Over a millennium has passed since Psyche's soul had reached Fiona's hands. Every day, her soul would absorb the vitality of elements from nature. Her soul shone brightly, emitting prismatic hues as sunlight embraced it. Like dew drops on leafy greens, the aura her soul had released would broaden to the rest of the hill.
On this particular day, Fiona sensed a rare transformation within miles of range - someone has intruded the hills. In the human world, a legendary myth has always circulated about a witch who lived on top of the hill. Only the lucky ones would find their way to the peak and encounter the witch, who could be in any shape or sizes. Once rumors of it spread amongst the city, many people greed for wealth and other desires.
Though Fiona lived far away from the city, she knew what people have been saying. To save her from troublesome avaricious people, she blocked the paths for those who didn't have a pure mind. Therefore, rarely anyone could step past the boundary she had set with her spell.
Tasting a spoonful of the soup, she mixed, Fiona looked out of her kitchen window into the baby blue sky. She smiled, "Oh? Seems like we have special guests today."
She wiped her hands on her apron, damping the sides of the cloth. With a snap, the apron untied and hung itself on the hooks. Staring into the mirror, the charming elegance she had a second ago became fragile and weak as she completed her transformation.
Her smooth hair shortened and curled into a light afro. Her lips chapped as if she hadn't drunk a single drop of water for days. Her delicate skin had wrinkled and darkened by a few shades, looking dirtied from an endless exploration. She looked lost and helpless with the old-fashioned swirled top and pajama pants.
"I'll be back, darlings." She sent a flying smooch to Kyle, who was busy blowing bubbles out of his nose as he slept. Her kiss flew towards his direction, popping the huge bubble on his nose. The sudden noise and wet sensation startled him awake as he jolted up with widened eyes.
He blinked, looked around and realized his mother was nowhere to be seen. It's been a while since he has seen his mother in a disguise. Hence, his first reaction was to figure out who the granny was. Cautiously, he stepped closer to the elderly lady by the door and sniffed her.
After running countless circles around her, he took out a piece of tissue and blew his nose. He tapped his nose twice before sniffing her again.
Squeal!
Fiona chuckled at her son's confused look. Bending down, she picked him up, combed his soft furry body and whispered. "It's mommy."
Looking at her sillily, he tilted his head. A few seconds later, he summoned a jar of water and dipped his paw in there. Then, he patted water on his mother's skin. Since dabbing didn't work, he started scrubbing her skin gently to see if her fake mask would come off. Seeing the pink paw of his was left untainted, he started squealing with complaints.
"Okay, dear. Alright. Breakfast is ready. Remember to watch the house while mommy is gone. It's rare for us to have visitors, so I will see if we can find the lucky match for Psyche today." Taking the jar of water away from her naughty son, she placed it at a height he couldn't climb. Though he was jumpy and active, there were heights he would never dare to climb.
Kyle wagged his tail left and right in slow motion, expressing that he understood her words. He picked up his favorite blue rose from the floor and started smacking its stem to his paw like a guard around Psyche's soul.
Although she told Kyle to keep watch, Fiona would never underestimate those with wicked minds. As soon as she stepped out of her house, a protective barrier formed, shielding her house from sight. Even if anyone reaches the deepest root of the hill, they'll be met with an illusion of a dead end.
In the blink of an eye, Fiona found the visitors she was looking for. She shifted the route ahead of them and pretended to have fallen down by a tree trunk. With her natural acting skills, she successfully caught the attention of the couple from the short distance.
"Ow...My back. My poor back. Arghh.." She slid her palm to her hip and applied pressure on it. Hearing her agonizing moans, the couple quickly ran to help her.
"Are you alright, granny? Where are you hurt? Did you lose contact with your family? Did anyone come with you?" The woman in her 30s asked in great concern. She frowned when she saw Fiona alone in the hills without any traces of her family nearby.
"My back...hurts. No, my son and daughter are at work. Who would have time to care for an old lady like me? I came out a day ago and haven't had anything to eat or drink after leaving my house. Now, I've lost my way." Fiona sighed hopelessly as she told the couple her situation and how she ended up lost.
Once she said she hadn't eaten anything nor drank any liquids, the couple fed her everything they had with them. "Here, granny. We only brought one bread and a bottle of water. Take it. We'll bring you back when you recover some energy, alright?"
"But..is that alright? You two will have no food or drinks. The routes back to the city is complicated with so many trees around. What if we get lost? You will starve." Fiona stared at the small amount of food the couple had left and studied their expressions.
After the couple exchanged a glance, they shook their heads. "No. Granny, you need them more than us. We are younger and can last longer without food. You haven't eaten nor drank water. You can have it. If you can't walk, my husband can carry you on his back. It's no problem at all."
With the ability to read minds, Fiona smiled. In a split second, she closed her eyes and reverted to her normal self. Her sudden change in appearance frightened the kind couple.
"Congratulations! The two of you are the first ones to meet me. I believe the two of you aren't here for a morning walk. What's your main motive for the day?" Fiona folded her hands politely as she waited for the couple to speak up their thoughts. Though she already knew what their wish was from reading their minds, she needed them to say it for themselves.
"You're the legendary witch! I mean..Uhm..I'm sorry.."The wife accidentally slipper her tongue. From all the rumors that the couple has heard, they've never thought they would really encounter a real witch.
"That's fine. Your reaction is normal. I will grant you one wish since you passed my test. What is your wish?" She asked as she extended out her palm on the side. Breezes howled into a sphere on her hand and mini twinkling lights wandered in a spiral pattern around it.
The husband nodded to his wife as he proposed their wish. "For generations, our family ancestors were only blessed with sons. We already gave birth to two sons. This time, we really hope to have a daughter. Is this wish possible to grant?"
"Of course." A joyful curve appeared on Fiona's face. 'Finally, I've waited for the lucky ones to come. Psyche, it is time for you to reincarnate.' She kept the silent thoughts to herself.
From where Fiona stood, the surrounding greens began to shiver like gentle pecks of butterflies landing on blossom buds. In the matter of seconds, seeds and buds burst into beautifully grown flowers; sprinkling flower pollen on either side of the route. The path of pollen scintillated, leading up to her home.
Like a gust of wind passing through the walls of the house, Psyche's soul was engulfed in crystalline colors. In the middle of walking back and forth with the blue rose in his hand, Kyle sensed a change in energy from behind.
Squeal!!!
He stood up, waved his arms before pinching both sides of his cheeks to make sure it wasn't a dream. Seeing Psyche's soul glittering away from plain sight, his chest pumped heavily. He tried hugging her soul, but the crystalline hues formed a cold barrier. Eyeing the challenging colors with squinty eyes, Kyle raised his blue rose like a cane and started whacking the colorful block. He wanted to crack it and save Psyche's soul, but it was impossible.
When Psyche's soul disappeared, Kyle dropped on his back, and planted his paws on his furry cheeks. He rubbed his cheeks, squeezing his mouth opened after the crystal-like barrier shattered to micro-pieces. No matter how he looked at it from all angles, Psyche's soul was gone!
Meanwhile, after the couple separated from Fiona, they started having small conversations about the possibilities of having a future daughter. Their faces glowed in expectation for a new member to the family.
A hint of worry rose on the wife's face as her forehead wrinkled. "Hubby, what do you think the witch meant when she told us our baby girl will have to find her true love by twenty-five years old? She even said our daughter needs to have a physical bond with him. We asked her what consequences she was talking about and she didn't even answer us. What if something bad happens?"
Holding her hands in his, he shrugged his shoulder. "Let's see how everything goes. We'll wait and see if we are blessed to receive a daughter. Whatever happens will happen, and we will face it as a family."
"Mmm. You're right. By the way, what should we name her?" said the wife as the couple continued walking back to the city.
"How about Primrose?" He answered after noticing the flower species on the side of the path.
"Primrose Smith. Good name. Alright, then our daughter will have this pretty name! Like the witch said before, our daughter will be very beautiful!" She bit her lips in excitement as she looked down to her flat tummy.
On the top of the hill, Fiona sat with Kyle on her lap. She calmed him down by combing through his fur as she watched the couple walk out of the hills smoothly. "Welcome back, Psyche. Looks like there will be a future war between the underworld and deity. With my charm protecting you from danger, nobody can harm you. It should last until Eros finds you. Good luck, my darlings."
Squeal
She lowered her gaze and poked Kyle's nose gently. "Not you, darling."
He rubbed his nose and pouted in a spoiled manner. Rubbing his head against his mother's tummy, she laughed. "Alright. You'll be my only darling. Okay? Geez, who did you take after? Such good kissing up skills. Must be your dad."
Sticking out the tip of his tongue, Kyle disagreed with her words. After a while, Fiona carried him back into their house and called it a day.