She gently pushed a cornstalk out of her way, feeling incredibly insignificant, swimming among this vast sea of green. She turned in a slow circle, knowing exactly where she was, yet lost. She turned to her left, struggling through a thick patch of stalks. She did her best to be quiet; if Farmer Maggot caught her in his fields, he wouldn't ask any questions and his dogs would soon show her the way out.

"Pip?" she whispered, "Pip, are you here?"

She moved over to another patch.
"Are you there?"

She moved to yet another cluster.

"Are you anywhere?"

Suddenly, she felt the familiar hands come around from behind her and cover her eyes.

"Well, its either Pippin or Farmer Maggot has a merciful bone in his body."

Pippin withdrew his hands, laughing quietly around the stolen carrot sticking out of his mouth. He plopped down on the ground.

"Well, I see you managed to escape certain death by boredom."

Diamond nodded and sat down by him.
"Just barely."

She reached across and swiped the carrot out of his mouth. It was half way to her own mouth before he lunged and snatched it back.
"Get your own!" he said, smiling, finishing off the carrot. Diamond smiled as well, but only for a little while before she lapsed into a thoughtful yet disturbing silence. Pippin sensed her troubled air and became serious.

"What's wrong, Di?"

"Hmm? Oh...nothing."

Which was, of course, an untruth. She was in a sort of battle against that pestering little thought in the back of her mind. She didn't, under any circumstances, want to think about it, so she continued to shove it farther and farther back. Pippin knew that something was wrong though, and he knew he had to get her mind off of it. He leaned forward and gave his infamous, large, dreaded, and altogether fear-striking mischievous grin.

"Maggot's mushrooms are looking pretty good this season."

He stood up and offered out his hand.

There was a time when Diamond would have said "no." There was a time when she would have told him that it was wrong. There was a time when she would've tried to stop him. But now, she smiled, accepted his hand, and went along with him.

Both of them knew how it was going to end, but they didn't care. It started out well. No dogs, no farmer, just them and the mushroom crop. They were happy, joyous, blissful as they ate mushrooms and joked and laughed. However, they soon became careless in their bliss, and their laughing and joking became loud. Their small festivities were pierced by the sound of vicious dog barks and shouted curses. They both knew that it was coming, sooner or later, so they didn't really panic, but laughed uproariously as they ran through the fields. They tumbled, fell, got back up, ran more, and fell again, laughing the entire time. Soon, Farmer Maggot gave up and called his dogs back, muttering and grumbling to himself. They were clear of his property soon, and collapsed into a laughing heap.

"Well, I'd say that was victorious, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, indeed," she nodded.

They both got up and brushed each other off, their laughter gradually subsiding.

Pippin started off in the direction of his home, waving goodbye to Diamond.

Diamond surprised herself when she felt a twinge of regret. What is wrong with me? Normally, I'm overjoyed to see Pippin leave... That little thought came back, but she refused to listen. Smiling to herself, she headed along a different route to her own home.

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Yes, another short chapter :-( Oh well, be looking forward to the next chap!!