A/N: Now that the story has resumed in Greener Hills on the Other Side, it's time to pick this side back up too!

However, reviving the bedtime story will come next chapter. You'll see what happens in this one…

ooo

Auntie woke up on a carpet of grass with trees rustling above. From what she could tell, she was in a dense rainforest. It teemed with life, but there was another, stranger presence…

She rose halfway and looked around. Nothing out of the ordinary so far, except that weird feeling.

Then, a pink sphere of light twinkled to life in front of her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, surprised. The girl got to her feet and approached it with curiosity. Is it a spirit of some sort?

"Who are you?" the light asked back. It sounded just as surprised.

"I'm Auntie," she answered with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"…Likewise." It circled around her. Perhaps it's examining me? Auntie wondered.

The glowing orb stopped. "Hmm… you have much Chaos Potential," she—the sphere's voice was definitely female—observed. "It shines brightly, but it doesn't blaze like others. No… yours seems softer. Like starlight."

"Why thank you," Auntie replied sweetly. "Yours is the same way, or as much as it can be. Everyone's Potential is different, right?"

"Indeed," the glow said, bobbing up and down as if she were nodding. "Perhaps…"

ooo

Chapter 8

The Chaotic Plea

ooo

The girl's curiosity was piqued, and something seemed familiar about her. But she decided to wait patiently for the spirit(?) to finish speaking.

"I have a good friend," the light said, "who has great Potential as well. But they also possess a great anger, so terrible that it could destroy the whole world!"

Suddenly it dawned on Auntie who this person might be, and everything slotted into place.

"I must stop them before that happens," the orb concluded. "And to do this, I will need your help."

"What do you need me to do?" Auntie asked immediately.

The light seemed almost startled but still grateful. "Thank you very much," she said solemnly.

"You're very welcome." The girl smiled but soon gained a serious air. "I love the world, and all the people in it. And I'll always do my best to save it!"

Then, just to be sure: "What is your name?"

"My name is…" the spirit started, but hesitated.

"It's okay," Auntie reassured her. "I know what it's like to work in secret." She winked. "I won't tell any other soul your name."

The girl reached out and extended her pinky finger.

"…What?" The light was obviously puzzled.

"It's a gesture of promise," Auntie said. "If the two people involved lock pinky fingers, then people say that the promise is sealed and that trouble will come to the person who breaks that promise. But," she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, "I guess you don't have fingers, so you can't—"

Suddenly she felt a ghostly finger wrap around her own and started a bit.

"Then the promise is sealed," the spirit said, possibly with a note of relief. "Thank you."

"It isn't a problem," she replied, smiling. She still couldn't see anything besides the light, but she knew that would change in time.

They unlocked pinkies. "Well then… my name is Tikal."

Just as she'd suspected. "That's a nice name. I look forward to getting to know you, Tikal!" Auntie said enthusiastically. "Now… what can I do to help?"

ooo

Later, Auntie woke up again under a palm tree. She stirred, rubbed her eyes, then saw Oldie and Mammy peering at her.

"Hello there," the girl greeted as she sat up.

"Hello Auntie," the two Chao said in unison.

"You were sleeping for a long time!" Mammy exclaimed. "It's almost sunset!"

"Is it!?" Auntie looked up to see a sky that was still blue but beginning to change.

"Yes," Oldie confirmed. He looked at her with scrutiny. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm fine," the girl reassured them. "I just…" she looked out over the ocean, "had a long dream, I think."

"Hmm." Oldie pondered.

"Well, if you're alright, then would you like to pick the bedtime story back up?" Mammy asked. "You haven't told stories in a while. Everyone really wants to know what happens next in Chaos Chao and Good Wishes!"

Auntie chuckled. "I guess I'll get back on track, then. Could you tell the others that storytime will begin in a few minutes?"

"Of course I will, after you asked so nicely." Mammy smiled and went to call everyone into a circle.

Oldie, however, stayed put.

"You've been elsewhere a lot lately," he said.

Auntie opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off. "I don't just mean out of the Garden. Nowadays it seems like your head is always in the clouds, or maybe somewhere even farther away."

She was a little surprised, even though she shouldn't have been. Oldie was the first friend she'd ever made in this place, and he was also the one who knew her the best. It stood to reason that he would figure out something was up.

"Alright, you got me," she said with a chuckle. "There are some people who need help with something really important, so I'm trying to help them as much as I can."

Oldie looked at her with worry and curiosity. He tried to speak, but Auntie shushed him.

"My turn." She winked. "I'll tell you about it later. Right now…" a look to her side showed the other Chao gathering, "it's time for another story."

The girl pet Oldie's head a little, garnering a happy expression and a heart-shaped emotion ball in response. When she started moving towards the others, however, she looked back and saw her friend's fingerless hand extended towards her. After a bit, she realized—

"Oh!" Auntie wrapped her pinky around his hand.

"Pinky promise," she said.

"Pinky promise," he said back.