There's No Joy

Black Mud Swamp

"If we weren't playing hide and seek with a hybrid creature, I'd be more happy that we're in this stinky swamp." Darcy responds. "It is my kind of place."

"It's also irresistible to rats and frogs," Anne replied. "I mean look at all the flies on that animal scat.

"So if rats and frogs are attracted to stinky stuff what aren't they attracted to?" asked Solette. "We've got to think this through logically."

"I think strong, savory and sweet scents, Lette." Darcy said.

"So if we could corner off the swamp and repel or basically chase the creature out with something strong, savory and sweet maybe if one of us holds something stinky we will catch him if we stand in the middle of it."

"I like the way you plan things out, Solette. Zenith fairies would love you." Anne compliments.

"Thanks, but it doesn't have anything to do with mechanics or technological gadgets, I'm just using common sense, something you should never leave home without it."

"But what's grown in a swamp that rats and frogs don't like?" questioned Darcy.

"Perhaps something similar to peppermint oil," says Anne. "It was in Alderra's How to keep Wild Rodents Away Naturally. But we don't have time to buy peppermint oil though."

"Anne, watch out!" Solette grabbed her and pulled her back. "You've got to be more careful this is the Sinksand Wizgis mentioned in Black Mud Swamp once you fall in it sticks you fast acting superglue. Almost impossible to undo."

"Are there anymore dangers we should know about in this terrifically ugly swamp?" questioned Darcy.

"Yes, the Medusa gas, as I just mentioned Sinksand, and then there is Quickslime, and last but not least the Quietus Carnivorous it is a vine like plant that eats meat and hats noise. So when I see it and tell you don't make noise." Solette informed them.

"I think we're close to a pond within the swamp that's habitable for animals." Anne replied.

"How do you know that?" questioned Darcy.

"She's from an ocean planet plus where there's cattails there are always beavers and otters." adds Solette.

"Why do beavers and otters live together? And what is the significant of the cattails being a symbol of where they live."

"Cattails are nasty land devouring plants," Anne responds. "Beavers remove them and give the water back its space. When they're too many beavers the otters eat them, and when they're not enough beavers for the otters they restore to keep the fish population in the pond down. Also because beavers chop trees they're reason why we don't see a hundred decomposing log trunks every year or Magix would be a stinkcastrophe."

Solette giggled. "Oh, Lady Anne your funny and punny."

"She certainly knows her things about water bodies and the inhabitants within them and living around them." said Darcy.

"Let's not disturb nature's harmony," whispered Anne. "I have an idea. Let's get to the other side of the pond."

The three of them followed Anne to the other side of the beaver pond they sat down behind the dancing cattails and if you looked closely you could see a bunch of tiny white sacks for us but plenty big enough for a young reptile or amphibian.

Anne's Perspective
What a glorious jackpot as I parted the cattail leaves
As I spread the waves there were probably fifty fly eggs hanging onto that leaf for dear life as the plant swayed.
My blue cyan eyes went wide and my hair flared an even brighter orange than before.
The whole swamp went blue.
A timer appeared in the egg shape spinning and I saw larvae then I saw the frogs on the other shower.
Then I saw the water iced over
And the amphibian and the rat struggle towards the shimmering stinky ice.
Then the blue went to Darcy and her spell-book.
Then it went to Solette and her conjuring some stinky food, and catching the hybrid animal.
But lastly it pointed to the peopermint leaf pendant becklace I always wore.

"Girls, I know what we need to do." said Anne. "Lucky Leaves! Pepper up swamp! Lend me your water friend a helping hand!"

Solette and Darcy were both surprised as a peppermint spray appeared in her hands.

"There's our sneaky little frograt," said Anne. "Too big and too elongated too fit or to blend in with the other brown frogs."

"Did you just start Sherlocking , Anne?" questioned Solette.

"I don't what in the world that is." answered Anne. "Darcy page thirty three there a frost-over spell in that book of yours freeze the water temporarily. I 'm gonna make your creature made, Solette get some stinky food ready."

Darcy flipped through the black book she enlarged and on page 33 was a lake or pond frosting spell.

"Temporarus coldnessus frosttiffus waterrus." Darcy chanted focusing on the lake water. The water began to ice over rapidly as she finished the spell and flowers began speaying pink mist all over the place in the swamp that smelled like peppermints.

"Let's get dirty and messy, roasted garbage course coming right up, Frograt, come onto the ice and get it." Solette enticed the hybrid creature with her enchanting warm soft voice. "Garbageus, roastus stinkkus appearrus!"

A pile of stinky mouldy fruit appeared the rat couldn't resist. Solette grabbed the animal by the awkard tail. It wriggled and growled.

"Now what how to do we change it back to normal?" questioned Darcy. Anne was already on the answer she gestured to the Venus fly trap right next to her.

"Open wide little lovely blossom." Anne insisted. Solette dropped tghe hybrid creature into the open bloom of the Venus fly trap and it snapled closed and 1 minute later it spit the frog rat out covered in its gooey sap. It say there for thirty more seconds helpless and lifeless as the ice on the lake melted and the water began to stir. Then the frog skin disappeared and the lumpy legs disappeared.

Everyone side. But Darcy was not okay, as the rat practically jumped on her and growled at her.

"Solace sphere," Solette conjured. "Calm down furry friend. She's sorry, she didn't mean it go back to the wild life little one."

Solette's sunspell helped calm down the angry rodent.

"Next time, Darcy don't experiment on an animal that is so snappy, I don't want you to lose your beautiful mind to being traumatized by a wild animal or your limbs to one of the several snappy creatures." Solette warns her as she holds out her hand and Darcy takes it and helps her up. After Darcy was up off the ground, Solette turned to Anne, asking. "How did you know throwing it in the Venus Fly Trap plant would reverse it?"

"Rats don't usually eat flies, but Frogs do, so put it in a gross experience just like flies go through when they encounter one of these gorgeous extra prickly green blobs and get its juice all over them it cures a rat of its tummy issues and cuts the frog clean off." Anne explains.

"You are totally Sherlocking it, Anne."

"I still don't what means, Lady Solette." Anne replied. "Darcy?!"

"Oh no, I think the rat bit her before she transformed it," said Solette.

SamanthaKSSimpson Normaniforever1 Onyrix999 Rucabear kittycatlover23 BloomBloomix1 DeathIsAUnicorn Summerluv_mypassion