Title: Time After Time, She Is Reborn
Fandom: MapleStory
Summary: The Forest Child is a commitment. Over and over, this endless cycle.
Ruby eyes, ivory hair, feminine beauty.
These qualities, the Forest Child possesses.
Remember names, regain power, fulfill destiny.
This is the Forest Child's duty.
She must seek the Spirit Guides:
Pan, Earth Guardian, the compassionate bear.
Penni, Sky Guardian, the adventurous bird.
Paeon, Life Guardian, the wandering wolf.
Their names are crucial to remember.
She must recall on her own.
The Spirit Guides cannot tell her.
Otherwise, she will evermore be lost.
Without their names, she is powerless.
Without power, she cannot realize destiny.
The Forest Child needs their help.
She must reawaken the Forest Master.
She must ensure Samsara Spring's survival.
She must help maintain Eternal Forest.
The Forest Child's duty proves perpetual.
Her life is fleeting and mortal.
A blessing is bestowed upon her.
Reincarnation, both a gift and solution.
She lives to meet her obligation.
When she dies, she is reborn.
In one life, she lives peacefully.
She remembers, she regains, she fulfills.
The place she maintains is beautiful.
Eternal Forest, where flora parades rainbows.
Samsara Spring, where stars spangle water.
She bonds with her dearest companion.
Forest Master Gaia, Mother Nature incarnate;
Glowing leaves and branches for antlers.
The Forest Child grows like trees,
Wise and grounded to the world.
She heals all, except for one:
An incurable condition known as age.
How ironic for the Forest Child,
A healer who cannot heal herself.
Viridian petals shower the aged elder.
Her face remains without any tears.
She and Gaia stay together, blissful.
Under a glowing tree, they sit.
Both companions wait for the inevitable.
She, the Forest Child, shall die.
Gaia, the Forest Master, shall slumber.
They worry not about their separation.
Reincarnation ensures that they will reunite.
"May we meet again," Gaia coos.
Her smile mirrors the Forest Master's.
"In the next life, we shall."
With that said, the elder passes.
When she dies, she is reborn.
In another life, she is trapped.
Blacksmith, this. Blacksmith, that. Family tradition.
Shackles on her, more like it.
One day, she sees an opportunity:
A wandering wolf offering her freedom.
For once, she actually says yes.
Together they escape into Eternal Forest.
Shortly after, she meets more friends,
A compassionate bear and adventurous bird.
There is also the other one:
The deer who she must awaken.
The Forest Master, important to nature.
She gradually starts to remember everything:
Her duty as the Forest Child.
Paeon, Pan, Penni, and especially Gaia.
Soon, she starts regaining her power.
Soon, she aims to fulfill destiny.
Maintaining Eternal Forest is her craft,
Something her father will never understand.
The Forest Child cherishes her companions.
To her, they are her family.
She loves the wolf most especially.
His name resonates well with her.
Paeon, Healer of Hearts. How quaint.
The forest thrives; Samsara Spring, too.
She does her job quite well.
Her efforts are acknowledged with praise.
"So amazing, you are!" gushes Pan.
"You have great spirit," chirps Penni.
Smiling, Paeon simply nods in agreement.
She beams, "Be still my heart!"
Their sentiments mean much to her.
Camaraderie and love takes her far.
Her family is her greatest joy.
Eventually, time has grown too impatient.
Her life is no longer prolonged.
When she dies, she is reborn.
In another life, she is vile.
A pretty mask, hiding her vice.
Insatiable avarice courses through her veins.
Forest Master's antlers make great elixirs.
Forest Master's antlers always grow back.
Hungry, she ventures through Eternal Forest.
Happily, she enters the Samsara Spring.
Horrifically, she robs the sleeping deer.
As always, the deer remains unresponsive.
Those other animals never shut up.
"Why, Forest Child?" weeps the bear.
"How could you?" the bird laments.
"This is cruel…" whispers the wolf.
Their names, she cannot remember well.
She simply cares not for trash.
That nosy wolf, she especially loathes.
Spitting at the wolf pleases her.
So delusional are these lowly critters.
The Forest Child? Bah! Such nonsense!
No longer will she feign kindness.
Never must she act for them.
She now has what she desires:
Riches beyond what merchants ever dream.
The song of greed deafens her.
She cannot hear destiny nor duty.
Samsara Spring stagnates. Eternal Forest, too.
And so the Forest Child leaves.
However, the Forest Child shall return.
Elixirs to sell can run out.
Eventually, she must steal more antlers.
So she does, over and over.
Time after time, a regular occurrence.
The deer sleeps. The bear weeps.
The bird can only look away.
The wolf suffers in its silence.
This loop of sin lasts long,
All the way until her death.
When she dies, she is reborn.
In another life, she is depressed.
She wanders, and wanders, and wanders.
Why must she always be unhappy?
Why does she constantly feel empty?
Why does she fail at everything?
Eternal Forest… Why is she here?
"Young lady!" a voice calls out.
She turns and discovers a bear.
He calls her the Forest Child.
This belief comes from certain observations:
Ruby eyes, ivory hair, feminine beauty.
The bear begs her for duty:
Remember who her Spirit Guides are.
Regain her power from their names.
Reawaken Forest Master. Help restore life.
Maintain Eternal Forest and Samsara Spring.
"Such a big commitment," she mopes.
The girl is not good enough.
"Please! We need you!" he pleads.
Why can she not ignore him?
"…Fine," she accepts. "Lead the way."
Together they traverse the Eternal Forest.
The flowers are beautiful yet withered.
The trees are tall yet dull.
They soon arrive at Samsara Spring.
A tree towers over radiant water,
All its leaves glow in viridian.
Some leaves hang down like vines.
A bird hovers near the tree.
"Hello, Forest Master," greets the bird.
There is also another curious sight:
A deer sleeping in a lotus.
So big, so blue, so majestic,
Both the deer and the lotus.
"Remember. Please, remember!" the bear urges.
Try, try, try. Remember, remember, remember.
She cannot. She cannot… She cannot!
"…I am sorry," she laments. Failure.
"Remember. Our names are your power!"
"Names, names, names. Just tell me!"
Alas, the bear cannot tell her.
She must remember on her own.
If told, there is a consequence:
The Forest Child will cease forever.
"Oh, Forest Child…" the bear weeps.
"You cannot remember," the bird grieves.
This is too much. She leaves.
"Forest Child, wait!" calls the bear.
"Leave her be," interjects the bird.
"We need her!" the bear argues.
"She shall return. Sooner or later."
Again and again. Wander, wander, wander.
Slowly, she starts succumbing to torment.
She frequently wanders around Eternal Forest.
Never can figure out why, though.
Ignorance pains her ever so much.
Everything starts getting worse and worse.
She perishes far quicker than expected.
When she dies, she is reborn.
The Forest Child is a commitment.
Over and over, this endless cycle.
Time after time, she is reborn.
Each life has their own differences.
Some can remember, others fail to.
Some regain birthright, others never do.
Some fulfill duty, others neglect to.
Some live long, others do not.
Some proved selfless, others proved selfish.
Some were happy, others were not.
Some were peaceful, others were distraught.
Some were good, others were evil.
In their hands lies nature's fate.
Eternal Forest either thrives or stagnates.
So, too, does Forest Master's state.
To sleep or to be awake.
Which outcome shall come this time?
That question waits in Samsara Spring.
Only the Forest Child can decide.
When she is reborn, she lives.
Day. Night. Winter. Spring. Summer. Fall.
From cradle to childhood to adolescence.
The years constantly reshape her visage.
Certain details, however, remain the same:
Ruby eyes, ivory hair, feminine beauty.
New are the peculiar antler barrettes.
Much like that cozy, little cottage,
The place she calls her home,
This new life is quiet and nice.
She is benevolent, opposite of malevolence.
In just two words, purity personified.
Her innocence summons a guardian angel:
A compassionate bear, there since cradle.
Ever clumsy, but no less sweet.
His heart always pulsates with devotion.
He intervenes when he has to.
He says nothing to avoid risk.
The Forest Child slowly grows well.
Yes, she has much to do.
She must remember her Spirit Guides.
Pan, the Earth Guardian, is first.
Next is Penni, bird who soars.
Penni is Sky Guardian after all.
The bird always aims for Heaven.
He dreams of touching the clouds.
Finally Paeon, the wolf who wanders.
Paeon always roams through various places.
He heals every heart but one:
His own. Wounded by Forest Child.
Someday, Forest Child will heal him.
After that, she must regain power,
The power needed to awaken Gaia.
For when the Forest Master stirs,
The Forest of Jianghu shall thrive.
So, too, will Samsara Spring survive.
That is the Forest Child's purpose,
An expectation placed upon every life.
In this life, she is Lynn.
One more name born from reincarnation.