A/N: Still taking place as a prequel. The Harvest Goddess sends her eldest harvest sprite to find her twin, leading a journey to Forget-Me-Not valley. Thalia a dryad from Mineral Town and one of the more reluctant protagonists.
Chapter 1
Thalia
The Mountain Spring was breathtaking at this time of day. From the cascading waterfall catching the light to create small rainbows in its mist as if it where all made of liquid crystals. The base was surrounded with gorgeous flowers that could sprout no-where else, and bushes where filled with blackberries and the like. Very gratefully all of this was ignored by the townsfolk of the nearby town, slowing on its way becoming a city now. The humans call it Mineral Town but its original residents never deemed it necessary to name this place- all that truly mattered was the Goddess-Spring.
Unsurprisingly to Lady Thalia, the Goddess herself was in a terrible mood. She was given summons this morning but chose to arrive at sun-fall to delay the inevitable with her master. Thalia knelt at a river stone made for audiences; then reached out revealing a strawberry and basil tart in her right hand. A geyser bust from the water, spraying water in even more directions scaring nearby squirrels away in a hurry, has shown the lady of the lake a bright green-haired Goddess, with ice sickles for eyes. She wore a long skirt and had two braided horns on her head, her hair and belt made of feathers of every color except blue.
Thalia felt the strawberry tart lift from her hand by an unseen vector, and then looked up to meet the unhappier gaze. Pretending for weeks for her to be impassive was a chore but she was good at it, The Goddess however was allowed to crack into rage.
"There are many things I would like to discuss with you Thalia. Why, you arrived so late after summons is now the least of my worries but, very is annoying. And what testimony you have to your twin dryad has gone." Lifting up both her arms for helpless effect. "I haven't seen you since he disappeared; along with being a twin of his, Thalia you're a co-conspirator to whenever something has gone wrong you're always a 'witness' I want you to tell me, plainly where he has gone." Now taking the opportunity to stand the dryad rose. Now Thalia understood where her interrogation was truly going so then decided to take off her mask of indifference, she wasn't.
"My Lady," she began. "I haven't any clue to where he has gone, because if I knew- "her master almost immediately protested until she finished with. "I would have fled with him, rather than face your incurring wrath. He is my best friend as well as my brother, and I would follow his footsteps from seedling till I am cut down." Finally since the news she let herself feel emotional, something she detested. "I'm a traitor, but I wasn't involved this time…" taking in a large breath, it tinged with the scent of the river so she can ask the question that bugged Thalia the most. "My Lady, what did he do? Why would he run away like this?"
"Because he knew that if he stayed I would have killed him or worse-"The Goddess' blue eyes where filled with mirth and she flung her braid in front of her shaping it into a soft green noose. "Certainly your sins are smaller than his and you have the foresight of a peace offering so, I will grant you a search party. On the condition that you will bring him back. Or, you will be unwelcome back at this mountain because if you try to assist your brother Tartan in escaping they will report it and I will burn both of your trees. " During these treats she managed to eat half of the Strawberry tart. Nice, that probably did save her from wrath. Thalia thought.
"So... when do I leave?"