Teddy and Kona scrambled around the flooded marketplace, shoving some and ramming into others while they frantically searched for Kayda. Though she was standing right next to them mere moments ago, she seemed to disappear without a trace in almost an instant. The two of them anxiously waded through the dense horde of citizens, many of whom were flashing them dirty looks of annoyance. As their desperation grew, so did the volume of the scene they were making, the sound of the hustle and bustle beginning to dissipate as others took note of their anguish and public display of distress.
However, in a few moments, the crowd’s interest began to fade, as everyone continued to go about their business and paid no mind to them. Desperation was a common sight here, and many could not afford to get caught up in the troubles of others. The people of Needles were no stranger to tragedy. The sight of misfortune is simply a sight to get used to in not only Needles, but The Vale at large. If any concern was to be had, it was simply because they knew that one day they’d be in the same situation as Kona and Teddy. Loss. They were content in savoring what little peace they had now, for any day, it would be their turn to suffer. That is why many did not trifle in the matters of others. If one wished to survive out here, it was best they kept to themselves and only tended to the issues of those close to them, lest they find themselves caught in a situation with costs beyond the monetary persuasion.
It was because of this shared sentiment, everyone who Teddy approached and questioned quickly shooed him away, that is, if they even dignified him with a response. Teddy darted across the street, back and forth, desperately asking everyone he saw if they saw Kayda wander by, or if they saw anyone that resembled his description of her. Kona followed suit, but was more or less met with the same types of responses, albeit more cold in nature, due to the existing resentment of her. As usual though, this did not bother her in the slightest, and she continued in her search, apologizing profusely whenever she bumped into someone.
Some individuals even shoved Teddy away, much to his surprise, but he didn’t really dwell on it. He was most concerned with finding Kayda as soon as humanly possible, all other trivial interactions be damned. Teddy peered down the various alleyways that ran through mainstreet, and was only met with litter and smoke billowing from the multitude of vents that dotted the sides of buildings. Kona even ran into the backrooms of a couple of stores and vendors, shoving people aside while she desperately looked for Kayda. Neither of their paths were met with any luck, but they were not deterred. For what seemed like hours, they continued their mission, leaving no stone unturned, as every inch of mainstreet was examined by them at length. Much to the chagrin of passersby.
“Kayda! Kayda!” Kona exclaimed, digging her head into a nearby trash can, throwing out garbage as if she’d find Kayda at the very bottom of each can she searched.
Teddy continued to haphazardly dart around the settlement, his form trembling as he approached Kona. Even when standing in place, his legs couldn’t stay still, as his foot tapped anxiously and his antenna twitched about, attempting to isolate any sounds that could act as clues.
Kona pulled herself from the confines of the metallic receptacle, grime staining her hair as sweat glazed her forehead. She looked to Teddy with a hopeful expression, hoping that he had Kayda in tow with him. However, his worried gaze told a story she was afraid to hear.
“No luck, huh?” She said, pulling strings of garbage out of her hair and wiping sweat from her brow.
“I am afraid not! I have searched everywhere, and tried to speak to anyone that would at least give me the time of day. And yet, there has been no actual progress to our search!” Teddy said, still tapping his foot.
“Relax! I-I’m sure that she couldn’t have gone far! She has like, those really tiny legs! How far could she get?”
“Need I remind you, that her circumstances are anything but normal. It isn’t a matter of how far she could go on her own, but if someone was devilish enough to take her right beneath our noses!”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that part. The whole bounty thing. Sorry about that… We’ll find her, I promise,” Kona said, kicking the dirt in frustration.
Teddy sighs, “No need to apologize. I simply wish to find her. Lord knows what trouble she may be in if we are not reunited with her at once!”
“Ted, we’ll find her. I know we will! Even if some bad guy yoinked her, I’m POSITIVE me and you can kick all kinds of ass! Let’s keep looking, buddy!” Kona said while playfully punching his shoulder.
Teddy couldn’t help but feel grateful for her positivity in a time as uncertain as this, for if he was alone in this situation, he knew for a fact that he’d might be as useful as a pile of parts. Though Kona said and did everything she could to lighten the situation, deep down, she could feel a bit of doubt grow within her. Despite affirming their chances of success, she could feel her throat tighten and dry ever so slightly. However, it wasn’t long before she buried this sinking feeling deep within her, choosing to ignore what she was truly feeling. Teddy shouldn’t have to deal with her feelings right now. That’s what she told herself, at least. She gave Teddy a wide smile and nod while she guided him to another part of town to continue their search.
Through the plumes of neon smoke and stray sparks, a lone girl wanders about, curious as to what she might find around the corner. She knew it was wrong of her to leave the side of those who have done so much for her, but she figured they wouldn’t mind if she was only gone for just a second. After all, she knew where she last saw them. Worst case scenario, she could return there and simply wait for them. She would’ve asked if they could come this direction, but something beckoned her, however, she couldn’t pinpoint exactly what. The sounds of the bustling crowd grew distant, as mechanical hums and ticking clockwork enraptured the scene. The alleyway grew more narrow as pipes jutted out of the walls of the surrounding buildings, while steam leaked from the various cracks of crevices that she saw. Curtains of laundry dangled above her, as aged cords strung along from window to window, creating an awning of garments.
She felt herself near what had caught her attention moments ago, as the narrow corridor suddenly opened into a perfectly square clearing. It seemed the only means of accessing this slice of town was the alley she had just emerged from, as from every side stood towering wooden and metal fixtures. The frantic nature of Needles seemed to be but a distant memory here, and despite still being within the town, there was an air of serenity. No more was the incessant chattering of townsfolk, but instead, a silence accompanied only by the desert wind gliding over the sky above, rustling distant wind chimes. For the first time in a long time, Kayda could hear her own thoughts. She let out a sigh as she let the tranquility overcome her. The high rises of spikes and ramshackled buildings granted this spot conditions most rare for The Gulch. Shade existed here long enough for the sands to not have enough sunlight to reflect, making this spot truly shady and enclosed from the rest of the world. Stray rays of gold pierced through the cracks in the buildings, however, they were not enough to create the same broiling conditions that existed outside.
From the sand, sprouted what seemed to be wilted flowers, their petals hanging on by a thread as their stems sagged. Discarded petals littered the sandy floor, as decayed vines remained barely latched to the surrounding walls. Judging from the height which these vines reached, it could be surmised that these plants were at one point brimming with life. Now, all that remained were thorny patches of rot, and what little flowers were left, were struggling to remain alive. Kayda couldn’t help but feel upset by this, as she bent over and picked up a wilted flower, gently touching its petals as one gently glided to the sands below. She continued to stare at the plant as she softly ran her fingers down its stem, contemplating something that only she knew. She put the flower down, and she started walking along the walls of the clearing, running her fingers along the vines that grew to a height taller than her. She stopped to examine a thorn on the vine, pinching it between her thumb and index finger, taking note of its sharpness and texture. She felt herself yearning to see this garden in its prime, and fantasized about how beautiful this oasis must have been. She sighed at the thought of this, before pausing to let herself get lost in thought. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the thorns once more, this time really taking into account their sharpness. Taking a deep breath, she began to bring her index finger to the tip of a thorn and gritted her teeth as she began to apply pressure.
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However, her trance was broken as she heard a nearby door slam open as dust kicked up into the air. She scrambled to stuff her hands into her dress pocket, eyeing the exit of the clearing as the dust began to settle. Bottles and packets were thrown onto the ground as a figure exited the door into the clearing. She couldn’t see who this was, as the boxes they were carrying obscured their figure. She waited to see who this might be, as she had to take Kona’s advice to heart. Every stranger is a friend you haven’t met. Even ones that try to kill you. Kayda chose to ignore that last part, for she had the foresight to leave if the situation grew unsafe.
The figure dropped the cardboard boxes against the wall and began to rustle about desperately, haphazardly tossing out bags of what appeared to be plant nutrients and bottles of chemicals. From here, Kayda got a more clear image of who was before her.
Rummaging through the tattered boxes was what appeared to be a robot much different from Teddy or any of the others that wandered the streets of Needles. The robot was heavier than many of them, moving in a rather clunky manner, as if every movement was a struggle. Wires and bulbs stuck out from their back, as gauges and dials covered their shoulders. Their metal plating was rusted over, with bolts clearly missing, leading to gaps in their chassis, where spurts of steam spit out from. Their legs were clunky and stiff, being not too different from a pair of trash cans. Similar in thickness to their legs, their arms ended with three fingered claws on each hand. Atop this all was a lampshade shaped head with a pair of antennae, one of which was bent. Despite their size, they carried themselves in a very deliberate and careful way, gently removing items of interest from the box and calmly resting them on a nearby shelf. The shelf contained all matters of gardening equipment. From shears to growth nutrients, it appeared this robot was well versed and equipped in the field of botany. But, the state of the garden itself said otherwise. The annoyed grunt coming from the robot hinted to this being a recent development, as through the murmurs, Kayda could hear them formulate a plan. She felt now was a good time to interject.
“Um… Is this your garden?” She asked, lightly kicking the dirt while she interlocked her hands behind her back.
The machine perked up in surprise, before looking back at Kayda, “Oh, why yes dearie, it is. Or, I suppose it was!”
“Are you trying to fix it? What happened to all the flowers?” Kayda asked curiously, slowly walking up to the robot.
“Heck if I know, sweetie. I woke up this morning, and they all just went kaput! Oh my, it’s been a real thorn in my side all morning! It really dirties my drapes!”
“They’re making your drapes dirty too? I’m sorry…”
The robot chuckled, “Oh no, hun, that’s just a figure of speech. Say, what are you doing all the way out here? Where’s your mommy and daddy?”
Kayda tensed up, “Oh, uh… They’re a loooong way from here. I just got here with my friends. They’re trying to help me get home.”
“Ah, an out of towner, are we? We don’t get much of those, no we don’t,” The robot said in a cheery tone, “Well, I hope you’re liking Needles so far! It ain’t much, but folks here are just working with what they have. Hope they haven’t been too cold to you. You know how it is.”
“Oh, I love it here! It’s so pretty!” Kayda exclaimed with a smile.
The robot chuckled, “Pretty? Hah, that’s certainly a word for it!”
“It really is! There’s so much going on, I’ve never been anywhere like it!”
“Is that so? I guess this ol’ place is pretty unique, especially all the way out here,” she said, continuing to tend to her box of supplies.
“Yeah! I really love it here so far. I’m hoping I see more places like this on my way home! I bet they’re just as cool and pretty as this place,” Kayda said with a bright smile.
The robot looked at her and let out a warm laugh, “That is a beautiful trait to have, missy. Always try to find the beauty in things. Because there’s typically beauty in most everything! This garden was a mighty fine example of that. Until recently, that is…”
“Soo, you said this all happened this morning?” Kayda asked, peering into the box as the robot dug around it.
“Yessiree, and I can’t figure out what happened to them for the life of me. Yesterday they were perfectly fine, and today I woke up to this mess! Ooh, it has me at the end of my rope, I tell you what,” she said in a light, but frustrated tone.
Kayda looked around the garden and back to the robot who was feverishly preparing a plan to revive her precious flowers, “I can help you, if you want!”
The robot was taken aback and looked down at Kayda, “Oh, hun, you don’t have to do that. I’m sure I could sort this mess out myself. Truly, you don’t have to worry about little ol’ me.”
“I don’t mind, miss! I just wanna help you and make this garden pretty again!”
“If you insist, sugar, I ain’t stopping you. Here, try sowing these nutrients while I ready up some water for our little friends!” The robot said cheerfully.
For what seemed like hours, Kayda and the mechanical botanist tended to the garden, in hopes of reviving the decaying flowers. Her newfound acquaintance taught her all sorts of botany knowledge, while Kayda listened in astonishment. She had never learned this much about flowers before. She didn’t know that such a common facet of life had such complexity to it. She was able to appreciate the beauty of flowers beyond the superficial sense and truly understand the effort mother nature goes through to cultivate something seemingly so simple. The more she learned about them, the more she feverishly aided the robot. She was eager to see the garden returned to its former glory and voiced this. Though, her excitement dampened once the robot informed her that restoring the sanctuary would not be a task completed overnight. Even so, she was still eager to help, even if she might not be around to see the results of her labor. She was simply having fun listening to the machine recount stories from her youth, and the general happenings of Needles.
As they tended the garden, the machine focused her gaze to a gauge on her wrist, which appeared to be a watch of some sort. Her eyes widened in surprise when she noticed just how much time had passed as the two worked together. With that in mind, and with every idea of hers exhausted, she thought it was maybe time to reunite Kayda with the friends she had mentioned.
“I put all of the nutrients in the ground! What’s next?” Kayda said with a smile.
“I believe we’ve done all we could, hun. Now we play the waiting game!”
Kayda looked rather glum upon hearing this, “Aw, is there anything else we could do?”
“Afraid not! Now we just gotta let nature run its course,” She said, beginning to pack away her belongings, “Now sweetie, you said you had some friends helping you get home, didn’t you? Do they know you’re here? If they don’t, they must be worried sick.”
Kayda’s eyes widened at this. She had completely forgotten about leaving Teddy and Kona’s side. Her eyes nervously shifted towards the clearing’s exit through the alleyway and back to the machine. Her heart raced as she realized just how long she’d been away from them. Though she truthfully intended to return as soon as she took a look down this way, she did not know she would get so caught up with the plight of the garden. She quickly returned the bags she was using to the box that was brought out and helped organize the shelf and began to make her exit.
“You’re right! I can’t believe I forgot all about them! It was fun, miss!” She said frantically, about to make her leave.
“Thank you so much for helping, hun. Wait! Before you go, I got a little something something for you. Here, let me go inside and get it,” she said softly.
Kayda sighed, while practically running in place, “Really ma’am, it’s okay! I don’t need a present, I just wanted to help. I should really go, my friends must be looking for me by now and-”
“Please, please, I insist!” Said the robot before she hobbled back inside the door she first emerged from.
Kayda sighed somewhat frustrated, before looking back to the wilted and desecrated oasis that once stood here. Her body eased up as she slowly approached the very same thorn she was touching before meeting the kind robot. She brought her index finger up to the tip of the thorn yet again and lightly plucked herself with it, wincing at the sharp stab into her skin. She wiped her hands on her dress, and sprinted down the alleyway with fervor
Moments after Kayda took her leave, the robotic mistress emerged from the building yet again, this time with a glass jar of boiled carrots. She smiled as she held the treat for the young girl, eager to gift her something good to eat for being such a kind young woman. However, the cheery smile soon faded as the glass jar slipped out of her hands and shattered on the sand below. Approaching the clearing, her smile shifted to an expression of pure astonishment as she lifted one of her claws up and cupped it over her mouth. What was once nothing but decay and rot, was now a thriving oasis worthy of the Amazon Rainforest itself. Glorious green vines curled and reached for the stars, taller than they ever were before. A layer of flowers and greenery covered the sand below, as flowers billowed to the height of the robot's eyeline. Magnificent purple petals dotted the floor, and sprouted sporadically amongst the now towering vines. The aroma of violet and a hint of citrus swirled about the clearing and flowed out into the desert sky above. The machine rushed to the nearby shelf and readied another can of water, and organized her remaining packets of nutrients. She had a lot of work to do.
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