Sue awoke with a gasp, eyes jumping around as her heart calmed down after the brief, but intense dream. The brightness of the room and breakfast waiting for her on the nightstand let her know how late in the morning it already was, especially with Doc absent.
Best to get up and about quickly.
The sweet, jam-filled pastry and the accompanying roasted fruits were enjoyed as calmly as could be—which is to say, not at all. Sue’s hands fidgeted as she sated her hunger, thoughts swirling around the fellow Martian that would be her undoing. She had no idea how much time she had left before the inevitable, the uncertainty hastening her meal.
With how ornate Duck’s altar was, it made her wonder whether they’d sacrifice her there if they caught her.
As intense as her paranoia was, Sue couldn’t quite imagine this particular possibility. Incomprehensible as it might have been, Duck didn’t seem like a malicious entity, not with the scenes chiseled on its shrine. They made it look more like a guardian deity than anything.
Then again, nothing stopped this village from executing her in a purely secular way.
The morbid thought made Sue chuckle as she wrapped up her breakfast. She was about ready to get done with that mental tangent, though… now that she’d stumbled upon it, she couldn’t help but wonder whether the blue feather Doc had left on her nightstand had played any role in all this. Wouldn’t hurt to investigate it—
…
…
...at least, if it was still there.
Sue tried looking all around the room, including behind the nightstand and her bed, but couldn’t find it, not even a trace. Though, with how important the item seemed to be, Doc had probably just moved it back to the altar. That didn’t really explain why they gave it to her, even if temporarily, to begin with.
Here, have this sacred artifact as a night light.
While she chuckled at that idea, Sue felt her sixth sense act up. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on it—only for the resulting migraine to make her double over.
S-so many people...
She’d slowly gotten used to sensing the emotions of more and more creatures, but even her practice couldn’t have prepared her for this. It felt like half the village was within a stone’s throw of the clinic, their combined emotions almost making her nauseous as her head spun. Her immediate worry, as unrealistic as it was chilling, was that everyone was gathering around Doc’s hut to make sure she wouldn’t get away.
Fortunately, looking out the window was all she needed to dispel that particular fear. There were many creatures around, sure, but they were all walking around it, heading towards something else. What that something was, she didn’t know—and had only one way to find out.
The thought of heading out on her own, without Doc’s reassuring presence, was an unnerving one. She didn’t have any other options now, though, especially with all of this possibly being related to the royal couple…
Once more, into the breach.
Sue tried to keep her cool as she opened the door, netting her a few raised eyebrows—or the equivalent—as she stared at the passersby. Their attention was thankfully transient—and once she’d successfully stumbled out and joined them in their march, completely absent. As they all neared the plaza, Sue realized she could hear something over the din of hundreds of walking and murmuring mutants. It almost sounded like a loud speech, except... howled out.
She slowed down at the realization, sticking to the side of the path as she approached the last corner. Instead of turning the corner right away, she paused in front of it, deciding to first peek at what was going on over there—
And good Duck was she glad she did.
Dozens, hundreds of creatures filled the plaza, all listening to a being that Sue recognized as the second, furry royal from Doc’s drawing as they gesticulated with a burning stick. As eye-catching as their spectacle and red-yellow appearance were—especially with the occasional fireworks accompanying the former—the being beside them took up the entirety of Sue’s attention.
The inverse, thankfully, wasn’t the case. The royal Martian was calmly looking around with a soft smile, occasionally chiming into the story being woven. Sue dove for cover the moment they turned to look her way, heart hammering in her ears.
It’s go time!
Without wasting another moment, Sue turned around and booked it. She breathed faster and faster as she tried to push her body way beyond what it could do in her current state, only forced to finally slow down and catch her breath after almost falling over while passing by Doc’s hut.
No point in charging ahead if she had no idea where to even go, anyway. The forest path she had scoped out yesterday was inaccessible, forcing her to think back to other potential exits. She remembered there being another pathway leading out of the village at its other end, but she doubted it’d be a good idea either—much too obvious. If they wanted to find her, they definitely would with how middling her pace was.
Ideally, she’d just disappear into the treeline, which… hold on. As she marched on, trying to stave away panic, she noticed the construction site from yesterday, its clearing opening into the woods. The workers she’d seen yesterday were absent and there were almost no onlookers, certainly not any that acknowledged her presence—this was her chance. After taking a moment to compose herself, Sue slowed down her pace and breathing alike, easing into an inconspicuous strut.
Nothing suspicious here at all, just someone out on a weird walk and absolutely not an alien imposter trying to escape undetected.
Her anxiety drove her to push ahead faster and faster, just to be out of sight. If there was one way to ruin her disguise instantly it was that, though, forcing her to cling to whatever calmness she could manage until she was out of view. She hoped the distance she steadily gained on the village covered for her increasing shaking.
Every step brought her closer to freedom as she marched in a straight line, only pausing to correct her grasp on the crutch and look over her shoulder. Each time she did, the construction site was further and further away—until, eventually, she couldn’t make it out at all from behind the foliage.
Despite everything, it seemed she was in the clear now.
After not sensing anyone following her with her sixth sense, Sue finally breathed a sigh of relief. There were only a handful of other souls in the immediate area, and all of those were calm and peaceful. And after she’d recovered from almost tripping over because of being too focused on her extrasensory perception, she could join them, quietly laughing.
She’d made it out of the village despite the royals having already returned, and nobody was pursuing her. She wouldn’t be exposed and burned at the stake, or whatever punishment the other Martian would’ve decreed for her after figuring out her deception.
Granted, she had no idea what she’d do now, but no matter what, being lost was better than being dead. And, if a village like that existed, many others almost certainly would too. Just had to find one without other Martians in it and assimilate while looking for a way home.
‘Just’ was doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence, and Sue knew that, but she didn’t care—she would do it, she would heal from her injury and eventually not need the crutch anymore. She’d find a safe place for herself, learn the local language, and then, finally, be safe.
A rock-solid plan in four easy steps.
She’d definitely miss the few friendly beings she met in her brief stay back at the village. Doc, Ember, Leafy, Bowlcut, the... couple? At the pantry. And who knew, if the not-her royal wouldn’t end up figuring out that she was an imposter, leaving the cause of her sudden escape forever unknown, then maybe, just maybe, they would miss her too. The lil’ fox would be heartbroken the most, and Sue really wished she could convey just what had happened and why she had to leave, but alas.
Stay strong out there, Ember.
The woods remained as calm as ever as Sue marched in the only direction she was sure of—forwards. Triumph burned out into muted melancholy as her mind wandered, and any coherent train of thought soon gave way to idle pondering or humming along to whichever tunes she could still recall. She paid only enough attention to her surroundings to not trip on a random root, withdrawing inwards otherwise.
It wouldn’t be easy to get used to being on her own again, but it’s not like she had a choice—
The sudden light hitting her eyes startled her, breaking the rapidly darkening train of thought.
All of a sudden, Sue found herself on the edge of a clearing, the grass filling it lush and softer than any other she had ever felt. Most of it was decorated with stones painted with geometrical shapes, their arrangement only vaguely ordered, reminding her somewhat of a graveyard.
A glance in the other direction revealed more about this place, some of it much more terrifying than the rest.
A pair of rugged benches flanked the clearing’s entrance, each large enough for half a dozen people and much better maintained than any forest trail bench she’d ever seen. They faced a young tree at its center, surrounded by a smaller ring of rocks, decorated in the same way as the rest. The sapling was barely taller than Sue and absolutely gorgeous, its silvery leaves gleaming in the muffled sunlight.
As pretty as it was, though, the entirety of Sue’s attention was focused on the creature kneeling before it.
The other Martian’s closed eyes and clasped hands made them look like they were praying—something Sue wished she’d done more of in her immediate past. They were in a deep enough focus for Sue’s sixth sense to have completely overlooked them—a limitation she really wished she’d been aware of beforehand.
Seeing them from closer up let Sue notice all the differences between their appearance and her own. A shorter skin dress, longer hair, slightly straightened curls. The most striking detail though, by far, were the blue markings on their upper half. Despite the muted shade blending somewhat with the green parts of their skin, the ornate, wavy patterns covering their arms were still clearly visible, meeting at the collarbone above the spike before turning upward towards their face. They culminated in long, curly lines that ended in points just underneath their eyes.
Eyes that were staring back at her.
The rest of their expression was as neutral as could be, leaving both Martians at an impasse as Sue began to panic. How the hell had she run into them!? Everything was going so well! She had escaped without being seen—have they been waiting in here for her all along!? Was this place just a vicious trap she’d unwittingly walked into!?
Regardless of the answers, Sue knew she had only one way out of there.
Sue’s body tensed up as she clenched her crutch harder, the other Martian’s eyes widening before she finally sprung. She turned around and ran, ran as fast as she could, pushing forward in a desperate attempt for freedom, despite everything, until the exhaustion would eventually claim her—or at least, that was her intent, the reality of her crutch getting snagged on the clearing’s stone perimeter catching up to her fast. It sent her splaying toward the ground at the speed of gravity, leaving her to close her eyes and brace for the inevitable.
Only for it to not happen.
She waited for a second, then another, then a third still, but the cold mud of the forest floor continued to not grace her body with its presence. After a few anxious, tense breaths, she finally managed to pry her eyes open—and gasped at what she saw.
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image [https://i.imgur.com/MJImfac.png]
By the wonderful @Sweet_Mintality!
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Sue was suspended in the air, completely still, a bluish aura filling the corners of her vision. Before she could act, she was slowly moved upwards, as if the air itself was gently pushing her along. Before long, she was facing the other Martian again, their eyes aglow, just like she’d seen with Bowlcut. Except this time, the target of their magic was her, and not some bits of roasted fruit.
Alright, adults can lift whole people, and relatively effortlessly at that...
They cleared their throat, preventing Sue from venturing any further into that panic-inducing mental thread as she was lowered onto her feet. Or rather, foot and crutch, the magical touch holding onto her until she’d regained her balance. They then… smiled at her.
Sue had no idea what they would do to her, let alone what they were capable of, but one thing she definitely didn’t expect was for them to extend a hand for her to grab. She stared dumbfounded at it for what felt like ages, the other Martian patiently holding it out all the while. Given that they had magicked her out of what would’ve been a very painful fall, she didn’t have much of a choice. If she tried to run again, they would just yank her back and likely follow it up with something much more painful.
I’m dead anyway, might as well.
Hesitantly, she reached over, tentatively taking their hand. The pleasant, tingly sensation she’d felt with Bowlcut and Doc was here too, and stronger than ever. It was downright... calming.
They spoke, their voice soft and no more comprehensible than anyone else’s. After getting no response from her, they looked over their shoulder and nudged their head toward the clearing’s entrance. Sue couldn’t walk particularly fast, but they were eager to accommodate that, slowing their pace down as they walked beside her.
The unnatural calmness filling her mind made it tricky to reason about what was happening. If she had more of a grip on herself, she would’ve likely grown anxious about her inability to think straight at the moment. But that was an if, and now, the forced tranquility helped, even if the burning questions from earlier remained unanswered.
As they walked in silence, Sue tried to get a better look at them—or maybe her, judging by the softness of their voice. She wasn’t sure what it was, but they looked... older than she was, though far from elderly. What she presumed to be a crown on Doc’s drawing turned out to be something else—a plain, metal circlet, the material having long since lost its luster.
Just as before, it didn’t take long for them to notice her staring. They raised an eyebrow as they looked at her, making her look away with what felt like a burning blush on her cheeks, though she wasn’t sure if this body actually blushed like that. Either way, the likely royal Martian didn’t seem to mind beyond giggling at Sue’s fluster. It was reassuring, if nothing else—she didn’t expect royalty to be this… laid back. Suffice it to say, this encounter was nothing like her worst fears, even if they seemed just as powerful as Sue’s scared worrying had them be.
If not more so.
They followed their giggle with gentle, upbeat words, talking to nobody as the pair half-marched, half-hobbled down the beaten path towards the village. Eventually, their voice grew muddled and quieter, as if they were just muttering to themselves.
Or just venting their thoughts out loud; let’s be generous here.
After a couple minutes, they stopped, head tilting up to look skyward with a thoughtful expression. A small, shrunken part of Sue worried whether that meant they had cracked her mystery. Thankfully, her worry fizzled away soon after as the other martian broke into song, whistling a serene tune as they marched on.
The gentle song and calm march gradually melted through Sue’s built-up tension. Her shoulders relaxed, her breath deepened, and she even let herself close her eyes for a moment. Peace, serenity, cool air—suddenly, a distant squeak. A moment later, her sixth sense warned her of someone panicking approaching. Panicking, and familiar enough to give Sue an idea of who it was, with her sense of sight confirming her hunch.
She sure didn’t expect Doc to be capable of making the kinds of noises they were.
Their panting mixed with panicked shouts as they ran up the path, the sight just as silly as Sue would’ve imagined it to be based on their anatomy alone. They came to a stop once the royal spoke up, gasping for breath with their hands on their knees as they desperately tried to mumble something out in between strained breaths.
Doc gasped at hearing the other Martian speak up, their head jerking up in surprise before turning to look up at Sue. Their emotions rapidly shifted from alarmed and nervous to still nervous, but decidedly unamused. They must’ve run all the way over here to tell the queen or whoever they were about something—wait, about her? Sue’s cloudy mind made her realize that only now, after they had already stopped grumbling about exhausting themselves for no reason.
Sorry, Doc.
Sue had a hard time focusing on the incomprehensible discussion even after they all got moving again. She could feel herself being mentioned from time to time, leaving her thoughts with an undercurrent of anxiety even as her forced calmness tried to dull it. She really, really wished she knew what about her was being discussed, and why so much of it.
She couldn’t sense any hostility in either Doc or the other Martian; it was almost all varying levels of concern, but worries couldn’t help but start digging into her once more, right as things were looking well for once. Or, maybe because of that, her overzealous mind fixated on a trap that would inevitably be sprung—totally not like that royal couldn’t just magically yank her crutch at any moment.
Normally, realizing just how little she could do either way would’ve helped calm her, but she could only chuckle weakly under her breath this time, the worries persisting underneath the numbing coolness in her head. Why was that coolness even there?
Why did that royal forcibly calm me like that?
Sue wanted the answer to be ‘because of their goodwill’ and only that, but she wasn’t feeling too confident at the moment.
The rest of the walk flew by quickly, at least. Doc and the royal kept chatting amongst themselves, the topic eventually steering away from her. Sue clung to whatever comfort she could as they made their way back into the village, emerging onto the large plaza from earlier.
They made quite a few heads turn as they passed by, though Sue wasn’t sure whether it was because of her or her company. The casual way in which most villagers greeted the other Martian made Sue doubt her ‘royalty’ assumption—though if they weren’t some sort of king or queen, then why that crown, and why that castle from the drawing...
Sue wondered if they had as many questions about her as she did about them. Likely not, considering the difference in scale between one transformed college student and an entire civilization of mutated animals capable of anything from breathing fire to levitating objects and moving through solid matter.
Yeah, there might be a bit of a discrepancy there. Just a tad.
The thought diffused some of her tension as the group approached Doc’s clinic, the very same walls she’d ran away from now returning as the only point of stability in this wild new world. Sue only hoped they would remain so for longer than it took for that royal to find out the truth about her—a flimsy hope, but she didn’t exactly have much else to hold on to.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
An array of noises from inside acknowledged her arrival—toddler squeaking, leafy rustling, a few vulpine woofs. The latter was immediately followed by a pair of now well-familiar paws pressing against her leg as Ember looked up at her, concern and relief mixing on their snout and in their mind alike. They kept on woofing for a while, their anxious noises making Sue feel bad despite how ordinarily amusing she found them. Even once they were done, they wouldn’t go further than a step away from her.
Poor sweetie.
Bowlcut almost got even louder than Ember at seeing them all. They squeaked loudly and shone so brightly to her sixth sense it felt like they were made entirely out of happiness as they scrambled to their legs. It was cute enough to bring a smile to Sue’s face despite everything else going on, especially when they tried running over to their parent as fast as physically possible. Which... turned out to not be particularly fast at all.
Fortunately for them, it wouldn’t matter. The Martian tyke squealed loudly as they were magicked into the air and hovered over into their parents’ arms. It was illegally adorable with how much worrying was going on around them, Sue just standing off to the side and taking it all in as Ember nuzzled her legs. Eventually, the not-her carefully set Bowlcut back down on the floor next to Leafy and turned to face her again, beckoning her over.
She wasn’t sure what to do as the royal casually sat on her bed, facing the pillow and giving Sue a very clear view of what this species’ back spike looked like. It was much smaller and more rounded than the front one, almost like a fin as opposed to something you could stab people with.
They noticed her confusion, patting down the other half of the bedding for clarification—guess she was supposed to take a seat there. The chatter in the room continued as she shambled over. Bowlcut had to be held by Leafy lest they’d try to run over to the bed, right in Sue’s way. The mental image of her accidentally punting them was as amusing as it was harrowing, considering their parent was about to do... something to her. Or with her.
She’d find out very soon either way.
Sue leaned the crutch against the nightstand as she sat down, orienting herself around to face the other Martian. Their expression remained as patient as ever, a reassuring smile widening as they reached a hand out towards her, convincing Ember to hop off with a soft-spoken comment.
She had no idea what any of this was for, but figured she was supposed to grasp it. Right as she was about to take their hand, a pang of doubt made her freeze—why did they drag her all the way back here? It couldn’t have been just so they could sit on the bed together and hold hands; there was something else going on, but what? Sue feebly hoped it wouldn’t be used to show off her being an imposter right there in front of everyone—
And then; she grabbed their hand anyway. Even if that was the case, even if she was already doomed, hesitation wouldn’t help.
Suddenly, utter exhaustion.
Sue blinked in surprise as her awareness drained fast, too fast to even react. The last thing she saw was the royal’s head slumping forward before the same happened to her, sleep returning in the most unexpected way.
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It may not have been Sue’s first time finding herself at this campfire—far, far from it—it was only the second time she remembered feeling awake here. The usual thought-muddling fog of dreams was absent, despite this clearly being one. She clearly remembered watching the other Martian doze off moments ago and her following them, but how come she didn’t actually feel asleep here—
“Good morning, Sue.”
The first comprehensible voice she’d heard in almost a week made Sue jump in her seat, eyes darting around the scene in search of its source. The other Martian was here, sitting on a bench opposite to hers, giving her a weak smile as they continued, “Quite a pretty place, I must say. It’s special to you, isn’t it?”
Further words snapped Sue of the shock of there being someone else with her in her dreams, replacing it with anxiety at the royal’s presence—and without any forced calmness to numb it this time. She had no idea how to respond; a straightforward answer would inadvertently reveal her extra-whatever-his-place-was origin.
Instead, she changed the topic, hoping to draw the heat away from herself by asking, “H-how did you get inside my dream?” She pressed the issue soon after, hoping the Martian wouldn’t see it as her pushing it too far, “A-and how do you know my name?”
While the first question had them open their mouth as if ready to answer, the second made them visibly pause. They glanced away with a thoughtful expression before turning to look back at her, pensive but—thankfully—not suspicious. Not yet, at least.
For once, Sue had really wished the weirdness of this body also worked in her dreams. The silence where the sixth sense once was did not reassure her in the slightest.
“You’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?” they asked, expression softening further.
Oh, you have no idea...
Sue wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to her own question being sidestepped like this, nodding nervously as she tried to hold on to her flaky calmness. Yeah, it was true, but going into any further detail would be the kind of mistake she’d only get to make once...
“That’s regrettable, but…” they trailed off, Sue’s heart skipping a beat as she hoped to Duck that this wouldn’t be the point at which the trap was sprung, “but I want to reassure you, Sue, that you’re safe here, no matter what.”
The trap continued to lie inert. Sue needed a good few moments to start releasing her tension, still completely unsure whether she could trust them. She didn’t have a concrete reason not to, but the elephant in the room remained untackled, making any assurances much harder to fully believe.
While Sue was too nervous to pay close attention beyond just weakly nodding, the other Martian’s expression soured further. Their attempts at soothing this lost, confused stranger weren’t working at all. If anything, they only made her even more concerned about some secret she thought so hideous it would turn everyone against her if they ever knew.
Ultimately, they had no way of dealing with Sue’s unease without addressing it directly. They sighed, “I... I know you’re hiding something, Sue. You’re too scared to bring it up, terrified it’d make everyone you’ve met turn on you. Let me assure you, there are very few acts as repulsive as to force our hands towards exile. I highly doubt anyone who had risked their life to save an innocent despite not having the inner power to do so would have done any of them.”
Sue’s body froze solid at their words, brain threatening to lock up in panic. She’d been seen through, she was done for, and there was nothing she could do—nothing but feebly hope that the Martian’s words would ring true. She dared glancing at them with shaking eyes, finding a reassuring, smiling expression, trying its hardest to melt through her fear. It looked genuine, but she doubted it would remain so for long.
What in the world am I to do now?
She hyperventilated as she tried to process it all, finding there to ultimately be no way out but ahead. There was no way she’d just be let go scot-free after all this, leaving her to confess at what felt like gunpoint, hoping to any deities, real or imagined, that things would turn out okay.
Duck save me.
It took her a while to gather her thoughts into something halfway coherent as she stared into the flames, using them as a feeble distraction from what was about to happen. Eventually, she took what felt like her final breath—
“You don’t have to go into detail if you’re uncomfortable, Sue,” the other Martian cut her off, concerned. “I just want your fears to be finally soothed.”
It wasn’t possible to explain any of this without going into detail, not anymore. At last, Sue spoke, “I-I’m not w-what you think I am.”
In her anxious bracing for the immediate reaction, Sue didn’t notice the royal simply tilting their head a bit, unsure what she was getting at. “How so?” they asked, uncertain. “Your upbringing seems to have been rather distressing, yes, but you’re still one of us. The first Forest Guardian I’ve seen in a good while outside of my tribe, hah.”
‘Forest Guardian’? Was this how this species was called? Quite a weird name if so, more like a title than a scientific designation. Sue had no idea what they meant by ‘her upbringing’ either, but it ultimately didn’t matter—it wasn’t true, and by now it was too late to even pretend it could be.
“I-I’m not—or rather I wasn’t. I-I wasn’t always this, this species,” Sue muttered, finally daring to peek up at the royal and seeing the confusion on their expression in full detail.
Confusion, which they then followed with their own hesitant words, “I... alright. If that’s the case, what… were you, and what happened to you to become a Forest Guardian?”
Sue nodded shakily, expecting a response like this. She tried recalling how she used to look, a pang of panic shooting through her body at finding that task so much more difficult than it should have been. Her past self was getting muddy on the details, and if she wasn’t being held at dreamed-up gunpoint, it would’ve hit her even harder than it did.
Still, a few tears did force their way past her eyelids.
Before Sue could start worrying about how she’d even present her previous appearance, she noticed a vague outline of her human self start coalescing in the air. She concentrated on what she wore that day, how she kept her short, blonde hair, the hologram sharpening with her every thought. Soon enough, she was done, the royal’s eyes widening as she explained, “Th-this is how I looked. I-I used to be a human, and as to what happened... I don’t know. I remember walking through a forest in... my world, and then suddenly waking up here, in this body, with no memory of what caused this.”
No going back now.
The truth was out, and all Sue could do was watch their reaction. And, if she was extremely lucky, it wouldn’t include ending her there and then.
She jumped as the royal got up from their spot, walking around the illusionary image to inspect what was once her from every angle. Their question soon pierced the deafening rumble of her racing heart, “Is... is this what you were afraid of us knowing?”
Sue closed her eyes and nodded, turning back to face the campfire as she braced for the inevitable, a wave of eerie calmness filling her. She felt her senses withdraw from her dreamed-up body, too terrified to look anywhere but at the blazes. All she could do now was just wait for it to happen, whatever form ‘it’ would end up taking.
This is the end. Goodbye, world—
And then; she felt an arm wrap around her, tingly to the touch, and pull her to the side.
Within moments, Sue was sitting right next to the royal, her head resting on theirs. Her eyes shot wide open as she turned to face them, seeing the concern filling their expression. There was some uncertainty too, but it didn’t last long, evaporating in moments as reassurance replaced it. After what felt like hours but was only seconds, they finally spoke, “I’m... I’m so sorry this happened to you, Sue. You must be so, so terribly lost...”
She could only stare blankly in return, too shocked to even think. Was that really it? Were all her worries for naught?
“...but you don’t have to fear anymore. You’re safe now.”
I’m… safe?
Sue felt calmness fill her once more, not unlike earlier in the forest—but this time, it was her own; a blanket of comforting warmth wrapped around her body as opposed to cold clarity forced into her head. Moment by moment, she felt her tension fade, giving way to exhaustion. At having to fear, at running away so foolishly, at feeling like she couldn’t trust anyone here, despite how friendly they seemed.
But it was over, it was finally over.
She shook as the stranger held her dreamed-up tears running down her cheeks as she felt safe, truly safe, for the first time since finding herself in this magical new world. A world where nothing made sense, and yet one in which the people were just as kind, if not even more so, than in hers, despite all their fantastical appearances and abilities.
The pair simply sat in silence for as long as Sue needed to, until all the pent-up emotions finally found an outlet through freely flowing tears. The royal’s gentle rocking continued, soothing the occasional sob until all that remained was peace. Peace, calmness, and clarity with which to face the world as it actually was, not the imaginary one she had almost run away from mere hours ago.
“Everything is okay,” the other Martian whispered, smiling at her with a patient, downright motherly smile. It provided more comfort than Sue would’ve thought possible, especially when coming from someone so… inhuman. Inhuman, and yet more humane than many people she had the displeasure of meeting in the past.
Sue mumbled, “Th-thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Sue. I can only imagine all the questions on your mind now that you finally found someone you can talk to. I’ll try to answer as many as I can, starting with the most urgent one, hah. My name is Solstice.”
Sue nodded along, her mouth already opening before one of her questions was immediately answered. Not the one she was about to ask, but this answer was immensely helpful as well. “Solstice,” she admired. “Th-that’s a beautiful name.”
“Why, thank you~!” Solstice giggled. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious about your name, too. Elegant and rolls off the tongue for sure, but does it mean anything in your language?”
She certainly didn’t expect a question of that nature, making her think back to whether her name meant anything. It probably did; she remembered looking it up on trivia websites when she was younger, but couldn’t recall any findings. Regardless, even if it technically meant something, it was far from the same level of literal meaning as ‘Solstice’. She finally responded, “I-I don’t think so, no. It’s just a name. It doesn’t mean or stand for anything.”
“Huh, intriguing. I must admit I haven’t run into a name like that before, without meaning in itself,” Solstice admitted, curious.
Speaking of running into things. “I-it’s quite usual for humans... on that note, d-do you know where they could be?” Sue asked, sparks of hope lighting in her eyes.
Sadly, they fizzled out just moments later as Solstice shook her head, clearly taken aback at the question. “In truth, this is the very first time I’ve seen or even heard of kin like that. Similar to mine and my father’s in appearance, but only just—unless there’s a large mane that your recollection isn’t showing. And these clothes... not even the seamstresses in the Central City were making anything near this detailed or richly dyed.”
So that was it for getting back home the easy way. At a certain level, Sue already knew that, especially with there being no sign of any human habitation anywhere—Solstice having not even heard of humans was merely a confirmation of that fear.
Fear that she would be stuck here forever.
“I... I see,” Sue muttered weakly. The sorrow of the realization began to gnaw at her before the warm calmness emanating from Solstice forced it away, her embrace becoming that bit tighter.
“I’m sorry, Sue. I can’t imagine this being in any way easy to process, but do not despair. Pale Lady sees many things, and I’m certain Her guidance will help us find a way back into your world,” Solstice reassured, holding her closer.
The connection didn’t click for Sue, the once-human simply nodding her way through Solstice’s words, not thinking of them as anything more than some vague religious reassurance. Still, she appreciated being comforted, Solstice’s care helping her avoid breaking down there and then—once was more than enough.
“Forgive me for asking, though,” the other Martian chimed in, “your... original kin are not psychics, right?”
“Psy... kicks?”
Both of them were left about as confused as each other, Sue at having no idea what that word meant, at least not in this context, and Solstice at Sue being dumbstruck despite her language appearing to have a word for the trait in question.
“I’m not sure what you’re referring to...” Sue said, still confused.
Solstice tilted her head. “I thought your tongue had a term for that concept, so that’s what I used. Does ‘psychic’ refer to something else, then?”
“I’ve no idea what you’re referring to to begin with. Th-the only time I remember hearing that word used is with, like, conmen that pretended to see the future and move objects with their mind and—”
…
…
The association took a while to click in her mind, but once it did, it was so obvious.
Bowlcut levitating that one treat a couple days ago, Solstice stopping her fall just this very day... not to mention other potentially related things, like her sixth sense or even this dream communication. These definitely fit that definition, though without the association with fraudsters.
“I think you might just have cracked that one yourself,” Solstice giggled, trying her best to avoid breaking into full-blown laugher. “There’s no seeing the future like that, though—at least not in the way you’re thinking, heh.”
Sue appreciated her hunch being confirmed, though it only solidified an observation from earlier, a very appropriate one in the moment. She asked, dumbstruck, “W-wait, are you reading my thoughts or something?”
Solstice was briefly taken aback, before giggling and nodding, “Yes, yes I am. It’s admittedly hard not to do so here, since I was the one that put you to Rest. It’s not a common occurrence in the waking world, if you want to be reassured of that.”
Sue sure didn’t expect her to be so nonchalant about that, as if it was just an everyday thing. Though, who knows, that might very well have been the case here. She still had no concrete idea about the extent of this species’ abilities—and this chat was an excellent opportunity to find out about just that. “Is that just... a thing you can do?” she asked.
“Well... essentially, yes. And so can you now, I’m quite sure.”
“I dunno...” Sue sighed. “I tried doing some of that levitation thing after seeing Bowl—um, your child do it, and couldn’t figure it out.”
The other Forest Guardian blinked at Sue’s double take, expression turning uncertain before she finally broke into laughter, trying and failing to hold it in as the once-human threatened to burn up in embarrassment. “That’s one nickname for the lil’ Comet, hehe. Even though I’m sure he didn’t look like it, it took him a lot of practice to get to that point, practice I doubt you had any opportunities for, let alone knowledge of how to go about it.”
“With how effortlessly they—he did it, I would’ve thought it was a subconscious thing...” Sue justified.
“Oh, it does become subconscious, and rather quickly at that,” Solstice reassured, “and I hope you’ll find that out for yourself soon!”
Sue blinked, confused. “O-oh? What do you mean?”
“It’d be an honor for me to help show you the ropes, so to say. No Forest Guardian deserves to live like this, separated from and unaware of their inner power. And it’s certainly a better outcome than what Willow was afraid of—they feared that the poisoning you’ve sustained at the hands of that beast had injured your brain, and rendered you unable to draw from your inner power.”
She had no idea how to react to the queen of this entire village offering to personally teach her how to do the magic her new body was capable of. It was touching and humbling, sending a sting of regret through her body at having ever doubted Solstice’s intentions. “Th-that’s... I don’t think I can thank you enough for this...”
“Neither can I thank you enough for saving my best friend’s daughter’s life,” Solstice responded, somber. “She had a terrifying premonition during our stay in the Central City, urging us to return as soon as possible, worrying that something horrible had happened. And, if not for your intervention, it might very well had.”
Sue could only nod weakly in return, almost forgetting the importance of what she had done on her first day here, thinking back to Ember and their endless gratitude.
“And it’s Spark, actually.”
“Huh?” Sue blinked, taken aback and with no idea what Solstice meant there.
The older Forest Guardian explained, “The one you’ve nicknamed ‘Ember’—her name is Spark. And before you ask, Willow is the one you know as ‘Doc’; they’ll be more than relieved to learn that your brain is alright. ‘Leafy’ is Splitleaf, caretaker for the village’s little ones. We asked her to look after Comet and Spark while we were away. ‘Pixie’ is Poppy, a cook like no other—for the best, because I’m not sure the world could endure having two of her in it, and ‘Spook’ is Hazel, Poppy’s wife. Made quite an introduction, didn’t she?”
“That’s helpful, th-thank you.” Sue stammered, taken aback at all the times. “I hope none of my... nicknames were offensive or anything...”
Solstice shook her head, “Oh, not in the slightest. We’ve all been called much worse things than that to our faces, and it’s not like you did it out of any sense of malice. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind, but since you’ll be getting to talk to them sooner rather than later anyway, knowing their actual names will come in handy.”
“Getting to talk to them?” Sue blurted, taken aback. “I don’t know the language—”
“You don’t know it yet. And besides, that won’t even be an obstacle, telepathy is handy like that,” Solstice reassured.
“W-wait, what? You mean like talking to someone without speaking?”
The older Forest Guardian nodded, “‘Communicating with just thoughts’ would be a more accurate way to describe it, but yes, essentially that.”
“That sounds... complicated.”
“Oh, it isn’t—nowhere near. In fact, it’s the simplest thing a psychic can do. If Comet knew how to speak to begin with, he would’ve been chatting you up your entire stay in Willow’s clinic. Sundance will gladly teach you the basics, and from there, it’s just practice! I’m sure Spark would love to be your practice partner on this one,” Solstice giggled, with Sue soon joining in at the mental image of the Martian tyke babbling like he already did, but directly into her brain.
Though... Sundance?
“Sundance is that close friend of mine I mentioned earlier, Spark’s mother. Regrettably, I won’t be able to help teach you today. There are a lot of issues to discuss on the Elders’ council following our talks in the Central City, plus a celebratory feast to organize in the evening. You’re cordially invited to sit next to me in advance~.”
Right, so that other figure on Doc—Willow’s drawing. Sue was still confused about a few points, asking again, “Elders’ council? I thought you were some sort of royalty with that diadem... and if telepathy is so straightforward, why didn’t you use it to talk to me earlier when I ran into you?”
Sue’s comment made Solstice look sharply upwards at the barely visible tip of her diadem, as if she’d forgotten she was even wearing it. She carefully took it off before handing it to the younger Forest Guardian to inspect, the latter taken aback by the gesture as she explained, “Oh, I’m the furthest thing from royalty. I can assure you of that much.”
Before the once-human could pay attention to her voice having grown much flatter there, the not-royal continued. “I’m... hmm... in your language, the word ‘mayor’ comes the closest, but it’s not an exact match. ‘Head of council’, I suppose? I sit on the Elders’ council and am its informal leader and our village’s political representative. The diadem is just a gift from an old friend. I can’t say I ever imagined it would be perceived as a royal insignia, hah.”
On a closer inspection, the piece of jewelry really was quite basic. It was made from a single lumpy strand of partially corroded metal, decorations limited to simple geometric patterns etched on its outer side.
“And as for not communicating with you beforehand and dragging you in here to talk—you can thank Willow for that, though they were acting in the best of faith,” Solstice explained. “Since you didn’t show any psychic ability once you woke up, not even your own telepathy, they assumed there was something wrong on the inside, likely caused by the poisoning. They decided against asking the other psychics in the village to talk telepathically with you, since they were worried that doing so would only exacerbate the issue. Instead, they opted to wait for me to return since I have more experience with psychic health issues. From there, I played it safe and talked to you in your dreams first, which is probably a good thing, considering what I learned here.”
It made sense when she’d put it like that, though the latter remark made Sue’s hair stand on end. The Mayor noticed it, clarifying right after, “Don’t worry, I only intend to share the truth about your origins with Sundance, and that is just out of necessity, so that she can teach you more effectively. If you want anyone else to know, I will not stop you—it’s your call. Otherwise, I can come up with a... cover story if you wish, though it’d be of a rather miserable kind.”
“A miserable kind?” Sue asked, confused.
Solstice sighed, expression faltering as she answered, “It’s... not really done anymore, at least not in the tribe I hail from, but once upon a time... disposing of hatchlings which were crippled and unable to draw from their inner power was commonplace. Some tribes sent them out to die, and some just... took matters into their own hands, not wanting to waste resources on those who wouldn’t ever be able to repay them. I thought about spreading a story that you were one of those children sent off on their own, but who managed to survive.”
Sue could only stare in shock; the actions described so utterly unlike anything else she’d seen from the Mayor—or anyone else in the village, for that matter. “That sounds...”
“Monstrous? Barbaric? Abhorrent? It is, it is all these things. That’s why we’re here, to escape from the callous brutality of nature and the cold ruthlessness of those who only cooperate for survival,” Solstice said, proud and resolute. She laid a hand on Sue’s shoulder, smiling as she continued. “And we’re more than honored to have you here, Sue. Though I should get going now, council issues won’t talk themselves through.”
Sue nodded in understanding, though was still confused about the logistics of the older Forest Guardian leaving… whatever this was. “Wh-what about me then?” she asked, “Isn’t this a shared dream?”
“Well, I was thinking of leaving you asleep after this vision fades away. You’ve already had quite a day and could definitely use some more rest. It’d also give me time to explain everything to Sundance and for her to walk over—though ultimately, it’s up to you.”
Guess there was no harm in getting some more rest, especially with how exhausting her day had been so far. Sue figured she might as well take her time before meeting everyone, for real this time. “A-alright, that sounds good. Th-thank you, Solstice, for all this.”
The Mayor bowed at her words, turning her head skyward as the dreamscape unraveled around them. Her parting words echoed in Sue’s mind as her unconscious was plunged into nothingness once more—
“Rest well, Sue. Much lies ahead of us...”