"Well, well, well. What have we here?" sneered Pine, "Someone has been
tampering with my Needle!" He glared at the five around him. A cool breeze
whipped through his hair, throwing it into spikes and making him resemble
the tree he was named for.
"Oh, come on!" Willow sighed with exasperation. "You left it out last night and it rained, remember?"
Pine opened his mouth to retort when Oak cut in, "You know, it doesn't look too bad. It actually makes it look like a pine needle." He looked up from Pine's Needle 3000; "It might even make those sparks a helluva lot greener."
Pine snatched the Needle from Oak's hands. "Let's see then, shall we?" He placed his feet on the grips and kicked off. He flew a dozen feet into the air, trailing green sparks behind him, to the admiring 'Ooooh's from Aspen. Frowning, he jolted back down to the open field.
"You see?" Willow murmured, "It'll just help us."
"You mean help you," Pine accused, "You and Oak landed the leads, so where does that place me, huh?"
Fern placed a tiny hand on Pine's shoulder, "You were having on off day then, we know that."
"Yeah, I know you should have gotten the lead." Aspen simpered.
"Asp, you're not helping!" Willow hissed, "Let's just get practicing, ok? If we're leaving early, that means we have to get this down by next week." She hummed a curious ascending note, and music began to play. It seemed to come from all around them. She and Oak leapt on their Leaves and spiraled into the air. Pine and Aspen followed, with Birch and Fern behind them.
Willow rested the palms of her hands on Oak's as they shot upwards. She grasped his left wrist in her left hand, still spiraling. Releasing him, she twirled away from him, arms flung wide. She dropped into a crouch to gather speed as she made a wide arc to return to him.
Oak was doing his specialty, which involved a complicated maneuver where he would fling his Leaf away from him and doing a series of flips in midair before landing on it again. He turned to face Willow, now speeding towards him. As she drew nearer, he leapt off hi own Leaf, straight up.
Willow stood quickly and shifted her weight, preparing for Oak's landing. He jumped over head onto the back of her Leaf, leaving his own behind.
This went on for some time. The music went through a variety of phases, telling the story of the year. The teens would often switch partners, but always returned to their original partner in crime.
Willow floated down as the last chord faded away. Panting, she cooed a descending note and the music stopped altogether.
Birch swooped to a halt in front of her, his pale face livid. "Don't you realize that we should be preparing ourselves mentally for our mission?" he demanded loudly, "We're taking this the wrong way. We could be the ones to change history and what are we doing?" Birch threw his arms wide and gave a laugh of disbelief; "We're doing air dances!"
A soft voice filtered through; "I am the one… who sees what is to come. My friend, do not despair… on how we might fare." If Fern was forced to speak at least two sentences, she was cursed to say them in rhyme. For this reason, she hardly ever spoke.
"What do you see then?" Birch queried.
Fern considered him for a long moment before answering, "More than you seem to in these debates," She landed softly on the grass. "For now, my Tree awaits. I will go and consider our fates." Fern turned and walked slowly towards the Grove.
Oak turned to Pine, "No comment?" he teased, "You usually have some smartass remark whenever poor Fern talks."
Pine glared at Oak over his shoulder, "If I wanted to say something, I would have. You ought to know that Willow, I mean, you are the one who's supposed to see through people." He drawled. Without a backward glance, he zipped off, with Aspen following and chattering nonsense at him.
Birch watched their retreating backs until they were out of sight before speaking, "You know I'm right."
"There's more to air dances than you'll ever imagine…" Willow looked right into Birch's eyes as she spoke.
With a frustrated sigh, Birch jumped the last few feet to the ground. Grabbing his Leaf, he stalked off into the forest.
Afraid to break the silence, Oak let himself drift gently to the ground. Unable to bear it any longer, he turned on Willow. Nodding in the direction Birch had taken, "Is he right?" he asked.
"He thinks he is. He believes in it like nothing else." Was the enigmatic reply?
"Oh." Was all he thought to say.
"Oh, come on!" Willow sighed with exasperation. "You left it out last night and it rained, remember?"
Pine opened his mouth to retort when Oak cut in, "You know, it doesn't look too bad. It actually makes it look like a pine needle." He looked up from Pine's Needle 3000; "It might even make those sparks a helluva lot greener."
Pine snatched the Needle from Oak's hands. "Let's see then, shall we?" He placed his feet on the grips and kicked off. He flew a dozen feet into the air, trailing green sparks behind him, to the admiring 'Ooooh's from Aspen. Frowning, he jolted back down to the open field.
"You see?" Willow murmured, "It'll just help us."
"You mean help you," Pine accused, "You and Oak landed the leads, so where does that place me, huh?"
Fern placed a tiny hand on Pine's shoulder, "You were having on off day then, we know that."
"Yeah, I know you should have gotten the lead." Aspen simpered.
"Asp, you're not helping!" Willow hissed, "Let's just get practicing, ok? If we're leaving early, that means we have to get this down by next week." She hummed a curious ascending note, and music began to play. It seemed to come from all around them. She and Oak leapt on their Leaves and spiraled into the air. Pine and Aspen followed, with Birch and Fern behind them.
Willow rested the palms of her hands on Oak's as they shot upwards. She grasped his left wrist in her left hand, still spiraling. Releasing him, she twirled away from him, arms flung wide. She dropped into a crouch to gather speed as she made a wide arc to return to him.
Oak was doing his specialty, which involved a complicated maneuver where he would fling his Leaf away from him and doing a series of flips in midair before landing on it again. He turned to face Willow, now speeding towards him. As she drew nearer, he leapt off hi own Leaf, straight up.
Willow stood quickly and shifted her weight, preparing for Oak's landing. He jumped over head onto the back of her Leaf, leaving his own behind.
This went on for some time. The music went through a variety of phases, telling the story of the year. The teens would often switch partners, but always returned to their original partner in crime.
Willow floated down as the last chord faded away. Panting, she cooed a descending note and the music stopped altogether.
Birch swooped to a halt in front of her, his pale face livid. "Don't you realize that we should be preparing ourselves mentally for our mission?" he demanded loudly, "We're taking this the wrong way. We could be the ones to change history and what are we doing?" Birch threw his arms wide and gave a laugh of disbelief; "We're doing air dances!"
A soft voice filtered through; "I am the one… who sees what is to come. My friend, do not despair… on how we might fare." If Fern was forced to speak at least two sentences, she was cursed to say them in rhyme. For this reason, she hardly ever spoke.
"What do you see then?" Birch queried.
Fern considered him for a long moment before answering, "More than you seem to in these debates," She landed softly on the grass. "For now, my Tree awaits. I will go and consider our fates." Fern turned and walked slowly towards the Grove.
Oak turned to Pine, "No comment?" he teased, "You usually have some smartass remark whenever poor Fern talks."
Pine glared at Oak over his shoulder, "If I wanted to say something, I would have. You ought to know that Willow, I mean, you are the one who's supposed to see through people." He drawled. Without a backward glance, he zipped off, with Aspen following and chattering nonsense at him.
Birch watched their retreating backs until they were out of sight before speaking, "You know I'm right."
"There's more to air dances than you'll ever imagine…" Willow looked right into Birch's eyes as she spoke.
With a frustrated sigh, Birch jumped the last few feet to the ground. Grabbing his Leaf, he stalked off into the forest.
Afraid to break the silence, Oak let himself drift gently to the ground. Unable to bear it any longer, he turned on Willow. Nodding in the direction Birch had taken, "Is he right?" he asked.
"He thinks he is. He believes in it like nothing else." Was the enigmatic reply?
"Oh." Was all he thought to say.
