A special guest at the end will appear in this chapter! Also, a second chapter within the same month! Stuff is finally kicking up as I have some plans for the next chapter-! Enjoy!
(Chapter Twenty Seven: Birds & Bells)
Melody watched Julia shoot forwards, almost like in one of those old cartoons where you don't realize what's happening until you finally realize it's happening; really hilarious actually.
The child gave one last glance as she too decided to get a move on; it will pain her later, but she can't afford to waste what time she has. Melody just has.. this feeling.. the best way she could describe it is unease. The wind blew, and she stood at the edge of where she stood to gain an idea of where she should go-
The bird cadge seemed closer to her so with her trusty umbrella, and a cliff face down she jumped over the big goat and hooked onto propeller ring. When the two had broken off earlier, Melody couldn't help but get this new piece of yarn that she saw floating at the entrance...
She pondered the whole way to the tree with the yellow tarp on what this new hat could be, maybe she'll use it later? It was made into a really nice hat- like for one of those fancy parties!
Shooting off, she soon found herself in a cross road already; looking to the right, and then the left.. she couldn't help but find out what was at the right-
"Julia, forgive me; but my curiosity calls-" and she dove right. Towards the pillars with large cat rocks on them. "Wow, Bow would love this place!"
"Bow would not love this place!" She screamed, as she tried to figure out where these mean invisible cats keep coming from, stealing her pons and one of her hats! Frustrated grunts as she swung her umbrella around trying her best to hit them.
She could hear them laughing at her, it only made the fuming meter go up higher; then thwack! The blue umbrella made contact with one of the cats knocking them out. In a huff the child waited for another opportunity when everything went quiet.
The next cat that she could hear move was getting it; and oh boy, did they get it. This girl is on an exploration mission, do not get in between her and potential treasures.
Once the fighting subsided, she could only hear the sounds of a time rift in the distance; one here? Quickly taking another look around, she made her way into the rift; as usual, this takes a top priority. She's glad she came this way now.
The familiar blue, and whale swinging above; it was actually pretty close this time! This place never stops to amaze her- what looks so calm and beautiful can actually destroy the fabric of reality as she knows it.
Melody ran ahead, jumped up a wall and just stood for while; getting a hold of the situation was a necessity here; seems simple enough. With small skinny pillars and an ice spring ahead she switched hats and started moving on... only to have a cat swipe her hat away.
"Hey!" She yelled, what were they doing in here!
Julia stood back at the beginning, where she and Melody first arrived; she leaned back and forth awkwardly looking around, she couldn't take this... thing- with her. Looking down at the unstable entity, Julia made a face at it then sighed.
Looking up, she tried to figure out how to find her way towards the large bell. It was way above past the house where they found the badge seller, looks like she's going to have to climb then. Grabbing hold of the edge of the house with foliage on it, she lifted herself up. Next thing she new she was already next to said twitching man.
"Back already?" The badge seller asked "and not a singed piece of clothing ether."
"Haha." Julia deadpans, "I've gotten used to lava areas by now, and that's not a good thing."
"May it be, or not, seems like you are heading to your next destination." He said, shifting his gaze over to the object in Julia's hands. He grew tense by just by looking at it, even though it was not noticeable. He does not like that thing.
"Yeah, gotta get up there." She pointed up, "guess I'm taking the spring, but I can't do much with confidence as I have this thing in my hands." Julia look down once more, feeling even more uneasy; yet glad that she can breath at a normal pace now. Still heavy however.
"Just stick it in your hat."
"Wha-"
"Your hat." He stated again.
Julia looked at the badge seller with the most dumb found face he'd ever seen on her.
"You did not know your hat worked the same?" He pointed "it is capable of switching hats and using badge, why would it be any different then the child's?"
The tall girl blinked for a second, stuttering for words until she finally said "a-are you serious." Taking off her hat and looking at it, not once had she realized this. She thought it was an ordinary hat, like her. Why did she have this hat? Actually, now that she thinks of it, why did her clothing change?
She was wearing a hoodie before reaching this world, now she looks like a person on business. "I have.. a bottomless hat, like the kid's?"
"Indeed."
She stuck her hand into the hat, and it actually.. it actually worked. "This whole time.." she mumbled to herself.
"You best get going then," the badge seller said, ushering her off "The bell awaits."
Melody was glad that was over, who would have thought that the cats here would be so difficult? The only cat she likes so far was Cc, the others? Not so much.
She stood there in the middle of the opened gates and started making her way up, the time piece was just up a few ledges. Jumped a few times over the pillars to get her newly retrieved piece!
Reality shifted and once again found herself back in the village of cats, she'd have to travel back now to go left at the cross, fun. She started moving on. Back down the wooden ramp, back through the other part of the village and now the tree with the flag line.
Once back at the forth, she hooked onto the propeller rings and sung her way to the abundance of tight wires. Julia would definitely hate this way. Eventually she found herself face to face with the large buildings made of wood and the large metal cage that shields them.
"Wow..!" Melody gasped, then let out a startled yelp as she saw the badge seller, "Why are you here-?"
The badge seller only chuckled, "You have your work cut out for you, do be careful.."
Not wanting to drag this further, she continued.
Climbing up the first house, she was met with two little crows, was this where they came from? Pondering for a moment she turned her head, way, way in the distance she see a large black marshmallow of a bird! It was soooo cute!
Frog mask equipped Julia jumped the first two platforms they were in the other realm, greeted by a nomad who said the twilight bell was just a head she nodded and kept going. She could just feel the tolling of the bell echoed for her as she moved, almost like t called to her.
What was up with this bell? Why was she feeling like this? First the time piece now this bell. Yet the bell felt more like an old friend then anything. As she climbed with difficulty what would be wooden tower with the smaller bell she quickly made it to the top and jumped to the other solid platform, Then took off with the flag line.
The bell got louder and louder as she zoomed off, only to realize that when she made it to said bell, it wasn't ringing. It was silent beside the humming of a time rift- a time rift! "Melody did say these take priority.." she then glanced at the bell looming over her.
Without a second thought she jumped into the rift.. on her own. For the first time.
"Ahah this is gonna be-!" She adjusts her hat as she landed, but then looked up- "oh no." As her shoulders slumped.
Before her was a couple of large goats, stomping back and forth in a rhythm. Just barely beyond, she could see a small bell for more use of her dweller mask.
"Right then" she steeled her nerves, she charged; not after immediately getting shoved of the platform by the first goat. Screaming the whole way down.
Melody stopped and wondered once she was safe of Julia was doing alright, while she faced these odd explaining eggs, and birds with pompadours that rammed into her, pushing her very hard. Honestly, how rude!
Her short breather was up and she jumped through a hole to a slanted bridge. Taking the up path she was greeted with another exploding egg, but not after getting something in return. Finding this place to be a dead end she turned around.
She spotted a hook shot hoop to helped her travel to another bird house, by turned around to see a place where her mask would come in handy. Once Melody passed another long walk with limited time she finally made it to the end and calmed another object. Now to turn back around once more.
Seems like she really can't help but find treasures along the way.
Once she jumped to the other side via hook shot, Melody noticed a way up, and away forward. She went up and was immediately seen by a pompadour bird. Thinking quickly, Melody hopped over and watched the bird run clean off the platform and into the abyss, eyes stared down for a moment-
"As Julia would say, 'God speed' you funky bird." She saluted and continued walking forward through another house, then past a walkway, through another house and over a gap to another one. In the last house she grabbed a relic! Doubling back, she hoped down and finally continued forward.
Hopping past another gap, she stomped down on another Pompadour bird and looked at the inside of another house, the way ahead had more of the same birds. At least two, but those could be easily taken care of, at least she thought.
Melody jumped the first one, but the second one knocked her back, shaking her head, she gets back up only to get knocked back again. Huffing a frustrating sigh she finally got the jump on the angry bird; With a look of triumph, she continued onward.
Julia thought getting past the first part would be difficult, the second part was going to be a hard kick to the head. She had made it past the first part of way, but then was back handed by a large goat, thus bringing her back to where she just was.
Was she going to be stuck here? Stuck in an endless loop of falling to her end? No, she can't, she has to keep moving, "think, Julia, look for an opening." She mumbled to herself. Her best bet was to run in between their patterns, in her panic of not wanting to get slapped again, she gripped onto the side until it was clear.
Finally making it to the next platform with the lamppost, she ahead to a large galaxy wall. An odd red dweller on a bell moved back and forth, making the galaxy disappear. That in turn only spelled trouble and she's then going to have to use her dweller mask to get past the wall.
She hopped over the red and quickly grabbed onto the closer ledge, then stopped before the wall; huh, guess it wasn't to hard-
jumping with a start, she activated her mask and moved through the wall, then turned it off as she rolled onto solid ground. Never wanting to do that again, she grabbed the blasted time piece and once again got a shot of pain through her head.
Julia notice it wasn't as bad, but still noticeable.
Melody made it to the end, all that was left was to get past the large bird, snoozing away. It was so much more louder now that she was so close. Climbing up the pillar, she now noticed that the bird was upside down, aw! Hopefully it wouldn't wake up if she used it to get to her time piece- because she sees no other way of getting to it!
Making a run for it, she jumped and was launched surprisingly far up, and back down right next to her objective! With a smile she grabbed it, but hushed the noise as to not wake this bird; in the end she finally had her time piece!
In the distance she witnessed the odd flowers bloom, an ominous purple like smoke generated from it. Melody had a bad feeling in her gut.
Julia soon found herself back at the large ancient bell; it's echo calling once more.
"Glorious is it not?"
"Mother of-!" Julia nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of a familiar acquaintance.
"Good to see you too, Julia, my dear." Gabriele folded his hands behind his back as he never looked away from the bell; he too seemed oddly attracted to its aura. "So, you'll be headed off to the bell on your own? Such a surprise actually.."
"Why is that surprising?" The girl glared at the doctor, then looked up to the space like inside of the metal creation.
"With how.. accident prone.. you are."
"A-Accident prone!" She gasped, she felt insulted, yet she knew he speaks the truth; never in his life had Gabriele meet such a magnet for injuries such as herself.
"If you are ever looking for treatment, I'll be near by." He grabbed Julia's left hand and looked at it for a moment, then kissed it in a gentleman like manor. "Please, try not to get harmed."
Julia sputtered once more but found no words as she moved away without so much of a goodbye-
"How do find this darn time piece-" she covered her face as she stopped moving up. Intentionally messing up her speech.
"Look at that thing!" The nomad she stepped next to chirped, "if only I could reach it!" Then the little being looked over to her, and then asked "your tall, You should give it a shot!"
Julia gave the nomad a quick glance, Then to the string; it wanted to hear the bell- well, ringing it this close would bound to make her permanently deaf. However, knowing this world, that's probably not the case. So bell ringing it is!
Besides, it's like the bell wants to be rung.. just one good pull and this thing would be heard around the world!
"Here. We go-" Julia took a breath
She jumped up and found it difficult to pull, so instead she swung back and forth; one, two, three times the bell sounded off- and once she landed back down the whole world spun!
In her mind she was freaking out, that this might have been a bad idea- she probably shouldn't have done this; once the world stop she was found with ruins and floating objects. The background was nothing but dark void with tiny lights that lit up like stars!
"What..?" Julia slowly took of her hat in awe, wonder danced in her eyes. Her eyes eventually stopped on a large bush; something seemed off- maybe that's what foliage looks like here but she has only seen skinny stemmed astral flowers..
A soft whistle like noise got her attention
"Eh-" Julia turned her head back to the bush, did it just.. make a noise? She approached the large bush, it was actually a very large bush in fact. About the height of her waist or so, the bright bulbed flowers were beautiful- she then noticed the bush had a face.
She jumped back in surprise, now noticing the full picture. The bush was actually a creature of some sort, wearing a bell around it, a soft glow came from its covered eyes and seemed to stare into her. After all that, it didn't move.
The large fluffy creature just kept staring, not moving out of the way. Was it some sort of guardian? Right, that could be it!
"Huh.., hey?" She was unsure in the greeting, she wasn't sure it could talk, wasn't even sure if it understood her; no harm in trying though. "I'm here on.. a mission?" Julia took of her hat hand grabbed a time piece out of the empty space.
At first is seemed to amaze the guardian, but ten its leaves bushed up in a defense almost like to ward of the object; it didn't like this thing either. Taking notice of this Julia quickly put it back in her hat,
"Whoa, whoa! Hey! It's okay!" Julia held her hands out once she put her hat back on "I was told there was one of those in here.." she spoke softly as to not agitate the guardian more then it seemed "I'm here to take it away, so that nothing gets messed up-"
The guardian when back to its normal state as before, seemingly listening to what she was saying. "Are you.. this worlds guardian..?" She asked cautiously, another soft noise; hopefully it was a confirmation. "May I continue from this spot so that I can keep your world safe?"
Nothing happened, besides the sound of falling water in the distance. Should this guardian trust her? What if she makes it worse? Only moving forward would tell. The bush slowly moved out of they way, not because it was cautious, but the fact that it was actually difficult. Though there was clearly grace in each step. Majestic even.
"Ah! Thank you!" Julia smiled
With that, Julia was cleared to traverse the twilight bell.
And with that, this chapter end! I feel like I'm losing my touch here, but I'm still going to keep going. With my ipad out of service, its way more difficult to write since my phone is so small, (Rest in piece you beautiful slab of electronics) so chapters from here on out will probably be 1000-3000 long at times with terrible spacing, I apologize for that again. It also didn't help that I tried to do something different by splitting up perspectives.
Its a good learning process through!