DISCLAIMER: This licence isn't mine. The opinions express by the characters are not mine. I do not support nor encourage the illegal acts or words present here. I can make a distinction between fiction and reality and I trust in my readership's ability in doing the same.

Chapter nineteen : Orange Blossom's assignement

The Berrykins are skillful workers. If you ask them to go to the orchard in order to pick the ripe fruits, they'll do it and show good willing. And if you ask them to build a true building… Well, they'll come out of this task with success, too, without showing their weariness or their bad mood. In any case, it was what Orange Blossom noticed when she was watching at the Berrykins building her precious school. Really, they were irreplaceable partners. Orange Blossom used to do her best to reduce their workload and show them her gratitude, but, oddly, she was still discontent. It wasn't because of her beloved Berrykins, but she thought she wasn't « doing her best ».

-You are too demanding with yourself, Strawberry Shortcake told her once, while they were both in the construction site. « No one in Strawberryland even considered doing what you already done for the Berrykins. Building this school is the better idea you had for the city. »

-Thank you Strawberry. I meant that this school will only do good to a tens of Berryins… and they are thousands in the Berry World! Who will take care of the others, the ones who don't live in Strawberryland ?

-I'm sure there are others kind souls who protect the Berrykins… just like you.

-You may be right, but why didn't I meet them yet ?

-What do you mean ?

-Strawberry Shortcake, I'd like to leave Strawberryland.

Strawberry Shortcake let out a cry.

-Leave us ?! Why ? Where will ou go ?

-Calm down Strawberry ! Orange cried, seeing her friend's distress. « I was saying that I'd like to make a short trip, outside Strawberryland, to check what is the Berrykin's sort in life elsewhere. »

Strawberry chuckled.

-That's good to know ! She said joyfully. Then, becoming serious again, she added :

-What would you do if you catch someone mistreating a Berrykin ?

-For the moment, the only thing I could do would be to sermonise him. Maybe I would tell the Berrykin I live in a place named Strwberryland where he would be fully respected. But it probably won't work. The Berrykins are extremely attached to their community and rarely leave it. To be totally honest, I don't now yet what I could do. I just want to know the truth… and, perhaps, meet the kind souls of whom you spoke. We would be stronger, together.

-Neber forget you can always rely on me.

Orange seemed upset, suddenly.

-Well Strawberry… You already have to rule the Café and handled your sister (which is not a pleasure cruise), and eventually, Blueberry's baby… I don't know if you could find time for me.

She lowered her voice.

-No offense to you, but this is my project.

The next day, Orange Blossom was ready to go. She has told Blueberry Muffin to supervise the work site and she has promisd she would be back in a couple of days. Just before her leaving, the Princess Berrykin, in person, came with her two daughters in order to say her goodbye.

-You're a good person, she said. « I'll never forget what you do for us, and I'll tell your story to other Berryin sovereigns. You can be sure that, wherever you are, you'll find a helpfull community if you need assistance. Don't laugh. You know that it's not because we are berry bitty… »

-… That we can't do berry big things, Orange Blossom completed, smiling. « I wasn't laughing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I assure you that I'll always be here for your community, too. »

Orange Blossom hadn't had a preordained plan. In the Berry Big City, she settled for walking in the streets, binding her eyes on the floor, trying to notice a green body in the grey concrete. But she didn't see anything. She crossed the town from north to south and from west to est, but she met no Berrykins. Sometimes, she allowed herself a short break in a public bench. There, she sighed with a touch of despondency, letting het painfull feet have rest for some minutes, and immediatly after she went back to her tireless walk. A young record dealer, in her shop, shrugged when she saw her walking along her store for the third time. People started to look askance at the exhausted young woman, carrying a backpack and dragging her feet.

When the sun went down, Orange Blossom thought she couldn't make one more step. She felt like she had just wasted her time, and she wanted to cry. The streets were almost empty now, but the only passerbies she had saw were humans or anthropomorphic animals. It was logical, she thought. The Berrykins were the spirit of nature; it was rather obvious they wouldn't live in town !

-The Princess Berrykin is certainly laughing at me now, she thought angrily. « I made myself look ridiculous. »

Maybe her full project was ridiculous ?

Maybe the Berrykins didn't need her help ?

But, first of all, Orange Blossom knew she really needed to sleep. Her entire body ached. She was in the middle of a beautifull park, however, even here, no Berrykin was within her sight. Orange started to unpack her sleeping bag, but she had barely started to set her camp up that she heard :

-Excuse me Miss, but you're not allowed to stay here.

Orange Blossom turned back and found herself face to face with an old woman.

-You're not in a campground, the woman said, « But in Berry Big City University's park. »

-I'm sorry madam, Orange Blossom quickly said, then, seeing that the lady wasn't really angry :

-Do you work here ?

-I do, Miss. I'm the secretary of this university. But may I ask you what are you doing here ?

-I'm making a kind of… survey about the Berrykins' living conditions in urban area and… I got lost.

-You're studying the Berrykins ? Oh, that's really funny.

-Why ?

-I don't really remember when, but I'm rather sure we had Berrykin students in the old days.

Orange Blossom couldn't believe that she heard.

-Berrykins studied here !? Who ?! When !? How !?

-Settle down miss. It's late now, but you can come back tomorrow and we'll read the registers together. But, for the moment, you must understand that I can't let you sleep here, alright ?

If Orange Blossom wasn't so tired, she would have jump for joy. Her investigations were making progress ! At last !

Finally, Orange Blossom found a room in a motel in the heart of Berry Big City. It wasn't luxury, but it was still better than camping on a park. Holding her promise, she came to the University very early, saying that she had a appointment with the secretary. No one asked her more question, thinking she was just another new student.

The secretary purposed a quid pro-quo to Orange Blossom : If she help her to clean her office, she would let her see all the documents she wanted. Orange agreed. Did she regret her decision later ? It was really a hard work : she had to dust coats of dirt on the shelving units, to file the ring binders in an alphabetical order and to classify all the students files. Unfortunately, Orange noticed that no Berrykin was registered for this year.

At the middle of the afternoon, the big cleaning was over and the secretary nicely decorticated the huge registers with Orange Blossom.

-I knew I was right ! The secretary finally cried, reading her third register. « A Berrykin followed, once, biology, chemistry, botany and mathematics lessons here, from 1801 to 1803. »

-Show it to me ! Orange Blossom shouted, grabbing the big books.

-At the time, the headteacher was Mrs. Buttermilk, it means she personally let him be present at the classes. I know you'd like to meet her, but I'm sure you'll understand why you can't. She was a human, like you.

Orange Blossom and the secretary carried on their researchs, trying to discover others old Berrykins students, but, apparently, the young passionate with sciences one was the only one who dared to push the boundaries of the University. The secretary, telling it wasn't enought, showed Orange microfilms were old internal newspapers about the school, dated 19th century, were scanned.

-I hope I helped you, said the secretary, while Orange Blossom told her she needed to leave. « A hard-working young woman like you will always be welcome here. I wish you to complete your dissertation easily and quickly. »

-Thank you madam, Orange Blossom maliciously answered. « I've learnt all that I wanted wih you today… »

To be continued…