*Thank you for your replies. It seems that a lot of people enjoy my sense of humor
*Don't forget to write back if the story gets a little confusing. Enjoy!
~Country Girls~
Neo Domino Botanical Gardens was the only place where she actually felt safe. The city exterior was always loud and crowded with countless people and shadowing buildings, nothing but multiple colors of gray, black, blue, and whatever was lucky enough to be shown through the buildings. The gardens were different. There was no hard concrete or oversized metal towers to block out the sun. The ground was soft grass and stepping stones, and the only thing that shadows her from the sun was the natural trees that soak in the rays as she lay underneath the leaves, listening to the lullabies the leaves whispered to her as she slept on her side on the blanket of grass and the sturdy trunk. The flowers filled her noses with gentle scents and aromas, better than any cloudy perfume or odd-scented candle that she has ever heard of. To an all-natural woman like Akiza Izinski, this was her safe haven. This was what it felt like to be alive.
"AAH! MY FOOT!"
Akiza opened her eyes. Well, there goes my nap. She blinked dryly.
As Akiza sat up from her green bed, she blinked back the sleep from her eyes as 2 figures stood at the bottom of the hill she was on. Well, they were more like fighting than standing. She stands to her full height, brushing fresh leaves out of her long bright red hair and dusting off her usual outfit. As she looks down the hill, Akiza realizes that one of the girls has fallen into a rabbit hole surrounded by grass and small stones. She tries fruitlessly to yank her foot out, but the rocks are making that task rather hard.
She was a mousy young teen with long bluish-black hair, and round swirly glasses that completely covered her eyes. She cries complaints as the second female kneeled and was pulling her ankle roughly, trying to free her amusing friend. She was a beautiful older teen with long blond hair and light skin. Both girls were wearing warm shirts and jeans, but the mousy girl was also wearing a yellow vest. Akiza giggled to herself as her closest friends struggle with a simple rabbit hole.
"You know I can hear you, Akiza!" The blonde barked furiously. "Can you spare us any more humiliation and help your friends?" As Akiza rolls her eyes and starts down the hill, the blonde continues to twist the other's ankle.
"Oww! Sherry," The trapped girl complains, "can you please be a little more gentle? If you twist too hard, I might hurt something!"
"I'm gonna hurt something if I find whatever dug this hole, Carly!" Sherry claws at the hole with one hand as Akiza calmly walks to her troubled friends. Akiza giggles some more as she kneel at the hole. "Oh, Sherry." She begins happily. "You can't blame an innocent rabbit for trying to make itself a home. Besides, it was an accident. Right, Carly?" Akiza moves a stone behind Carly's ankle, and her foot pops right out. Blinking back amazed, Carly straightens herself and laughs nervously. "Ha-ha! Right, Akiza!"
Sherry and Akiza inspect Carly's leg and, seeing as she's alright, start down the hill. "You know Akiza," Sherry says, "if you just stay in this giant park all day, you might miss out on something really big!" Akiza looks at her sly friend questionably as she continues. "I mean, life's too short to live, and there's plenty of time to sleep under a tree when you're old. Carly and me were coming here to see if you want to go to the mall with us. There's this brand new one over in the middle of Neo Domino, not too far from here. What do you say?"
Carly jumps in excitedly. "Yeah, c'mon Akiza. They have all of these stores and new places to shop and everything! We need new outfits for the Moonflower Ball coming in two weeks, and I was hoping one of you could help me pay for a fancy new dress."
Akiza smiles and wraps her arms around Carly and Sherry. "Sure! I love to come! I'm always happy to help you shop 'til you drop, but can I show you both something first?"
Before either one could reply, Akiza nudged her two reluctant friends to a flowery meadow near the front entrance. The three stop at a small tree sprout, barely leafing and only 3 feet tall. Akiza moves from the girls and sits down in front of the tree, apparently staring at something. "Come look! It's still here!" she states. Carly blinks at the tree as Sherry moves next to Akiza, curious to see what she's looking at.
"Uh, Akiza?" Sherry states. "What are we suppose to be looking at?" By now, Carly is in a sitting position next to Akiza, inspecting every leaf on the small tree for anything unusual.
"Don't you two see it?" Akiza asks.
They respond together. "Where?"
"There!"
"Where?"
"There! There! Over there!" Akiza points to a small, clear bulb dangling from a leaf. It appears to be twitching slightly, and something black and orange was inside. Akiza smiles. "Isn't it a miracle!"
Sherry blinks at Akiza, then at the small object. "Soo, we're suppose to see a big...bulgy...leaf!? Not exactly a miracle worker, but whatever makes you happy, nature girl."
Akiza snaps back. "It's not a leaf, Sherry! It's a chrysalis!"
Carly blinks again. "A crissy-what?"
"Here we go..." Sherry sighs
"A chrysalis! A butterfly cocoon! I was waiting all month for this little beauty to hatch. I came earlier, but the butterfly wasn't ready yet, so I decided to take a rest underneath my favorite tree. I must've fallen asleep again."
"Oh." Carly says as the transparent bulb shakes violently. The 3 friends watch as the cocoon shakes even more, the butterfly struggling with its own protective covering. Akiza grins with excitement while Carly looks on, but Sherry seems so bored, she's drifting to sleep. Carly starts again. "Akiza?"
"Yes?"
"Why do you always fall asleep underneath the same tree?"
Akiza looks at Carly odd. "What? What do you mean?"
Carly shifts back defensively. "I'm just saying! I've noticed that you don't sleep anywhere else in this whole park except, well, under that exact same tree! I was just curious, that's all."
Akiza digests the question for a while, and then it hits her. "Oh, that's right! I remember that my mother would sometimes take me to that exact tree when I was a baby. When I got to fussy, she would sing me a lullaby underneath that tree until I fell asleep. I guess it did something to me overtime."
Carly stood up. "Oh! That's cute! So because you feel safe under that tree as a kid, you still feel safe under that tree as an adult! That's so cool!"
Sherry is trying really hard not to fall asleep. "'YAWN!' Fascinating..." She checks her watch. "Is this thing going to hatch soon? We're burning daylight!"
Akiza steps up. "Shh! Shh! It's hatching!"
The paper-thin cocoon splits open from the bottom, revealing two pairs of crumbly wings that spread open. The small body of the black butterfly crawled to the top of the leaf, flapping her wings as it inched to the top of the sapling. As the girls stand, the butterfly flaps its wings quicker and quicker. Then, finally the butterfly hopped to the air, fluttering happily around the girls. It flew high up over the sapling, over the trees, seemingly over the park. Akiza and her friends watch it until it was out of sight.
Sherry blinks again, and checks her watch. "Wow, so beautiful. Alright, come on!" She grabs Akiza's arm and drags her to the exit. Carly rushes up to Sherry. "It's time for you to try on clothes and smell some fresh mall food!"
"Oh, alright!" Akiza sighs as she picks up the pace. "By the way, how are my parents? Did they say anything to you to tell me?"
"Yes, actually!" Carly states. "A message: Be home by 10 o'clock!"
"Yeah, and it's already 3:37, and a half!" Sherry complains. "Hurry up, you two! We only got less than 7 hours of fun!"
Akiza giggles. "I get it, Sherry! No more stalling! So, what do we need from the mall, again."
Carly and Sherry turn back to their gentle friend and shout "DRESSES, AKIZA! DRESSES!"
Akiza rolls her eyes again. "I'm sorry I asked!"
*That's all for the leading man and leading lady.
*Now you pretty much know how these two tick. Write me back!