I would be puzzled by my experiences before and after I would off finally left Teyvat. I searched the wilderness and its forests for any sign of Goldilocks & her Three Bears, but I was unable to find them, and when the spaceship departed is when I swear I saw her gazing up towards me from the forests below. She was on top of a tree, remade in the image of Mother Nature herself, and now a spriggan that would forever watch over the forests of Teyvat. The shoulder that the Arka had pierced through was rejuvenated and her body resembled that of Aleanah Dawnblade, the elven spriggan, herself. Why did I swear it was her? Well, because she was in the companion of three bears and I damn well knew how they looked like from afar.
“The TEC-9 grounded, Drakwa Myers M.I.A., the Bloodstone Tribe crippled and what little remains off them now scattered throughout the world of Teyvat.”, Thomas Hennington, my dear brother, was catching up on everything that I had told him in confidence. “That is correct.”, I would speak to him in front of his own table where he would write his report down in detail.
“And you say that the light of Teyvat has finally returned to shine upon that wondrous world yet again?”, he asked and I nodded my head. “Correct.”, I replied while in deep thought.
“So we shall tell the Empyreal Coucil that the curse of Teyvat has finally been lifted.”, explained Thomas. “But as a result, her wondrous world tree has ceased to exist for the shadows were too much for it to bare and her inhabitants are now without a kingdom due to what happened.”, he implied before he would lift his head towards me and give me a serious look on his face.
I could only nod back and I didn’t even mention anything about the tree. He said to me that he doesn’t want the Empire to know anything about it, just like Drakwa told his crew, and I never knew why or bothered to ask for that matter. I had what I wanted, my citizenship card, hanging from a necklace that was placed over my neck and yet every time I felt it I thought of Teyvat.
“And of the Tales of the Sleeping Beauty, what shall we tell the council about that?”, asked Thomas and I responded while clenching onto my shirt, still thinking of Teyvat and all I’ve been through. “Tell them only that the Sleeping Beauty is dead and that Talia Carabosse…”, I paused for a moment and looked to my brother before I would finish my sentence with; “Died with her.”
I don’t know what it was, but after all the suffering I had endured I missed Teyvat or perhaps I missed someone that was there, a friend, that I realized now I was too lonely without.
“It was a beautiful world, wasn’t it?”, asked Thomas. “Of course it was.”, I said to him. “Every world is home to its own wonders as it is home to its own horrors.”, I explained.
“That is not what I meant.”, he explained and I raised my head, gazing into his eyes in thought. “You’ve dealt with most of its horrors and what little remains of it is all thanks to your journey.”
“You miss it, don’t you?”, he asked and I gazed into his eyes. “Or do you miss someone you didn’t have proper time to say goodbye to, someone important like a friend who would accompany you through hell itself?”, I immediately thought of Goldilocks when he said that and I did not say a word back to him nor did I wish to show him any emotions regarding that topic.
Thomas withdrew himself back into his seat, reached for his hair with his right hand in thought and I sat there in silence thinking about what I could possibly say to him as well. I was lost on where I would go after everything I had been through and the only friend that I lost.
“Well, you have full citizenship now and you’re allowed to venture anywhere throughout the Dragonlands.”, he stated what I already knew before he would continue. “However, should you be interested, I would have another task for you in mind as well?”, I didn’t say a word.
“There is a small group of explorers that will be venturing back to Teyvat…”, I looked up to him this time, searching his eyes as his serious expression then turned to a smile. “They’re a group that is already familiar with the world accompanied by a group of trusted archaeologists that will try and uncover the mysteries of the histories of Teyvat, and they so happen to have a open captain position on board one of their vessels, the newly refurbished TEC-9.”, I then smiled back at him for I entirely knew what he was trying to suggest for me to do and he smiled back.
“So what do you say? Are you interested?”, I got up from my seat and moved over the desk before I hugged him so tight that made him laugh and shake me in his arms.
Several days later, I would assemble the crew and return back to Teyvat where we would set up our own camp beneath a large waterfall. We would come across native elves of the forests, spriggans that would protect the wilderness while we excavated for anything of historical value and explored the many ruins of the old Kingdom of Rosamond. Every day I hoped to run into Goldilocks and I always wondered what I would say to her if I did. I counted the days that went by that turned into weeks and then into months, and the crew was my responsibility. One day, I approached Captain Jimbo and told him he is in command and that I would be away for a while. The gnome was more than overjoyed to have the position and so I ventured forth to the ruined Kingdom before I entered the farmhouse where I first met her and the bears only to see it is inhabited by humans that explained that there are no bears here. My last hope was the beanstalk that I climbed beanstalk in hopes to find her. I got to the highest point of it and no matter how far and wide I looked, I couldn’t see her anywhere. The spriggans that were there gazed upon me from the roots of the gigantic tree in thought as to why I was here. There were so many draconic, bird-like, and various other nests of so many types of animals that it amazed me. It was like a whole zoo in a gigantic tree that flourished with each passing month now that the sun shined brightly over it. Suddenly, I heard a tiny growl in the distance that I thought I recognized and a baby bear walked by, but it wasn’t the same bear I knew. I ventured back to camp and saw a group of spriggans attack my crew for they had used explosives to blast the chunks of earth. In response, I drew my sickles and attacked the needles of the derangers were about to launch with their bows. I attacked their bow strings and their projectiles. I used flash-bangs and smoke grenades to distract them for as long as I could, trying to save as many lives of the crew of the TEC-9 as possible and the archaeologists that had to get away.
“Please, stop!”, I begged the spriggans that would do anything to chase us away and kill the majority of us. “Please, don’t do this!”, I begged. “I’ve done no harm to nature!”, and I said that when the smoke had cleared and yet it didn’t matter, they all held their needles aimed at me.
Despite all my pleading for my crew, they had all chickened out and abandoned me. I turned around and gazed at my surroundings, hoping they would come back to me and they didn’t. Only Goldilocks ever came back for me when she was alive and I crouched behind a tree before I sighed, just giving up even though I’ve been through worse. In the end, one needle struck through my heart that pierced through the dead bark I hid behind. Yes, I know that it is quite ironic that the world that I tried to save killed me instead and yet none of that matters when you’re dead. When I opened my eyes again, I was licked over the face by the three slimy mouths of three annoying little bears and they all seemed so happy to be reunited with me. I pushed them back and hugged them, snuggling and cuddling with my old friends, the Three Bears, whom I was reunited with once more before I would see my old friend. I saw Goldilocks before my very eyes and her claw reached down for my hand and my hand reached out for her claw as she pulled me up to stand. In case you are wondering; No, I wasn’t lesbian and she did make me feel like I wanted to be sometimes. From that day on, I would protect the forest of Teyvat as one of them, as one of the spriggans. Goldilocks and I would regularly patrol the forests for any signs of those that seek to harm nature and we would venture in each other’s embrace, most of the time performing pranks upon the locals and even helping guide lost children back to their village if they strayed too far. We would often run into the Three Blind Elves that would try to lure their prey out to eat them. We would be chased by some random hunters but easily deal with them and I’d always try to trap them rather than kill them and have the animals punish them. Goldilocks and I would slide down the large beanstalk tree’s thick branches and roots. We would use its very large vines to take us places and jump place to place. We would throw each other around and catch one another as we would even play tag. We would even slide down sometimes to see the vampiric couple, Briar Rose and her beloved Jour Rose, whom would be in each other’s loving embrace enjoying another goblet of fresh blood and we would gift them flowers as we passed by. I finally had my friend back and even though I was a spriggan now, at least I wouldn’t have to deal with anymore wars and bullshit of dictatorships that has no love for its people.
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“What? Were you hoping for a happy ending?.”, I say to you because I am content with where I am and yet where the others were with their own I was not so sure nor could I care any less.
“Bloody Mary…”, my brother spoke to Jack & Jill in his headquarters. “How did she return for a second time?”, he sat in his seat and stroked his chin, wondering. “Unless the Tales of the Black Lotus were true.”, said Jill. “We can’t know for sure. All the data was lost when the Doom Falcon fell from the skies.”, replied Jack and Thomas nodded, agreeing with his friend.
“If the legends are true, then her soul was, indeed, taken by the blade, but how did she return?”, Thomas had many more questions to which Jill sighed. “This is all but speculation, boss, we would really have to confirm them with facts. The council will never believe us.”, stated Jill.
“We won’t tell the council.”, stated Thomas, much to everyone’s surprise. “For if the legend is true, then that means the souls of other notable figures such as Lu’ulf Chen, Anna Safar, and others could have possibly returned to the realm of the living.”, he explained, much to Jack & Jill’s horror as both of them gazed into each other’s eyes realizing the severity of the situation.
“But what is certain is that Bloody Mary is finally dead.”, stated Thomas. “How do you know?”, asked Jack & Jill smacked the back of his head. “Didn’t you read the report or did you fall down too hard over that hill and break your crown?!”, she raised her voice at him and he sighed.
“The scarecrows faded away into obscurity, that’s how we know, and what little remains of her tribe is scattered!”, she reminded Jack, who looked at her with confusion. “So why are they still holding out?”, Jack asked and Thomas turned to face him, continuously stroking his chin.
“Oh, for fuck sakes, Jack.”, said Jill, who covered her face annoyed by her lover. “The same reason that the Bloodstone Clan is holding out on the Hearthlands, survival.”, Thomas replied.
“Is it because of that though?”, asked Jack & Jill turned to face him with disbelief. “Now hear me out here, guys.”, Jack would stand up and look to Jill before he would look back to Thomas.
“Ever since the fall of the Cyberpunk Empire, most of humanity has fled to this world and those that did not remained with the Bloodstone Clan over on the Hearthlands, right?”, he explained. “What’s your point?”, asked Thomas in thought. “The point is, their clan grew!”, replied Jack.
“Originally, we thought they carried on the name of their leader to carry on her legacy but what if this is not the case? What if they are slowly rebuilding, constructing, gathering an army?”, the human threw many questions on the table. “You think they are preparing for something?”, asked Jill & Jack turned to face her, nodding his head in agreement and snapping his fingers at her.
This left the trio to keep on speculating and without any facts they were left to mere speculation, something which Thomas knew off too well and yet even he began to wonder. What they did not know, however, is that the answers they sought lay within the walls of their very own city. Down at Drury Lane and within the Drury Bakery, business carried on as usual.
“Hello!”, another gingerbread man would greet the next customer only to be snatched, risen, and his legs devoured first before the rest of his body would then be eaten up as well.
Elina Frostclaw would lick her fingertips with delight and in the distance, Arthur O’Bower would spot her. He sighed for he knew already what she was here for and he called.
“Little Jack Horner!”, the Muffin Man called for the baker that turned to face him uncomfortably and gazed towards him. “She’s here.”, said Arthur. “Who?”, asked Jack’ron and Arthur sighed.
“Who do you think?!”, the Muffin Man raised his voice and Jack’ron looked down, lowering his head in shame and when his boss left, he just smirked and turned back to open the oven.
He reached for his famous plum pie and then blinked out of existence only to reappear through teleportation where the beloved Elina Frostclaw was sitting down. She didn’t even turn to face him as he set the pie down before her very eyes and she took a sniff of the pie with delight.
“It smells more than divine this time, Jack’ron, and the décor this time it’s…”, Elina paused for the décor was shaped like the head of a figure that Jack’ron had murdered back on Teyvat.
“Rather unique.”, stated Elina as she immediately cut into the pie with her knife and lifted a piece of it that appeared to be rather red at the bottom instead of purplish or pink.
Many would certainly believe Jack’ron used reddish plums that day to make her pie, but this wasn’t the truth at all, for the décor resembled that of Captain Bloodthorne herself and certain parts of the plum pie seemed to have meat at the bottom that no one noticed.
“My, my…”, said Elina. “What a good boy you are.”, she said after sampling the pie that brought a smile on her face and the Muffin Man gazed towards them in the distance.
Jack’ron would reach for what appeared to be a trinket, a shrunken head off a broken android, which he would place upon the table in front of Elina that gazed at it with delight.
The Muffin Man would then notice a new customer step into the bakery that looked around in her scarlet robe before he would sigh and just return back to his ovens that he had to manage. The lady in the scarlet robe was familiar to Jack’ron that turned to face her and she approached him before she would step on the right side of Elina Frostclaw herself.
“Excuse me.”, the robed figure said before she would lower her hood to reveal her face. “Is this seat taken?”, Bloody Mary asked with a grin on her face and Elina giggled.
It seems everything was going according to plan and what better way to start then faking your own death? There were more mysteries to the unknown in the present. It is not just the past that is riddled with mysteries and rightfully so. Thomas, who was in his office, thought carefully about what his lieutenant suggested to him that day before his door would open and an elf would walk into his room that he stood up to face. The symbol of the Black Lotus was emblazoned on her uniform and it was then that he realized it was all connected for when he saw her, all his answers became clear as day in his eyes.
“Greetings, Thomas Hennington.”, said the Black Lotus before the door would shut behind her and the human gulped. “We need to talk.”, she said with an evil grin on her face.