Hello, nagato922! Thanks!
~英雄の物語~
Stories That Surround Us, Part Four: Vanilla's Savior
"Ancient Protector"
~英雄の物語~
After the awkward hug was over, Sonic scooted away from Amy a little and cleared his throat nervously. Amy just sat there, also nervous and uncomfortable. It was sweet little Cream who took it upon herself to break the tense silence. She turned to Vanilla, who was sitting beside her. "Would you like to tell a story, mother?"
Vanilla smiled. She was just as sweet as he her daughter. "Alright," she agreed. Once everyone was quiet and paying attention, she began her tale.
Cream was six months old. Vanilla was out in her garden, working on her plants by watering them and picking some of the ripe fruits and vegetables. Once these tasks were done, she picked up her basket and headed back inside the house. She smiled when she saw her husband holding their small daughter. He was cooing at her, playing with her little hands, and just generally making the child smile no matter what he did. Vanilla smiled even more and set her basket down on the table. Mark smiled back at her. "Finished already?" he inquired.
"Yes," Vanilla responded with a small nod. Then she added, "I'm out of seeds now. I'll need to walk to the shop and get some more soon."
"Why not go now?" Mark asked her. "I can watch little Cream while you're gone."
"I'll be gone for a while," she reminded him gently. "The shop is in the next village over."
"I know," he responded simply. Then he smiled again. "We'll be fine here if you want to go."
"Alright," she murmured with yet another smile. "Thank you." They exchanged brief goodbyes, Vanilla gave their daughter a small hug, and then she left. She walked outside and began the long walk to the next village over. With her she carried a simple, empty brown woven basket to carry her purchases in. As she walked, Vanilla entered the small forest separating her village from the next. It didn't take long for her to notice some sort of large animal that, at first, simply watched her. After a few minutes, it returned to it's business, snuffling in the ground a bit as though searching for roots or bugs or something to eat. Smiling a bit but not paying it any real mind, Vanilla continued walking. After a while, however, the creature began following her. At first, Vanilla continued to pay it little mind. It wasn't terribly uncommon for animals to follow people from time to time in these woods, usually out of simple curiosity.
Then the creature ducked into the bushes and very clearly trying to hide itself from her senses. It seemed to be... hunting her. That was when she became concerned. Vanilla warily cast a glance to the left, where the creature was. It suddenly occurred to her just how sharp it's teeth were, how long it's claws were, how large it was as a whole. She clutched her basket's handle nervously with both hands. Taking a deep breath and releasing it slowly, she tried to release her anxiety. A crunch of a small stick succeeded in refreshing it, however, and she swallowed hard. There was another snap of a stick or something similar, and her heart jumped. She had only just decided to try to run to safety when the creature suddenly leapt from the bushes at her, ready to attack.
A barrier made of pure, white light shot up around her out of nowhere, encasing Vanilla in a warm, protective sphere. It was the only thing that saved her. She knew right away who had made it. The spirit of the pure female warrior who had been protecting Vanilla's family since long before said warrior's death. She was the one responsible, and Vanilla was so incredibly grateful. She always felt incredibly safe when this spirit was near her.
When the barrier faded, just minutes after the creature finally gave up and left, she ran home. She ran inside and hugged her husband and daughter, happy to be alive and feeling forever thankful for the woman who had saved her.
Amy was smiling widely as she turned her head to Analia. "That was you, wasn't it?" she asked.
Analia smiled softly. "Yes," she confirmed.
Vanilla also smiled at Analia. She spoke the words that she'd never had a chance to say to her savior before. "From the bottom of my heart," she murmured, "thank you."
Analia smiled wider. "You do not need to thank me."
As Sonic listened to them speak, his own smile grew. I love my family.
It was Silver who finally ended the moment. "I think that's enough sappiness for now," he joked, earning multiple small laughs. He looked around. "So who's next?"
~英雄の物語~
827 words this time. Kinda short, but whatever. Posted 1-27-16.