I wrote this years ago when I first picked up Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, but I forgot to post it. Binging New Horizons made me remember its existence so I figured I might as well post it. I also kind of extended the story into my basement in New Horizons, but I decided I'd post this as is without bringing anything more into it.
This isn't meant to be a sequel to An Elephant Never Forgets even though it has TayTay and other similar characters in it. This is merely a oneshot I needed to get out of my system-it's basically a dramatization of my playing of Animal Crossing Pocket Camp. And trust me when I say this is an exact play-by-play of how I've played through the game. Let's say that I started this game with one goal in mind. And as soon as I got to that goal...I stopped playing.
If you haven't read An Elephant Never Forgets, I would highly recommend it. It's a fun story.
All right, let's get started. This story is dedicated to everyone who has had to suffer the loss of a villager moving away, to the people who had to cope with grief, confusion, and anger when the animals they had come to know and love left them behind with nothing but a few hastily-scribbled sentences on some cheap stationery. You are in my heart.
Marshal took a deep breath, inhaling the tangy scent of fresh fruit. The tantalizing smell was all around him. The tall trees reached towards him with their leafy branches, beckoning him to sample their luscious creations. Apples, cherries, peaches. Amazing that they could still grow amidst the chill of the Winter Solstice.
However, the cold did not affect Marshal through his fluffy white coat nor his denim jacket. In fact, the frosty air, crisp as a freshly-picked apple, energized him. He was ready to tackle camping with unexpected fervor.
Speaking of apples, Marshal mused, gazing up at the towering tree before him. He stood on his toes to reach the delectable snack. Unfortunately, he was much too short to reach.
"Hmm…" Marshal knew better than to let this damage his pride. For what he lacked in height, he made up for in wittiness-and talent with the ladies. His quick-thinking mind was only starting on a solution when a pale hand reached up and plucked an apple free of its branch and offered it to him.
Before him stood a young human girl. A cute girl, Marshal noted, his pink cheeks turning just a shade pinker. His eyes narrowed and a smirk worked at his lips.
The girl was stylish, something the little white squirrel could appreciate. She wore a beatnik tank, a denim skirt, and a pair of pink slip-ons that matched the hair she kept pulled back in a high ponytail. Her outfit, though charming, didn't seem suited to this weather at all, but the cold air didn't seem to reach her.
She peered down at him with a pair of the darkest yet shiniest eyes he had ever seen. When his eyes locked with hers, somehow they seemed to grow even shinier.
"Marshal!" she shouted jubilantly, dropping the apple as she leaped forward to greet him.
Marshal took a step back. As soon as he did, the girl froze, as though scared she might frighten him.
"Whoa! I'm not used to such an enthusiastic greeting," he laughed nervously. "Though I must admit, it was kind of flattering."
The girl remained still, blinking at him.
Marshal cleared his throat awkwardly. "What's your name? I'm Marshal the squirrel. Nice to meetcha, sulky!" He flashed her his award-winning smile, but it didn't seem to have the effect he was hoping for.
A frown puckered the young girl's lips. "TayTay," she said flatly.
Marshal couldn't understand the change in attitude. "TayTay. I'll make sure to remember that." He winked, then raised a paw in farewell. "Well, see ya-"
"I opened up a campsite!" TayTay burst out quite suddenly, like she had been struggling to contain it this entire time. Her eyes brightened to their former glory.
"Wow, really? That's c-"
"Here. Take this." TayTay bent down and picked up the apple, offering it to Marshal.
"Thanks," Marshal said, surprised by her onslaught of energy.
He watched as she bounded from tree to tree, shaking them and gathering their fruit until her arms could hold no more. Then she trotted back to Marshal with the offering.
"I'm gonna make a mental note to shake trees from now on," Marshal decided as TayTay dumped the fruit at his feet. "Thanks for this, by the way!"
TayTay merely grinned, her smile stretching from ear to ear.
Over the next week and a half, Marshal saw a lot of TayTay. She always came to him with offerings of fruit, seashells, fish, and even bugs. He was given more gifts than he knew what to do with. However, he knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth-or turn down a pretty girl's favors. He soon became very fond of TayTay and her eager-to-please personality.
She even lent an ear to what his favorite furniture was and promised to include it in her campsite, if only he would come visit. "Sure!" he'd blustered, pleased as punch. "Let me know when it's ready and I'll come straight away!"
TayTay looked him right in the eye and said, "Two hundred and twenty-five pieces of cotton more and it'll be ready."
"Okay?" Marshal mused, not exactly sure what she meant.
Excitement buzzed in the valley as New Year's eve drew closer and closer.
Marshal was considering heading home for the holiday when TayTay came to him as the sun was setting on that day. She proudly announced to him that her campsite was finished and had ultimately been catered to his liking. There was also a big New Year's Eve party going on right at that moment and she hoped he would join everyone. Of course, he couldn't resist.
The party was fantastic. Marshal never would have guessed TayTay for a chef, but lo and behold, he was faced with a delectable roasted turkey, a cake covered in white frosting, and numerous Japanese dishes he was embarrassed to admit he had no name for.
There were other animals celebrating the new year at the campsite. One of them happened to be a gorgeous pink squirrel named Peanut. Her shiny eyes could have given TayTay's a run for their money.
Marshal wound up spending most of the night with her, but he was always aware of TayTay nearby. When their eyes would meet, she would smile at him warmly.
"I'm so glad you're back," she whispered, a few minutes before midnight.
"Thanks a lot for inviting me!" Marshal said, striking an energetic pose and paying no mind to her rather odd choice of words. "If your campsite was any cozier, I'd literally move in forever."
TayTay merely smiled.
Then it was time for the countdown. Together, everyone rang in the new year, toasting one another and promising that this year would be even better than the last.
The party continued for about an hour after that, then slowed down greatly. TayTay set up beds and hammocks for the revelers to sleep in. Marshal cozied up to Peanut on the messy couch TayTay had provided him, using an empty bag of chips as a pillow. But he hardly cared about that.
His tummy and his heart were full.
With a yawn, Marshal awoke, rubbing his eyes. The comfy cushions of the couch beneath him were gone. He stretched his sore little body, thinking he must have rolled off of it in his sleep. He went to climb back up, but instead of a sofa, his paws touched the cool metal of a chair.
Hm…? He thought groggily. He forced his eyes open, squinting against the harsh light that reflected off the fallen snow.
It was then he realized where he was. And he was instantly awake.
Marshal had been put inside a cage. A tiny cage constructed of white lattice that reached towards the sky. Inside the cage with him was nothing but a cold chair made of metal and wood.
Marshal gasped, gripping the lattice in his little white paws. He peered through the holes, glancing frantically over the campground.
The New Year's decorations had vanished. The bed and tents the animals were sleeping in were packed up and gone. Even the tree that boasted a cute little swing with ribbons had been chopped down, not a trace of it left behind. How?!
"Someone!" Marshal called. "Anyone!"
But the camp was abandoned. Peanut and the rest of the animals were gone.
His ears perked at the sound of a door sliding open.
"TayTay!" Marshal shouted, running to the other end of the cage. There was TayTay's camper and standing outside of it, muffling a cute little yawn, was TayTay. He waved to get her attention. "Over here!"
When her eyes brightened and she smiled, that's when Marshal knew something was terribly wrong. "Good morning, Marshal!" she greeted cheerily, coming over to see him. "Did you have fun at the party last night?"
Marshal blinked. "Uh. Yeah."
"Great!" She turned to leave.
"Hey, wait!" he said angrily, tail bristling. "What's going on? Get me out of here!"
TayTay cocked her head and frowned. "What's wrong?" Her calm demeanor was infuriating.
"What does it look like is wrong?" Marshal snapped. "I'm trapped in here! And-and where did everyone else go, anyways?!"
TayTay's shiny, shiny eyes turned hard. A smile twitched at her lips. "They're gone," she said simply.
Ice water filled Marshal's veins. He knew now that TayTay certainly was the one who did this to him. Any normal person would have helped him by now. But no. She did this. She lured him here and trapped him-and sent away the other animals. "What happened to them?" Marshal whispered.
TayTay laughed, a charming, innocent laugh that seemed like it belonged in an amusement park or on a playground. "Don't worry about them, Marshal. I'm the only one you need."
"TayTay…" Marshal began, ready to beg for his freedom. He didn't know what she might have done to the others. Terror threatened to overwhelm him and he struggled to keep it at bay. He forced himself not to think of Peanut's smiling face and focused on the face before him. "TayTay, please let me out…!"
Her sweet smile did not falter.
"Please." Marshal forced a light laugh, trying to ease the tension of the situation. "I know I said I'd literally move in forever, but-"
"Oh, Marshal...you already have moved in forever." She laughed again.
"It was a joke!" he wailed desperately. "Please let me go! Please, sulky!"
Suddenly, TayTay thrust her head towards the cage, so that she and Marshal were practically nose-to-nose. Her eyes blazed with an intensity he hadn't been expecting and he stumbled backwards. Her mouth was set in a thin line and her expression was more serious than he had ever seen.
"Was this a joke too?" she hissed, shoving a crumpled piece of paper inside the cage. He flinched away as it fluttered to the ground. Her face was pressed up against the cage, eyes glaring, fists gripping the lattice. "Was it a joke when you left my town, abandoned our friendship, and threw everything we had into the dump? Was it a joke when you left me behind with nothing but this casual, cowardly farewell letter you wrote?"
"No!" Marshal cried out.
Her eyes narrowed coldly. "And was it a joke when you pretended not to remember me, all these years later? WAS IT?!"
"No, no," Marshal sobbed, unable to keep from crying.
"BECAUSE I'M NOT LAUGHING, MARSHAL!"
"I'm so sorry!" He cowered in one corner of the cage, tail wrapped tightly around his tiny body for comfort. "I'm sorry, TayTay, I'm sorry…!"
Suddenly, TayTay's grip on the cage relaxed. The intensity in her eyes faded and she closed them. "It's okay, Marshal," TayTay whispered. "...I forgive you."
Marshal looked up. "You do?"
"Yes. After all, you're never going to leave me again." Her eyes flew open, glittering brighter than ever. She grinned crookedly, baring all her teeth. "We're going to be together forever."
Marshal could do nothing but stare at his captor, shaking with fear. TayTay's horrifying expression sunk back into her normal sweet smile. Then, humming cheerfully, she skipped away. He watched her hop into her pink camper, tied with blue ribbon, and drive it away.
TayTay came by to visit every day after that, bringing Marshal food and gifts to keep him happy...though happiness was an impossible feat for him now. He could not escape this campsite no matter how hard he tried. Stuck in this cage, he would stare through the holes at an axe stuck in the stump of a tree. He fantasized about getting his paws on that axe and what he would do after…
But it never came to be.
Eventually, TayTay's visits became even more sparing. She came back once every few days. Once every week.
And then one day...
She never came back at all.