 nce, there was a hidden forest, tucked silently into the world away from humans and their destruction. Creatures of all shapes and sizes inhabited this forest in harmony, without human knowledge. But as humans grew more and more advanced, the land that had been secret for hundreds of years came closer and closer to discovery.
One day in a small village that lay unsuspectingly close to the forest, a small girl saw a flash of gold and silver and eagerly followed it into the woods. Her curious nature led her strait to the majestic creature, a unicorn. It was youthful and spritely, just as she, and they became friends. But the village was inching closer and closer to the discovery of the place, which endangered the lives of them all. These humans were greedy, and would exploit the land without a wisp of thought about it. The caring girl couldn't bear to see this happen to her beloved forest, and spent more and more time with the creatures. The day finally came, though, after many years and the growing of the girl, when she could protect the guarded secret no longer. A village boy spotted her with the unicorn she had first met those years ago, and called out the other villagers. The leader of their village, and the cruelest and greediest of them all, pulled out his bow and arrow and shot the unicorn strait through the heart. The shining creature fell to its knees, while the now-grown girl fell as well, in shock. Those years with the creatures had bonded her to them in a way I cannot describe with words. Her heart full of sorrow, she used her last ounce of strength to draw power from the animals of her forest. Her will cloaked the forest, and hid it from the world forevermore. To the amazement of the crowd now standing there, the trees, along with the woman and her companion, faded into nothingness, leaving only a barren landscape on which nothing could ever grow. Even today, the forest remains hidden, awaiting another kindly small girl, pure of heart. Only she will be able to unlock the spell guarding the forest, and care for the animals as the first child had.
As she sat, watching her reflection in the clear pond water, a tear slid down her cheek and dropped into the water. Her arms and legs had many small cuts and bruises on them, and her face was smudged with dirt. She had just been sitting, a small rabbit in her lap, when they attacked. With all her heart, she tried to forgive them, to convince herself to return, but she knew she couldn't. They neither wanted nor needed her there. So she did the only thing she could think to do. She stood and turned away from the village, north towards the Wasteland.
Backgrounds and bars from Sanori Gardens
|
nalissa sat by the tiny pond, watching small fish dart back and forth. The boys had been making fun of her again, calling her things like "Goldylocks" and making fun of her for being outdoors so often. Most girls stayed inside, sewing and knitting, while the men did things like hunt for game and play sports. So when she was outside watching the wildlife and running through the meadows, or even pondering the reason for the Wasteland just north, the other villagers saw her as a 'strange young girl'. The crueler ones even joked about her. Today they had been in a bad mood, and taken to throwing rocks at her.
