Wildwood Diaries (On Hold)

Episode 17: Pocky Sticks and Second Chances

It is morning again.

"Oho, this is gonna be good." Piper smirked, an evil grin on her face.

"This isn't going to end well..." Dark Pit sighed to himself.

Piper, Em, Palutena and Viridi had dared Proxima and Byleth to play the pocky game. The more pocky they ate, the more their faces came into contact with each other.

Yes! Eat it. Eat the pocky! Eat it!, Piper thought in a devilish tone.

5 inches left. Their hearts were pounding like crazy.

4 inches. A bit of pink showed up on their faces.

3 inches. Their breaths were very raspy.

2 inches. Pink soon turned into red.

1 inch left. They were really about to kiss.

The pocky game had finished off as Byleth placed his lips on Proxima's. The movement was so swift that Proxima's spectacles flew off. That didn't matter as the star mistress wrapped her arms around Byleth's neck. Byleth had placed a hand on Proxima's waist as the other hand brushed her cheek, exploring it's warmth. There they were, lying on the floor and kissing as the others squealed in delight.

Into the stronghold walked in an irritated Amethyst Goodfey. All the squealing and the kissing came to a halt when she took a firm step on the tile. Proxima and Byleth had jumped up in fright and hoisted themselves onto their feet.

"What exactly is going on here?" Amethyst asked.

"It's not what it looks like, your Highness!" Proxima exclaimed, "we were just...!"

"Playing the pocky game, I see?" Amethyst cut in, "hmmhmm, I still remember the day Merrick and I played that game. That's how we had our first kiss."

"Who's Merrick?" Viridi and Palutena questioned in unison.

"The former king of Gemina," Em explained, "loved by all, he was by far a kind, caring and compassionate man. He sadly died fighting in the Gemina/Bosnian War."

"Ever since that day, Vincent tried by all means to live up to his expectations, to which he did," Amethyst added, "...but we're getting off topic here. Meet me in the dungeon hold in five minutes."

Amethyst left the room, leaving the others confused as heck. Regardless, these were the orders of the queen. They had to be adhered to.

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Everybody had showed up at the dungeon hold, only the dankiest and most uncomfortable place in the Royal Palace.

At the entrance to the hold were Amethyst, Zarya and Pit.

"I still can't believe he did that..." Pit mumbled to himself.

Proxima, Byleth, Piper, Em, Palutena and Viridi had just come in without warning.

"You had asked for us, your Highness?" Palutena asked.

"Thank the stars you made it." Amethyst sighed, "you are probably wondering why I called you here today."

She gave one sympathetic look at her daughter and said, "Zarya, if you may."

Zarya took a deep breath and said, "I know you guys are still in shock about what happened last night...and that was because Arkayna wasn't really Arkayna."

"Uhm, you're kinda giving us mixed signals here," said Dark Pit, "what could you possibly mean by that?"

"It means that the Arkayna who forbade us from going to Wildwood was an imposter!" Pit replied.