"What are you doing?" Miko's voice cut in sharply. He tilted his head, golden eyes narrowing as he watched Hana crouching by the side of the pathway.
"Oh, this fruit looks so delicious and tempting," Hana said, reaching toward a low-hanging vine. "I'm just wondering if it's safe to eat. It would look amazing in a dessert!"
The glowing red-wine berries caught her eyes like jewels in the dusk light. They resembled grapes, only smaller like clusters of ruby marbles glowing faintly against the leaves.
Miko flicked his tail, unimpressed. "Just now you were nagging about how late it's getting, and now you're stopping to pick wild fruit. Really?"
Hana pouted. "Come on, it's rare for me to even be here! Why not enjoy a little bit after all those heart attacks I went through today? B-But seriously, do you know the name of this fruit? Can people eat it?"
Miko raised a brow. "Do I look like some traveling encyclopedia to you?"
Hana huffed. "Then how am I supposed to know if it's safe?"
"Simple." Miko stretched lazily, licking his paw. "You eat it. If you get poisoned or die, then we'll know it's not safe to consume."
Hana's jaw dropped. "Miko! I'm being serious right now!"
"Then use your brain, nut-head," he shot back flatly. "Pick one of the fruits and ask the tree. That's what we're heading toward, isn't it?"
Her eyes widened as if a lightbulb went off. "Oh! Why didn't I think of that?"
Miko muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief. "Why indeed…"
Hana walked slowly along the winding pathway, her eyes wide with wonder. It had been so long since she could breathe in air this pure cool, crisp, carrying the faint sweetness of blossoms. The road stretched ahead like a painted dream, framed by arching branches and little patches of glowing moss that lit their steps.
She let her gaze wander. The villagers were still out and about, smoke curling lazily from the chimney of a stone cottage, and children chasing each other with laughter that echoed like bells. Now and then, she caught sight of creatures she had only seen in the fantasy books her mother used to read to her . She look at the tiny winged sprites fluttering near the lanterns in disbelief, and a pair of rabbit-like beasts balancing baskets of herbs on their backs. This is a big WOW.
The sun dipped lower, brushing the village in shades of gold and rose. The evening air wrapped around Hana like a soft blanket, and for a moment, she forgot all her worries. She tilted her head back, smiling. It feels like home. A home I never knew I had.
Lost in her admiration of the scenery, Hana didn't realize she had stopped walking until her breath caught in her throat.
In front of her stood a tree so immense that its trunk alone would take at least twenty grown adults, arms outstretched, to fully embrace. The bark was thick and dark, carved with lines of age that told of centuries gone by. Its branches spread wide like the arms of a guardian, draped with a canopy of leaves so dense that even the fading sunlight struggled to pierce through. Beneath its shade, the air felt cooler, calmer , almost sacred.
"Here we are," Miko said, tilting his head back to take in its full height. His tail twitched, ears flicking. "I didn't remember it being this grand. To think it still lives, after all these years…"
Hana placed her hand on the rough bark, her eyes glistening with awe. "It's… beautiful. I've never seen anything like this in my life."
"How are we supposed to ask the tree?" Hana asked, tilting her head back until her neck ached from trying to see the top.
Miko flicked his ear lazily. "From the old tales, this tree is said to have a guardian. But…" He scanned the empty clearing. "…why don't we see anything? Could it be the guardian has moved on?"
Hana's jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? You dragged me here just so we could stare at a giant tree that might not even work? We walked all this way for nothing?"
Miko shrugged, tail swishing. "Well, legends do tend to exaggerate."
Before Hana could argue back, a soft but commanding voice echoed around them.
"Are you looking for me?"
Both Hana and Miko froze, hearts skipping. Slowly, they turned and standing before them was a creature unlike anything Hana had ever seen. Is it..
A small figure shuffled into view a mouse, about thirty centimeters tall, with a long snowy mousetache that twitched as he spoke. His back was bent, a tiny cane supporting his frail frame. Perched on his nose was a pair of round spectacles that glimmered in the fading light, and he wore a faded velvet waistcoat with brass buttons, paired with a tiny pocket watch chain dangling at the side. His presence, though small, carried the weight of centuries.
"Are… are you the guardian of this tree?" Hana asked, her voice trembling between awe and disbelief.
The mouse adjusted his spectacles, eyes twinkling. "Well… that depends on how you see me. Welcome, child, to the Eternal Whisper Tree. It has been… oh, quite some time since anyone came seeking counsel. The last was nearly five years ago."
Hana stepped forward, bowing slightly in respect. "I'm Hana. I..I came to ask about recipes. I forgot to bring my notes, and without them, I can't complete what I came here for. Can you… help me?"
The mouse stroked his mousetache thoughtfully. "Well, well. Young people should have strong memories, but I understand… when the heart is troubled or the mind burdened with fear, even the brightest thoughts can slip away. You may call me Elder Thistlemore. I have guarded this tree for longer than most stars have shone, though I fear my time grows short. Still, if I can spend my remaining days guiding lost souls such as yours… then perhaps my service is not yet done."
"So, what do you wish to know, my child?" Elder Thistlemore asked, his mousetache twitching gently.
"Oh… I'm looking for the ingredients of…" Hana hesitated, her voice dropping into a whisper, "…the Celestia Strawberry Veil Cake."
"Ahhh…" Thistlemore leaned on his cane, eyes gleaming. "A recipe woven with both sweetness and mystery. This one is quite magical indeed. Let me see."
At once, a soft blue light swirled around his tiny body, wrapping him in a glow that made the air hum with ancient energy. His eyes turned distant, as though peering into another realm. Suddenly, dozens of translucent books materialized in the air, their pages flipping rapidly on their own, the whispers of old parchment filling the silence.
Hana's mouth fell open. "Wow… magic is so convenient…" she mumbled under her breath, eyes fixed on the spectacle.
"There it is," Elder Thistlemore declared at last, tapping his cane. One of the books drifted toward Hana, opening itself before her eyes. Its glowing letters shifted into legible words, revealing the full recipe for the Celestia Strawberry Veil Cake.
Hana quickly pulled out a pen and small notepad from her pocket, scribbling down every detail as fast as she could, her hands trembling with excitement.
When she was done, she bowed slightly. "Thank you… Elder Thistlemore." Her voice cracked, stuttering from nervous gratitude. Then she bit her lip and looked at him with hesitant eyes.
"Um… c-can I… ask you one more thing?"
The old mouse adjusted his spectacles, his gaze softening. "Of course, child. I am beyond happy to guide a lost soul. Present me with what you need."
Hana's hands trembled as she gripped her pen tighter. "Then… can I at least know why they're so connected to this village? Why does everyone here seem to know them?"
Thistlemore adjusted his tiny spectacles, whiskers twitching in thought. "That… I can tell you, though not everything."
He tapped his cane gently against the earth. Tiny golden motes rose into the air, swirling like whispered secrets of the tree itself.
"Your mother was born here, alongside her twin, Glinda," he began. "After their parents died, your mother chose a different path. She went to live in the human world with your grandmother, while Glinda stayed behind. Two sisters, bound by blood… yet separated by destiny."
Hana's eyes widened. "My mother… from here?"
The elder nodded. "Yes. In the human world, she met your father, a kind and ordinary man. Love bridged the worlds, and together, they built their life and eventually married.
"Yet even in the human world," Thistlemore said, "your mother never stopped visiting her sister, Glinda. It was from this bond and from the memory of her own mother that she and your father found inspiration to open the bakery."
Hana's chest tightened. "So… all of this time, they've been hiding it from me? But… why do I feel so familiar with it?"
The elder's eyes twinkled beneath his spectacles. "The answer, my child, is yours to find. All truths may be revealed… later, or perhaps never. But when the time is right, you will discover the answer you crave."
Hana lowered her pen, her thoughts swirling with questions she could not yet answer.
Thistlemore gave a small, knowing nod. "Walk the village, listen to its stories… and one day, you will see what has long been hidden."
Hana met his gaze, searching for more, but found only quiet wisdom there. "I… I understand," she whispered.
The elder's eyes twinkled beneath his spectacles. "Uhmm I see, you found Lunaberry. Well, that fruit can restore the good energy when consumed." Said the elder's when he saw the wild fruit in Hana's pocket.
"Oh, I'm about to ask you about this fruit, lucky you told me earlier or I will forget about it." Hana smiled awkwardly.
Miko sighed. As expected, meow..
"Thank you so much for the information. Looking forward to see you soon" Hana turned, feeling the gentle pull of the village as she walked away, carrying a strange mix of wonder, longing, and the faintest touch of belonging.
As Hana faded from view, the elder's eyes narrowed, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. His gaze drifted toward the horizon, as if seeing something invisible to everyone else. The wind carried his words away, but the weight of the prophecy lingered, leaving a quiet question hanging in the air, what future awaited these children, and could it be changed?
"What a terrible fate…" he murmured under his breath, voice almost lost in the wind. "Poor children…"