Chapter XXVIII: In the Radiant gardens part III

Nozomi still currently in her black squirrel form had searched high and low in the tree she was in for the Valkerie seedling. She'd been searching around as many trees as she could for at least an hour or more and still hadn't found a thing!

"Man! This is taking forever!" She complained aloud as she climbed to the highest tip of the tree she was in. But there had been some advantages to doing it for so long, for now she was used to jumping, scurrying and leaping in her current form, though it was still strange having a long fuzzy tail behind her.

Reaching the top finally she made her surveillance over the forest top, she could see loads of things from where she was, the blue and vastness of the summer sky, the many birds that twittered their pleasant tunes as they flew in and around the treetops. The rustling green of the many leaves in the woods, the shining thing on that tree branch and-

Suddenly she came to a halt as she looked back and then saw something was definitely glittering and shining in a tree that was opposite to her. She squinted her eyes as she tried to make it out better and had her tail around the tree's branch so she could lean her body forward more. Getting a better look she made it out to be an acorn of some kind that was shining golden in the light.

"That must be it there!" She cried out excited. With that she then scurried back down the tree she was in until she got to another branch that she thought would take her straight to it.

Unfortunately the branch she'd chosen didn't quite reach, as it was short by six or eight feet at most. "Darn it!" She breathed aloud disappointed. Looking at the shining acorn that was across from her on the tree she saw that there weren't any other trees that were close to it, "I guess I'll just have to walk along the bottom and-"

But then she stopped abruptly as there on the ground a creature came prowling along the bottom. A wolf. She stared at it with widened eyes, this wolf was smaller then the one she had encountered before and was brown in colour. It was also shaggy looking and looked dumb slightly but it didn't stop it from being a threat and a nuisance as she saw it licking its jaws up at her.

"Oh no not another wolf!" She complained aloud, this definitely meant she couldn't go and just walk across the tree, not with that wolf there.

Looking at it she saw it licking it's chops as it looked at her hungrily and eagerly and she then spoke to it annoyed, "oh yeah! You can lick all you want you're not going to eat me in a million years!"

Turning away from the wolf she looked back at the glittering acorn as she then made a quick calculation in her head. Nodding as she concluded it in her head she ran back to the inner branch she was on as she then geared herself ready to run, 'now my best long jump that I can do is six or seven and a half feet… I just gotta pray that my luck can even the odds!'

She lifted her tail ready for launch, "now focus everything!"

With that she then sped across the tree branch at the fastest speed she could, with an almighty burst of energy she jumped off the branch like a fast little black rocket.

The wolf looked at her eagerly as it saw her flying through the air it's tongue handing out of its mouth.

Nozomi though only concentrated on the nut as she sped across quickly, time seemed to slow down as she reached forward she looked on desperately reaching her right paw out as she came closer and closer to the glittering acorn.

Then before she knew it she made it! The acorn snapped off the twig it was on as she caught it! "I did it! I did it! I got it! I-" However unfortunately she hadn't taken in that gravity was now taking its toll as she was now falling in the air.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" She screamed loudly as she fell.

Grasping and reaching as she struggled to hold onto the nut, she was now falling against the tree's trunk as she tried to brake herself from the fall. But then she fell to the end of the trunk onto another branch in a hurry as she fell on a sleeping owl.

She scurried in a chaotic mess as she was gasping for air from the adrenalin rush, still holding the acorn close to her chest, suddenly the owl pulled itself together as it had woken up looking at her angrily as it batted at her with it's wings.

Nozomi was astounded and breathless as she still hung onto the nut, she tried to explain but unfortunately couldn't as the owl suddenly lunged at her quick with its wings that made her fall backwards in a hurry.

As she landed though she felt whatever was beneath her suddenly move and jump. It made odd mad chirping noises, moving quick with a stumble off of whatever it was she was on she backed away as she saw that it was another bird. A red one and was on a nest, she then immediately knew it was a mother bird.

"I'm sorry madam! I-" Nozomi tried desperately to bring out some kind of an apology as she tried to tried to explain things. Unfortunately the mother bird was going to have none of it as she started to peck as Nozomi's head really hard.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" She cried out loudly in pain as she ran away as quick as she could, she covered her head as best she could away from the mother bird's fierce pecks. Fortunately she came to an escape point as she jumped into a hole in the tree trunk, but then unfortunately the mother had caught her tail in her beak. Nozomi pulled away panicked as she tried desperately to get away, the pain was awful as she suddenly felt a few of her hairs come off as the mother bird pulled away.

Looking from within the tree she saw the mother bird spit out her tail fur as it chirped at her annoyed and angry as it made its way back it's nest. Nozomi's head ached from the pain she received as she then spoke, "ow! Man that was harsh! I was trying to say sorry, what was her problem anyway?"

Holding and looking at the nut that was in her paws now she sighed in relief as she spoke once more, "well at lest I've got it now so-"

Suddenly from behind her she heard rustling noises, looking behind her suspiciously in the darkness of the inside of the tree she saw that some leaves were moving.

"What's that there?" She asked, putting the nut next to the entrance of the hole to be safe she then proceeded to where the moving leaves were, dusting them away, and her expression of curiosity turned into surprise.

For there in the mess of red and brown leaves was a familiar shade of silver as she found Riku still in his squirrel form hiding in them, "snowball! What're you doing here?" She asked surprised.

Riku seeing Nozomi looked at her surprised himself and then alarmed as he said to her angrily, "you idiot! You've blown my cover! She's gonna-"

But then suddenly she arrived before he could say another word as the red squirrel spotted him as she looked through the tree hole entrance and had a look of joy on her face. Nozomi herself was baffled as she looked at her.

Suddenly then Riku like a bolt of lightning took off out of the entrance of the hole as he pushed Nozomi back, landing roughly she quickly went back to the entrance as she watched as the red girl squirrel catch onto his silver white tail and was holding onto it tightly.

She watched as Riku pulled her along as he looked back at her annoyed and then suddenly in a fit of klutziness like she had done only moments ago landed too on the red mother bird's nest.

She then too chirped angrily at him as she pecked his head hard as he tried to shield himself against her, however he hadn't noticed the owl in front of him as he bumped into him.

There was a fast scramble between him and the other two birds as he ran in a dizzy circle between them, but then he escaped as he ran to the nearest tree branch, the mother bird following closely behind. The owl was left breathless from the rush but suddenly the red girl squirrel jumped on him as she began her pursuit of Riku again. This left the owl to toot angrily at them as they sped away.

Nozomi having watched this display was quiet as the imagery set itself in her mind; she then started to laugh at the hilarity that had just happened. It was too much as a few tears appeared in her eyes as her sides ached with her laughter.

"Oh that snowball's too much!" She laughed loudly.

After a few more fits of giggles she then gradually calmed herself down as she then took a few deep breaths. "Well since that's done with, I think I'll go find mister Merlin sir!" With that she went back to the tree trunk hole and took the nut in her hand again as she then sped away to find Merlin.

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After another twenty or more minutes of hunting around Nozomi came to another tree branch and then finally she spotted him.

"Oh Mr Merlin sir!" She cried.

Holding the nut in her hand she showed it to him, "I've got this here, I think this is the Valkerie seed your looking for isn't it?"

Looking at Merlin then for the first time she saw he was leaning forward strangely for some reason as she stared at him. He looked at the glittering nut she had in her hands as he then cried out, "Oh thank heavens for that! Now you go and find that other lad so I can get out of my own mess!"

Nozomi was puzzled as she heard this, "mess? What mess?" She asked curiously.

"Well just look back there!" He cried out distressed as he then pointed his arms out to his back, looking Nozomi then saw to her surprise a fat red woman squirrel who was holding onto Merlin's blue tail as she played with it. She made it look like a wig on her head as she laughed aloud.

Nozomi was surprised and speechless, but then Merlin had reached back and had taken his tail in his paws snatching it back as he ran past her, " one side lass!"

Nozomi backed out of the way as quick as she could clutching the nut to her chest as suddenly the red fat woman squirrel came running by too. It made her unbalanced as she spun around and then tried to steady herself as best she could making sure not to drop the nut from her paws.

As they both rushed past her and out of sight Nozomi looked back at them as she then cried out to the woman squirrel, "watch where you're going! Honestly I nearly stumbled to my doom!"

Annoyed slightly she then proceeded to go and find Riku, but there was one thing at that moment she was grateful for, "I'm just glad I'm not a boy! These girl squirrels are all crazy."

Going up again on the nearest branch she went higher into the tree where she could get a good height and distance to see things. As she looked around the place she held the glowing acorn in her right arm suddenly then looking below she saw a familiar shade of silver white. However a she looked on she gasped in fright.

She saw Riku hanging from a broken tree branch that was giving away under his weight as it was becoming looser and looser from the trunk, then below she saw once again that horrible dumb looking wolf come over as it looked up at Riku, still hungry as ever as it licked it's sharp jaws.

Nozomi immediately panicked as she sprinted as fast as she could towards him crying out, "Riku! You idiot! What're you-"

She stopped then as she came to the end of the closest branch to him and reached her right hand down to him as her tail hung onto the branch with her left hand now holding the nut.

She hung on desperately to him as he tried to hang onto her, however her strength wasn't enough as then he slipped from her fingers and fell with the branch. She looked on panicked and frightened as then she saw that the branch had fallen on the wolf's head and had snapped in two with a crash.

It dumbfound the creature for a moment as it shook its head from the painful impact but then it got its act together as it saw Riku.

He was in a predicament now himself as his tail was stuck in the branch and he couldn't dislodge it as he tried to run, he also couldn't fight in this state either! The wolf stopped the moving branch with its huge claw stopping Riku in his tracks, as he looked at it his eyes wide in horror.

Nozomi seeing this felt herself snap as she then cried out angrily, "Don't you dare hurt him!" With that she ran down the branch and the tree's trunk ultra fast still holding the nut in her hand.

Riku still trying to get away desperately struggled against the branch as the wolf licked its lips and then lowered its head to enjoy it's lively prey.

Nozomi having now reached the bottom of the trunk then sped across quickly in her rage dropping the acorn fast as she shouted infuriated, "YOU STUPID-!"

With that she bit hurriedly into the wolf's leg, it howled loudly in pain as it felt her sharp small teeth dig into him.

However suddenly Nozomi stopped as she realised what she was doing and then quickly let go of the wolf's leg, "oh no…" she whispered alarmed. But suddenly the wolf began to try and get at her as it snapped it's angry jaws at her black squirrel tail.

She ran quickly dodging the beasts jaws right and left as she cried out loudly, "get off! Get away from me! Aggh!"

As she sped back and forth she suddenly came to the end of a cliff, she looked at it wide-eyed as she charged on forwards. She then jumped off the edge and lifted her tail out of the way as the wolf tried to snap at her again.

Taking the time it was distracted she jumped on it's hind as she jumped forwards back to the cliff's edge, grasping onto a dead tree branch nearby she gasped for air. The adrenalin still pumping fast and furious in her, then looking back at the wolf she looked at it angrily.

She watched as it fell forwards with a few rocks becoming dislodged and then it knocked into a log that sped down the hillside quickly after the wolf as it then landed in the river below.

The rocks landed in as then the wolf came up and unfortunately was trapped inside the log as it became lodged in its centre, she then watched as the floating log wolf started to float down river.

Nozomi now fully recovered looked at the wolf mad as she then shouted out angrily to it, "that'll teach you! Ya dumb animal! No body hurts my friends!"

With an angry huff she then quickly went back to make sure Riku was all right, she called out to him, "hey snowball! Riku are you-"

However she stopped as she saw Riku was being hugged and embraced by none other than the red girl squirrel, looking at the sight before her, she watched her stroke her red head against his silver white chest, she felt deflated slightly.

"Oh?" She asked as she looked at the sight.

Staring at the two for a moment she turned and got the shining acorn as she held it in her paws again as she dusted it slightly looking away. She then spoke, "I guess you're happy aren't you?"

Riku having seen her and her reaction then spoke to her irritated, "I am not happy! Now will you get her off of me!?"

Nozomi still feeling a little irritation inside her turned and looked back, but then looking at the sight she felt it subside as she couldn't believe how funny it was seeing Riku all flustered.

She smiled as she then replied, "and why would I want to break up this happy couple?" She added with a little laugh.

Riku however only looked at her more annoyed but then suddenly from above them they heard an outburst, "by George!"

Looking startled Nozomi looked up as did Riku as they saw Merlin fall from the trees in his blue squirrel form he fell against a few twigs as he finally landed in a sea of green leaves.

"I've had enough of this nonsense!" He spoke out angrily and Nozomi watched as the big red woman squirrel come down from the tree trunk, as she looked joyful.

Suddenly the mighty words came, "Alakasam!"

Nozomi then watched in a blue cloud of magic as Merlin rose from the leaves now back to his old human form as he looked really cross and quite monstrous to her.

The woman squirrel screamed at the transformation, Merlin then spoke again as he proceeded out of the leaves and moved to get rid of the ones that were still covering his body, "there are ya see! I'm an ugly horrible grouchy old man!"

The woman squirrel in a rushed hurry sped up the tree she'd come from as she then looked at him really cross herself as she shook her head vigorously and uttered more squirrel language. Merlin however retorted back as he made a series of bark like noises scaring her away.

As he finished though Nozomi and Riku both cried out, "Merlin!" "Mr Merlin Sir!"

Hearing them he proceeded over to where he could see them and then spoke to them as he spied what was going on as he smiled, "oh see here you are then!"

"Yup right here Sir! Acorn intact and all!" Nozomi spoke with a smile as she waved it to him.

"Merlin just hurry up with the magic!" Riku spoke as he too had had enough of this over affection.

"Snick, snack, snore'em!"

Then in a poof Nozomi and Riku were returned to their human forms once more, Nozomi with her short black hair and lilac coloured eyes and pale skin in her striped purple and blue top and pink waistcoat, down to her blue trousers with the white veils. Then Riku was back to normal as sat back against the rock in his black top, white and yellow collared waistcoat and then his purple long trousers. His hand was in his white silver coloured hair as he scratched it tired from the experience as he looked at the squirrel that hugged him and then suddenly she stopped as she realised he'd changed.

He sighed as he then spoke to her, "you see, I'm not a squirrel, I'm a boy."

The squirrel looked at him confused as she spoke squirrel language though in a questioning manner.

Nozomi meanwhile had walked over to Merlin and had given him the acorn who looked at it thoughtfully as he saw its shine. Walking over she then spoke to the squirrel with a sad smile, "yeah sorry girl, he's a human boy."

The girl squirrel looked at her and then back to Riku as he stared back at her himself, her eyes became sad as Nozomi talked again, "look, I'm sorry we tried to tell you, really we-"

Then she was cut off as she watched her jump off Riku's knee and then scurry back up a nearby tree as she looked from the entrance of a hole. She sniffed more sadly, Nozomi was feeling rally bad now as she tried again though sounding very apologetic, "I'm sorry lady, I wish I could let you understand."

But then as she spoke these words the squirrel went into the trunk, Nozomi heard her crying she looked down truly sad and full of regret, as she had no way to soothe the squirrel girls pain.

Riku however walked up from behind her as he then said with a hand on her shoulder, "come on, let's go."

Nozomi looked back at him as she still looked depressed, but then she followed Riku as they joined Merlin. The old man shook his head as he told them, "You know that love business is a powerful thing…"

Riku was quiet as he listened as Merlin continued, "surely it must be one of the most powerful forces on earth."

Nozomi hearing this then made her own reply, "yeah that's true… but it's one of the most painful in the world."

Riku hearing her then said, "idiot…"

Nozomi looked at him a little annoyed slightly as she thought he was going to make another argument with her again, but then he continued, "You don't have to tell me…I already know what it's like."

Hearing this she then remembered back to what he'd told her in Notre dame about his own unrequited love, she felt bad again having dug up old wounds. So walking quietly with her companions they proceeded out of the world of the storybook. The red squirrel girl watched them leave as she cried a little slightly.