Chapter 15: Return to the Trees.
"Goodbye, everyone."
"Take care of yourselves."
"Hope to see you again."
~The afternoon shadows were lengthening, and the air was warm and sweet with the scent of honeysuckle as the company made its way through the forest paths. They had decided in the end that only a few should see the girls off and so, after touching farewells to the creatures and especially to Fumble, Mumble and Grumble only Dalton, Tad, Mrs Tad, Tig and Joskye, Swift and Argie accompanied them on this last walk through the forest. Their route took them first to the monument to Alaxe where they stopped to pay their respects to the brave elf.~
"I wish he were still alive," said Fluttershy. "He would have loved to see how things have turned out." She sniffed back a tear.
Mrs Tad stood next to her. "Maybe he's more alive than any of us know," she said quietly. "The loss is ours more than his."
~Led by Dalton, they left Alaxe's park. They rounded a clump of hazelnut bushes and there stood before them lay the set of steps that led up to the dark stone-arched opening in the hillside. Slowly, the party walked to the base of the steps.~
"Well, here we are," said Joskye with a sigh. He gave the Rainbooms a wan smile. "Time for you to go, I suppose. Us too."
Lightning looked at Joskye from beneath her brows. "I'm...going to miss you, Joskye." she said shyly.
"Me too," he replied awkwardly. Then, to everyone's utter delight, he kissed her clumsily on the cheek.
She blushed bright red. "Uhh- I…" She sighed, then smiled. "Okay."
The seven Rainbooms smirked. "Ooooooh…" they cooed.
Lightning blushed harder, this time in embarrassment. "Sh-Shut up!" she said, playfully swiping at them. They dodged and laughed.
"Your eyes are like the pool and it shines like living diamonds. I will always remember them." Joskye whispered, his eyes shining in wonder too.
Swift laughed. "You have changed, Joskye!" she marvelled.
"Yeah, well, it's just that...Lightning…"
"You don't have to explain it, Joskye," said Dalton. "We know how you feel."
Swift nodded. "I sure am going to miss you girls. You have done alot for us. And me. Thank you for everything." She hugged the Rainbooms by one.
"Oh, I wish I could stay here forever!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "I love it so much now that it's all changed."
"And y'all have become such great friends." smiled Applejack. "If only I could come back when ever pleased, even though I know it's not like that."
Fluttershy bent and kissed first Mrs Tad then Tad himself. "We will never forget you. And thank you for looking after us."
"I don't know that I did much of that, my dear." said Mrs Tad. "Seems to me that there were others who protected you when you most needed it."
"Yes, but you made it all so warm and comfy."
Tig she hugged. Dalton stooped and put his arm around her. "Rainbooms, you and I have a special kind of kinship, for you possess the same gift as my mother. I want to remind you to guard it well and use it wisely to help others. Don't let the passing years take it from you."
~They looked into his eyes and nodded solemnly. Tears filled Fluttershy's eyes as he kissed them all goodbye. Lightning shook hands with the badgers and the elf as cheerily as she could and she wished each other well.~
"You girls have played a valiant part in this adventure, with courage far beyond your years, and you have learned many lessons about the ways of good and evil. Do not forget these as you grow up. It will not be the last time you are called upon Merrdom, of that I'm sure. Farewell, my good friends."
Lightning and the others said their farewells, feeling suddenly very grown up. "Right then," said Lightning. "Everyone ready? Let's go."
~So, without further ado, the eight girls mounted the steps. When they reached the entrance to the Passway they turned and waved goodbye to their watching friends, and then they stepped into the passage.~
"Take good care," called Tad as the girls disappeared from sight.
~Lightning felt a strange tingling sensation all over her body. Then she was through and walking unhindered towards the entrance. The Rainbooms did the same and moments later they stepped out of the tree entrance and into the spring sunshine of their own world. Everything seemed surprisingly normal again.~
Applejack took a deep breath in. "We're home." she breathed.
"Thank goodness!" Rarity sighed. "I wonder what day it is?" She then asked.
Lightning shrugged. "I don't know." she replied.
"Well whatever day, I have most definitely missed my boutique opening."
"And my soccer game..." Rainbow added.
"Oh...right. I'm really sorry, you two." said Lightning.
"It's alright. I suppose it's just a game. There are others."
"Mr. Secret and Mr. Star are going to be terribly worried when we arrive at school." said Fluttershy. "I wouldn't be surprised if they're angry with us."
"Well, if we explained what happened, maybe they'll understand." said Sunset.
"Let's get back to the hideout then and find out." Twilight replied.
~So quickly, the Rainbooms rushed into the school down the stairs into the hideout. Lightning ran into her dad's arms.~
"Mr. Star! Mr. Secret!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"Girls?" Steven quired.
"Oh, Steven, Nimbus, we're so sorry we've been away for so long!" cried Fluttershy. "It's lovely to be safe and sound. We've had the most incredible adventure but you must have been really worried about us. Have you been upset?"
They looked up appealingly into their bosses eyes. "What are you going on about?" Lightning's father said, stroking her hair. "It's not even the afternoon yet. I don't call in the morning a long time?"
"A morning?" they repeated incredulously. The girls couldn't believe their ears. Perhaps Lightning's father had cracked up because they had been missing for so long.
"But, we've been away for days!" Rainbow exclaimed, looking puzzled. "In the Great Forest of Caisar, fighting a Crone and...and…" She tailed off, when she saw that Steven was laughing.
"Oh, so that's it. You made up an adventure for yourselves."
"No, what do you take us for? Five-year-olds?" Lightning declared stoutly.
"Where is this Great Forest then?"
"It's in the trees behind the school. On the other side. It's another world!" Sunset explained.
"It really is." Rarity insisted.
"You have to go down between the roots to get there. Well, not exactly through the ground, if you know what I mean. Through a special passageway." Lightning explained. Her father gave them one of those looks that said. 'You're pulling my leg and I'm not falling for it.'
"I think that's enough going outside for one day." he said firmly. "How about we go get lunch, girls?"
The Rainbooms all glanced at each other and smiled. "Okay, dad." Lightning said. And they went off.
~That night, in Lightning's World, the Whites stood to their bedroom window, gazing up into the velvet night sky. Stars hung like jewels in the heavens and they stared in silence for a long while.~
"Do you think we will see the Rainbooms again, and maybe find and visit their world?" asked Argie.
"Of course," his brother replied. "I'm sure we will find out. I have to, even if it may take me years."
"What do you think, Swift?"
"I know we will. I can feel it somehow." Her brothers nodded.
~Just then, one star seemed to glow more brightly than the rest. They all saw it. Then a dark shadow fitted across the sky. It was difficult to see, the sound that followed was unmistakable. A high pitched, whoop pierced the gloom and sent shivers down each of their spines. Unbelievably high in the sky, a half-human, half-raccoon girl winged her way westwards. Joskye White whispered her name in awe.~
"Lightning Star!"
~The End- until next time!~