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CHAPTER 8: SHADOWS
"Sue?"
The once-human's mouth was left agape as she processed the show, the sheer power so casually displayed putting her on edge. Were those... just performers, or actual fighters? Were they an exception, or was that just how strong everyone here was?
Was there anyone around here that couldn't break her body in half in one way or another-
"Sue?"
Another attempt finally snapped her out of her shock. Sue blinked her daze off before looking over at the visibly concerned Solstice.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"I... yeah, I think sho. Just... didn't expect that."
Solstice nodded with a light smile, patting her shoulder afterwards.
"That's very understandable, hah."
"It was sooooo cool!"
Spark's excitement did a great job of diffusing Sue's worries; the Forest Guardian's shaky hand reaching down to keep petting the kit after setting the other kiddo down. Her sixth sense let her know Joy's reaction was not unlike her own, if with less existential dread and more awe.
"Yeah, it was. M-makesh me wonder how did nobody get hurt."
"Practice, practice, practice. I'm sure they've rehearsed their entire routine in full over a dozen times before tonight, and if I know anything about Snowdrop, she'd ensured they had a plan for everything that could have gone wrong."
Sundance's explanation of the group's precautions calmed Sue down a bit. Guess it all wasn't as insane as it looked like at a glance. Still, with the sheer amount of flashy and dangerous looking moves happening in quick succession, she couldn't help but wonder at how bad would the aftermath of something going wrong be.
"I-I can imagine. Wouldn't it end horribly if someone did shlip up regardless, though? That all looked really scary."
"It'd be ugly, and they'd need medical care, but there's no way anyone's risking death to begin with, hah."
"And as Snowdrop had explained to me, they're pulling their punches the entire time. They just know how to not let it show."
Sue wasn't sure which of these facts concerned her more. That most of the creatures here could survive a burning kick, a thunderbolt, a stone spike, or whatever the hell that laser was, or the casually admitted truth that this wasn't even the worst any of them could do.
Drop literally anyone from here on Earth in medieval times, and they'd be worshiped as a god.
"I'm sure she won't mind going over it all with you either, Sue, if we can spot her amongst the crowd at least. Until then, let's eat lest our meals get cold."
As awestruck as everyone still was, Sundance's comment did a good job of snapping them back to the reality of having a delicious feast right in front of them. Comet reached out towards the dumplings on a nearby table, managing to pick a couple of them up with his psychic magic before Solstice put them back down.
"One at a time sweetie~. Oh, Spark, do you need help with getting something within reach?"
In her pondering, Sue hadn't even noticed Spark's feeble attempts at grabbing foodstuffs from the table. The vixen stood on her hind legs and tried pulling the nearby items with her front paws, accomplishing nothing but ineffectual swats at the bowls and plates.
"Yeah..."
"Doncha worry sweetie, your evolution is coming any day now and sooner or later, all these struggles will turn into distant memories. Not much space left on the bench; mind if I place your bowl on the ground, Spark?"
"But then I won't be in Sue's lap- I mean, I won't be warming up Joy anymore!"
"I think Joy will manage a moment without your warmth, Sparkie~. Speaking of. Joy, do you want me to move your portion to somewhere within reach too?"
The overly toothy creature beside Sue jumped at being addressed by the Mayor of this entire village; the sound snapping her out of passively taking the display in. Both Forest Guardians felt a pang of fear rock her small body, the sensation making the once-human hold Joy closer to her side.
Solstice had no idea why one of their more recent arrivals was so spooked by her and Sundance all of a sudden. Regardless of the reason, though, she knew what to do, deciding to play it safe to win some of Joy's trust back, hopefully. She moved Comet to her other arm, freeing the one closer to the toothy little one, before slowly reaching her hand over and offering it to the girl.
"Joy, I promise you, you're welcome here. Everyone is, no matter their form or shape. Nobody's gonna hurt you here."
As effective as the careful words turned out to be, Sue felt another emotion coming from nearby. The blip of unamused scoffing was brief, almost unnoticeable, especially in how it wasn't vocalized or even displayed on the vixen's expression.
So many questions, and this one in particular feels like the kind you don't ask in polite company.
Fortunately, the toothy girl was unaware of Sue's concerns.
The entirety of her attention focused on Solstice's green hand, the Forest Guardian's gentle smile gradually making her less and less intimidating. Eventually, Joy reached back with her own hand; the black limb only big enough to hold on to a single finger.
Solstice sighed in relief as Sue carefully held the lil' one closer; the gesture coupled with extra head pats, making Joy squirm and break into a light blush.
"So~ want me to move you something over there?"
This time, the little one's response was a timid nod, as opposed to being paralyzed in fear. There was still some reluctance in her emotions and actions, of course, but not enough to make her entirely unresponsive. After a moment of consideration, Joy settled on what looked like sugared fruit slices, confirming her selection with a shaky nod.
Solstice's smile grew as her eyes lit up; a few pieces of candied fruit getting picked up together with small portions of healthier meals. A spoonful of veggie salad, a crispy slice of bread, and a cup of water to accompany them; the latter left on the table as the rest was placed beside Joy in a small bowl.
Right as the girl was about to bite in with her front half, Sue caught her attention with a gentle pat, her smile wide and proud.
"What do you shay when someone d-does something nice to you?"
Sue might not have been Joy's parent, but if she could help teach the wild child some manners, she wouldn't decline that excuse. What she didn't expect to happen, though, was for the toothy girl to stare at her in utmost confusion, her head chewing through the unintentional puzzle.
She literally didn't know.
A great oppotunity to teach her!
"You say 'thank you'."
The tyke's reaction cemented Sue's hunch. Joy slowly nodded in response as she turned to look at Solstice, huddling closer to the friendly Forest Guardian next to her before opening her front mouth-
And vocalizing a bunch of gibberish.
It took Sue a while to figure out what happened, the rest of the table similarly confused. The eventual revelation was as simple as it was unexpected; Joy's attempt at repeating the literal words 'thank you' the way Sue had said them ending up almost entirely incomprehensible.
With the once-human having cracked the mystery, Solstice wasn't far behind, chuckling quietly before chiming in.
"Teehee, Sue doesn't speak the same language as the rest of us, sweetie. We say it like 'thank you'."
Sue had to focus past the translation she was being provided to pick out the actual sounds being uttered. The phrase sounded odd, almost as if Solstice was whistling it out; her pitch constantly moving up and down.
Weird or not, Joy got the clue this time, nodding before giving it a shot herself.
"T-t-tha-thank y-y-you."
Sue's focus on the physical sounds everyone around her was making let her realize that Joy's version wasn't even close to how Solstice had said it. The little one's vocalizations were dry and harsh, far from Solstice's smooth whistle, with only the cadence matching up.
"There you go~ and you're welcome sweetie, enjoy the feast! And so do you, Sue!"
Solstice's response snapped Sue out of her bewilderment; the mystery of the village's language added onto the mental confusion fort as she refocused on the delicious treats in front of her. With no knowledge of what any of the displayed dishes were, she opted to grab one of the sugared fruit slices and gave it a tentative bite.
Sue's attention shifted over to Joy as they both savored the treat; the third eye confirming what the first two saw clearly. Joy was loving it, and… yeah, it tasted good, really good even. It definitely didn't come off as something someone this young would appreciate a lot, though.
What she'd thought to be sugar turned out to be anything but; the white spice tasting very zesty, almost spicy. It was unlike anything she'd ever had, leaving behind warmth reminiscent of mulled wine.
The fruit underneath the spice wasn't anything she recognized, either. It looked vaguely citrusy, but was nowhere near sour enough to match any citrus Sue'd had ever eaten.
Wonder if the plants here are also mutated, and I just hadn't noticed.
Musings on the precise nature of this world's ecosystem were best left until bedtime.
The day might have been too busy for Sue to pay much attention to having not had anything since her rushed breakfast, but now that she'd gotten some actual food in her mouth, her stomach wouldn't let her walk away unsated. The quickly building hunger made her grab a bit of every meal within reach, starting with the dumplings that Comet had just tried to grab.
Ohhhh, that was a satisfying crunch.
The stuffing wasn't anything to sneeze at, either. Mix of boiled grains and roasted mushrooms in thick, gravy-like sauce. Even if Forest Guardian Sue was growing increasingly repulsed by even the thought of eating meat, Human Sue still remembered how wonderful a good stew could be, and this hit all the same notes.
Sue didn't think of herself as being terrible at cooking or anything. She made it work day-to-day, even if her meals were on the simpler side. The gourmet display in front of her, though, made her usual dinners feel like buttered toast bread in comparison; the sheer difference in richness and diversity of flavours almost indescribable.
She knew because she ended up having a bite of every single dish on the table.
Her feast continued even as the rest of the group slowed down, their chatter little more than background noise for the once-human. All that mattered was that she was getting filled up, and that her taste buds were in heaven.
Even the drinks are great!
Perfectly chilled water went a long way, but the juice in a pitcher beside it was somehow even better. Not too dissimilar to apple and mint, but with none of their cloying or unpleasant aftertaste; the tiny pinch of bitterness making it much more refreshing.
Hungry as she might've felt, Sue's stomach did not have infinite capacity. As it got filled up, her increasingly heavy head shifted from savouring every bite back to pondering just what she was eating, the food coma making it a profoundly difficult task.
Right as she was about to pour herself another glass of juice, though, Sue's shoulder got lightly shaken, snapping her back to reality with a few confused blinks.
"Hmm? S-sorry, I must've shpaced out bad..."
"Oh, you very much did, ahahaha!"
As her cheeks were burning in embarrassment at Willow's comment, Sue glanced around the now much emptier table. Joy was long since done with her portion and had dozed off in the meantime, resting her head and the large black maw on her lap in a way Sue was baffled that she hadn't noticed until now. Comet was similarly sleeping in his mom's arms, and Spark was…
…absent, it seemed.
"All good Sue, you must've been starving!"
"Yeah, I haven't had anything shince breakfast..."
"No wonder you cleaned up half the table, then. Sating that kind of hunger is its own trance, and I would know."
Sundance smirked, helping Sue feel better about it all as Solstice spoke up.
"Shook you out since Snowdrop is around, and it felt like you had wanted to chat with her about the show her team put on~."
The Mayor's words woke Sue up the rest of the way as her eyes scanned the nearby tables, finding most cleaned up of any food and some already entirely vacant. Among them hovered the mostly white performer; a look from up close revealed her to look even weirder than the once-human could've expected.
The two extensions that she'd previously identified as arms turned out to sprout from where ears would normally be. These weren't even the only oddity about her appearance, not with a couple of stubby horns made of honest-to-god ice and a pair of red extensions that reminded Sue of wings on her back.
It all added up to an appearance that was tapdancing on the line between ethereal, intimidating, and slightly goofy, though her graceful movements swung the needle closer to the former.
She was presently chatting with the bipedal gray rhino Sue saw topple trees around the construction site the other day. It was hard to sense their emotions from the distance, but their increasingly nervous expressions gave her the feel of someone getting shot down.
At least they took it well, all things considered.
With one last exhale, they nodded and left the icy white one with a brief comment, heading back to their group afterwards. Predictably, it was mostly other builders, with the addition of who Sue realized to be the blue performer from the recent spectacle.
With both of them standing right beside each other, their anatomical similarity became much more obvious. Bipedal with a massive tail and a horn on their head, entire body covered with massive, stone-like scales, and cream coloured parts on the front. Despite being noticeably shorter than the gray one, the blue one was behaving in a much more maternal way, patting the larger rhino on the back.
By themselves at first, but it didn't take long for the rest of the group to contribute. Granite pulled as much of the rhino into a hug as his four gray arms were capable of. The brown, quilled pangolin settled on a couple weak pats instead, and the red metal insect and the dark blue beetle kept themselves to only words.
"Should I call her over for you?"
Solstice's question snapped Sue out of her focus, leaving her gulping at the idea. The icy performer deciding to float over on her own and her using it to get a couple questions in was one thing, but calling Snowdrop over just to sate her curiosity was a different matter altogether.
It'd put a spotlight on her, but it's not like there was another way of getting answers for her questions. And she was surrounded by friends to boot, can't ask for a better opportunity to get used to being more social.
None of that's really helping on an anxiety level, but I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet.
"Shure."
The Forest Guardian distracted herself by petting the sleeping, toothy creature as she waited for Snowdrop to float over. Joy was no Spark in how comfortable petting her felt, but it was nice in its own right. Her front half was adorable, and when it laid inert like that, even the menacing maw looked pettable. Sue's brief, tentative pets made the unconscious child squirm closer to her as-
* ~whistle~ *
Once Sue was done calming her racing heart, she looked to the side towards the sound's origin. Solstice somehow kept the whistle quiet enough to not draw literally everyone's attention, melodic enough to not wake either of the little ones up, and still loud enough to accomplish its purpose.
Snowdrop soon got the cue, turning around mid-air and hovering right towards them, her inscrutable expression gradually shifting into a smile.
"Good evening, ma'am~. Enjoyed the show~?"
Sue sure didn't expect a creature this ethereal-looking to sound so... teasing.
"Hello, Snowdrop! And hah, how could I not? Your performance was thrilling as always, though my poor heart sure didn't like how risky some of that looked."
"It's all about looking risky indeed~. How can I help you~?"
"Well~. It was Sue here's first time watching a show like that, and she was really impressed and had some questions for you, if you don't mind."
Snowdrop's attention shifted from one Forest Guardian to the other, her expression softening the more of Sue she took in. One of her ear-hands give her a little wave, one that Sue soon awkwardly reciprocated. She couldn't deny feeling a bit weird at being eyed like she was, though she wasn't sure if it was good weird or bad weird.
"Ah, I see~ oh! Goodness, forgive me for not recognizing you sooner~. You're the one that saved little Spark, no~?"
Sue simply nodded, squirming in her seat as her heroic feat was brought up again.
"Well, I've got all the time in the world for you then~. Pleasure to meet you, Sue~. What would your cute face want to know~?"
...my cute face?
If Sue wasn't busy being dumbfounded by the tone of the question, she would've noticed the rest of the table holding in giggles at her reaction. Instead, she pushed past it, hoping to get some of her previous curiosity answered.
"Umm... how d-do you ensure that nobody getsh hurt?"
Sue saw the icy one's expression briefly falter at the way she spoke, forcing Snowdrop to rely on the mental link to get meaning out of her gibberish. She didn't linger on it, thankfully, shaking her confusion off and answering shortly after.
"Well, that's an awfully wide question~. Broadly speaking, it all reduces to deliberately missing when we can, keeping track of each other's cues, and putting in as little power as we can while maintaining appearances~. A stage like that has its advantages~. Everyone is looking from broadly the same angle and from below, so we can move on slightly different planes~."
Snowdrop promptly demonstrated what she meant. She lifted both 'hands' so that their 'palms' faced Sue, before sliding them past each other. The gap between them was so small it made them look like they were about to bump into each other- until they kept not doing that, gradually breaking the illusion.
"Very important to keep on dodging to maintain the spectacle~."
The weird tone continued, but at least Sue was getting her answers now.
"I-I see. And what was that about putting in little power, pulling your punchesh- how's that work?"
"Tsk~ tsk~ tsk~ I can't just reveal all my secrets to anyone who asks now, not with so many people around~. That latter fact could get remedied if you'd like~."
Sue's initial train of thought went to a place much, much darker than was intended.
Sundance almost spat out her drink at overhearing it as the once-human began to catch onto Snowdrop's actual meaning. So, she'd tell her somewhere with not as many people around, and was offering to take her there. Which probably meant a walk, most likely on their own-
...
…
...is she… hitting on me?
Sue's face went flush at the thought, wide eyes looking to Sundance for answers. The fiery vixen confirmed her hunch with a nod, leaving Sue in a wholly unfamiliar position. And then another once she'd responded, one she hoped she would never have to be in.
"I-I- umm- I-I'm sorry Snowdrop, I don't- I don't shwing that way."
She wasn't even sure if that was the case. Even if it wasn't, though, being put on the spot without ever having a chance to untangle her feelings about romantic attraction led Sue to stick to what she'd assumed was true.
Sue's heart sank as she watched the icy performer sigh in defeat, her expression deflating by the moment. Something told the once-human this wasn't the first, or even the tenth time this has happened to her.
"That's alright. Oh well. Wish finding someone was easier..."
A motion in her peripheral vision caught Snowdrop's attention; the frosty tease waving back at the blue rhino before speaking up once more.
"I'll have to be going now. Though, if you ever want some more of your curiosity answered, or... anything else, I'll be around, Sue~. Until then, have a good night, you all."
"Take care, Snowdrop, and may She keep your rest peaceful. That show was really somethin', I tell you!"
"Aww thank you, Willow~! We wouldn't have gone as far as we did if not for your first aid lessons, really made us more comfortable pushing the limits. Oh, hey there Sparkie~."
The vulpine bark of Spark's response caught Sue's attention as the fiery kit climbed back onto the bench beside her. Her big friend's lap being occupied prevented her from proceeding further, but the kit didn't let it get to her, waving her all the while.
"Sue, Sue! My friends wanna meet you, wanna come over and say hi?"
Spark's words took Sue aback a bit, but on a second thought, she really wasn't opposed to that. There were some obvious issues with that idea, though, ones Sundance immediately vocalized.
"Sweetie, can't they come here? It's much harder for Sue to walk than them."
"I knoooowww, but their parents won't let them! They're not too far from here, though!"
"Will you even be capable of communicating with Sue? Maybe I ought to come too-"
"No no no, we have a psychic that can talk to her! Please mom, pleeeeease~!"
Sundance just rolled her eyes and chuckled. Sure, sure, don't want herself to get embarrassed in front of her friends.
"It's not me who you ought to ask for this, sweetie. If Sue is alright with it, then so am I."
Even in the dim lighting, Spark's puppy eyes were as super effective as ever.
"Shure, sure. Just need to get Joy off my lap, and I can come."
"Yay yay yay!"
While Spark wriggled in joy, Joy was being levitated over onto Solstice's lap. The brief period in between one lap and the other made her stir a bit, but ultimately her rest remained uninterrupted.
With that adorable weight off her lap, Sue got up, stretching her joints after several hours of near motionlessness. Full stomach and exhaustion made her somehow feel even less mobile than usual.
"Follow me!"
And follow Spark she did, slowly picking up the pace as her arm warmed up again.
The fiery kit led Sue between tables, firepits, and beings of all shapes and sizes, be they sitting, standing, walking or even asleep. Her passage was barely catching anyone's attention by now, helping greatly in keeping her calm.
Enough so to let her take in all the scenes they were passing by.
The leafy caretaker she'd met a couple of times by now sat next to several unusual beings. Sue didn't have too much time to take their appearance in, mentally jotting them down as a white sphere the size of her arm and a green-white serpent with a yellow collar, respectively. These two weren't the only beings around, though, not with a small, brown pony and a pink, bat-like… something she couldn't quite make out because of the lighting sneaking up behind the white sphere.
The green snake might've been trying to contribute to the hissed, clicked, and growled chat around their table, but they couldn't resist joining the two sneaky beings once they had spotted them. With a brief glance around, they slithered off the bench, scooting up behind the two stealthy creatures and helping the pink bat climb onto the white sphere.
Whatever the latter was, it had seemingly just woken up, leaving the bat laughing loudly as they clung to the white mass. It only took moments before everyone else was giggling along or becoming increasingly confused, the shenanigans continuing until the blue cloud bird had noticed the bat and chirped at them to get down. Probably.
It had to have been the most pleasant sounding 'get down!' Sue ever heard if that was the case.
Splitleaf might not have noticed her passing by, but Hazel did.
The two locked eyes as the once-human passed by, her expression softening at the scene beside her. As opposed to any more heart attack inducing pranks, the ghostly prankster was busy petting the sleeping Poppy, the fairy cook's head resting on the ghost's lap. For once, it was Hazel that got flustered, looking away from Sue even as she continued her affection in full.
Guess even Hazel can be cute.
Sue had little time left to linger on that topic, though. Without any warning, Spark took a sudden turn away from the festivities soon after, constantly looking over her shoulder to check whether her big friend was still following her.
"Shpark?"
She knew the kit couldn't understand her, but the question in her voice was clear enough. All Spark did, though, was tilt her head to tell Sue to keep following her; the gestures paired with urgent, anxious woofs. With no actual communication, this was the best she was gonna get, leaving the once-human with no choice but to follow the fiery kit.
Straight into the treeline.
"Spark, wh-where are you taking me..."
The answer turned out to be just a few meters ahead, the kit stopping and turning around in the dark. It was a few meters Sue took her sweet time getting to; her steps as slow as possible to avoid tripping on any sneaky roots or other inanimate objects. Spark waited patiently all the while, her fiery eyes piercing the darkness as her friend approached-
And was hit by a sudden wall of light.
The abrupt stimuli almost threw Sue off balance as she shielded her eyes with her free arm. Once she'd overcome the impromptu flashbang, she tried looking at what had caused it; the scene providing many fewer answers than it did further questions.
A small bonfire had appeared out of nowhere, just a couple of feet in front of her. Startling as that was, it wasn't even the only sudden addition to the small clearing. The two other creatures that were now present took Sue aback, if both for very different reasons.
Hello again, 'dipshit that stole my peaches'.
The lil' dark fox remained as invisible to her sixth sense as always. A faint blue sheen filled their eyes as they looked up at her with an excited expression, wasting no time before scrambling over to join Spark in nuzzling Sue's legs.
The other creature around the fire was not necessarily harder to describe, but for sure harder to make any sense of anatomically. They were mostly composed of a… large, pastel-colored hat, reminding her of something Merlin might've worn. Except this one had a tiny, pinkish, humanoid body hanging from underneath it, their pinprick eyes staring at her curiously.
There's absolutely no way hanging like this can be in any way comfortable.
As Sue tried to focus on kinda-braid, kinda-hand, kinda-neither extensions on the back of the creature's… hat, she suddenly felt an uncomfortable wriggling in her head. It wasn't too dissimilar from the sensation she felt right before Sundance first spoke to her, but much, much rougher and more than a bit painful. Thankfully, it was over before long, leaving her to rub her temples and gather her bear-
"^Okay I got it! She can hear you now Pollux!^"
The very high pitched, very squeaky, very girly voice took Sue aback, as did the cheeky, boyish one that followed.
"Yes! Thank you thank you Thistle!"
The sudden voices left Sue too stunned to really process through the implications of the words. All the surprise combined with the constant nuzzles of the two kits made it difficult to keep standing, forcing the once-human to sit down on a nearby fallen log. Both foxes were there before she could even finish sitting down, with the pastel creature following soon after. As they did, though, they briefly stopped and winced in pain; one braid-hand-something reached up to rub the side of its hat.
"^S-so many people...^"
Overwhelming as the scene was, everything clicked into place soon after, especially with the darker fox, Pollux, continuing the outpouring of his affection, speaking up again shortly after.
"Thank you, thank you, Sh-s-Shue! We were goners if not for you! I-I was s-so scared, a-a-and-"
The excitement in his voice cracked at the recollection of that almost tragic day, words stopping as he pressed his increasingly teary snout into her side. Sue had enough experience with Spark to know what to do; both hands carefully petting the two fox kiddos as they huddled closer to her.
"Y-yhou're w-welcome, P-Pollux."
As the dark fox sniffled and calmed down, the hatted creature took the space on Sue's other side, observing the entire scene with as big of a smile as their tiny face could contain.
"...a-and I-I'm sorry f-for stealing your P-Pecha..."
Guess I know the name of at least one local fruit now.
Sue giggled tiredly at Pollux's apology, continuing her affection. She most definitely appreciated it, especially with how much his prank had initially spooked her, making that appreciation clear through more pets. Pollux's fur was nowhere near as soft or warm as Spark's, but the entire experience was no less lovely as a result.
"Apology accepted~."
"I-I just thought it was Solstice, and d-didn't see the difference until after..."
The Forest Guardian didn't comment on that, filing that admission into a mental drawer to come back to later. Right now, the little ones needed affirmation, and she needed answers about what was going on here, starting with their talents.
"It's okay, it's okay. I-I've gotta shay, I've never run into someone that can do what you did, with that d-disguise and all..."
The comment perked Pollux back up, his expression turning sly as he repeated his feat from the previous day. In an instant, he'd once more turned into the orange striped lion-dog once more. This time, though, it only lasted for a moment before he reverted to his former appearance.
"Hehe~! We're hard to find with our illusions~. Oh, Spark told us you're from really far away!"
"^Yeah! And that there are only Normal types and Forest Guardians there- does that mean you've never seen a Dark type before?^"
The hat creature's high-pitched words inadvertently steered the conversation over towards where Sue actually wanted it to go, the once human nodding firmly in response.
"^See! I told you Pollux!^"
"No way! Really!?"
"Mhm~. You gave me a bit of a shcare!"
"Teehee... s-sorry."
"Don't worry, P-Pollux, it's okay. I'm glad I finally got to meet you. Though- you're not a D-Dark type, are you~?"
Her question was directed to the hat creature, with the quieter moment letting her check for herself. And, indeed, the more girlish of the strangers wasn't just not Dark, but seemingly a fellow Psychic, answering the riddle of how they were all even talking in the first place.
"^Of course not, didn't you feel me connecting us all?^"
Sue gulped quietly, realizing only in hindsight how weird of a question by a supposedly fellow Psychic it was to ask, trying to justify it somehow.
"I-I did, I-I just wasn't shure, I've never seen a- a you either."
"^I can tell; you're not scared! My name is Thistle!^"
The immense whiplash between Thistle's upbeat tone and the incredibly unnerving implication of her words slapped Sue across the face so hard it left a mark.
It took her a good while to blink her confusion away as she stared at the adorable cotton candy-colored hat girl, asking the obvious once she'd recovered.
"...wh-why would I be shcared of you?"
"^My mom told me our kin are really mean and aggressive in the wild! A-and that almost everyone fears us because of that...^"
Having to explain that poked a hole in Thistle's enthusiasm, excitement turning into somber, sadder feelings. Sue was still confused as all hell at her words, having a very hard time imagining the goofy pastel Psychic acting aggressive in any way, or even just being remotely scary.
That didn't stop her desire to cheer Thistle back up, though. She was about to reach in to contribute some pets before realizing she had no idea where on the hat creature was alright for her to touch.
What in the world was this hat-like growth anyway-
"^That's my hair! And anywhere on it is fine!^"
That was the one answer Sue absolutely wasn't expecting, but the clarification was nice, she supposed.
With how subtle Sundance and Solstice were, she wouldn't have guessed the next Psychic she'd meet would be so… nonchalant about acting on her unspoken thoughts. The realization brought with itself a pang of fear that Sue soon shook off. It really didn't feel like this was being done for any malicious reason.
Maybe it was just how Thistle's 'species' was.
Wanting to calm her down, Sue gently petting along the blue 'brim' of the hair 'hat', the surface feeling much closer to skin than bundled-up hair. Odd as her anatomy was, Thistle wasn't enjoying it any less than the two vulpine kiddos, her pinprick eyes closing as she lightly swayed in place.
Three different kiddos to pet, a nearby campfire, a much quieter atmosphere than the feast.
As unnerved as Sue was walking here, this little scene turned out to be much more pleasant than she could've ever hoped for. She closed her eyes for a bit, taking it all in as she dispensed affection indiscriminately between the three, their small bodies cuddling her more and more by the moment.
Before long, though, the burning question on her mind reared its head again.
"So, why are we hiding here-"
The louder call coming from behind her made Sue jump in her seat, a glance over her shoulder barely making out a figure looking at them from the edge of the clearing. Pollux's and Thistle's reaction was instantaneous. The ablaze bonfire was suddenly suspended in an intense pink glow and instantly smothered as the two took off into the pitch black tree line. Spark barked something back at the voice shortly after as the once-human sat stunned at the suddenness of it all, brain still playing catchup.
Spark's gentle yank on her skin dress finally snapped Sue out of her startle as her eyes got used to the dark again. After taking a minute to find her crutch, Sue shakily got up and followed the lil' firefox back into Moonview. Somehow, she ended up being even more confused than before.
What were they doing here in the first place?
Why so close to the village?
Why did Thistle run too?
How come nobody noticed them sooner?
How come she didn't see the bonfire until she was right next to it?
Could hair that looked so hat-like really be called hair anymore?
And of course, the question at the root of it all.
Why is Pollux hiding from Moonview in the first place?
In her dejected pondering, Sue almost didn't notice the appearance of the being that had startled them all.
Would've been one hell of a feat had she kept it up.
The plume of pinkish flames flowing from the back of their head stood out right away; their shape almost looking like an odd ponytail. Even beside the flames, Sue felt heat radiate off of their reddish, bipedal body as she walked beside them, prompting her to steer half a step further away, just in case. The closer point of view let her realize that the bright plates covering their upper arms and torso were large, curved pottery shards, burned almost all the way to pure white.
Sue had no idea whatsoever just what they were.
Somewhat ethereal appearance, the pieces of pottery, all the flames… yeah, she got nothing. Maybe some sort of forge spirit? Not that 'forge spirits' ever made any sense as actual living beings, and Sue wouldn't have ever expected a being like that to be so human-shaped in the first place, anyway. Could be a spirit, could be some sort of fire elemental, could literally just be a really hot guy.
Or girl.
Either way, they were about as confused about her and Spark as she was about them, which… fair.
Thankfully, the lil' fox took all the talking upon herself as the flaming being escorted them closer to their table before splitting up. Spark in particular found their departure greatly relieving, immediately scooting over to nuzzle Sue's legs once the fire person left. Most tables were completely empty by now, most of the remaining feast-goers cleaning up after themselves.
Who would've thought that bestial freaks of nature had better table manners than my college year.
Their table hadn't been spared the cleanup either. Dishes weren't the only thing that were suddenly gone, though, Willow similarly absent. Sundance sighed loudly the moment the two stepped back into view, immediately speaking up with exasperation-
"Goodness Spark, where were your friends at, the Central City?"
"Sorry! Tassel's family was at the other end of the clearing! It took us a while to get there!"
Sue rolled her eyes at their long absence being blamed for her, but didn't dwell on it for long. She had no idea whether Solstice or Sundance had caught Spark's lie. Even if they had, though, they weren't showing it in any obvious way.
"Sure, sure~. An appropriate time for us to head home as well."
"Y-yeah-yaaawnn-"
Excitement quickly burned into exhaustion for both Spark and Sue now that they were back with the rest of the group. The unanswered questions didn't help, but thankfully for Sue, she soon grew too tired to focus on them. Much the same was true of Solstice; the older Forest Guardian looking like she was only keeping herself awake through the sheer force of will.
The two sleeping kids in her arms and on her lap didn't help, either.
"Mrs. Solstice, what about you? Aren't you and Sue going to bed too?"
Spark's question staved Solstice's sleep off that bit more; Moonview's Mayor yawning and stretching as she switched to telepathy to answer-
"^We are- just waiting for Astra to pick Joy up and we'll rest, too- oh there she is, thank the Pale Lady.^"
Sue followed Solstice's line of sight at her comment, looking over her shoulder and up at the sky. A large silhouette was approaching fast, much larger and faster than any creature she'd seen in Moonview so far. The sight made Sue back a couple of steps away as the stranger finally landed near; her wings kicking up dust as she came to a stop.
Now that the once-human could inspect the scout closer, she soon realized she'd already seen her before, if very briefly. Her orange coloration might've been no more threatening now than it was then, but her sheer size and the draconic parts of her soft appearance did their best to make up for that.
Her satchel's the size of my hiking backpack, for crying out loud!
"Phew, finally back home- oh no, don't tell me I missed it all!"
Sue didn't expect the dragon to be so soft-spoken, considering her size. Or so outwardly emotional, her body slumping forwards with a loud groan as Solstice's nod confirmed her hunch.
"And I didn't even find anything... is there at least some food left?"
"Mhm~! Poppy saved a hearty portion for you, though you'll have to ask her or Hazel where they'd stashed it."
"At least there's that, hah- gasp!"
Astra's gasp made the whole gathering flinch; the gathered psychics sensed the reason moments before the dragon exclaimed it.
"Oh no, Joy! Where's-"
Her voice trembled at realizing just how long she'd left the little one with no one to look after her. She was about to freak out before spotting the toothy tyke snoozing on Solstice's lap. The Mayor's careful telekinetic touch lifted the girl straight into Astra's arms; the dragon's embrace was as huge as it was gentle.
The closer point of view forced her to notice the bandage wrapped around Joy's maw, her gasp prompting Sundance to explain what had happened.
"She's alright, Astra. Other children sadly got physical with her to the point of minor injury. I doubt she'll want to spend much time with them on her own anymore, unfortunately…"
Astra was aghast at the news, holding the little one that much closer in response. Emotions boiled on her soft expression, anger mixing with sadness to produce despair.
"Oh gods, I'm s-so sorry. It all took so long, I had to dodge thunderstorms on my way back, one of the snow people thought it'd be oh so funny to toss an Icicle Spear at me- and Joy got hurt a-and I couldn't be there for her, and-..."
The dragon choked on her words as her voice wavered, eyes growing damper and damper.
"I-I can't split myself like that... I-I don't know wh-what to do..."
Solstice took a deep breath as she held her own little one closer to herself. She may not have had much concrete advice, but wanted to reassure Astra nonetheless, reaching up to lay her hand on the dragon's shoulder.
"Rest for the next few days, Astra. Scouting new lands can gladly wait a bit longer. But… you're right. We'll need to think of something in the long term, or find someone..."
The mayor glanced up at Sue, thinking of how fond Joy was of her. Gears in her head turned at the idea, but it came with its own host of issues. Still, it was something to consider.
Consider tomorrow, in either case.
"We can do that tomorrow; no need to worry about anything more today. We all deserve rest first, you especially Astra."
The dragon nodded wordlessly, a couple of tears rolling down her cheek as she held Joy close. Moment by moment, deep breathing slowly calmed her back down, as did gently stroking the toothy girl's heads.
"Okay. Okay. Tomorrow. I'm- I'm sorry for all this-"
"Don't be Astra, you did all you could. I don't doubt that one bit. I wish I could say that of the rest of us."
Solstice paused with a sigh, but spoke back up before anyone else could chime in.
"Take care, Astra, and may She keep your rest peaceful."
"M-mhm. Y-you too Solstice, a-and Sundance, and Spark, and Comet, and-"
The dragon's eyes finally met Sue's; the firefox helped the former out as she walked over with Spark in her arms.
"Sue. The Forest Guardian that you rushed to the village."
Astra's eyes shot even wider at that. Before Sue could even react, she was suddenly pulled into a massive, tight hug; the dragon orienting her sideways to avoid being stabbed by her chest-mounted extremity.
"YOU'RE ALRIGHT! Oh my gosh, I kept thinking of you while flying; you got hurt so bad and I was so worried but I never had the time to check up on you and you're alright; oh my gods, I'm so happy you're alright. That looked so scary."
The outburst of joy once Astra connected the dots between the bloodied, muddied and otherwise grimy being she helped save just a few days ago, and the unassuming Forest Guardian next to her was something immense. It almost overwhelmed Sue's sixth sense, but the once-human was too preoccupied by hugging as much of the dragon as she could to care.
I'm much too tired and much too small to even come close to returning that hug, but that doesn't mean I won't try, goddammit!
"Yeah, I'm alright! I-I can't thank you enough for helping me there! I-I thought I was dead there, I-I-"
Lacking any words, Sue tried to hold Astra even tighter, once more not accomplishing much. The gesture was appreciated much the same, though; the dragon's large, scaly, and surprisingly soft arm held her close in return.
"You're welcome! I just happened t-to be at the right place, at the right time... and from what Spark told me, so did you to save her, right Spark?"
The little fox responded with snores, having lost the battle with her own body in the meantime, making everyone still awake giggle.
"I think she's got the right idea~. We can wait with all the thanks until tomorrow, too."
Astra nodded shakily as she let go of Sue, the once-human quickly stabilizing herself on her crutch. The dragon clearly wanted to say something more, but kept her words to herself for now, just nodding deeply in affirmation instead.
"Tomorrow."
"Mhm~! And seeing how much Joy liked Sue today, I've little doubt she'll try to drag you over to meet her anyway, hah!"
The dragon's expression turned to surprise, eyes glancing between the little one sleeping soundly in her arms and the still-relatively-rather-small-one she helped save nearby. She really wanted to express her happiness at hearing that, but the resolve to wait until tomorrow held; an almost comically large smile filling her face instead.
"Yeah. T-tomorrow. Sleep well Sue, a-and... thank you so much."
Astra finally collected herself enough to take to flight again, holding Joy tight as she scanned the area for either half of the pantry couple.
Sue wouldn't get to see whether she'd end up finding them. Soon after, Sundance wordlessly tapped her shoulder and tilted her head; the once-human quickly gathered her bearings before following the two women further into Moonview.
Guess the lanterns she saw yesterday were indeed lampposts, after all.
The realization didn't elucidate just what it was that they were housing, though. 'Fireballs' was an answer, of course, but not one that really explained much at all. Even beyond that, Sue wasn't sure if that non-answer was even accurate, with the flaming spheres in question sitting motionless and shining with colors flickering between red and purple.
Their walk towards the clinic was uneventful. Moonview felt so different like this when compared to daytime. So much quieter on all her senses, so much more serene, nowhere near as alive, and yet… just as safe. A crescent moon shined at them from above; the sight deeply comforting in a way Sue couldn't hope to describe.
"Even at her weakest, Her visage is full of hope, isn't it?"
Sue nodded thoughtlessly to Solstice's words, needing a moment afterwards to consciously decipher their meaning. As odd as the religious reverence in her words felt, the once-human couldn't help but agree with the Mayor's point as the clinic came into view.
"It was a pleasure to finally meet you, Sue. My schedule is much clearer tomorrow, so if you'd want, you could pick your lessons back up with me after breakfast. How's that sound?"
"I'd love to, th-thank you."
"Wonderful. See you tomorrow Sue, may She keep your rest peaceful."
"Good night, Sue."
"You too..."
With a by now well-practiced motion, Sue scrambled through the doorway once more. Her exhausted body gave into the desire for rest the instant her head connected with the pillow, her crutch slipping until it eventually banged loudly against the floor moments later.
The two women outside doubled back to check up on the younger Forest Guardian at overhearing that sound, but thankfully, nothing was amiss. Only Sue, gradually falling into a deeper and deeper rest.
Deeper and deeper.
Darker and darker...
If you're confused about the species of the characters and want them spoiled, I've set up a page listing the species of all the featured characters in each chapter! - redspah. github. io/another_way_species. html
If you want to discuss the story, I've set up a Discord server for it! (and my other writings) - discord. gg/gSnbUP8Vbz
Also check out my other main fic, From the Vast! - fanfiction net/s/14160963/1/From-the-Vast