stationary for a couple of seconds, when gold glitter started attaching itself to my skin. After a few seconds of being a human star the glitter dispersed and I was left no bigger than the doll I had been holding minutes ago, and I looked upon the forest looming above me, dress in one arm armour in the other.

Please review and tell me what you think. This was my first ever story and chapter so any positive comments will be extremely appreciated, thank you for reading!