The Moon Calls

39

"You know," Rapunzel said as she examined some of the flora around. "I could probably make some really good clothes with these!" She made Pascal a grass skirt and squealed. "So cute!"

"Uh, sure." Varian said, distracted by his still-glowing hair.

"Do you guys all want new clothes, too?" She asked as she started to gather supplies.

"Whatever you make, Sunshine, I'm sure I'll love it." Eugene assured her. "As long as it's not a grass skirt."

Cassandra laughed. "No, please, make him a grass skirt. It'll be funny."

"Nothing wrong with grass skirts." Lance said, making one for himself and putting it on to dance a bit. Varian and Rapunzel laughed.

"I'm content with my current outfit." Donella assured Rapunzel.

"Me too." Hugo nodded.

"Aw, you too, Hugo?" Rapunzel pouted. "But, look around at all this green! It's totally your color! Let me make you something!"

"I'm fine." He said, shaking his head. "I prefer to match with Donella."

"Aww, that's so cute!" Rapunzel gasped. "Varian! WE should match, too!"

Varian laughed. "What?"

"Come on, I'll make you an outfit!" She said excitedly, heading back to the house. Varian followed her, the others shrugging before heading after.

There was a rustling in the bushes, and a faint pitter-patter of tiny feet.

"Wait." Varian stopped short and looked around. The others all stopped as well, going to their various weapons. "...Looks like it's gone."

"What is it?" Rapunzel asked.

"I heard something following us. Something..." His eyes narrowed as he heard it again. He held out a hand and summoned black rocks and they heard a tiny cry of terror before he pushed aside the foliage to reveal...a tiny leaf person in his black rock cage?

"Don't hurt me, Frienfloofer!" The little leaf person pleaded.

"Aww!" Rapunzel knelt down with Varian to look at it closer. "You are adorable!"

"Why were you following us?" Varian asked.

"Y-You're on our island!" The leaf person cried.

"And we'll be leaving when the ferry arrives." Varian said, rolling his eyes, then released the creature from the cage, the black rocks retracting into the ground.

The creature backed up from him, fear in its little eyes, and then disappeared into the foliage.

"Should we go after it?" Hugo asked, watching it go.

"No, let's not." Donella shook her head. "The last thing we want is to be involved with some drama with the locals. I only hope you scared the creature off, Varian."

"Yeah, uh, I thought this place was uninhabited." Lance chuckled nervously.

"It's okay, Lance." Varian chuckled. "I'll keep the little leaf people—"

"—and spiders—"

"—and spiders from invading your room while we sleep."

"We haven't even seen any spiders." Eugene said as Pascal and Ruddiger terrorized some dragonflies. "Relax, Lance. You can't be constantly on-edge the entire time we're stuck here."

"Why can't we use black rocks to leave sooner?" Lance asked. "Build a boat out of them?"

"Because black rocks sink like, well, rocks. And I'm not going to build a path as we walk from the island, because that would get exhausting." Varian made a face.