Splatoon Manga: Stardom

Bonus Chapter: Forest

Alone, she sat. In the calmness of the garden. She looked like an octoling, but she was taller than any octoling anyone had ever known. Surrounded by plants, she sat criss-cross, meditating under the sunlight. The only noises around her were the birds chirping and the insects buzzing (and perhaps the flowers blooming if you want to make that joke).

Suddenly, she heard the noise of paper. Something that should not be adrift in the wind. She opened one eye, and caught sight of it. A small notecard being carried by a breeze. With a simple flick of a wrist, a vine from around her shot up to catch it.

She carefully brought it back down, in case the entire paper was important. She did not want to tear it, if that was the case. She turned it over, since she was on the blank side of the paper. The other side contained a poem. She did not recognize the handwriting, but that was no problem.

She read it to herself quietly.

True queen of the forest
All seeing, over the rest
Knocks out those who won't
Obey her rules, no they don't
More or less, full of power
Obsessed with both plant and flower
Really strict but understands
I'd say they shouldn't demand
Keeps watch, makes sure that it's fine
And lets the power of plants shine.

She shrugged, and put it away for later. She began to walk through her garden. Nobody would bother her, as there was nobody else here. The place was hers, after all, and she could kick people out. She wasn't lonely, and and rather enjoyed the serenity of the place.

She walked amongst vibrant flowers of all shapes and sizes, leafy greens ranging from mint to emerald to peridot to dark hues. All sorts of colors everywhere. She knew outsiders would do anything such as to even take a blade of grass from this place. She couldn't let them, not unless they were one she trusted. Many had stolen from her before.

Sudddenly, she heard a rumbling from deep in the woods. She quickly turned towards the source. Where had it come from? If it was what she thought it was, she was in a bit of danger. She slowly crept closer towards it, leaving the boundaries of her garden.

The grumbling came again. She began to whisper at it.

"Shhhhhhh...shshsh...it's okay...there are no intruders here..."

The growling lowered to a low mumble. She sighed, and headed back towards her garden. That was too close a call. The last time that thing was awoken from its nap, it nearly set a fourth of the forest on fire. She couldn't let that happen again, her garden was an important part of the forest.

She just hoped it wouldn't happen again...