Chapter 4

Tom went up to Isabella's room to talk to her after dinner. He felt she needed to know about the danger and he wanted to assure her that she'd be safe. He found her settled in bed with a storybook beside her and she looked up to see him coming in and noticed how worried he looked. "Mr. Magician? What's wrong?" She asked.

He sat down on the bed beside her. "Sweetheart, I was approached today by a lady in a white mask, asking about you, but she called you Six," he said.

His daughter's eyes grew wide. "The Lady," she said in horror, shrinking down to look smaller.

Tom picked her up and held her comfortingly. "I knew something was off with her, but I didn't know at the time your original name had been Six," he said. "I told her honestly that I hadn't seen you as she hadn't really described you to me," he said.

"So...she's not coming here?" She asked hopefully.

"Not on mine and your mother's watch," the magician said firmly. "No one's going to hurt you again or kidnap you while we're around."

She hugged him. "Do I have to stay by you or Mrs. Witch at all times?" She asked.

"Either us two or Ogre and Python," he said. "They can alert us if there is danger. Might not hurt to have the ents meet you so that they know to not let The Lady near here."

"The ents?" The child asked.

Tom nodded. "They are good friends with your mother and in return for us using our magic to make their home strong and healthy, they grow fruits for us to gather and protect us like we are one of them," he said. "The ents are very picky about who they are friends with and help, but if they know you are our daughter, they won't hesitate to step in to help you."

He nodded. "I'll take you to meet them tomorrow," he promised. "For tonight, Susan and I are going to have you kids sleep near us in case that lady comes back."

Isabella hugged her father, glad he suggested that because she was scared that would happen. Susan at once agreed that was best and set up cots for her children to sleep on, making sure they were comfy.

The next day, Tom took Isabella to the forest, the same one where the little girl had jumped into the basket Susan had the other day after escaping the vessel. She now saw the trees were ents and they gathered around, one of them picking up Isabella and holding her in a giant palm.

"A child," the ent said, his voice deep.

"I remember her running through here, but we couldn't see her too well due to her being much smaller," said another ent in a female voice.

The girl curled up a bit, scared as the ents all looked at her. "Guys, let her down," came a new voice as Isabella felt someone pick her up. "If she's from the vessel, then she's no doubt terrified of someone much larger than her."

The ents nodded and the person holding Isabella took to the air, making the girl look up to see it was another girl that held her, but she looked like a combination of a fairy and a cyborg. Her wings were glittery and mostly clear while her metal parts were a mixture of green and blue while the human parts of her had peach skin. Her robotic eyes were green and she had fox ears, which surprised Isabella.

The girl holding her laughed. "I know," she said, not sounding offended as she landed near the magician.

"Ah, Starla," he said, smiling. "I have something for you."

"Yes, sir?" She asked.

"Close your eyes."

Starla did and Tom's magic surrounded her and long, wavy brown hair soon appeared on her previously bald head. Isabella was in awe at seeing her father do that and when the winged cyborg opened her eyes, she felt something touch her hair and saw it was one of the ents. "It suits you," they said with a nod.

She reached up and touched her own hair, stunned as she carefully pulled some of her hair forward, holding it in her hands. "I remember you said your hair was brown before," Tom said.

Starla had tears in her eyes and hugged him. "Thank you," she said.

Isabella grew curious and came closer, to which Starla turned to her. "Sorry for the late introductions," she said. "I'm Starla, one of the many creatures that live in the forest with the ents."

"I'm Isabella," the girl said softly.

"Ah, you are Susan and Tom's newest daughter," another ent said. "Going to hide in the fruit basket again?"

"Oh, come on, don't tease her," the first ent scolded lightly.

Starla rolled her eyes and smiled before looking at Isabella. "You picked a better hiding spot than I had when I was first hiding from Tom and Susan," she said.

The girl blinked. "Huh?" She asked.

Tom chuckled. "She thought I wouldn't notice someone hiding under my cape," he said.

The winged cyborg looked a bit embarrassed, but smiled before looking at Isabella. "I was an orphan, much like you, and not in a good place," she said. "I hid under Tom's cloak to escape my situation, thinking he hadn't seen me. Well, he and his wife had seen me, but helped me to escape and combined their magic to help me recover, as I was in bad shape, hence the reason I'm like this."

She turned in a circle so that Isabella could see her and the child noticed a monkey tail at Starla's back. Tom chuckled. "Starla had chosen all that herself," he said. "Quite the imagination."

"I was younger than her back then," the older girl said, gesturing to Isabella.

The lead ent looked at Tom. "There has been rumors of a masked lady looking for a child and a boy who is warning people to avoid her," he said.

"A boy?" Isabella asked, hope filling her that it was perhaps Mono.

Starla noticed her reaction. "Is he a friend of yours?" She asked.

"I think so," the girl said. "If...If it's really him."

"Who, sweetheart?" Tom asked.

"Mono. He helped me to escape, but...he got caught in the end. I...I didn't want to leave him, but...,"

She trailed off, looking down. One ent gently placed a finger on the girl's shoulder. "You had no choice," it said softly.

"Sometimes we have to make hard choices, though we don't want to," Starla said gently.

"Is Mono homeless too, Isabella?" Tom asked.

"I think so, yes," she said.

"If we see him, we'll bring the boy to you," the lead ent said to Tom.

"Thank you," he said.

Suddenly, Isabella began laughing as a couple ents gently brushed some soft leaves over her neck while playfully, yet gently, poking her sides, making her try to escape the tickle torture.

Starla took to the skies. "I'll patrol, Tom," she said. "And don't worry, just like with Amy and Dylan, we'll protect Isabella too."

He nodded, knowing she'd keep her word. Isabella giggled as she got away from the mischievous ents and over to her father, who scooped her up and tickled her stomach, making her giggle.

Little did they know, a small boy was making his way to them fast, hoping to reach Isabella in time.

Bet you all know who's heading to the forest. :)

Please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418