A Tale of
Red Shoes, True Love & War
Chapter One: The Earth Kingdom Forest
The hot Earth Kingdom sun shone brightly on Tsuchi's Earth Kingdom garb. He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. As he ventured through the forest, he saw many things.
A platypus- bear lay lazily by the river side. Tsuchi recalled that platypus- bears had a very violent nature when in the wild. He imagined that they could be domesticated but instead of testing his new theory, he decided to not take a chance. He crouched behind a bush and studied the marvelous hybrid.
Its two large front paws were padded with claws. They could most definitely slash a person in half with one strong and powerful swipe. The hybrid stood up slowly but with a purpose, of course. It sauntered over to the river and stared intently into the stream. Tsuchi couldn't help but marvel at the creature's chocolate colored fur. A dramatic V- shape stretched from shoulder to shoulder and the point dipped down to reach the center of the mammal's chest.
Tsuchi followed the platypus bear's line of sight and saw that she was waiting for the perfect time to smash her large padded paw into the river to snatch a Se Tu fish for lunch time.
Se Tu fish are common to the southern and western rivers of the Earth Kingdom. Their jade color and mysteriously human like eyes cause them to be a highly sought creature. Many Earth Kingdom royal families like to keep Se Tu fish either in a pond or in a large, fresh water tank in their estates as pets. Tsuchi recalled reading that the wealthy Earth Kingdom Se Tu family had gotten their surname because of the very first ancestor of their family. Kun Se Tu had made his money by fishing for Se Tu fish and selling them to restaurants, zoos, pet stores and anywhere else that simply wanted the fish. The family then changed their surname to Se Tu to honor the fish.
Tsuchi watched the hybrid as she clumsily slapped the water. "Was she hurt?" He thought to himself. Taking a closer look, he realized the creature's front legs and paws were lined with Boar- Q- Pine spikes. "Must have been a territory fight.."
Tsuchi was never one to ignore the pain of something else, whether it was that of a person or an animal. He didn't like to watch suffering. The platypus- bear would surely perish if it couldn't catch its food.
The traveler reached into his satchel and pulled out various fruits. He couldn't approach the hurt animal with nothing. He took out some apples, moon peaches, mangos and his last papaya. Looking down at his arm full of fruits, he realized he would be giving away his last papaya. It was for a good cause.
Tsuchi made himself known to the hybrid by stepping out of his bush uttering the tender words "Hey, sweetheart." The platypus bear's ears perked up and its eyes widened. Tsuchi progressed forward slowly. He gathered some leaves and quickly weaved them together to craft something that resembled a placemat. He laid the abundance of fruits on his forest- made placemat as a peace offering. The platypus bear stood there, unmoving, cautiously staring at Tsuchi. Because the hybrid was wounded and hurt, Tsuchi decided to let it adjust to his presence. He calmly backed away from the meal and removed his shoes that had no soles. A sigh of relief escaped his lips after he stuck his feet in the river. His feet were rough and beat up from the rocky terrain of the Earth Kingdom Mountains but he didn't very much mind. After all, the earth was his friend.
He stared down into the crystal water, seeing a plethora of fish. Koi fish swam quickly through the stream, almost as if they were racing each other. Blue jays sat up in a nearby tree singing their lovely song. Tsuchi found it very soothing. Without knowing it, he dozed off.
Two hours later.
He awoke to a crunching sound. Not wanting to scare the platypus- bear, he slowly peered over his shoulder. The hybrid was gnawing down on the fruit salad Tsuchi had made for it. He turned back around and focused his attention on the spiraling flowers that sat across from the river. Yellow petals danced as they soaked up the rays of the sun. Despite his little nap, Tsuchi found that the sun was still strong as it peered in through the canopy the forest trees provided. His village was still a day and a half of traveling away so he decided to make camp at the riverside.
After he had noticed that the platypus bear had fallen asleep, he rose from his spot on the river banks. He made his way over to the hybrid, not even bothering to put on his shoes, and stroked its soft fur. The scent of water emanated from its coat. Gently, Tsuchi scratched the fluffy animal behind the ear. He had read that there is a ganglion of nerves behind platypus- bear's ears and that a good rub in that spot could tame even the most wild of them. The creature rolled onto its side and sighed with content.
For the rest of the day and into the evening, Tsuchi sat with the grand mammal. "She isn't so bad. She's actually quite peaceful." The young man lifted up the front paw of the hybrid and started gently picking out the spikes, one by one. He saw the platypus- bear's eyes open slightly, only to eventually droop down once again. She was tired. He moved onto the next paw. Reaching into his trusty satchel, Tsuchi pulled out a brush and began to glide it down the fur of his new friend. Another sigh escaped the giant bill of the creature. Tsuchi slept by the platypus- bear all through the night.
He woke to find himself laying on his back on the ground and the platypus- bear gone. "Oh well," he thought. "I'm just happy she's feeling better." Tsuchi reached into his bag and pulled out a book. He figured he could start walking again once he finished a chapter. Not much to his surprise, Tsuchi found himself completely enveloped in the story of Chin the Conqueror and Avatar Kyoshi. He simply could not put the book aside after only one measly chapter. That would be absurd. The youth sat under the tree for the rest of the morning, reading on and on about the stories of previous Avatars. History was quite fascinating to Tsuchi. He especially enjoyed the story of Avatar Kuruk and his fiancé, Ummi. They really and truly loved each other. He wondered what it would feel like to have your true love, forever and ever. Tsuchi could only hope the Spirits would grant him with such a wish.
A rumble in his stomach snapped him out of his daydream. Looking around in the trees, Tsuchi noticed he had already eaten pretty much all the fruit that they had to offer. With a moan, Tsuchi grabbed his satchel and slung it over his shoulder. He stood up and put his shoes back on. From behind him, he heard a friendly roar. A gentle smile tugged at his lips as he realized what, or who, was behind him. He turned to see the platypus- bear standing tall and proud with a Se Tu fish in one paw and a bunch of fruits in the other. "This is going to be the start of a most wonderful friendship," Tsuchi grinned.
A/N:
How'd ya like it? Only the first chapter, but surely there is more literary goodness to come!
*Just a quick note: Kun Se Tu has no relation to my OC, Kun, in "The Earth Kingdom's Avatar." I just really love the name.*
Shoot me a review! They will be much appreciated!
Rock on little turtle- crabs! \m/