Rainbow Guardians: Chapter 9

 Chapter 9: Shanya’s Garden

The leaves began to give their departures to their homes. Their colours drained away as their life essence crumbled. The branches of trees became bare, quivering with wind and heavy rains. The animals in the forests, hills and mountains had already drifted away to the realm of hibernation. The Northern hemisphere of the planet was preparing for the chilly breath of winter; whereas, the Southern part was getting warmer. Rainbow Dimension was the same as the North. Alyra and her crew were heading towards the hot springs of the Spiral forest. This area was volcanic, and it was parallel to the direction of the core. There were several fairy chimneys there. Inside these structures, there were drinkable waters, easy-to-build spaces and mosses. Though the crow and hawk pegasi usually ate insects, they could digest herbs (They were quarterly omnivores). But how could an animal in the winter argue about food? There was also a tiny problem; the issue of finding a zone. Most inhabitants of the woods were migrating to this volcanic place. Compared to small animals such as mice, birds or chipmunks, Alyra and her friends were in the category of medium-sized ones. Their possible group mates included gazelles, other pegasus groups and even wild cats. So, they had to hurry to find a location for themselves. Thanks to the vicious appearance of her companions and her territorial manners, they were able to settle down.

While these things were happening in nature, the people of the dimension were getting ready for an annual prayer ritual. This event was called 'The Defoliation Prayer.' This rite was an ancient tradition to wish for a comfortable winter. People performed this due to the desire for protection of their food, families and homes. There were similar occasions in the other kingdoms too. For instance, Starland had the Winter and Summer Solstices, Lovelonia had fertility festivals, etc. 

The thing was that Shanya Floriana Terra, the crown princess of the earth, had a role in this ritual for the first time. Alongside religious commissaries, she had to lead a spiritual part. There were only two days until the ceremony, and she was already entangled in the wool of ambiguity. 

Shanya put her thought transmitters on her ears. She placed her core energy between her palms and focused. Her hair began to flow, slowly turning to sky blue, and her peachy hues became oak brown. She aimed at the circle of little plants before her. These were some pine saplings, chrysanthemums and cacti. Shanya tried to milk them with the planet's power; however, the herbs didn’t respond. 

“Come on! I need to perform this sap activity in the ritual. I just want a little of your essence,” Shanya murmured to herself and attempted to do it again.

The pollens, leaves and barbs spread around the room with dust. Her hair puffed out like rain clouds at night; her skin was covered with black stains. The tears were rolling down her cheeks. What was she doing wrong? Shanya listed the to-do list one more time on her mind: 'Putting on the devices, concentrating on the object, requesting for essence and having the sap…' She did everything required for the process. 

She activated her machines, checking any possible disconnection; she replaced the core near the body energy point (her place was the abdomen area). This time Shanya gave all her being to work. Her brain, tummy and arm veins tightened, revealing the tissues beneath. Again, her hair and eyes altered their colours.

The energy was so intense that everywhere was filled with green-brown glow and gas. The clatters from each part of the room were echoing. The windows, clay flowerpots and other glass-like materials were shattered. The circle of plants had overflowed and run all over the place. From the broken window, squirrels, birds, insects and even stray cats went in. Shanya’s aura was causing an instinctive disorder in their primal brain. It was making the protection flair aggressively active. Shanya proceeded to stay in this trance as some screams from the corridor tingled.

“AH! SOMEONE HELP ME THERE ARE WILD ANIMALS IN THE DORM!” A girl next to Shanya’s room cried.

“OUCH, OUCH!” Another one yelled. “THESE THORNS ARE STINGING!”

These sounds filled the whole dorm. Nelly, Anny, Julia and Neesha dashed to the Earth floor alongside the floor guard. The entire hallway was a mess. There were so many animals running around; the pine saplings and cacti had formed a maze of pricks. The girls directly headed towards Shanya's room. The thing they witnessed was a little unsettling… Yeah.

Shanya was tied up with the leaves and stems of the flowers. She was lying on the ground, her legs standing on the wall (forming an “L” shape). The core charm was cracked and leaking liquid. A band of vicious beasts were destroying the furniture. Even her parrot Pistachio was pooping on everything it could find.

“What on the earth happened here?!” Neesha vociferated, facepalming.

“I think it’s all about the gadget she has on.” Nelly pointed at the transmitter. “But first we have to untie her.”

“U-um, I-I'm s-sorry g-girls to burden you like this,” Shanya replied; her face became crimson like a hibiscus.

“Don’t worry about it right now. Let us help you at the moment,” said Neesha, analyzing her.

“Well, I think we should begin from the roots,” Anny said, walking to the end of the herb.

Neesha and others nodded at her suggestion and dug the soil around the flowers. After a while, they reached the roots; Julia held some of her core energy and burnt them. Shanya was groaning with her move. Finally, they set the Earth princess free from the chaos she made. The poor girl wept for so many minutes. Her eyes and face reddened, swollen up. The salty tears almost pierced her cheeks, warming her skin. She blew her nose steadily like an air horn. However, Anny managed to calm down her emotions.

While they were dealing with Shanya, the floor guard Miss Swallow had called the cleaning, animal control and gardeners departments. The janitors had arrived, but the other two were still on their way.

“Oh, bloody hell! Where are these fellas?” She said to herself. “Those briars are bending me like jellyfish. Ah, my poor bones.”

“Don’t be that missy Swallow! I’d rather be in a beehive than cleaning this!”

“Yea, yea. I will show off the princess the results of her mess that you’ll see your freaking face,” Miss Swallow answered, dusting the walls.

At that moment, Shanya and the rest of the girls came. The earth princess was destitute; she raised her head twice to speak, but she couldn’t. Neesha patted her shoulder and gave her a side hug. Nelly, Anny and Julia grabbed some tools and handed them to others.

“Miss Swallow, we want to help you. If you allow us,” Nelly said politely.

“You bloody should! The fastest lasses among you catch the animals, and the rest wipe these briars out,” Swallow ordered and showed the available spots.

Neesha and Julia tried to catch the small animals; Nelly and the others rubbed out the stains. Some minutes later, the animal and garden experts arrived. Miss Swallow displayed the area and asked about the approximate time to mend this disarray. Fortunately, it would take just 1-3 days to fix. 

The gardener team applied shrinking fertiliser to the plants, and the animal control numbed and collected the animals. On the other hand, the janitors cleared the entire corridor. Shanya had to share a room with Miss Swallow until the end of the arrangements. 

The navy-haired princess shivered violently. Her vision blackened, and she fell onto her knees. While she was falling, Miss Swallow held her. Then, she carried Shanya to her bed. 'Poor lassie, she absolutely burnt out all the hay.' She thought and left her in the dark room. The girls were expecting outside the door, looking at Shanya.

“Is she OK?” Neesha asked eagerly.

“She will be. Don’t worry young lassie,” responded Miss Swallow. “All she needs is a recharge. I’m gonna take care of her.”

“Are you sure she doesn’t need anything?” Nelly joined, frowning.

“I have raised many lasses like you for 25 years, missy. I know what I’m doing.”

“If you say so, we are entrusting Shanie to you,” Neesha said, shrugging.

***

It was the day of the ceremony. With Anny's 'suggestion,' the girls decided to go a little shopping in the morning. The excuse Anny presented was always the usual, a fashion urgency. Well, she had the right to worry. This was a religious ritual, so they had to be in clean, neat clothes. However, that didn’t mean to join with your all glory. Also, Shanya had a rehearsal for her part before the event. Anny was stopped in front of a shop for a 'perfect' shawl, then before many others… Nelly and Shanya tugged her arms, slowly dragging her.

“You girls are so unfair!” Anny whined, pouting. “Don’t split me from my dearies!”

“We had talked about keeping this trip short, Miss Ann!” Nelly replied, placing both her hands on her hips.

“Yes. I need to practice again. Don’t you think about my image?” Shanya asked; her eyes were almost puppy-like.

“Alright…” Anny responded, giving up.

For an hour, they walked into the marketplace of the city. The girls went into a traditional costume boutique. The shop was surrounded by all types of antique clothes; Nelly and Anny agreed to buy two seasonal robes with leaf details, but Julia and Neesha preferred one-pieces like shirts and trousers. On the other hand, Shanya chose a custom suit (which had a cape, shirt, pants, belt and a cap).

The weather was rather beautiful for this time of the year. According to natives, these days were the peak of Indian summer. After this term, a severe storm would happen; thus, this was the reason behind this ceremony. Nelly looked around. The trees were like ones in a desert, and it felt like an endless summer rather than autumn. The rest of her friends were in a heated debate with each other. Nelly was left behind, and she was still scanning the area. Later, she returned to reality, noticing her friends' absence. However, this was not that important for her right now. After the mid-term weeks, she could not get some alone time for herself. She decided to have a short walk and headed towards the other end of the town.

***

The ring of a small florist rang. A young boy with hazelnut hair and eyes sneaked in. It was none other than Alexander Megavoid. The shop owner turned her head in his direction.

“Welcome, young man. How may I help you?”

“Thank you. I’d like to have a small bouquet of white magnolias please,” Alex replied, smiling.

“Magnolias? The flowers of nobility, purity and beauty. The young lady who shall receive them is fortunate.”

Alex brushed the behind of his head and flushed a little. His glances were falling down.

“Actually, these are for an older lady.”

The flower lady nodded and went to assemble the fresh flowers she took at dawn. As she was preparing his order, Alex gazed upon the prices of other blossoms; the orchids and roses were the most expensive ones, but daisies and dandelions were the cheapest. The owner put his bouquet on the stand.

“Here you go. Ten coins in total.”

“They look beautiful,” Alex said, giving the exact money. “Have a nice day!”

The owner waved at him while he was exiting the shop. Alex made his way to the cemetery at the end of the city. This was the resident of the Spectral City’s citizens who were in their eternal slumber. At the top hill, Mrs Roxanne Megavoid, Alex’s deceased mother, was lying down. He climbed up the marble stairs and arrived at her tomb. 

Her gravestone was white just like she used to be; on it, this epitaph was written: “Here lies a mother who couldn’t taste the warmth of her own son. May she be rewarded by the forgiveness of the Almighty in return for this pain. Roxanne Lorelei Megavoid, 979-1004 A. H. W."

Alex left the flowers there and began to caress her soil. Meanwhile, he saw a familiar blonde figure with a loose ponytail. She was randomly wandering around, stopping at a tombstone and praying repeatedly. When he recognized who it might be, he grabbed his flowers and dashed downstairs. Two minutes later, he hid behind a tree to be sure that this was Nelly.

He glanced at her carefully. The same golden hair, the same ocean eyes, and the same star clips… It was her, his Scandinavian Nymph. Alex gingerly walked towards her. She was about to finish her prayer and stood up.

“Whoa, Alex! You scared me.”

“H-hello Nelly. Sorry for startling you,” He replied, barely eyeing her. 

“Well, what are you doing here?” Nelly inquired.

Alex dropped his head slowly and uttered. “My mother.”

“Oh,” Nelly answered, almost in a blank tone; then she got what he meant. “I’m sorry to hear this. May she rest in peace?”

“It's fine. I got used to it,” said Alex, giving a broken smile. However, Nelly could grasp his status in a way. Her mother was also lost to her for more than a month with a threat of death. She put her hand on his shoulder.

“You don't have to pretend as if it's not hurting you. My beloved people are about to slip through my fingers,” Nelly said sadly, the words sticking to her throat. She pressed her cheek muscles hard to not cry, but the tears glistened like the first-born stars. Her turquoise pools became teal seaweeds. Nelly instantly turned her back against him, trying to clear the liquid.

Alex was alarmed and immediately got closer to her. He picked one of the magnolias from the bouquet, holding it out to her. The beautiful scent of the flower-filled Nelly’s nostrils. 

“W-what is that?” She asked; her eyes widened.

Alex just handed out the magnolia once more. Nelly was totally indecisive about whether to take the flower or not. It was lovely with fresh dews on its surface and the odour. However, what if it was a dangerous thing in a flower's coat? He had a similar void symbol of a particular planet on his t-shirt. Her eyes were probably deceiving her, right? It indicated he was perhaps of the bloodline of Negavise… He couldn't be from the kingdom of destruction. Nelly took a few steps away from him; she was staring at Alex like prey that was recognized by a predator. She rested herself against a tree’s trunk, yet he was still approaching her. Nelly raised and crossed her arms, making a shield. Alex gently removed the blockage before him and got nearer to her right ear.

'Why are you hesitating my Scandinavian nymph? Don’t worry, I would never ever hurt you.’

Nelly felt the heat rising to her cheeks and the bullets of sweat forming on her forehead. He slipped the magnolia behind her ear gently, then gave her an almost reassuring smile. After waiting there like a statue for a few good minutes, both Alex and Nelly parted ways.

***

Nelly just began to run, running as if she was escaping from death. She checked her clock; the ritual was about to start. She had to take her place before it was too late. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a mental note from Anny.

“Where are you? We are all in the city square. Come here ASAP.”

Nelly quickly typed an answer to her.

“Sorry, I was a bit spaced out. I’ll be there in 10 minutes.”

As she said, she came to the ritual area in about 10 minutes. Her friends were on the front line of the queue. Anny noticed her presence and waved at her.

“Where have you been? We thought you were lost,” she said, only audible to Nelly.

“It’s a long story. I shall explain later,” Nelly replied, sighing.

“Whatever. Be quick and wear your robe,” Anny said, handing her the clothing.

Nelly wore her new dress and watched the ceremony with others. Shanya and the other two clergymen had taken their places on the platform. The ritual was usually beginning with a holy chant to call the aid of the Creator. The two clergymen signalled everyone to raise their palms and repeat the song they were saying.

Oh the Almighty, help us to perform this prayer,

Without any deficiency and hauteur.

Accept us to thine loving heavens,

Even though we art sinners.

We offer thee,

The essence of durability,

The pine, the cacti and the flower.

Please reward us with ease shower,

When the first snow falls,

When our toils fail,

And we try to countervail.

Later in the chant, Shanya unreeled the herbs' saps in a controlled matter. This time she gave her everything to be successful. She performed her duty with utmost daintiness and concentration. From each plant, different coloured juices dribbled. The clergymen added sacred water from the springs of the earth. They drenched the soil with some of the liquid. 

The servants around took the rest of the water and saps and put them inside a cauldron; firstly, they mixed both of the fluids. Then, they stirred in autumn sugar cane and spices. It was a special drink which was only made in this season. It was also known as defoliation sherbet.

Every participant around began to form a long line. It was another tradition to distribute this sherbet to people; hence, most of the inhabitants of the city believed that this drink would bring health, joy and strength in the winter. Nelly and the others grabbed theirs and took a long sip. It had a tart taste due to saps and spice, but you could feel the sweetness of the sugar too.

Nelly continued to drink her sherbet and gazed at the horizon. She wished her people would get rid of the winter of extermination soon.