Ep. 7 Poisoned

September 21st, 2023 

   When Music class was over, Freedom and Nature went to their lockers to pack up. The thought of something putting them into danger still stuck around and made them suspicious of everyone. Nature kept looking around, but everyone seemed to be minding their own business. Freedom closed his locker and looked down at her. 

  "I don't think we need to worry at the moment," he assured her. 

  "I do," she said. "I was thinking maybe we should skip school tomorrow." 

  "Why?" 

  "To avoid being watched." 

  "Oh, I don't know, Nature. That may be taking it too far." 

   "Then, sleep on it. Have a good rest tonight." 

   "I'm actually going to Settle Sun for guard training." 

   "Really? I am too, except I'll be doing scribe work." 

   "Nice. When does your shift end?" 

   "At eleven. It's a pretty late shift, why?"

   "Maybe I'll see you then perhaps?"

    "Maybe," she agreed.

   At four thirty pm, Nature started her shift with looking over a few papers for Queen Sun to sign. It took a few hours because she's the queen, so she has a lot of mail. On one form, Queen Sun accidently splattered ink. Luckily, it came with an extra.

   Later on, around seven, Nature and Freedom meant up for dinner. They had to order separately so no thought they were together. It was funny because they had to eat in the back of the restaurant. 

   At eight pm, Nature had to go to her office in the kingdom and do regular scribe work. For example, she was reviewing the court hearings and trials from earlier in the day. Business reviews and taxes paid also came to her to record and sign off of. Similar to keeping by the queen, it took a few hours to get through. 

   When ten pm came, the guards were assigned to shift posts. Nature had just grabbed a cup of coffee, trying to keep herself awake. Therefore, she forgot to check who would be in her office. There was supposed to be two guards, but only one showed up. Around ten fifteen pm, Nature realized it and who was "guarding". 

   "Hello, Jack," Nature greeted without looking up at him. She just kept on writing. 

   "Late greeting," he rolled his eyes. 

   "Please, be quiet." 

   Jack wasn't going to argue because he was watching the clock. He only had to stick around for an hour longer. Why was he eager to escape? He wasn't. It troubled him he only had an hour left. 

   "So, believe I'm not a murderer yet?" He made conversation. 

   "I don't have to answer that," Nature simply replied. 

   "Well, you don't have to. It's obvious. I'm not the murder, alright?" 

   She stopped writing and put her quill down. "Why should I believe you?" 

   "Right, why would you? Nobody likes my family anyways." 

   "Are you trying to guilt trip me?" 

   "No, I'm just saying you're no different than everyone else." 

   "If that were true, why would I be so friendly to your brother?" 

   "I don't know. Why are you so lovey dovey with my brother? Are you planning something?" 

   "Why would I be planning something? I have enough on my hands as is." 

   "So do I, but that doesn't change anything." 

   "Okay, cut the act, Jack. What do you want?" 

   "I don't want anything. Just be a good girl, Nature, and do your job. I'll even be quiet." 

   Nature suddenly became very uncomfortable due to Jack's words. They were fine weeks ago. What happened? Despite his actions, she did continue to work. However, Jack watched her for a good ten minutes before it annoyed her. 

   "Do you mind?" She sighed. He only shrugged. 

   A few minutes later, one of Queen Sun's servants peeped in and told her Queen Sun needed her. Jack was left alone for a couple minutes before Nature returned. By then, he was looking forward like any normal guard would. 

   "What makes you think it's me?" He asked as she continued to work. Nature said nothing. "Is it my hair, job, family, or actions? Well, FYI, it's just who I am. Sorry for being myself." 

   "Look, Jack," she sighed, exhausted by work. "Maybe you were in the wrong place at the wrong time or something, but you're making yourself look bad. I don't know if it's you or not. At the moment, I'm not concerned about it." 

   "You should be," he said in a low voice. 

   "Hm?" 

   "I didn't say anything." 

   "Hm, okay," she shrugged it off, reaching for her coffee mug. She surprised herself that she had not finished it yet. Jack watched her as she finished it. 

   "I wonder how much caffeine it would take to kill someone." 

   "You know what? Why don't you go find a new post from Prince Night? In fact, tell him I told you to because I cannot work with you talking. Go on." 

   He listened to her, grinning the whole way out the door. She sighed in relief when he shut the door behind him. Then, she spent the finale fifteen minutes working. But when she was close to finishing, she began to not feel well. Being stubborn, she did not let it stop her until the pain got so bad, she couldn't even lift her quill anymore. 

   A quarter after eleven, Freedom knocked on the door, wondering why she had not arrived outside the castle yet. 

   "Come in," Nature said, feeling even worse. Before the coffee can get blamed, the pain was in her chest. It throbbed and throbbed and throbbed. 

   Freedom came in and shut the door. "Oh, you are still here. I thought you said your shift ended at eleven." 

   "It... does." 

   "Well, it's way past eleven. Are you okay? You're really pale!" 

   "To be honest, I... don't know. My chest... really hurts. I couldn't finish my work." 

   "Yeah, Queen Sun told me to ask you why you didn't turn anything in yet. Should I wait for you to finish.?" 

   "Uh, yeah... You should. I'll be done soon. Just... tell her I'm almost done." 

   "Okay," Freedom agreed uneasily. 

   He went back to the throne room where Queen Sun was. She was sitting on the throne patiently. Freedom approached her and bowed. 

   "Ah, there you are. Where is she?" 

   "Still working, your majesty. I honestly don't think she looks well though." 

   "Why?" 

   "She's really pale and she said her chest hurts." 

   "Hm, interesting." 

   They waited patiently for Nature to come out, but it took half an hour. Strangely enough, she didn't come with any of her work. She actually looked worse than Freedom had found her. She stumbled to them as Queen Sun rose from her throne. 

   "Nature, are you alright?" She asked worryingly. 

   "I'm sorry... your majesty. I... don't think... I'm going to be able to finish...," Nature said before collapsing against Queen Sun. 

   "Nature? Hey!" She tried to wake her. Queen Sun turned her head to Freedom. "Get the medic, please." 

   "Yes, your highness," Freedom bowed and dashed off up the stairs in a hurry. 

   He had what seemed like a million thoughts running through his mind. Mainly, he wondered what in the world was wrong with Nature. She was completely fine earlier in night, so what could have caused such a turn in events. If there was anything he was sure of, it was she needed to be home before sunrise or her family would lose it. 

   "Do you ever wonder what she's up to?" Foxy asked his father. They were stargazing on the roof looking for constellations. 

   "Sometimes. She said tonight was a late shift, but it sure is taking a while," Speedy replied. A few fire flies flew past them and glowed. Foxy caught one with his hand and it crawled around before flying off. 

   "Yeah, what time is it?" 

   "Judging by the Moon's position, I'd say a little after one." 

   "She should have been back at least an hour ago, dad." 

   "I'm sure it's nothing." 

   Foxy disagreed but he didn't want to argue. The Big Dipper was up over head of them and gleaming bright. It was a quiet night, or, morning, one could say. Nature had promised to stargaze with them, but after another half hour, Foxy knew she wasn't coming. It worried him because, for one, Nature never breaks a promise, and two, she never passes up stargazing. 

   "I'm telling you, something is wrong," Foxy finally said. 

   "Give it another thirty minutes just to be sure," he shook his head, starting to become suspicious. 

   They did not have to wait too long though because ten minutes in, they sensed Freedom's scent not far away. Speedy sat up from laying on the roof. 

   "What is he doing here?" He mumbled to himself. 

   "Come on, he's obviously here for a reason," Foxy motioned, getting up and walking to the tree they climbed to get up. 

   They got off of the roof and onto the ground just in time as Freedom arrived on a horse. He was surprised to see them up. 

   "Well, if it isn't Muffins," Foxy teased him. 

   Freedom wasn't amused though. "Sorry, Foxy, not the right time. I'm glad you're awake though." 

   "Why?" Speedy questioned. 

   "So, this is going to sound bad, really bad, but something happened to Nature-." 

   "Told ya," Foxy slapped Speedy on the shoulder. 

   "Continue," Speedy huffed. 

   "Something happened to Nature. She was looked at by one of Queen Sun's medics, and they found someone poisoned her." 

   "How?" 

   "Well, they believe something was slipped into her coffee. Good news and bad news. The good news is she's, um, alive because not enough of it was used. The bad news is they have no idea what the poison is yet, so they don't know the effects or after effects. By the way, you're taking this a lot better than I thought you would. Thank you for that." 

   "Oh, believe me, it's not easy to stay calm," Speedy sighed. 

   "Wait, why don't they know what it is?" Foxy asked.

   "There aren't any leftovers in the cup. They are taking a blood test though. It may tell them more." 

   "Okay, do they know who yet?" Speedy scoffed. 

   "No, not yet. Listen, we need to talk. I think I may know where this is coming from. Not fully, but I have a start. You're not going to like anything I'm about to say though." 

   "What is it?" 

   "These past few days have been...rough on us. The day we went back to school, a new student called James transferred from Settle Sun to in Hillville. I know him. He seems innocent, but he's not and I tried to warn Nature. So, her friends hooked her on a date with him." 

   "Excuse me, what?" 

   "He did say you weren't going to like it," Foxy nudged him. 

   "Anyway, that same night, someone tried to drown her. Whatever happened, James claimed I did it. I assure you I didn't-." 

   "Obviously." 

   "Nature didn't think so. Get ready for another surprise. Yeah, she, um, cut her arm..." 

   "Just continue," Speedy facepalmed, trying to process what he was hearing. 

   "And the next day, I didn't know at the time what happened, but she wouldn't talk to me or her friends. She told me to leave her alone, I argued with James, threatened him, and he told me he replaced me. 

   The following day, her friends went missing and she hang around the library all day. Thank goodness for the one princess, she convinced Nature I didn't do it. The three of us were talking and we realized someone is watching us. Something is dragging us together, but something else is dragging us apart." 

   "What are you saying?" 

   "I'm saying someone, possibly whoever murdered that kid, is targeting us. We don't know why yet, but we're starting to notice patterns. There are four people missing right now, Nature's friends. The one, Jewel, is a detective. The next, Dasher, helps direct weather orders and such. The next, Nicole, runs the farmlands. The finale one, Butterfly, is in charge of animal protection. They are key people in Equality." 

   "What does that have to do with you and Nature?" Foxy asked. 

   "Naure is the queen's scribe, Princess Guardians is set as the next queen, and I'm set as the next general like my father. Is that enough?" 

   "Yeah, actually." 

   "Oh, one other thing. Nature is the bridge between Humans and Hunters. We need her for communication purposes. Without her, not many Humans want to cross over here." 

   "Any theories on who it is?" 

   "Yes. The reason I'm so late giving you this information is because I was trying to see the schedule for who was guarding her office. Every room is supposed to have at least two guards. At minute, one of the guards who were supposed to guard her office was called to the Icelands. There was only one guard there, and it was...my brother." 

   "Again?" Speedy said surprised. "That's awfully suspicious." 

   "You're telling me. Not long before I showed up to check on her, his post had gotten switched due to her complaining of him bothering her. I wish I could tell you more, but that's all I know." 

   "Thank you, it's enough." 

   "What now though?" Foxy wondered. 

   "I guess they're just waiting for her to wake up. She had fainted on Queen Sun. When she wakes up, I'll bring her here. I'm not letting her walk here. Not when we don't know who to trust anymore."

   September 22nd, 2023

   Nature slowly opened her eyes, noticing her chest wasn't hurting anymore. Her body was aching though, so she carefully sat up. It was then she realized she was in a hospital bed, and Freedom was sleeping in a chair a few feet from her. She looked around the hospital room and up at the heart monitor. It was much faster than what is considered normal, but she felt fine besides aching. 

   "Oh, good, "Freedom yawned, waking up. "You're awake." 

   "What happened?" She asked, finding her voice to be hoarse. 

   "You passed out last night. Someone poisoned your coffee with something. The doctors still don't know what it was though, so they've been doing different tests all night. How do you feel?" 

   "Achey but better. I could use some water." 

   "I'll get you some in a little bit. Anyway, I spoke to Foxy and Speedy about our little situation." 

   Nature groaned, "How did that go?" 

   "They took it a lot better than I thought they would." 

   "What all did you have to tell them?" 

   "You were poisoned, almost drowned, went on a date, and you cut yourself." 

   "They are going to kill me." 

   "I don't think so. They're more worried than angry." 

   A little later, the doctors let Nature go home, but she needed to rest just in case. Freedom got her some water. Then, took her home. Foxy had thought over Freedom's words about being watched and such. He mentioned he thought Freedom shouldn't leave. He thought it might be for the better too, but he wasn't sure. 

   Like Freedom had said, the Hunter family was more worried about Nature than mad at her, but they still had a bone to pick with her. The first thing Rose did when Nature laid down on her bed was look at her arm. Rose wanted to believe it wasn't true, but it was. She thought it was her fault and begged Nature not to do it again. Of course, she said she wouldn't, but her thoughts said she couldn't promise it. 

   The house was as silent as a mouse. The family didn't say a word the whole day. There were things they wanted to say but they weren't sure how to put it. Freedom stayed not far from Nature's room and also said nothing. It wasn't until about two in the afternoon Foxy decided to talk to him. 

   "When someone poisons another person, isn't the intension to kill them?" Foxy asked. The rest of the family were listening from the kitchen. 

   "I think so. Why?" 

   "Shouldn't Nature be dead then?" 

   "Probably. I think that's what the doctors were confused about." 

   "Okay, so what if whoever is doing this is trying to get a point across?" 

   "What do you mean?" 

   "Think about it. Yesterday, you guys figured it out that something is going on. The same day, Nature gets poisoned. This James person, you said he said he replaced you, right?" 

   "Yeah. We're thinking he's a distraction." 

   "Does he have purple wings?" 

   "No." 

   "Then, he's working for someone. He is someone's eyes and ears. The reason Nature is not dead is because not enough of whatever poison it was was used. It's a message. I bet it's supposed to warn you what you're messing with and that he or she knows you're onto them." 

   "But why Nature?" 

   "To give a little scare. Nature works in the castle, so whoever it is has access to not only the castle but also Nature. If I know anything about Nature, she hates late shifts because it drains her out. It's the perfect time to catch her off guard." 

   Freedom shook his head and rubbed his forehead. "Damn it, Jack!" 

   "So, if it's your brother, why would he be doing this?" 

   "I don't know. People don't like our family, and they talk against us. But they've never done anything to us, not even the queen. I don't understand though. My whole life since my dad's been gone, we've tried to prove our father had nothing to do with the king's disappearance, and we're not going to follow him. I don't know what to think now though. If it's him, I'm not sure I want to know what's going to happen next." 

   "What do you mean, Freedom?" 

   "If it's true, my family's reputation will get destroyed," he scoffed. "Jack's always telling me to do better; that things are my fault. Whatever he's up to has been planned for a while because he disappears a lot. Since those four are missing, things are going to change drastically. Listen, I know you don't believe in magic, but something is happening. There is something forcing Nature and me together. Princess Guardians is just the cherry on top." 

   "What could happen exactly?" 

   "Well, weather control could go haywire, the greedier Humans will do what they want with the forests, the police's system will have trouble finding another head for work, hunger will become a problem, Queen Sun will have to find someone else to be set for being the next general, she'll need a new set-in place ruler who can handle magic, and she'll spend years finding a scribe as good as Nature. Depending on what Jack is planning, our only hope would be the Guardians." 

   "When you say "our" is it Humans and Hunter problems?" 

   "Yeah. There are tons of ways it could affect you guys." 

   "I guess we should probably do something then." 

   "I would if I had evidence. You see, if I walk into the castle claiming this is all Jack's fault with nothing to back myself up, it would do more harm than good. Not to mention I would be in trouble the next time I was alone with him." 

   "What are we going to do then?" 

   "We need evidence, but I don't know if Jack would be stupid enough to slip up." 

   "I wanted to say something sooner, "Nature said in her door frame. The boys jumped. "Sorry. You're right Freedom. We need to do something. I've tried to mention it was Jack, but it's still up for debate. I think we need Princess Guardians." 

   "For what?" 

   "She was sent to Hillville for a reason. I haven't been able to figure out why, but I think I know now. If we could only get more information, she might be able to figure out what's going on." 

   "Are you fine now?" Foxy asked. 

   "I feel fine. Let's go get some evidence." 

   "Uh, no," Freedom rejected. 

   "Why?" Nature groaned. 

   "Because the doctors didn't know if the poison has an after effect, Nature. Therefore, you're staying put so you don't pass out anywhere." 

   "I'll be fine." 

   "No." 

   "But Freedom!" 

   "No." 

   "We're running out of time." 

   "No." 

   "Fine," she said, walking past them. 

   "What are you doing?" 

   "I want to know why Jack poisoned me," she replied at the door. 

   "Sometimes I swear you're going to get yourself killed," Freedom facepalmed. 

   "You're not the only one," Foxy mumbled. 

   "Oh, shush it. Are you coming or not?" 

   "Ugh, fine. I'm only coming for your safety though." 

   "Then, come on! He shouldn't be home, right?" 

   "Yes." 

   "Freedom, if Nature dies, I'm having your head," Foxy warned him. 

   Freedom laughed nervously. "She'll be back. She's Nature. She always thinks of something." 

   "Make sure you write that on my tombstone," Nature laughed. 

   "Not funny." 

   Freedom was worried though because anything was possible at the moment. He was mainly surprised Speedy let her go. 

   Swiftly, they went through the forest and didn't even stop to appreciate the change of the season. Within twenty minutes, they crossed the Hunter boarder and started toward Freedom's house. When they got there, it seemed no one was home. But just before they stepped onto the stairs, Jack's shadow could be seen on a tree. They hid under the stairs as Jack came around to the stairs. Someone else was on the porch. 

   "Did you figure it out yet?" Nemon said from on the top step. 

   "Yes," Jack answered. 

   Nature covered her mouth so she didn't let out a sound knowing it was Nemon. Freedom looked at her in confusion.

   "But what did you give me last night?" Jack questioned. 

   "Don't worry about it. Just know that it should keep the Guardians distracted for a little while." 

   "Will it be enough time?" 

   "Oh, it will be plenty. They won't see it coming. By the way, remember to keep those four alive for six more days. Then, bring them to the dojo." 

   "What about the other three?" 

   "Soon. Not yet though." 

   "Let me make sure I'm remembering this correctly. Dasher is for flight, Nicole for strength, Jewel for analyst, Butterfly for communication, Princess Guardians for defense, Freedom for time, and Nature for unity. On September 28th, they need to die." 

   "Correct." 

   "Hm, I don't know where my brother is. James said he wasn't at school." 

   "It's nothing to be concerned about for now. You never know when the Guardians are listening, so let's go in." 

   "Alright." 

   Jack walked up the stairs and they both went inside the house. When their sounds had faded, Nature and Freedom came out from under the stairs. 

   "I think we got a little more information," Nature stated, a bit shaken up. 

   "I can't believe him! I can't come home tonight. It won't be safe." 

   "We need to get out of here." 

   They returned back to Nature's home, and the Hunter family were relieved to see Nature was fine. She explained Freedom needed to stay again, which they were fine with, but how were they going to get away with it again? She stressed it did not matter. They had six days to come up with a plan and take action. 

   "Well, since you're feeling better, would you mind telling us what's going on with you?" Rose asked Nature at dinner. 

   "There's nothing to say," Nature glared at Freedom. 

   "Someone had to tell them," he responded to her look. 

   "Yeah, there's a lot to talk about," Speedy agreed. 

   "We're your family and you insist on saying nothing," Ignite added. 

   "I don't want you to worry-." 

   "We are worried," Grey shook his head. 

   "We've been worried," Emos admitted. "For a while. Foxy's just been the only one to say anything." 

   "...It's...complicated," Nature sighed. 

   "You can tell us anything though. It's our job to support you, not judge you," Rose gently said.

   "I know but it's difficult. I... I feel like I failed you all. I felt like it's my job to protect you from the Humans because you've done so much for me. It hurts to have you angry with me. I've done some pretty stupid things these past few weeks, and I don't know why. I know my job is dangerous, but I worked towards that job for you. I thought maybe I could fix things if I had enough power, but it didn't." 

   "Nature, you don't need to worry about us. We can't live our lives in fear. You haven't failed us. You never did. You don't need to fix anything, and we don't need anything more. Yeah, it sucks our races don't get along, but it's just how life works. You cannot satisfy everyone. The world is dangerous. You're going to make stupid mistakes because you're not perfect," Speedy explained to her. "Besides, I bet you're glad we forced you to go learn defense." 

   "It didn't help much..." 

   "Better than nothing," Foxy encouraged her. 

   "Yeah, I guess so." 

   After dinner was over, Nature decided she was fine enough to go work at the Bakery. Freedom was determined to go with her, but she disagreed. If anything were to happen, Mrs. Sprinkles would take care of it. The answer wasn't good enough for Freedom though, so she said he could walk with her after her shift was over. 

   When she arrived at the Bakery, Mrs. Sprinkles was surprised to see her. Turned out majority of Equality knew what happens. It bothered Nature but she pretended it didn't. It was difficult with the customers being confused. Nature seemed perfectly fine like nothing happened. 

   Nature was happy to be out of bed but it was still a week day, and students were in and out. She had a good idea who was causing the problem but she was still paranoid. Yeah, to customers she was fine, but Mrs. Sprinkles knew there was something on her mind. She knew because Nature was constantly zoning out, was jumpy, and seemed anxious. 

   Other than watching around her, she was thinking about her friends. She felt terrible for pushing them away. James truly did distract her. If only she said no, maybe they'd be sitting down at the corner table by the window they always sat at. 

   At one point, while she was frosting cupcakes, she giggled thinking of what they would do. Dasher would run in and exclaim, 'It's Prank Season!' Then, everyone would feel uncomfortable, remembering last year's Prank Season. Prank Season was how her and Dasher first bonded. They use to put spiders in Princess Guardians' locker, make fake apples to give to teachers, put sticky notes on lockers, decorate the office with streamers, and much more! 

   Nicole would settle Dasher down and start talking about the ideas she heard about the Fall Dance held by Student Council. Then, she would ask for their help with harvesting apples for it. Of course, the other three would get excited and agree to help. She would go on talking in a thick country accent about how friends are like family. 

   Jewel would complain about Student Council needing a better decorator planner and mentioning what the Student Council football players did last year. They would break out laughing at the memory of them dressing up like cheer leaders in pink and host the annual food bank plan. Part of the Fall Dance was for Halloween, and the other was for Thanksgiving. 

   Butterfly would gently tease Jewel for always bringing boys into the conversation somehow. She would then proceed to pull four flower crowns out of her bag and give them each one, planning to give Nature hers later when the chance came. She was thoughtful like that. They were small gifts but meant so much to her. Butterfly would also try to convince Dasher to get a pet, but Dasher would refuse for the one hundredth time this week. She would also lecture Nicole for not getting enough sleep during harvesting season.  

   Mrs. Sprinkles walked into the kitchen to see what Nature was giggling about, but nothing was there. She assumed it must have been a thought. When she left the room, Nature became sad. She wanted to see them desperately. To apologize about the other day and to apologize for not having a good amount of time to spend with them. She had six days to rescue them. Six days, minis one for the day she was currently in. So, five days. Would it be enough? 

   Her shift was nearing its end, and she had one more order left before she could call it a night. She finished putting a muffin in a small, brown, paper bag and walked out to the front counter. She didn't even have to ring the bell because the customer was there. 

   "You said I could come," Freedom smiled. 

   "Oh, I forgot about that! Sorry...." 

   "What are you apologizing for?" 

   "I don't know... What's the muffin for?" 

   "Dessert." 

   Nature giggled at his response. "I should have known." 

   Freedom looked at the muffin. "Nice and golden, Lady Nature. I had not known you were a baker." 

   "There's a lot you don't know, Sir Freedom. Enjoy." 

   "No, I'm pretty sure your shift is over." 

   "I don't know what you're talking about." 

   "I, Sir Freedom, as a guard, am supposed to walk a lady home from the dangers of the night." 

   "Oh, Sir Freedom, such a charmer you are, but I can take care of myself." 

   "I heard the lady was poisoned." 

   "Okay, you got me. When the night is filled with work, one's mind can wonder into the unknown and not pay attention to their surroundings." 

   "I trust you were careful today, Lady Nature. You're still here after all." 

   "Okay, love birds, go home!" Mrs. Sprinkles laughed from in the kitchen. 

   They blushed for being caught red handed. 

   "We're not love birds!" Nature called into the kitchen. 

   "Sure, you're not!" 

   After she hung up her apron and baker's hat, she joined Freedom outside. Street lights lit the paths so they could see. Freedom broke the muffin in half and gave half to Nature. She shyly accepted it. They were silent on the walk back to Nature's house, but it was a comfortable silence. 

   On the inside though, Nature wished she was brave enough to confess to Freedom. Those thoughts of the low chances of surviving crept up on her though. She decided it was not worth it. When they were in their final moments, it would only hurt more thinking of what they could have been. 

   Meanwhile, Freedom was wondering why Nature was so quiet. He didn't mind it, but he thought she might want to talk about Jack. Especially since they were quickly running out of time. 

   Foxy was waiting for them at the door, ready to make sure they were safe. He was not going to say anything like the rest of family, but he considered Freedom like family. After all, he proved himself drastically he was trust worthy. Foxy went to bed after he checked them and made sure there was no other Human scents around. 

   "I'm glad to have you back," Nature said, putting blankets and pillows on the floor for Freedom. 

   "It's only been a few days, Nature," Freedom chuckled. 

   "I know. I just feel safe with you around. I hate to make you sleep on the floor again though." 

   "It's fine, Nature. It's better than being in a house with a murderer under the roof." 

   "Only if you say so." 

   Nature laid down on her bed, and Freedom laid down on the floor. They tried to sleep but both their heads were imagining what the next few days were going to be like. Sometime around eleven pm, Freedom turned onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. 

   "Are you asleep?" Nature asked, laying on her side towards her wall. 

   "No, I can't sleep." 

   "Neither can I.... I don't want to die. Not in his hands," she stated, starting to tear up. 

   "I won't let him," he replied, slowly rising. He opened his arms. "Come here." 

   Nature gratefully accepted his embrace; both being knocked onto the pillows and blankets. Freedom blushed as Nature clung onto him, silently weeping. He hugged her though, feeling guilty that out of anybody the murderer could have been, it just had to be his brother. 

   After a few minutes, she broke away from him. They sat there for a moment in silence staring at each other. Then, they laid down facing each other. 

   "Nature?" Freedom started. 

   "Yes?" 

   "Uh, never mind," he bit his tongue. 

   "You sure?" 

   "Yeah, let's just try to get some sleep."  

September 23rd, 2023  

   In the morning, after breakfast, Freedom and Nature went back to the Bakery. Nature had another shift, but Freedom was bored and wanted to keep watch of Nature. Only when they arrived, the guy, Guardian Jason, they had "meant" a few days ago was at a table. He seemed unphased by the people around staring at him. He sat there putting his hand into a box of macaroni and lifting it out with a handful of macaroni. Then, he proceeded to eat it raw. 

   He paused for a moment saying, "Does anyone have any cheese? Oh, and a pot with water?" 

   Nature hurried to Mrs. Sprinkles, who was standing at the register. "What is going on?" Nature asked. 

   "I'm not sure. This random kid showed up, sat down, pulled that out, and stayed." 

   "Kid?" 

   "Well, an older teen. Is he from Settle Sun or the Icelands?" 

   "No, I think he's a Guardian. He said he was or something like that." 

   "A Guardian?" Mrs. Sprinkles' jaw dropped. Nature nodded. "Then, don't just stand there! Get cheese and a pot!" 

   "You can't be serious." 

   "Go!" 

   Nature hurried to the kitchen while Freedom stood by the doorway of the Bakery. But then, Guardian Jason waved Freedom over. He hesitated, but there was nothing else for him to do. Why not? He walked over to the male Guardian and sat down across from him. 

   "Hi, Freedom," he greeted. 

   "Do I know you?" 

   "No, but I knew your father...and King Khaos." 

   "Are you really a Guardian?" 

   "Of course, I am! What makes you doubt it?" 

   "You just seem younger than the other two." 

   "I am younger. Phebes is my aunt." 

   "Guardian Phoebe?" 

   "Yup." 

   "Your aunt?" 

   "Yeah, what's wrong? Can't a Guardian have a family?" 

   "Why would I know?" 

   Guardian Jason snickered. "Never mind. You're not as curious as Nature, are you?" 

   "Um, I don't know..." 

   "Right! Not yet you don't!" 

   Nature came out and quickly gave a small pot and packet of cheese to Guardian Jason. She decided to act normal, like the situation was like any other. She told herself to pretend it was someone from the Royal Family. 

   "Can I get you anything else?" She asked politely. 

   "Nope." 

   "Have about you, Freedom?" 

   "I'm good." 

   "Alright-." 

   "Hey, wait!" Guardian Jason stopped her from leaving. "I'm Phebes nephew. Don't tell her I told you that." 

   Nature looked at Freedom in confusion, but Freedom just shrugged. She shook her head and went back to the kitchen. 

   The male Guardian sat the pot down onto the table's surface. He looked in it to see Nature had put water half way in it. Then, he poured all the macaroni in the pot, and, with his hands, set the pot on fire. Somehow, the table did not catch fire too. He stirred the macaroni, the water evaporated away because the macaroni caught on fire, put the cheese in, and started to eat it with a fork. 

   Freedom sat there with his mouth agape. "How did you do that?" 

   "Do what?" 

   "The fire...." 

   "I'm the Guardian of Fire. I harness the power of it. You'll understand some day, kid." 

   "Why are you eating macaroni anyway?" 

   "A Guardian has to eat too you know. Phebes and her stupid idiot best friend won't give me anything to eat." 

   "Guardian Hannah?" 

   "Yeah, that's her pathetic name." 

   "You don't like her?" 

   "Pft, who does? What is there to like about her? I honestly don't see why she's still here; yet alone why Phoebe and her are still friends." 

   "Sounds like a strong opinion," Freedom said uneasily. 

   "She can rot in hell." 

   A few hours later, Nature's shift ended and Guardian Jason had disappeared off into the shadows of the forest. They walked around Hillville in silence for a few minutes. 

   "So, how was your Guardian conversation?" Nature asked. 

   "Interesting. Whoever he is, he knows a lot about Equality. He also hates Guardian Hannah." 

   "Really?" 

   "Yup, he made it clear too." 

   "Jealously, maybe?" 

   "I have no idea." 

   "Did he happen to say why he was here?" 

   "No." 

   "It would be nice to know." 

   They stopped in front of a wooden power line pole. "So, any ideas on what to do about Jack yet?" 

   "No, not yet." 

   Freedom sighed. 

   "Hey, don't feel bad." 

   "Why not?" 

   "It's not your fault he chose this path." 

   "He's my brother though. I don't want to fight him, but I know it's going to come to that. I wish there was a better way out of this." 

   "I do too. We have to keep trying though. For our lives and Equality's." 

   "...Have you ever thought about quitting your job as a scribe?" 

   "No, not really. Everything I said last night was true. I like scribing and everything, but it's dangerous. I haven't given it up yet because I'm still hoping to make some kind of breakthrough for Humans and Hunters." 

   "If you could pursue any other career, what would it be?" 

   "Hm, I don't know. I don't know what I want for myself. That's another reason I don't date. I'm more focused on other people than myself. I use to be adventurous and free spirited, but, ever since I began my duties, I kind of...lost myself. I know who everyone else is but who is Nature?" 

   "Maybe this whole thing is a calling to self-discovery then. You wanted to know who I was, so, yeah, who is Nature?" 

   Nature scoffed a self-disgust at herself. "I don't know. I wish I knew why I'm not quite Human and not quite Hunter. My whole life I've done things for other people in some kind of fear a cycle is going to repeat. The cycle of being forgotten; left behind." 

   "I would never leave you behind. You're too kind hearted to be forgotten. Seriously, it's hard to not like you." 

   Nature giggled. "You're such an idiot." 

   "What do you mean?" 

   "I'm not worth it, Freedom. Why are we even still friends? I mean like, we're not from the same social class or part of the land. I got you caught up in all this mess with James, Brisk, and Jack. My family fought over you. Why are you still here?" 

   "...I don't care how different we are. You're my best friend, and you mean a great deal to me. I don't care what anyone else thinks. I haven't been this happy in a long, long time, and nothing, not even my own brother, is going to keep me from you. Oh, and what did we talk about with self-doubt?" 

   "T-To stop it," Nature blushed. 

   "Exactly. You are worth it. I can tell you don't think we're going to make it through this, but I know we will. We have to. Jack cannot get away with this. So, please, don't give up on me." 

   "I-," but she stopped as a piercing, sharp pain shot through her. 

   "Nature?" Freedom panicked. She began to lose her balance, but he caught her in time. 

   "I'm fine!" She told him, obviously in excruciating pain. 

   "Nice try, we're not doing this again-." 

   "Wait! Don't take me to the hospital. They won't know what to do. We need to get to Aqua Fell." 

   "How?" 

   "It's Northeast of Hillville; past the forest." 

   "I don't know, Nature." 

   "Please?" 

   Freedom was not sure what to do. He knew the hospital would be no help, but Aqua Fell was farther away. However, he couldn't help but listen to Nature. If Aqua Fell was where she needed to be, then Aqua Fell was where they would go. 

   He scooped her up and flew upwards to the clouds. Traveling through the air was faster than running on the ground. He found Aqua Fell to be farther out than he had ever been, and it sat next to the Hunter's Territory. He guessed the reason Humans never traveled so far out was because the area to get to the pine trees of Aqua Fell was surrounded by plateaus. 

   He landed on the borderline of the deciduous forest and Aqua Fell's dark lighting. Thankfully, Nature was still awake, but she was worse and her eyes stayed open just enough as slits. He took a breath and walked into Aqua Fell. 

   The beauty of mystery of the place shocked him, but he stayed focused. Freedom wasn't sure what he was looking for. Nature was not answering him either. Why would she ask him to bring her here? 

   'Think, Freedom. Think!' He thought to himself. 

   He didn't have to for long though because Lady was watching him pace around from behind a tree. She stepped out and approached him from behind. She tapped him on the shoulder, he turned around, and jumped. Freedom was tall but she towered him. 

   "Greetings, young one. My name is Lady," she said. 

   "You're Lady?" Freedom asked, wide eyed. "Wow, you really do look like Princess Moon! Nature wasn't kidding." 

   "You must be Freedom." 

   "Uh, yeah, that's me...." 

   "Why are you here?" 

   "Okay, so Nature got poisoned the other day. The doctors weren't able to figure out what it was or the after effects." 

   "I see...May I?" She requested, reaching her arms out. Freedom nodded and handed her over. "Oh, I can feel it... Do you know much about magic?" 

   "No, never have needed to." 

   "Well, that's fine because no one would recognize this anyway. I sense there's much to talk about between us, and you fear you're being watched." 

   "How did you-?" 

   "Oh, I know things. Come on, it's not safe out here." 

   Lady, still carrying Nature, led Freedom to Aqua Fell's castle. She had him stay in the library and she laid Nature down on a few cushioned seats. Then, she quickly whipped up some tea and returned to them. She sat down next to Nature and motioned to Freedom he could take a cup. 

   "I don't bite," she smiled. "You're very timid for a male, but you're young." 

   Freedom hesitatingly lifted the cup of tea off of the tray and sat it in front of him on the table. He stayed silent. 

   "The reason those doctors don't know what Nature was poisoned with is because a very old type of magic was used. It's old forbidden Fellan magic." 

   "Fellan magic?" 

   "Yes. Aqua Fell used to be a kingdom as powerful as Equality." 

   "What happened?" 

   "An accident. A terrible accident. It's been this way since, and I've been alone. My only outside company is the Guardians and Nature. Aqua Fell use to be home to what you Equalians call "souls". The Guardians call them "spirits" or "titles" though. The souls lived freely here and were a very important part of our religion. But after the accident, everyone vanished and the souls searched for a new home." 

   "It must be hard living alone." 

   "I'm not alone. I have the flowers to accompany me. Anyway, some people were harsh on the souls. Some even went as far as trying to destroy them, but you can't kill a soul. You can only take its vessel away. The Royal Family here established a law that would protect the souls from any harm." 

   "Did it work?" 

   "No, some found ways secretly around it. They fled the land and called themselves "the Futures". They studied the weaknesses of souls and made a type of poison that prevents the growth of a soul. The more used, the slower the growth." 

   "What does that have to do with Nature?" 

   "How do I put this? Nature is very... unique. Every living person has a soul. Some are different from others. In fact, there are twenty-six different types of souls. Some of those souls are so rare, there's one in a quadrillionth chance of them existing. They are so powerful; one must learn to manage their emotions or it can get out of hand. They can be the most dangerous person you know or the kindest person you'll ever meet." 

   "Can you do anything about it?" 

   "I am limited, but the water and Phoenix feather may help." 

   "Nature's allergic to Phoenix feather." 

   "Then, the water will have to do." 

   Lady rushed away and quickly returned with a small glass bottle that glowed navy blue, and a brown cork was used for the lid. She sat back down and set it safely in the middle of the table. 

   "What is that?" Freedom asked. 

   "Water." 

   "Why can it glow? Is it radioactive?" 

   "What?" She laughed. "No! No! It can heal just about anything. Some things that it cannot heal, can be used part of a recipe. It will not do a whole lot for Nature but it will help. Her soul is strong, so it can overcome the poison. I warn you now though, this is dangerous stuff to have in your procession." 

   "Why?" 

   "I protect Aqua Fell for a reason. If Nature trusts you, then so do I. Don't make me regret it though. This cannot end up in the wrong hands, for the sake of world peace. When Nature has a moment like this, only give her a drop. Anymore could be too over powering for her body to handle. I wish it wasn't going to but it's only going to get worse. You cannot at any costs bend the requirement! Only a drop. The soul will do the rest." 

   She picked the bottle up, took the lid off, opened Nature's mouth, and dripped a small drop onto her tongue. Within only a few seconds, she went from being pale to returning to her normal skin color. 

   "It really works," Freedom mumbled in amazement. 

   She handed the bottle to him. "Use it wisely."