Hello, my wonderful friends. 😊
You mean so much to me, and I hope you are well.
Happy weekend, and welcome back to my fanfic!
Previously in Episode 68:
Adora must leave Catra in search of answers in the Whispering Woods. (Part One)
And Bow and Glimmer try to restore the magic, but royal duties will not wait (Part Two)
Now, in this latest chapter, we return to Adora as she ventures through the Whispering Woods, and I would like to dedicate it to Arcana ( @ArcanaGrayskull ), one of my BFF's and Artistic Alliance buddies!
Also, because this is a relatively short chapter (and for other reasons), I will post an extra chapter this coming week. Just for fun. 😁
Enjoy!
Sunlight and moonlight mingle as they sift through the trees.
Countless shades of foliage green and branches of deep lavender bark are illuminated in their gentle piercing light. The trees are whirled and curled by age and mystery into fantastical shapes and forms that tower and lurch toward the sky. And deep shadow lurks mysteriously in swirls around their roots.
Great fungal fans of exquisite character arch from the sides of some of the trees, and bright moss feathers from their trunks in swaths of furry green.
All about, the air shimmers with the golden breath of expectation.
The Whispering Woods.
On the edge of a small clearing, a gathering glow appears, and within seconds, it becomes a bright light, as the broad fern leaves part and She-Ra steps through, holding her shining sword aloft.
Her eyes are clearest blue, focused with iron intensity.
She narrows her eyes and scans the clearing.
She-Ra: [calling] Raaazz.
She steps fully into the clearing, lifting her feet carefully over a collection of fallen branches and brush.
She-Ra: It’s me! Adora!
Holding her sword in both hands ahead of her as if entering a combat arena, she steps slowly through the clearing.
She-Ra: [her voice raised] You said I’d be able to find you, Razz. That you’d be there if I ever needed you.
She catches site of a shimmer of golden particles, wafting through the air, sparkling magically. She follows them under a low branch and down a shallow ravine into another, larger clearing where they seem to spread out into the surrounding trees. There is a thin brook and a pool from which cyan-colored deer are drinking.
She-Ra: [her voice a little louder] I think I need you now, Razz! I think you can help me!
The deer creatures look up at her, blinking their dark eyes.
She-Ra smiles as she approaches the creatures.
She-Ra: [charmed] Oh! Hi, there!
The deer suddenly stiffen up and all at once leap, sprinting deeper into the forest.
She-Ra frowns, then looks at the glowing sword she is brandishing.
She-Ra: What? [with sheepish realization] Oh, right.
Immediately, she reaches behind her back with the sword and sheathes it away.
She steps forward into the clearing, looking left and right for some sign.
She-Ra: [plaintively] Raaazz! I need your help, but . . . I’m not sure how to find you. Could you . . . could you give me some kind of hint?
She comes to a large tree, and she lays her hand on it, looking around.
A sudden thought brightens her expression.
She-Ra: [with confidence] Berries. [offering eagerly] We could pick berries! And we could [less sure] . . . make a pie, . . . I guess?
She-Ra frowns, looking around herself with glum frustration.
She-Ra: [more quietly] I’d love to, actually . . . if you want.
She hangs her head down, leaning against the tree. Her gaze falls on the pool below her, whose gentle ripples make her expression look even more miserable.
She shakes her head.
She-Ra: [to herself] This can’t be the right way. She said she’d come if I . . . [reflecting a moment] Maybe it’s me. Maybe . . . maybe I’m not the one who really needs Razz right now.
With a muted low thrum of fading brilliance, She-Ra de-transforms.
She stares at her reflection in the water, and the face looking back is someone young yet trial-worn, brave yet unsure, pure yet changed, hopeful yet worried, healed yet scarred. She nods.
Then she raises her head, a glint of new hope and determination in her eye.
Adora: [softly, almost to herself] Okay, Razz. It’s just me, now. [pause] Adora.
She resumes her journey, moving resolutely toward the heart of the Whispering Woods.
