Gardens For Guardians

Chapter 3: Calm

-Moonfall Island; Year 503-

          "Will you move off the topic?" Calm pleads as she swings her bat and takes a strike at the yellow and orange fruit lobbying her way. Her friend mockingly laughs and struggles to contain themself. They need to regain focus if they want to keep the rally going. The fruit bounces off of the bat and spirals through the air, eventually falling to the ground in front of the laughing player's feet. "I'm sorry," they belt out in a fit of hysteria, "but surely you must find that slimy, blue skin appealing, yea? HA!" The two friends had been playing their game with close to 25 feet between them, their shoes marking the midpoint of the play area. This is a game they play together often, every week or so when they decide to mess around during their free time. The trees on the western shore grow a funny kind of fruit that has become known as a fusenmelon. It is about the size of a Human head, with a squishy consistency and very light in weight. In fact, the fruit is not very good for eating, as the water content is almost non-existent and only the tiny core has any sweetness. But with all the sweet flavor packed so densely in one little bite, children on the island can't help but crack one open. The two teenagers found out years ago that these fruit can be used in place of a ball, allowing them to stand far apart and smack at it back-and-forth with their wooden bats. The fruit dances with the wind as it reaches the other player. Whoever wins the game gets to eat the core. Calm takes it more seriously when it comes to sweets. She tends to win.

          Her cap falls to the sand next to the pairs of shoes as Calm marches towards her teasing friend with bat in hand. "Sometimes you are the absolute worst, Rolly" she exclaims as she pushes her bat forward, holding it sideways with each hand gripping at an end. Rolly had expected the attack and holds their bat in a similar fashion, blocking it with a clash that knocks them backwards. They fall to the ground and throw their feet up, cackling out loud on the sand. "I swear, you never change," Rolly barely gets out the words while forcing themself back up. Calm stares at them assertively before turning around and heading back to get her cap and shoes. "You done laughing yet?" she sneers to Rolly. After getting her shoes on she turns back to her friend, wondering why they are suddenly choosing to be quiet. She catches Rolly swiping down at the sand with their bat. "Oh ho ho, you are dead, my friend," Calm jokes. She grabs Rolly's shoes for them and chases them back to their village. In the sand Rolly had written down the name "Yoku" with a crudely drawn heart around it.

            Calm and Rolly first met soon after they both had parents partake in the exodus. For Calm it was only her dad, but for Rolly it was their mom as well. Their family lived in Taurus Village, just west of where Calm's home is at the outskirt of Eclipse Residence. Fortunately for Rolly, they have extended family that live within the Residence itself, so they managed to move in with them. This is likely the reason both of their parents left, as it provided the proper excuse to be allowed to move in. That is what most people believe anyway, but Rolly doesn't think so. Maybe they just don't want to believe it. Sure, their life is easier in the Residence, but not having parents is too much to bear. They don't know where they are. They don't know if they're safe. They don't know if they will return. For them, there must be another reason.

          It was only a month after moving away from Taurus that Rolly bumped into Calm. The two youngsters connected immediately. Two years separate them in age, with Calm being the elder, currently being 17 years of age and Rolly being 15. Their first encounter happened by random chance early one morning. Calm was sitting outside of her house as she often would do since her father left. She would spend some time at the exact place where she was when she talked with him last and would wish for him to come back as a surprise. On one particular day, Calm spotted a younger child in the distance crying down the road. Of note was their short orange hair, quite different from Calm's hair as it barely passed beyond their ears and was rather unkempt. Despite this, she saw her own sadness in Rolly. Perhaps she was projecting her feelings, but she took the initiative and went to comfort the crying child. After helping them calm down and offering a shoulder to cry on, she learned about the kid's family situation and how tough it was to adjust. They've been best friends since.