Willow: Reunion
Cutlass pulls out a strange-looking orb. Are they going to predict our future or something? “Hey, can I introduce you three to my parents? They’re really kind and sweet, and I think they can offer you a helping hand in your situation, should you need it.”
Maple tilts her head. “Your parents are a ball?”
Cutlass chuckles. “No, no! This is a portal which will take us to my parents’ place.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know. We’re on good terms, but I don’t really feel comfortable following someone I met just yesterday through a portal.”
Cutlass seems a little disappointed. What did they expect, honestly? “Okay”, they reply, “Can I at least tell you about them?” We gather around the table, eager to hear about them. “I got five.”
“Five?” We all ask in unison.
“Yeah, I got adopted by a group of people who live together. Their names are Andy, Boluomeng, Deneb, Daichi, and Medrash.”
I blink. I know I’ve heard some of those names before. I see Maple stand up. It looks like her memory is better than mine. “Medrash and Daichi were here a year or so ago!” she shouts in surprise. “One is a dinosaur and the other is a crocodile, am I right?”
Surprised, Cutlass slowly nods. “Yes… Wow, they visited you guys?”
Maple nods. “Yes! Medrash and I had a conversation about magic. This used to be his old home, but we moved in when he abandoned it.”
“Wow, it-it sure is a small world!” Cutlass seems flustered. “Would you like to see them again, now that you know who they are?”
That was an easy question. They were so kind and helpful. We eagerly watch as Cutlass hops into the orb. We each hop in after him.
Inside the orb, the mountains were red, the sky was purple, and the clouds were pink. The horizon was horizontal as always for the landscape, but it seemed vertical in the sky, as the clouds stretched toward the distant mountains. In this odd realm, I see the dinosaur and crocodile, along with a falcon and two dragons. One was significantly bigger than the others. “I’m home,” Cutlass shouts, “And I brought company.”
Medrash steps forward. “Oh my… Maple? Lily? Willow, too? It’s so nice to see you all after so long!”
***
The five prepare us all a nice lunch, even though we mention we are not hungry. They insist, and we all eat together. At the table, Cutlass retells their story of meeting us and what happened, although conveniently leaving out the part where I tried to kill them.
Medrash looks toward us. “My condolences. Losing someone you love is very painful. If you ever need anyone to talk to or stand in as a parent, you can count on us!” The other four nod in agreement. Honestly, this is a lot to take in. They are all so charitable. We thank them, knowing they would probably insist if we said otherwise.
“Dads,” Cutlass sighs, “I do feel like a bit of a letdown, though. While I made a lot of friends, I didn’t really do much elementaling or even figure out what wish I want.”
“That’s alright, Cutlass,” The large dragon speaks up, I believe his name was Andy. “You don’t need to have everything figured out. And you have all these friends to learn from if you want to keep studying elemental magic! Either way, coming back with friends isn’t a ‘letdown’ at all! That’s one of the best outcomes you could have from your expedition!” Andy opens a claw in front of Cutlass, who nods. Afterwards, Andy grabs Cutlass and lifts them into the air. He then cuddles them to his face. It is truly an adorable sight to see. I’m glad we could come out and see these wonderful people.
“It’s interesting,” Cutlass continues, “I don’t know how anyone else can have their goals and ambitions already laid out. Zephyr wanting to be an immortal teacher, Ashura wanting to conquer all problems, Lysander wanting societal acceptance…”
Medrash blinks for a moment. “Um, Cutlass,” he asks, “Can you tell me more about Lysander’s wish?”
“They want the southern state to allow the Mountain Hoof Tribe to let them reclaim land and live peacefully.”
There is an awkward silence. I feel like I’m missing something. Then, the falcon named Deneb speaks up. “You don’t think it’s going to end up like the Harborym incident, do you, Medrash?”
Medrash shudders. “I’m not sure,” he replies, “But I think it’s best we make sure it doesn’t go in that direction.”
Cutlass acts surprised. “Lysander’s not a bad person, though.”
Medrash gets up from the table. “Andy, let’s go to the Southern State and talk to Frankie, okay? Just to be sure.” Andy nods. “Cutlass, can you come along and tell us more?”
“O-okay…” Cutlass looks nervous, though I can’t tell what is going on. Before we can even chime in with a question, the three leave through another portal orb.
“It’s gonna be okee!” Daichi chuckles, “Let’s just say a certain wish that changed how certain people think got out of hand once. I think we’re just going to make sure Lysander is truly sure about this wish. Anyway, let’s keep eating before the food gets cold!”
I can’t argue with him. Whatever is going on is beyond us, and the food smells fantastic. We pass the dishes around the table and continue our feast.