Sunlight streamed through the window, gilded over the floor, gleamed blue on the sprawled figure half in and half curled around a sleeping bag, trailed along a fluffy green comforter to shine a yellow bar of light across two young women's faces and the pillow they shared. Evie's eyelids twitched, lashes fluttering and lips turning down, as the early morning sun glowed red right through her eyelids. Candace let out a soft sound and rolled over, blue hair falling over her face to hide from the unwelcome intrusion of sunlight. At the abrupt movement, the pillow shifted enough that the tiny curled-up body that had lain between them rolled all the way off to thump onto the mattress. Finn let out a surprised 'oof', tiny bell-like sound chiming as his wings shook sleepily. Evie blinked sluggishly down at him, then smiled. She lifted a hand and patted his tiny head.
"It's nice to see you back home," she whispered hoarsely. Finn blearily returned the smile.
With a loud, jaw-cracking yawn, Evie sat up, arms stretching high over her head. The blanket slid off her lap to pool around her hips before she swung her legs over to get to her feet.
"Arrgghhh! Whyyy. My faaaace," whined Luke's rough morning voice.
Evie gasped, pulling up her legs- the broken one awkwardly splayed over the edge of the bed- and stared down at him. He squinted up at her, one hand over the side of his face, the other scratching at his belly where his t-shirt had ridden up. Evie snorted, pressed her hand to mouth until she couldn't hold it in, and laughter bubbled out past her fingers.
"What are you doing right there? Are you stupid?" Evie chuckled shamelessly.
"Rude. You step on my face on call me stupid? Is this victim-blaming, Evie?" Luke grumbled as he lifted himself onto his elbows.
"Yeah, sure, that's what it is. Not pointing out that sleeping right next to the bed is a bad idea if you don't want to be stepped on. C'mon, move, Dumbo. I gotta use the bathroom." Evie nudged at his ribs with her toes, enough to have him rolling away onto his stomach and groaning dramatically.
"Whassat?" Candace gasped, jerking up in surprise. She was blinking rapidly, her hair a tousled wild mess around her sleep-flushed face.
"Really? That woke you? Not his yeti growling earlier?" Evie teased. She reached out and mussed up Candace's hair some more. "It's just Luke being a drama queen. Rest a bit longer."
"No, no, I'm up. I can make b-brea-breakf-fast," Candace protested around a wide yawn that finally won.
"Sounds good, if you're sure. I'll be done in the bathroom in a minute."
Candace nodded sleepily. Just as Evie slipped into the bathroom, Candace caught sight of Luke on the floor and squeaked in surprise. There was a flurry of blankets as Candace dived back under. Finn's loud cries of dismay were muffled from where she'd accidentally buried him.
"Candy, didn't you know I was gonna crash here tonight?" Luke asked in confusion, perching his chin on the edge of the mattress.
"Y-yes! I j-just… didn't realize y-you s-sleep right there."
Evie giggled on the other side of the door.
An hour or so later, Hera and Clotho the lamb were wandering the lawn and Aphrodite and Eris the chickens were peeping excitedly among the crops. Candace was walking towards Harmonica, stopping to glance back and wave every few feet, Luke was trotting towards Garmon with plans to meet her later at Horn Ranch, and Evie was heading towards Flute Fields with seeds to buy and a visit to Renee ahead of her. Her leg was doing so much better that she barely put weight on the crutch, just limped quickly and easily over the dusty road. Finn fluttered around Evie's shoulders, intermittently humming and chattering. It was like the beginning all over again. Comfortable but alone with just Finn for company. She loved her friends, but the combination of guilt and irritation, and more guilt about the irritation, was wearing thin.
She really had missed Finn, too. She giggled as the fairy tucked himself under her chin, nuzzling close and tickling her skin.
"When is your leg all better? We have to start looking for the next Bell! We have to find Ben and Daria," Finn reminded her, fluttering around her shoulders, down and around her casted leg, and then back up to perch atop her head. Evie felt her eyes cross when she tried to look up, lips stretching into a grin.
"It should be all better really soon. The Spring is really helping me. It should be taking at least another two weeks," Evie assured him.
"Another two weeks? When humans get broke, you get broke really bad, doncha?" Finn mused rhetorically, incredulously.
"It depends on how we 'get broke', but broken bones? Definitely take a while. The older you are, the worse it is, too," Evie explained.
"Why?" Finn queried as he gripped her hair and leaned over her forehead to meet her eyes.
"The older you are, the more brittle your bones get. Think of it like… trees? The younger branches, they're green on the inside and they're really hard to break, they usually bend, you know? But if the tree is really old, the twigs snap with just a little pressure."
"Oh, okay. I get it. I guess," Finn hummed.
"Miss Evelyn!" called out a voice as they neared Marimba farm. She jerked her gaze away from Finn and searched it out. Anissa was walking down the road to meet her, long beautiful hair a silky curtain around her sweetly smiling face.
"H-Hi, Miss Anissa," Evie returned with a weak little wave. Effortlessly beautiful people always made her tongue get all tied up in knots.
"It's good to see you so soon. Do you need any help?" she asked kindly with a gesture towards the crutch.
"Oh no, I'm good. I'm pretty sure I'm just a day or two from getting the dukin' thing off," Evie replied with a rough sigh.
"Duking," Anissa murmured, fingertips pressed against her curving lips. "Are you coming to Marimba?"
"Yeah, seeds to buy. I'm trying to get some more crops growing, sell some more, before spring ends. I have my first crop of strawberries, though. They're all pretty tasty lookin'," Evie couldn't help but preen.
"That's fantastic. I'll help you out in the shop. Mother is taking a break this morning since I've come back to help again. Actually, I was wondering if you'll be at the Animal Festival this Saturday," Anissa asked, easily falling into step next to Evie.
"Oh, another festival? For such a little town, you guys are full of 'em," Evie laughed.
"I think it's because we're such a small town. We like to get together and break up the monotony a bit, have a party and contests and reasons to gossip," Anissa joked.
"I don't think the ladies in Harmonica need much reason to gossip. Though, to be fair, I think some of those grizzly old men gossip just as much," Evie pointed out with a grin.
"The worst kept secret is just how much they love it. Mr. Cain is the worst of them all and he tries to blame it on Mrs. Hanna," Anissa mock-whispered. Evie threw her head back to laugh.
"Don't I know it." She slowly calmed herself down. "But, yeah, I'll probably be there. I don't see why I wouldn't. I like to be in the thick of things."
"I'm glad to hear it! I'd be so disappointed if you kept to yourself. I've heard from Mother that you've made friends with just about everyone."
"Well, I'm friendly with everyone, but there are a few I'm actually kinda close with. I didn't think I could make such good friends so quickly. I don't how I could've survived on this broken leg on my own. Especially those first few days when it still hurt really bad," Evie admitted with a softly amazed look on her face.
"There are a lot of good people here. We're like family," Anissa agreed. She lay her hand on Evie's arm and met her gaze squarely. "I also hope this means you'll be a part of our family for years to come."
Evie's mouth opened and closed soundlessly before she gradually managed to return a smile. The rest of her time in Marimba went by without too much heart-to-heart. Just talking about her success with certain crops, how the Circus had gone, and her plans for upcoming renovations. After yet another offer to walk with her to Horn Ranch, and another polite refusal, Evie waved her farewell and made her way towards Renee's home. As she passed, Chase was standing outside on his lawn, sipping from a large mug and still looking sleepy. She was surprised when he lazily lifted a hand before turning to peer down at his little herb garden.
"Guess he's nicer when he's sleepy," Evie muttered to Finn, whom giggled behinds his hands.
The trip up the hill was ponderously slow, but crest it she did, and Horn Ranch was suddenly laid out in front of them. Kathy was standing in front of the barn, brushing down a large brown horse, but Renee was nowhere in sight. The blonde woman waved when she caught sight of Evie cautiously making her way down the slope. Kathy lifted a hand to shade her eyes, grinning crookedly with one hand cocked up on her hip.
"Hey there. Look't you gettin' 'round so fast. You might be able t'beat my Gran'pappy in a race," Kathy taunted jovially as Evie made it to her.
"Ha ha, so funny, Blondie."
"Nah, the funny part is my Gran'pappy's been dead since I was knee-high to a grasshopper," Kathy bantered with guffaw. Evie rolled her eyes, grinning despite herself. "If'n you're lookin' for Rey, she's in the Windmill. She's roundin' up the chickens now the coops all fixed up. I'm 'bout to go for a ride, though. If I'm gone afore y'all are finished, tell her t'catch up with me. I'll be at the race track after a warm up," Kathy told Evie with a small salute.
"Yeah, I can do that- Wait, race track?" Evie repeated incredulously.
Kathy laughed easily. "Yup. Up past that gate. You'll see us all racin' this Saturday at the Festival. Ask Cain and he'll probably teach you a trick or two." Kathy winked slyly, "But no way couldja beat me."
"I believe it. I don't even know how to get on a horse, let alone ride it," Evie replied dryly. She nodded a bit before tottering her way towards the Windmill.
"Horses are big. And scary," Finn whispered tremulously.
"I'm not inclined to disagree," Evie muttered back. She shoved the Windmill door open with her shoulder and peered inside. The squawking of about a dozen chickens and ducks greeted her in a wall of sound. She coughed through the feather dander. "R-Renee?"
"Oh, Evie! I didn't realize you were coming all this way today!" Renee exclaimed from somewhere out of sight on the other side of the door. "Go ahead and throw open the door. They'll all make their way out when they feel the fresh air on their feathers."
"Are you s-sure?" Evie stuttered around another cough.
"Yes, very. This place needs to be cleaned out, pronto. It's been much too small a space to coop them up in." Renee giggled. "Coop them up."
"Nice pun," Evie agreed, with a short, raspy chuckle as she pushed the door all the way open. She finally caught sight of Renee with a broom in one hand and a duckling cradled to her chest in the other. "Is it oka- whoa, jinkies on toast, don't all of you run out at once," Evie exclaimed as the horde of white-feathered poultry swarmed out the door. She stood perfectly still, clutching onto the doorknob and her crutch to stay upright. Renee merely giggled at her expense. "Is the little guy all right?" Evie finally got to finish asking as the last of the chicks peeped their way past her.
"Oh, yes! I was just giving her a bit of extra love. She's our first new duckling in weeks! Mama and Papa were scared our ducks wouldn't ever lay again. I was just so excited seeing she'd hatched at last, I might've gotten carried away," Renee confessed with a blush.
"I still get all dewy-eyed over Clotho. Baby animals are the cutest, no judgement over here," Evie assured her. She glanced around the room, seeing feathers and bits of leftover feed and none-too-little bird droppings everywhere. "This place is a mess."
"Yes," Renee agreed with a sad, wistful sigh. She set the duckling down to let her race out the door after its kin. "It'll take all morning to clean and I'd hoped to ride with Kathy before she left for Harmonica."
"How 'bout I help you out? I think Kathy would be disappointed if you couldn't join up with her eventually. She wanted me to tell you catch up with her when you could," Evie offered, reaching for another straw-bristled broom.
Renee protested, "I couldn't ask you to do that!"
"You're not asking, I am. C'mon, the faster we get started, the faster we get done. I gotta wait a bit for Luke to show up anyway."
"If you're sure…"
"I'mma sweep this chicken poop right onto your boots if you keep dilly-dallyin'," Evie warned with a threatening flick of her broom. Renee snorted and danced away.
Evie kept to the front, sweeping up the best she could with a crutch beneath one arm, while Renee went behind the huge grinder bowl and cleaned up there. Burlap sacks were taken outside to be beaten and scrubbed, and the huge grinder bowl was scrubbed by hand with hot water and lye- mostly all done by the quick moving and efficient Renee. Finn, though, was acting very strangely. He whizzed around the room, dipping into every corner and diving through empty sacks and crates. Just as suddenly, he stopped and hovered in mid-air, staring up the stairs, just to dart off again, always coming back to stare eerily upwards. It didn't help that Evie's skin felt… weird. As if it weren't quite fitting right, too small or her insides too big, and her limbs slowly getting more and more jittery. Evie frowned thoughtfully up at Finn as she swept the last of the dust and mess into a pan. By then, the smell of the lye was strong enough to make both the girls dizzy, and Renee was taking the broom away.
"I'm gonna get those sacks to Mama. Why don't you check upstairs and open all the window-shutters you see? We're done in here for the day."
"Are you sure? I didn't do such a great job with the sweeping…" Evie trailed off doubtfully.
Renee smiled cheerfully. "We got more done than if I'd been alone. I promise. We can't really stay in here when it smells so strongly, anyway. If you'd like, you can go and I'll come back for the windows."
"No, no, I got it," Evie reassured her quickly, eyes darting to where Finn was still gazing upwards. The odd vibrating travelled down to her very fingertips and she shoved her hands into her pockets out of sight.
"Okay, be careful. I'll be back soon to make sure you didn't fall again," Renee told her teasingly. Evie stuck out her tongue, and, when Renee's back disappeared out the door, immediately hurried over to Finn.
"Hey, Finn, what's wrong?"
"I… I think I feel something. It's weak… but… it feels like a Bell? Or Maybe the Bell's been here," Finn told her hesitantly. He turned on her, impatience suddenly upon him as his wings buzzed. "I've been waiting forever."
"Renee said the birds stayed on the first floor. She didn't even think about it until I asked if we needed to go up earlier. So maybe… there is a Bell up there," Evie pointed out as she began to climb.
"Nooo, I don't think so," Finn demurred.
They reached the top and rounded the slight corner and stopped dead.
"Well, looks like you're right, little bro," Evie said with a sardonically amused smirk.
In front of them stood the empty green Frame of a missing Green Bell.
"Not again!" Finn wailed as he flopped down on her hair.
"At least we found an arch. We'll ask the Horns if they've seen the Bell."
"It's not fair," Finn bemoaned querulously.
Hanna and Cain were both inside the shop when Evie walked in, dusty and smelling strongly of lye. Hanna clucked disapprovingly as Cain laughed out loud, shoulders shaking. She let herself be forced into a chair and forced a large glass of water down her gullet to appease Hanna. Between gulps, she brought up the Bell and tried to innocuously ask about its disappearance. She hurried to gulp down some more as the two fell into pensive silence.
"The Bell? Was it green?" Cain asked curiously.
"Yes, dear, that's what the girl said," Hanna sighed before bustling away. Cain grinned over at his wife and shook his head. She came back with a small straw hand-brush and began to sweep off Evie's clothes.
"Oh, you don't have to- uh, thanks," Evie stammered as Hanna tutted and batted her hands away.
"You spent all morning helping our girl on a broken leg. It's the least I can do."
"It's not so broken…" Evie mumbled with a pout.
"The Bell, Evie! Cain saw it! It was green! Ask him again!" Finn shrilled.
"Ah, right, uh, Mr. Cain? You were saying…?"
"Yes, I think I saw it a few weeks past. Before you even got here. It was early, and no one's seen her in a while, so I thought my eyes were playin' tricks on me," Cain rambled, one hand cupping his chin.
"Who who!" Finn cried, patting Evie's head hard enough to make her yelp- which she quickly covered with a cough.
"Who are you talking about?" Evie asked, bemused.
"He likes to beat about the bush, my husband. He saw the Witch Princess," Hanna replied briskly.
"The whatty who now?" Evie blurted utterly baffled.
"The Witch Princess, dear. I suppose no one's told you about her?" Hanna repeated kindly, but amused. Evie shook her head. Cain spoke up again.
"She's been around longer than anyone can remember, but she's got the face of young woman, barely older than you or Renee. Her hair is silver, though, and eyes like a cat's. She used to do magic, great magic, but now her spells always go wrong, so she never leaves her swamp anymore," he narrated dramatically. "No one can remember her true name, or even why she's called the Witch Princess, but that's what we call her. If you walk straight through the Fugue Forest, all the way to the very middle of its maze, you'll find the swamp and the Witch Princess's house."
"Ohhh, that's scary, Evie. Do we have to? Are we sure she has the Bell?" Finn whined timidly.
"Why… why would she have the Bell?" Evie asked haltingly, now frowning in confusion.
"Well, that's simple. It's magic, dear. And magic is drawn to magic. Does she need any other reason?" Hanna said as she got back to her feet. "Maybe she wants to make a spell to get them to Ring again. Maybe she's the reason the other Bells have Rung already?" Hanna suggested with a shrug.
"Not that one, oh no. If she managed to get a real spell to work, she'd be in town preening for attention. I remember her when I was a boy, always flitting about, looking prettier'n a picture and demanding her due whenever she came out of the Forest. No, whoever's got those Bells Ringing again, it ain't her," Cain disagreed firmly.
"Prettier'n a picture, was she?" Hanna teased. Cain leaned over to kiss her cheek soundly, making her giggle like a girl.
"Ain't no one prettier'n you, sweetheart."
"Get on wit'chu," she exclaimed, swiping the brush in his direction. Evie hid a grin behind her fist, but a few snickers escaped. Hanna glanced down at Evie and winked. "You're as clean as I'm gonna getcha. You wanna buy a bit of something from the shop afore you go, or are you topped up on your supplies?"
"Actually, uh, yeah, uh…" Evie shook off her absent-mindedness. "I thought I might buy a duckling, if Renee won't hate me for taking her. And some feed and fodder, too."
"I'll get the wagon out," Cain offered. He mussed Evie's hair as he passed. "Don't let that Witch Princess worry you none. She's a good sort under all the prickles. Whatever she wants with that Bell, I'm sure it's only for the good."
"We need it more, though!" Finn grumbled. Evie bit her lip in thought as she followed Hanna to the register.
…
Luke stopped his whistles and turned to stare at her, eyes wide. "You wanna go where? I thought you just wanted to forage some while I chop trees down?"
"Well, that was the plan, but Cain and Hanna told me about the Witch Princess and I just… I'm curious," Evie wheedled with big, puppy dog eyes.
Luke groaned. "It'll take forever to get to the middle, and I know the Forest. Haven't you read any fairy tales? Don't witches eat babies or something?"
"Firstly, Cain and Hanna said she's a bit… uppity, but not bad. Eating babies is definitely bad. Secondly, I very much doubt you've never tried to find her house," Evie retorted wryly. Luke ducked his head to grin.
"Okay, yeah, I did. I didn't see her though. The moment I stuck my nose in her door, she started throwing pots and stuff at me, screaming to get out. I never went back," Luke admitted, rubbing the side of his nose. Evie pressed her fist to her mouth to stifle snickers.
"I won't just walk into her house, then. I'll knock. Does she like mushrooms, or sakura shells, or something?" Evie asked as she dug through her rucksack.
"I dunno. I guess she likes pots, cuz she had a lot of them," Luke drawled. Evie burst out laughing.
"Just take me to the Witch's house, okay? I'll take it from there."
"It's a real long walk, Evie…" Luke reiterated with a glance to her leg.
"I'm fine. If I get tired, you can be my pony again."
"What if I don't want to?!"
"Ha, yeah right. Go on, lead the way," Evie ordered, jabbing at the middle of his back.
"Fine, fine, I'm going! So bossy! Where's Candy when you need her? You don't boss her around."
Evie kept close to Luke's heels the whole way through the Forest. And the "whole way" really was a long way. She'd never gone very far into the Forest before, and most of her free time before she broke her leg she'd spent in the mines because of those darn ores. She'd forgotten just how dim and hushed the Forest got, how it seemed to sink into her bones until the slightest loud noise was like gunfire in her ears. Their way was beset with boulders blocking pathways, or large trees that had to be chopped down to get past. Luke kept up a cheerful dialogue, or whistled a chipper-sounding melody, but even his words and tune became halting and quiet the further into the woods they went. They broke through a large clearing, the third they'd stumbled into, and Luke froze. He scratched his head through his bandana and scrunched up his nose.
"What is it?"
"Is he lost? We're lost! We're gonna die here!" Finn exclaimed. Evie scooped him up and stuffed him in her breast pocket, patting it gently to calm him.
"Luke?" she prompted again when he continued to frown.
"It's just… this place looks familiar. I think… I don't know if we've gone in circles or if I remember this from back then," Luke muttered, perplexed. "I think I hear water…"
"Well, I don't think this place looks familiar. See, look at the other side of the path, we can see it right in front of us. It's never been that easy before. Are you sure you hear water?"
"Huh... yeah, I think so. That must be the swamp! Let's give it a go. You still good?" he asked with a concerned glance to her leg.
"Yup!" Evie gave him two thumbs-up. He grinned and led the way, stride faster and more confident, back to his usual self.
They made their way across the short distance and the trees thinned before clearing away completely. The smell hit them the same time the sunlight did. Mossy, stagnant water and the heady aroma of wildflowers filled the small, hot, enclosed space and had them reeling a step back as if they'd hit a wall. The sunlight streaming down was warm and heavy with moisture, settling onto their skin and coating their lungs like oily slick. In the middle of swamp water was an island of sorts. Nestled back against the far side of the clearing, where the trees sprung up again to cage in the little island, was a huge, dead, hollow tree. Built into its massive roots was a sweet but shabby looking house, weeds and water reeds crawling up its face and mushrooms in thick clusters all over the front "yard". All the windows were dark and the chimney was smokeless.
Luke and Evie glanced over at each other, gulped, and slowly made their way into the swamp. The ground squished beneath their feet and sucked the narrow end of Evie's crutch down into peat. She stumbled and yelped in surprise, and only Luke's quick reaction keeping her from pitching headfirst into the water. He kept one arm around her waist so she could keep her socked-and-casted foot as high above the mud as possible while using only one foot and a crutch that continuously got sucked into the ground. Luckily, the footbridge over the swamp wasn't far from the Forest entrance. It rattled and dipped under their weight, and Evie had to grip at the back of Luke's shirt in order to stay upright.
Finally they reached the other side, relieved to see wide smooth rocks laid out in a path to the front door to walk on. Finn buzzed uncertainly in her pocket, gripping the edge of it as he leaned out, fear trembling his body so hard he chimed like a discordant bell. They stopped at the door, breathing quiet and hushed and clutching at each other's tightly, to stare at the simple entrance in front of them.
"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Luke whispered, his own golden gaze wary.
"Yeah, definitely. I'll knock," Evie replied firmly. She forced herself to let go of Luke and stretch out her arm to knock loudly. A strange croaking sound answered, but no voice.
"I don't… think she's home," Luke muttered.
"I'm not leaving until I know for sure," Evie said with a hard swallow.
"Wait, what does- don't! The pots, Evie!" Luke hissed in panic as she inched past him and tried the door. It opened easily beneath her hand, swinging inward slowly but surely. "Evie," Luke pleaded, grasping the back of her shirt.
"Evie, m-maybe w-we should l-lis-s-sten to Luke," Finn protested past chattering teeth.
"If you're afraid, then stay outside. I'm going in," Evie retorted, squaring her shoulders with a deep, bracing breath. She creeped in, the eerie silence and dim interior shrinking her courage, but not enough to stop her.
Luke groaned quietly. "You're not going alone."
"I'm with you, Evie!" Finn cried simultaneously. He flew up from her pocket to hover beside her ear.
Luke and Evie slunk in, breaths held in their throats. The short hallway opened into a large, round room. A huge canopy bed done up with sumptuous purple bedding and drapes was off in the corner next to a vanity table with a huge, round, ornate mirror. The large dining table was standing upon a thick, intricately patterned rug and off to the right was a small kitchenette area filled with pots and pans and boxes of every size and shape all crowded around a gigantic, man-sized cauldron. Despite how pretty and well-loved everything seemed to be… a layer of dust covered every surface.
"I don't think she's been here in a long time. A few weeks, at least," Evie murmured in dismay, her fingertips skimming over the dining table and turning grey with dust.
"Yeah, that's so weird. No one saw her leave… maybe she flew away on a broomstick?" Luke joked with a grin.
"Well, they do it in Harry Potter. It must be real," Evie countered pithily. Luke snorted.
"But, Evie, what about the Bell?" Finn whined.
Just then, a strange thumping sound came from under the bed. They all turned together to catch sight of the dust ruffle rippling, then the thump came again, accompanied by a loud croak, from the table right in front of them. They all shrieked in surprise and toppled backward. Evie tripped over her crutch with a shout of pain and landed hard on her butt, but she was too busy staring to try and catch herself. They were all staring, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, at the large pink frog in a tiny black witch hat flailing wildly on top of the table.
"It's a… It's a giant friggin' frog!" Luke exclaimed, pointing at it needlessly.
"It's a giant pink frog!" Evie agreed, just as shocked. Her jaw clicked shut as she squinted at it. "Is it wearing a witch hat? It's… kinda cute…"
"It's a giant frog wearing a hat! I'm a little too freaked to think it's cute," Luke shouted, gesticulating fervently.
"Evie, I can't understand what it's saying. I don't know why," Finn told her anxiously as he zipped around their heads.
Evie frowned up at Finn, and back to the frog that was swinging its head back and forth between Finn and the two humans in the room. It looked… too… human to be completely animal. Its awkward arm flails and its eyes gazing so desperately at them… Maybe-
"It's probably the Witch Princess's familiar," Evie theorized at last. Luke and Finn turned to gape at her in confusion. "You know? A witch's familiar? They help them with spells and stuff, right? Which means she'll be back one day, hopefully soon. She wouldn't just leave her familiar here if she wasn't planning on coming back. Do you know anybody who might be able to contact her?" Evie asked Luke, her eyes darting to Finn as well.
They both hummed in thought.
"The wizard!" they said together.
Evie blinked slowly at them, and then sighed, "There's a wizard living here? Why does no one tell me about the interesting people?"
"I'm not interesting enough for you?" Luke demanded with a laugh while he bent down to help her up. Evie waved with away with a scoff and got to her unbalanced feet herself.
"I just forgot. I don't get to talk to people, Evie! They can't see me," Finn reprimanded, a little hurt.
"Okay, okay. So, there's a wizard? Does he live on top of the mountain or something?" Evie grumbled, brushing off her butt. The large pink frog was swinging with big head between them, croaking mournfully. "I think it's lonely. You think it's a she?" she asked absently as she walked over with hand extended.
"It's pink. So yeah. And the wizard lives in Harmonica Town, in the house with the big ole' telescope sticking out the top. Renee told me he tells love fortunes," Luke informed her with an unimpressed snort.
"Don't be so gender conforming. Boy frogs could be pink, you don't know." She huffed in surprise as the frog jerked its head away from her questing hand, its nostrils pointed high. "I think I've just been spurned," Evie laughed. "All right, all right, hoity-toity. I'll go see what's keeping your mistress so long. If you get lonely, you can come find me. I'm in the old Clarinet house."
The frog, oddly enough, jerked its head around and stared at her with big, wet, dark eyes.
"Uh… do frogs blink?" Evie stammered in none too little discomfort.
"I… have no idea. Let's get outta here."
"To the wizard!" Finn agreed, already whizzing out the door.
"Time to follow the yellow brick road, I guess," Evie sighed gustily. She glanced back to see the pink frog watching them go with… a rather disheartened look. The door closed behind them and the frog was once again alone inside a dusty dark house in a swamp.
"Am I the Tin Man?"
"Who else could you be? Oh! Oh! Candace should be the Lion!"
"And Toby the Scarecrow?" Luke suggested, catching on quickly and laughing. Evie ugly snorted and punched Luke's arm. "Ow, watch it!" he whined with a grin. "Who's Toto? Renee?"
"Renee's more like Glinda. I have a different idea for Toto," Evie grinned as she watched Finn flit back and forth over the bridge, too anxious to wait patiently.
A/N: So, my beta was super busy, so this is pure me! oh gosh, how many typos did I miss? but anyway, enjoy this chapter! I loooove Luvie interactions so much, so I really enjoyed this. Thanks, everyone, for all your awesome comments so far! You've been so great!
Next Update: 04/19/2017