I awkwardly and nervously approached the angel. I noticed as I approached, that my tail was tucked between my legs and my ears pointed downward. I thought of what I was going to say as she patiently waited for me to speak.

My heart slowed, and I spoke, “Well, to be honest, Missus… what's your name?”

She gave me a smile that warmed my face, “You can call me Aura.”

“Ah!” I gulped, “Missus Aura, well, I don’t honestly know where I am, and I just want to get home.”

“You want to go home so soon? You two just got here. Oh well, what a shame.”

“I just have to get to school… and where are we exactly?”

“You’re in my realm, don’t you remember how you got here.”

“Well, no, actually. I just remember falling asleep by the river and showing up here when I woke up.”

“Well, you must’ve had an invitation. May I have your names?” She pulled out a golden scroll that radiated with a brilliant light from her breast pocket.

“I’m Ivy.”

“And I’m Victor.”

“What beautiful names and such rare spirits. Are you two getting married?”

“Wha- no!” I quickly shouted, “Why would you think that.” I nervously scratched the back of my neck.”

“Well, you two are dressed so formally. It looks like you’re ready for a party, and I don’t remember any wedding parties coming up. There’s just so much to keep track of I find myself always forgetting an event.” She chuckled, “Ah, yes! You’re on here Ivy, but Victor, I can’t seem to find you. Actually, I can’t seem to find any male bunny spirits.”

“And what does that mean?” he nervously asked.

“It means you’re not allowed here, but don’t worry, you can be Ivy’s plus-one. Just don’t get separated, and you’ll be able to roam anywhere you’d like.”

“And if we do get separated?”

“We can say that you’ll be ‘unpleasantly’ asked to leave.” She said in a serious tone.

His bunny ears tucked behind his head as he started to get nervous, “U-Unpleasantly?”

She nodded slowly, “It happens, but don’t worry about it. Just stay with Ivy and you two will be fine.”

Something clicked in my mind at that moment, “Wait a second, you’re telling me that you have a list of everyone who’s in this forest?”

“Almost everyone. Why do you ask?”

“Is there someone here named Vallory?”

“Oh! Vallory! Such a wonderful girl! Do you know her?”

“Yes! She’s my best friend. She’s here?!” My ears and tail perked up.

“Yes. She’s here. I don’t know where she is at this moment. There’s been a blight in the forest that’s been growing uncontrollably until she arrived. She’s been fighting for me for years, but it wasn’t until recently the problem grew so out of control that she’s been having to fight for me full-time.”

My eyes sparkled, and my tail pointed straight up as I heard Vallory was alive. My mind became relieved and excited, “Where can I find her!”

She slid her scroll back into her robes, “Slow down young spirit. I thought you wanted to go back home. You have your studies to attend to after all.”

“That was before I knew Val was here! Please, can you tell me where she might be?”

“It’s a dangerous trek. I don’t recommend going empty-handed.” She let out a quiet gasp as she crafted an idea in her head, “I know, you two seem like strong, unique spirits. Why don’t you two, let’s say, help me so I can help you?”

“Whatever it takes to find Val!”

“Are you sure about this, Ivy? We have to get home. My parents are probably worried about me, and your mom’s probably worried about you.”

“We came here to find Val. Look how close we are. We can’t give up now, and I still really need your help.”

He sighed and stuck one bunny ear straight up, “You’re really lucky that I’m always up for adventure.”

I let out a happy meow and hugged his arm, “Thank you so much! I promise to pay you back somehow.”

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“So, is that a yes to our deal?”

“Yes! Yes! A million times, Yes!”

“How delightful! Alright, let’s start with you, Victor.”

Victor unconsciously stepped up to her and fell to one knee. She reached her hand over his head and something started to appear. A golden light shined and slowly faded revealing a long wooden staff. She waved it over his shoulders with a knighting motion and set it in his hands.

“Here’s the weapon you’ll use to fight.”

“A stick?”

“Yes. Oh well, I can take it back if you don’t want it.” She reached out to take it from him.

“Be grateful, Victor!” I shouted.

“Wait, wait. I was just surprised, I want it!” he pulled it away from Aura.

“Oh, good! I hope you use it wisely. Ivy, let’s get your weapon now.”

“Okay!” I excitedly kneeled in front of her throne. Again, she reached above my head and a blinding light appeared. This time, nothing was in her hands.

“There you are, my young soldier. Use them wisely.”

“Use what?” I asked.

She pointed down to my hands, “Those are your weapons.”

“My hands?”

“Close. They’re your claws.”

I lifted my hands and held them in front of my face, “They don’t look any different.”

“They’re retractable. You’ll figure out how to use them. They’ll come when you need them.”

“Super cool! Thank you so much, Missus Aura. Uhm… now where do we go exactly?”

“Let me help you out with that.” She gestured toward an area of thorns and vines that disrupted a trail. As she pointed, the vines squirmed and riggled leaving a narrow path that led to a dark overgrowth.

“That looks kinda scary. But I’m ready to take anything on.” I giggled.

“I love your confidence. You two will make good soldiers. My blessing is upon you.”

I bowed and led the way through the opening to the dark forest. The atmosphere was completely different, though we only traveled a few feet in. The sounds of the forest ceased and the light shining through the leaves seemed to dimmen the further we walked.

“I’m not sure about this, Ivy.” Victor nervously spoke.

“Come on, we’ll be fine-” As soon as I said this the thorns and vines returned to their original position, “Well… I guess there’s no turning back now anyway.”

“I feel uneasy about this.”

“Me too.” I gulped, “But don’t worry, we’ll survive. We have weapons so what’s the worst that could happen?”

“Maybe we should’ve asked what specifically we’re fighting. I feel like we went in here blind.”

“Now you bring that up?” I scoffed, “You could’ve asked. I didn’t think of that.”

“Well, I’m just thinking of it right now. You don’t have to be a grumpy pants about it.”

“Sorry, I get grumpy when I’m scared, okay? Please be patient with me.”

“What even is a blight?”

“Um, isn’t it like a plant flu or something?”

Suddenly we heard a low-pitched gurgling sound from off of the path. I hid behind Victor and listened as it slowly approached and its gurgles got louder. Suddenly, a collection of vines, thorns, and flowers came together and formed the shape of some creature. The vines were wrapped with thorns forming the legs of the creature. The head was made up of vines and two pink flowers in the place where the eyes were.

It lashed out at us. Victor gave out a sharp yelp of pain.

“Are you okay?!” I cried.

“No!” he replied.

“Where did it hit you?”

“It didn’t! Your nails are digging into me!”

I looked down and saw my nails had penetrated the arm I was holding onto. I quickly let go and saw how long and sharp my nails had gotten, “Oh my. Sorry, I was deeper than I thought.”

Again the plant lashed out at us wrapping its thorny tentacle around my ankle and started to pull me toward it. I tried to claw at the vines but I couldn’t reach them.

“Save me!” I yelled toward Victor.

“I’m trying!” He answered while beating another tentacle with his stick.

As I got close enough to reach the creature, I slashed my claws at its body. It let out an ear-piercing screech and its grip around my ankle got tighter, digging its thorns deeper into me. Tears filled my eyes from the pain. I saw where I had scratched and had started to bleed a thick black sap.

“Attack the body!” I shouted in pain.

“On it!” Victor replied while running toward me. He lifted his staff and slammed it directly on top of the creature’s back causing it to go limp immediately, relieving the sharp pain around my ankle.

“Are you okay?” He asked me, “Can you walk?”

“I think so, it’s just a few scratches.”

I noticed the body of the plant started to decompose leaving pretty flowers growing in the spot where we had killed it.

“How pretty. I wanna do that more!”

“Are you crazy?” He asked with concern.

“Shouldn’t you know that by now?” I chuckled before letting out a sharp yelp as I moved my ankle.

I removed my stocking revealing dark blood oozing from multiple punctures around my ankle. I put pressure on it hoping that the bleeding stopped.

“For you.” Victor handed me the flower that had fallen off the beast.

“So pretty!” I gave the flower a sniff. This flower smelled different from the flowers earlier. It smelled sweeter and stronger. A warm feeling ran from my nose throughout my body. I felt a pulse return to my foot turning it from pale back to my original skin color. I took pressure from around my ankle and saw the bleeding had completely stopped; not only that but the skin around it had grown back.

“That is super cool!” I gestured toward my foot.

Victor was still holding pressure on the punctures I had given him, “Does that mean I could smell this one?”

“Of course!” I handed him the other flower.

As he was smelling the flower, the one in my hand slowly lost its color and its petals started to fall and blow away in the wind.

“Poor thing. It used its life just to help me.” A tear fell from my eye, “I’m so selfish!”

“Hold on, don’t cry. It wanted to help us because we helped them.” He said while his flower blew away in the wind.

“Maybe… But I still feel bad. Oh, and sorry for stabbing you. I didn’t mean to hurt you so bad.”

“It wasn’t that bad, don’t worry.” He smiled, “Come on, we gotta find Val before another one of those blights finds us.”

“You’re right! We should focus on our main objective.” I stood up and followed Victor, “So, um… do you think we’re close enough for me to touch your tail?”

“Absolutely not.”