Vee had spent her entire life convinced that she could never do the things that all the other kids her age did. She would never be able to go to school, read in a library, have friends, or know anyone who would appreciate her for who she was. She certainly never imagined that one day she would find herself wandering around a city in her true form without anyone giving her a look of suspicion and that arm in arm with her there was a magnificent goddess of war with hair as black and silky as the feathers of a raven.
The date had been one of the best experience Vee had ever had. She hadn't had any negative thoughts for a single moment; while they were eating the crepes she hadn't worried that they were poisoned and hadn't taken some to save for the next day, and while they had been walking in the city she hadn't even looked at other people or feared that someone would suddenly jump at her with a pitchfork to skewer her. Masha had been far too lovely and kind and Vee had felt like nothing could go wrong. Sure, she had been a little afraid when the two had held hands for the first time, but she felt that at least that was a normal fear, something that all teenagers felt, not a bad and abnormal one like the what she was used to have. And even the embarrassment she had felt when Masha had practically had to take the initiative because she wasn't sure what to do, as much as it made her blush, was something normal, right, that she didn't mind feeling at all.
And then, despite all the gaffes she had made, the date seemed to have gone rather well: she had managed to hold Masha's hand and even walk arm in arm with her. The kiss hadn't happened yet, but Vee felt she wasn't ready yet, and Masha seemed to understand this and respected her decision. After all, it was still their first date, and Vee wasn't exactly used to human contact, so it was better to take it slow.
"It was… really nice" she said as the sun was starting to set; Masha had accompanied her to the gates of the town waiting for Luz to return to pick her up. "Can we… well, do it again?"
"As many times as you want" Masha replied. "I had a really good time with you. And I mean it"
Vee blushed and turned away; she wasn't used to dealing with such emotions. "Well... I'm... glad you liked it!" she said in a voice so shrill that for a moment it didn't even sound like hers.
Masha giggled, trying not to be seen. When Vee was embarrassed she became even more adorable than she usually was. It made them want to hug her and plant a kiss on her forehead, but they didn't want to push her too far and they also wanted to respect her space. They would wait for her to overcome her insecurities and want to do certain things.
However, Vee's next question disturbed them quite a bit: "Um, Masha... sorry if I ask, I know you probably think I'm stupid, but as I already told you, I don't know many things... so, I wanted to know... if for in case on the next date we... well... I have to do that thing... you know... touch our lips... then should we also do something else...?"
This time it was Masha's turn to become red as a pepper. "Oh, you mean... after the kiss? Well, come on, okay we're not children anymore, but we're still too young to go too far... at most we could do with a little longer kiss and some work of tongue, but going further seems a bit..."
"Sorry, what do you mean 'going further'?" Vee stopped her in confusion.
Masha looked at her with wide eyes. It took a few seconds before a doubt crept into their mind. "Um… Vee, do you know how babies are born?"
The basilisk shook her head with some shame. "Unfortunately, no one ever told me. I know you need a mom and dad, but I don't know how the process works. Do you know?"
Masha bit their lip. They were highly undecided whether to completely destroy Vee's innocence or leave her in ignorance for a while longer, but luckily for them they heard a scream in the distance that made them forget about that conversation. "VEE!"
The two of them looked at the road and saw Luz coming running like crazy. For a moment they feared that a wolf or some wild animal was chasing her, but there was nothing behind her. "Hey, sis, what do you..." Vee tried to ask, but she fell silent when she got a better look at Luz.
Neither Masha nor Vee had ever thought of seeing Luz in such a state: her hair was all messed up and her dress was dirty with dirt, and she had clear tear marks on her cheeks and her eyes were red. She must have cried like a fountain. She was shaking like a leaf and from her breathing she clearly seemed to be in total panic. "LUZ! What happened to you?" Vee screamed running towards her as well.
As soon as she was close enough, Luz grabbed her shoulders and shook her violently. "Vee, please! Turn into a bird and carry me on your back!" she begged her.
Vee's eyes widened.. "What? A bird?"
"Yes! An eagle, a cuckoo, a dove... whatever you want! You must take me to the sea immediately!" Luz exclaimed. "Mom went there! If we don't get there in time she might...!"
"Okay, now calm down" Masha intervened with some concern in their voice; the situation seemed quite serious. "Try to explain the situation to us"
Luz seemed too shaken to put together more than three meaningful words, let alone a complete speech, but luckily it was Gus who spoke for her: "Camila went looking for Luz and continued towards the sea, and now it seems like she even wants to cross it. We can't get to the beach on foot in time, but we could make it by flight"
Both Vee and Masha exchanged worried looks. Vee hadn't met Camila yet but she felt like part of the family by now, and Masha… well, they were technically Vee's girlfriend now, so it was obvious they were concerned about her family situation. "Didn't you say you were going to your fairy's house?" Vee asked. "Can't she help you...?"
She stopped immediately when she saw Luz's expression: she looked like she had just been stabbed with a sword. "Eda... Eda can't help us anymore... she can't help anyone anymore..." the puppet whispered, and then she clenched her teeth so hard that she almost broke them herself. "She turned into a monster... because of me! Because I broke the promise I made to her!"
Vee opened her mouth in surprise and horror, and Masha too took on a shocked expression. They weren't sure they understood the situation exactly, but it was clear that the fairy Luz had always talked about had been changed into something hideous, and the puppet apparently believed herself responsible. "Oh, Luz, I... I'm so sorry..."
"N-Now is not the time!" Luz exclaimed in the shakiest voice either Vee or Masha had ever heard come from her. "We have to think about mom now! I can't save Eda... but I can still reunite with my mom! Vee, you're the only one who can help me! Turn into a bird, or even just create a pair of wings... whatever you want, but take me to the sea! Please!"
Vee felt bad. She never thought it would be possible to see Luz so desperate. The puppet had always been smiling and jovial, and had always inspired courage and strength even in the midst of the most tragic situations... but now, what little sun she was seemed to have darkened, giving way to a dreary eclipse that cast darkness and despair in every corner. Seeing her like this, Vee almost didn't have the courage to reply: "Luz... I already told you, I can't become a bird..."
"Please!" Luz screamed as she dropped to her knees in front of her and hugged her waist. "I can't lose my mom too! I'm begging you... you're my last hope!"
Vee tried to step back, but the puppet was holding her very tightly; just looking into those desperate and pleading eyes hurt her. She really wanted to do as her sister asked, but such a request was beyond her capabilities. Seeing her so in difficulty, Masha intervened: "Luz, Vee cannot change her body mass. To fly a creature must have wings large enough to sustain its weight, to carry something in flight even more so. To be able to carry you a bird should have an opening wing of at least five meters. Vee would never be able to satisfy similar requirements"
The puppet seemed to no longer even be able to breathe. Very slowly, the strength in her arms waned and she dropped them down her body, finally letting go of Vee. "So... so there's really no hope... I'm going to lose... I'm going to lose my mother too..." she whispered, and she was forced to sit down because she couldn't even stand on her knees anymore.
Vee acted on impulse and immediately pulled her into a tight hug, as she had done to her earlier. She could clearly feel the puppet shaking as if she were in the midst of an earthquake. She held her tight and wrapped her tail around her; she wanted to say something to her, something that could cheer her up, like Luz had done with her in the cell... but she couldn't find the words. She had no idea how to chase away so much despair. But fortunately, Masha once again had the solution: "We still have a possibility! Vee can't carry you, but maybe the Bat Queen can!"
Luz's eyes lit up. Despite her desperate face, a hint of hope rekindled in her gaze. "Of... Of course! The Bat Queen! How could I not think of it! You're a genius!" and having immediately recovered all her vitality, she got up and ran in the direction of the Bat Queen's den. Vee and Masha hurried to keep up with her.
The trio quickly reached the clearing in the woods and found the Bat Queen perched in a tree, and as soon as she saw them she immediately knew something was wrong. After quickly listening to their story, her face became doubtful. "Take you all the way to the sea?" she murmured. "I don't know... I can't leave the Palismen alone for too long..."
"Please!" Luz begged. "I'm sorry for all the times I offended you and I apologize! But please, please, please, help me reunite with my mom!"
Faced with such pleas, the Bat Queen didn't have the heart to refuse. In the end she chose a compromise. "I'll take you to the beach, but no further. From there on you'll have to fend for yourself. Any journey across the sea would take me days or even weeks depending on the destination, and I can't leave the Palismen alone for that long"
Luz was a little upset, but she knew that this was the best she would get and that there was no time to bargain. "Okay" she said, climbing onto the bat's back. "Vee, you wait for me here. I'm sure Masha will host you..."
"Don't even talk about it, I'm coming with you!" the basilisk exclaimed as she climbed onto the Bat Queen too. "She's my mom too, even though I'm adopted!"
Luz shook her head. "Vee, I can't ask this much of you. It's my fault if..."
"I don't care. I'm coming with you" Vee said in a tone that brooked no reply. "That's what sisters do, right? They support each other in difficult times"
Luz sniffed; she didn't want to drag Vee into even more trouble than they'd been through, but she was still touched by her gesture. But before she could say anything Masha also climbed into the Bat Queen. "Well yes, I'm coming too" they said. "I just started dating this living concentrate of adorableness and I don't intend to let her slip away from me so quickly. And besides, now that resistance is no longer needed, I'm technically unemployed, so... let's go on an adventure!"
The Bat Queen didn't wait for either Luz or Vee to respond: she took a leap and flew into the sky. The three girls had to hold on tightly to her hair to keep from falling, and Gus and Willow hid in Luz's pocket to keep from being blown away by the wind. Soon the world began to pass by beneath them, and the woods gave way to fields which then gave way to prairies which then gave way to cities and so on. The flight lasted all night, and finally in the morning a long blue streak appeared in the distance that seemed to go from one side of the horizon to the other without ever ending. Despite the desperate situation, all five passengers opened their mouths in amazement and admiration: it was the first time they had seen the sea, and it was one of the most spectacular things they had ever seen. The Bat Queen landed on the first beach she found, and then she took flight and left wishing them good luck.
"Okay. Now what do we do?" Masha asked, but Luz hadn't even listened to them and had run to a fisherman with green skin and hair so frizzy it looked like it was made of seaweed who was fixing his boat nearby. "Hey, sir, excuse me! Have you by any chance seen my mom?"
The fisherman seemed somewhat confused at seeing a puppet speaking, but after a brief moment of confusion he replied: "Sorry, you're the first puppet I've ever seen"
"No, no, my mother is not a puppet!" Luz was quick to explain. "She's human, about this tall, has black hair and tan skin, and her name is Camila!"
"Oh, her!" The fisherman finally seemed to understand. "Yes, she arrived here yesterday and bought a small boat to be able to cross the sea"
"Thank you! And... where is she now? She's looking for me, I have to get to her" Luz asked again.
"I'm afraid it's a little late now, girl. She sailed last night" the fisherman replied. "By now she will already be at least a hundred kilometers away from here"
Luz felt herself sinking. She had arrived late. What could she do now?
Luckily for her, Willow jumped out of her pocket and turned to the fisherman: "In this case, could you guys give us a ride with your boat?"
The fisherman's eyes widened. He was already confused enough to see a puppet talking, and now he also discovered that she had a cricket with her. "Did you mistake my fishing boat for a vessel, by any chance? I'm not going offshore with this little boat, look, it doesn't even have a single cannon! How should I defend myself if something attacks me? The ocean is certainly no place for weaklings like me. And with the luck I have I would end up running into a pirate crew or a sea monster, maybe even Belos himself! If you are looking for an aspiring suicide you have the wrong person"
"Well, then could you point us a ship that's about to sail and that's going in that direction?" Gus said, also coming out of his pocket.
Seeing also a spider climbing onto the puppet's shoulder, the fisherman began to think that perhaps he had drunk a little too much beer the night before at the tavern, or perhaps the four portions of pickled sardines that he had eaten at dinner were causing him some hallucination. "You can go to the port, but I don't think you will find anyone willing to go in that direction. It is said that those waters are infested with dangerous pirates by now. If you had a lot of money with you, perhaps you could hire some mercenaries..."
"But I don't even have a copper coin with me!" Luz protested.
"Then I'm afraid you won't find anyone willing to take you to your mother. I'm sorry" the fisherman replied. He felt a little sorry for the puppet, but after all, surviving at sea wasn't something you did with empathy. There were too many dangers and he certainly wasn't willing to face them, and he doubted there would be anyone foolish, stupid, or mad enough to do so.
But a few moments later he was even more amazed when he saw Vee and Masha approaching. "If that's the case, then where can we find a ship of our own?"
The fisherman thought he had seen many strange things in his life, but he was discovering that he was wrong, because he had never expected to see a human, a basilisk, a puppet, a cricket and a spider traveling together. "Are you part of a circus, by any chance?" he murmured. "Anyway, if you really want to sail, which I strongly advise against if you value your life, you can take some of the old boats over there. Nobody wants them, and nobody will care if you take one"
"Thank you sir!" Luz exclaimed, and then she and her friends rushed to the spot the fisherman had indicated, which turned out to be a large cluster of boats on one corner of the beach. Many of them were damaged or too old to stay afloat. Luz, Vee, Masha, Willow and Gus looked for one that was intact enough and could accommodate three people, and after Willow and Gus taking advantage of their small size had inspected it all and made sure there were no holes anywhere, finally they put it into the water and got on it, and began to row out to the sea. "Are we really about to cross the ocean on this little boat?" Willow murmured with a lot of doubt in her voice.
"Wrong, field cricket: we are about to cross the ocean on this little boat, without supplies, without water, without a precise direction, without any navigation experience and without any guarantee of not encountering storms or monsters ready to devour us along the way" Masha corrected her. "So, what are we waiting for?"
And so they began to row even harder, and very soon they disappeared completely from the sight of anyone who had been watching them from the shore.
In the original story, Pinocchio, as I explained in the previous chapter, learns that Geppetto has gone to sea from a dove, who also takes him to the beach, where a storm is raging; Pinocchio manages to see Geppetto and his boat in the distance and throws himself into the sea to save him, but the fury of the waves drags him away. In this AU things go very differently: Luz initially asks Vee for help, asking her to transform into a bird (reference to the original book), but she can't do it; I deliberately chose to give this limit to Vee because otherwise in some of the future chapters someone might rightly ask "sorry, why doesn't Vee just turn into a dragon and fight, or grow wings and take everyone away?", so I solved the problem by simply using the laws of physics that dictate that something must have sufficiently large wings to fly, and that since Vee would have to keep her brain intact and carry someone on top of that, her body mass wouldn't be enough (and first that someone accuses me of retcon, no, it's not retcon, I had specified this story that Vee cannot become a bird almost from her first appearance. And in case there are any ornithology fanatics among the readers and they want to remind me that ravens exist, yes, ravens have an intelligence similar to that of humans despite being very small and suitable for flying, but their brain is structured in a completely different way from the human one, suitable for their aerodynamic body, therefore to transform themselves Vee into a raven she would have to destroy her own brain and reassemble it from scratch, which is more or less the equivalent of killing herself and creating a clone of herself in form of a raven). So in the end it is the Bat Queen who takes them to sea; furthermore Luz doesn't go alone but she is accompanied by Vee and Masha, as well as obviously Willow and Gus, and she doesn't arrive in time to see her mother (also because in that case Vee could simply turn into a fish and reach her and bring her back to shore), but she learns of where she has gone from a passing fisherman. Finally, she doesn't jump into the sea in the middle of a storm; even if she is made of wood and would float, she still needs to breathe, and also... the suspension of disbelief is ok, but I can assure you that if a piece of wood ended up in the middle of a storm the force of the waves would shatter it even if it were the hardest wood in the world. So in the end our protagonists cross the sea in a little boat... which is good because the sea is a perfect place to introduce a lot of new characters. What could go wrong after all?