Sue awoke with a gasp, eyes jumping around as her racing heart calmed down after the brief, but intense dream. The brightness of the room and breakfast waiting for her on the nightstand conveyed the lateness of the hour, especially with the medic themselves absent.
Best to get up and about quickly.
The sweet, jam-filled pastry and the accompanying roasted fruit were enjoyed as calmly as could be, which… didn't mean much. Sue's new limbs fidgeted as she sated her hunger; thoughts swirling around the very being that would be her undoing. She had no idea how much time she had left before the inevitable; the uncertainty hastening her meal.
The altar she'd seen made her wonder whether they would sacrifice her there if they caught her.
As intense as her paranoia was, Sue couldn't quite see this possibility in particular. Incomprehensible as it might have been, Duck didn't seem like a malicious entity, not with the scenes chiseled on that altar. They made it look out to be more of a guardian deity than anything.
Then again, nothing stopped them from executing her in a purely secular way.
The morbid thought made Sue chuckle as she wrapped up her breakfast. Though, now that she'd stumbled upon the idea, she wondered whether the blue feather that had been resting on her nightstand was playing any role in all this. Wouldn't hurt to investigate it-
...at least, if it was still here.
She tried looking all around the room, including peeking behind the nightstand and crutch- nothing. With how important the item was, Doc had probably just moved it back to the altar. Though, that didn't really explain why they gave it to her, even if temporarily, to begin with.
Here, have this sacred artifact as a night light.
While she chuckled at that idea, Sue felt her sixth sense act up; the sensation distracting. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on that tugging-
S-so many people...
She'd slowly gotten used to sensing the emotions of more and more creatures, but even her practice couldn't have prepared her for this. It felt like half the village was in the vicinity of the clinic, all the little tuggings making her head spin.
Her immediate worry, as unrealistic as it was chilling, was that everyone was gathering around to make sure she wouldn't get away. Fortunately, all she needed to dispel that fear was to look out the window. Many creatures were making their way over; heading past the hut towards something else instead.
Only one way to find out what exactly.
The premise of getting out entirely on her own, without Doc's reassuring presence, was an unnerving one; not that she had many other options right now. Especially since all this could have something to do with the royal couple...
Once more into the breach.
Trying to keep her cool, Sue shambled over and opened the front door. She saw a few passersby raise their eyebrows or... equivalent as she stared out, but their attention was thankfully transient. And, once she'd successfully stumbled out and joined them in their march, completely absent.
As they all neared the plaza, Sue realized she could hear something on top of the din of hundreds of mutants, chatting and murmuring.
It almost sounded like a loud speech, except... being howled out.
She slowed down at the realization, sticking to the side of her path as she approached the last corner. The once-student paused in front of it, second-guessing herself before opting to first get a peek at the situation-
And good Duck, was she glad to have done that.
The plaza was full of creatures of various sizes, all listening to who Sue recognized as the second, furry royal from Doc's drawing, gesticulating with a burning stick. As eye-catching as their spectacle was, especially with the occasional fireworks accompanying it, the being beside them took up the entirety of Sue's attention.
The opposite, thankfully, wasn't the case.
The not-her royal was calmly looking around with a soft smile, occasionally chiming into the story being woven. Their gaze in Sue's direction made her dive behind her cover; heart hammering in her ears.
Her time was now.
Without wasting another moment, Sue turned around and booked it. She caught herself breathing faster and faster as she tried to push her body way beyond what it could do in her current state. After almost tripping while passing by the Doc's hut, she was forced to finally slow down and catch her breath.
No point in charging ahead if she had no idea where to even go.
The forest path she had intended to use was inaccessible, making her think back to other potential options. She remembered another pathway leading out of the village, but she doubted it'd be a good idea either. Any established path would be much too obvious; if they wanted to find her, they definitely would with her middling pace.
Gotta just disappear into the treeline.
As she marched on, trying to stave away panic, a sight from yesterday caught her attention. The construction site opened into the woods, and there wasn't anyone working there at the moment. Almost no onlookers either, and the ones present didn't even acknowledge her presence.
That was her chance.
After taking a moment to compose herself, Sue slowed down her breathing and pace alike, easing into an inconspicuous strut. Just someone out on a weird walk, absolutely not an alien imposter trying to escape undetected.
Nothing suspicious here at all.
Her intentionally stilted pace made her want to push ahead faster and faster, just to be out of sight. But, if there was one surefire way to ruin her disguise instantly, it was that, forcing her to cling to whatever calmness she could manage. The distance she was steadily gaining on the village hopefully covered for her increasing shaking.
Every step closer to freedom.
She kept marching in a straight line for a few minutes, pausing intermittently both to correct her grasp on the crutch and look over her shoulder. The construction site faded further and further away each time, until, eventually, she couldn't make them out at all behind the foliage.
Despite everything, it seemed she was in the clear now.
Focusing inward to sense anyone following her, Sue breathed a sigh of relief at finding nobody. Only a handful of other souls were present within the immediate wooded area, all calm and peaceful. And after she'd recovered from almost tripping over because of being too focused on her sixth sense, Sue could join them.
She couldn't help but quietly laugh.
She'd made it out of there despite the royals having already returned. Nobody was pursuing her. She wouldn't be exposed and burned at the stake, or whatever punishment the other-her would've decreed for her after figuring out her deception.
Granted, she had no real idea what she would do now, either.
No matter what, though, being lost was better than being dead. And, if a village like that existed, then so would almost certainly do many others. Just gotta find one without other Martians in it and assimilate while looking for a way home.
'Just' was doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence and Sue knew that, but it was still doable. She would do it. She would heal from her injury and eventually not need the crutch anymore. She'd find a safe place for herself, learn the local language, and then, finally, be safe.
A rock-solid plan in four easy steps.
She'd definitely miss the few friendly beings she met in her brief say back at the village. Doc, Ember, Leafy, Bowlcut, the... couple? At the pantry. And who knew? If the not-her royal wouldn't ever figure out her being an imposter with her gone, leaving the cause of her sudden escape forever shrouded in mystery, then maybe, just maybe, they would miss her too. The lil' fox would be heartbroken the most. Sue really wished she could convey just what had happened and why she had to leave, but alas.
Stay strong out there, Ember.
The woods remained as calm as ever as Sue marched in the only direction she was sure of- forwards. Triumph burned out into muted melancholy as her mind ventured wherever; any coherent train of thought soon giving way to idle pondering or humming along to whichever tunes she could still recall. She continued to pay only enough attention to her surroundings to not trip on a random root, withdrawing inwards otherwise.
It wasn't gonna be easy to get used to being on her own again until she could find another place to stay.
Then again, it's not like she had a choice-
The sudden light hitting her eyes startled her, breaking the thought thread that threatened to turn dark. The grass in the unexpected clearing was lush and softer than any other Sue had ever felt. Most of the area was decorated with stones painted with geometrical shapes, their arrangement initially ordered but soon turning chaotic as she looked further into the small field.
A glance in the other direction revealed more facts about this place, some much less fear-inducing than others.
A couple of benches sat next to the entrance to the clearing; large enough for half a dozen people and much better maintained than any forest trail bench she'd ever seen. They faced a young tree in the center, surrounded by a ring of decorated rocks. The sapling was gorgeous, barely taller than Sue, and very distinct from the other trees in her vicinity with its silver leaves.
As pretty as it was, though, the entirety of her attention was focused on the being that knelt in front of it.
The other Martian's closed eyes and clasped hands made them look like they were praying- though with who they were, Sue should've been the one undertaking that act. They were in a deep enough focus for Sue's senses to have completely overlooked them; a limitation she wished she'd been aware of beforehand.
Seeing them from closer up let Sue notice all the differences between herself and them. Shorter skin dress, longer hair, the slightly straightened curls. The most striking detail, though, by far, were the blue markings on their body. Their size and intricacy were awe-inspiring, though the muted shade blended with the green skin somewhat, making it tricky to determine the exact shape of what had to be a tattoo. The ornate patterns ran along their arms, meeting up at the collarbone above the spike before turning up towards their neck and face. They culminated in long, curly lines that ended in points just underneath their eyes.
Eyes that were staring back at her.
The rest of the expression appeared as neutral as could be, both Martians at an impasse as Sue began to panic. How the hell did she run into them!? Everything was going so well! She had managed to escape without being seen! Have they been waiting in here for her all along!? Was this place just a vicious trap she'd unwittingly walked into!?
Regardless of the answer, Sue knew she had only one way out of there.
Her body tensed up as she clenched her crutch harder, the not-her's eyes widening before Sue finally sprung. She turned around and ran, ran as fast as she could, pushing forward in a desperate attempt for freedom, despite everything, until the exhaustion would eventually claim her-
Or at least, that was her intent; the reality of her crutch having gotten caught on one of the stones marking the edge of the clearing catching up to her fast. It sent her splaying toward the ground at the speed of gravity; leaving Sue to close her eyes and brace for the inevitable.
Only for it to not happen.
Sue waited for a second, then another, then a third still; the cold mud of the forest floor continuing to not grace her body with its presence. After a couple of anxious, tense breaths, the once-human finally managed to pry her eyes open- before gasping at what she saw.
She was suspended a foot or so off the ground, completely still. The bluish aura in the corners of her vision caught her attention as she was slowly moved upwards, the motion feeling like the air itself was gently pushing her along. A few moments later, she was left facing the not-her, their eyes aglow, just like she'd seen with Bowlcut.
Except this time, the target of their magic was her, and not some bits of roasted fruit.
Alright, adults can lift whole people, and relatively effortlessly at that...
The clearing of their throat prevented Sue from venturing any further into that panic-inducing mental thread. As her attention snapped back to not-her, she was gently lowered onto her feet. Or rather foot and crutch, the magical touch holding onto her until she'd regained her balance.
Then, the other martian... smiled lightly.
Sue had no idea what they would do to her, let alone what they were capable of. Though, no matter what, them extending a hand for her to grab was definitely not on her shortlist. Sue stared dumbfounded at the limb for a good while, not-her holding it out patiently all the while.
Given that they had magicked her out of what would've been a very painful fall, she really didn't have much of a choice. If she tried to run again, less unsuccessfully this time, they would just bring her back, and likely follow it with something much more painful.
She was dead anyway, might as well.
Shakily, she reached over with her free hand, tentatively touching the other martian's limb. The pleasant, tingly sensation she'd felt with Bowlcut and Doc was here too, and stronger than ever.
It was downright... calming.
They spoke, their voice soft and no more comprehensible than anyone else's. After their words got no reaction from her, they looked over their shoulder and nudged their head toward the clearing's entrance. She couldn't walk particularly fast, but they were eager to accommodate that, slowing their pace down as they walked beside her.
The calm that had filled her mind made it tricky to think about just what was happening.
If she had any more mental clarity, she'd likely grow even more anxious at the realization that she couldn't quite reason straight at the moment. But that was an if, and now the soothing calmness helped a lot, even if the burning questions from earlier remained unanswered.
As they walked in silence, Sue tried to get a better look at them- or maybe her, judging by the softness of their voice.
She wasn't sure what it was, but they looked... older than she was, though far from elderly. What she presumed to be the crown from Doc's initial drawing also turned out to be something else. It was a plain, metal circlet, material having long since lost its luster.
Just as before, it didn't take long for them to notice her staring.
They raised their eyebrow as they looked at her, making Sue look away in embarrassment and with what felt like a burning blush on her cheeks, though she wasn't sure if this body actually blushed like that. Either way, the likely royal not-her didn't seem to mind to any further extent than giggling at noticing Sue's burst of ashamed fluster.
It was reassuring, if nothing else.
She didn't expect royalty to be this… laid back. Suffice it to say, this encounter was nothing like her worst fears, even if they seemed just as powerful as Sue's scared worrying had them be.
If not more so.
Their giggle was followed by some gentle, upbeat words. They kept on talking to effectively nobody for a while as the pair half marched, half hobbled down the beaten path back towards the village. Eventually, their voice grew muddled and quieter, as if the royal was just muttering to themselves.
Or simply venting their thoughts out loud; let's be generous here.
After a couple minutes, they stopped, head tilting up to look skyward with a thoughtful expression. A small, shrunken part of Sue worried whether that meant they had cracked her mystery. Thankfully, her worry fizzled away soon after as the other martian broke into song, whistling a serene tune as they marched on.
This was nice.
The gentle sound finally began to melt through the tension from before the encounter. Her shoulders relaxed, her breath deepened, and she even let herself close her eyes for a moment. Peace, serenity, cool air-
Suddenly, a distant squeak.
Moment later, her sixth sense warned her of someone panicking approaching. Panicking and familiar enough to give Sue an intuitive idea of who it was, a second sense confirming her hunch.
She sure didn't expect Doc to be capable of making the kinds of noises they were.
Their panicked shouts mixed in with panting as they ran up the path, the sight just as silly as Sue would've imagined it to be based on their anatomy alone. They came to a stop once the royal spoke up, gasping for breath and supporting themselves on their short legs as they desperately tried to mumble something out in between strained gasps.
The other martian's brief response made their head jerk up in surprise before turning to look up at her. Their emotions rapidly shifted from alarmed and nervous to still a bit nervous and decidedly unamused.
They must've run all the way over here to tell the queen or whoever they were about something- wait, about her? Sue's cloudy mind made her realize that only now, after they already stopped grumbling about having to exert themselves for no reason.
Sorry, Doc.
Sue had a hard time focusing on the incomprehensible discussion even after they all got moving again. She could feel herself being mentioned from time to time, the sensation bringing an undercurrent of anxiety to Sue's thoughts even as the forced calmness tried to dull it.
Sue really, really wished she knew what was being discussed about her, and why so much of it.
There wasn't any hostility in either of her current companions, even if Doc got annoyed for a moment. Most of what she sensed was varying levels of concern, but worries couldn't help but start digging at her once more, right as things were looking well for once. Or maybe because of that, overzealous mind fixated on a trap that would inevitably be sprung-
Totally not like that royal couldn't just magically yank her crutch away.
While ordinarily realizing just how little she could do either way would've helped calm her, she could only chuckle weakly under her breath; the worries persisting underneath the numbing coolness in her head. Why was that coolness even there?
Why would that royal forcibly calm her like that?
She wanted the answer to be "because of their goodwill" and only that, but she wasn't feeling too confident at the moment, that's for sure.
The rest of the walk flew by quickly, at least. Doc and not-her kept chatting among themselves, the topic steering away from her at long last. Sue clung to whatever comfort she could as they eventually made their way back into the village, emerging onto the large plaza from earlier.
They made quite a few heads turn as they passed by, though Sue wasn't sure whether it was because of her or her company. The casual way in which most beings greeted the not-her made Sue doubt her 'royalty' assumption slightly. Though, if they weren't some sort of king or queen, then why that crown, and why that castle from the drawing...
Sue wondered if they had as many questions about her as she did about them.
Likely not, considering the difference in scale between one transformed college student and an entire civilization of mutated animals. Especially ones capable of anything from breathing fire to levitating objects or moving through solid matter.
Yeah, there might be a bit of a discrepancy there.
Just a tad.
The thought diffused some of the tension as they approached Doc's clinic; the very same walls she'd tried running away from now returning as the only point of stability in this new world.
Sue only hoped they would remain so for longer than however long it took for that royal to find out the truth about her.
A flimsy hope, but Sue didn't exactly have much else to hold on to.
An array of noises from inside acknowledging her arrival- toddler squeaking, leafy rustling, a couple of squeaky woofs. The sounds were immediately followed by a pair of now well-familiar paws pressing against her leg as Ember looked up at her, concern and relief mixing on their snout and in their mind. They kept on woofing for a while, their anxious relief making Sue feel bad despite how ordinarily amusing she found it. Even once they were done, they wouldn't go further than a step away from her.
Poor sweetie.
Bowlcut almost got even louder than Ember at seeing their parent. They squeaked loudly and joyously; the tiny martian feeling made entirely out of happiness as they scrambled to their legs. It was cute enough to bring a smile to Sue's face despite everything else going on, especially when they tried running over to not-her as fast as physically possible.
Which... turned out to not be particularly fast at all.
Fortunately for them, it wouldn't matter; the martian tyke squealing loudly as they were magicked into the air and brought over into their parents' arms. This entire scene was illegally adorable with how much worrying was simultaneously going on around them; Sue just standing off to the side and taking it all in as Ember nuzzled her legs. Eventually, the not-her carefully set Bowlcut back down on the floor next to Leafy and turned to face her again, beckoning her over.
Sue wasn't initially sure what to do as the royal casually sat on her bed facing the pillow, and not even on its edge. They looked back at her over her shoulder before patting down the other half of the mattress.
Guess she was supposed to take a seat there.
This position gave Sue a very clear view of what this species' back spike looked like, surprising her with how much smaller and more rounded it was than the front one. Almost like a fin as opposed to something you could stab people with.
The chatter in the room continued as she shambled over; Bowlcut having to be held by Leafy lest they'd try to run over to the bed right in Sue's way. The mental image of her accidentally punting them was as amusing as it was harrowing, considering their parent was about to do... something to her. Or with her; she had no idea what all this was for in the first place.
Sue leaned the crutch against the nightstand as she sat down, orienting herself around to face the other martian. Their expression remained as patient as ever, their reassuring smile widening as they reached out a hand towards her. A soft-spoken comment to Ember got them to hop off the bed after they'd already preemptively scrambled over.
Sue had no idea what the hand's purpose was, but figured she was supposed to grasp it, clumsily turning to face the royal. Right as she was about to take their hand, a pang of doubt made her freeze.
Just what was the significance of them dragging her all the way back here? It couldn't have been just so they could sit on the bed together and hold hands; there was something else going on, but what? Sue feebly hoped it wouldn't be used to show off her being an imposter right there in front of everyone-
And then, she grabbed their hand.
Even if that was the case, even if she was already doomed, hesitation wouldn't help.
Suddenly, utter exhaustion.
Sue blinked in surprise as she found herself falling asleep within moments; the royal's head slumping forward the last thing she saw before the same happened to her, the rest returning in the most unexpected way.
__________________________________________
While it wasn't Sue's first time finding herself at this campfire- far, far from it- it was only the second time she felt awake while being here.
The usual thought-muddling fog of dreams was absent despite this clearly being one. She clearly remembered watching the other Martian doze off moments ago and her following them, but how come she didn't actually feel asleep in here-
"Good morning, Sue."
The first comprehensible voice she'd heard in almost a week made Sue jump in her seat, eyes jumping around the scene in search of its source. And finding it in the form of that same Martian, seemingly here in her dream, too, taking a bench opposite of hers.
"Quite a pretty place, I must say. It's special to you, isn't it?"
Further words snapped Sue of the shock of someone cohabiting her dreams. The not-her's presence brought back all the anxiety she had before getting knocked out, with no more forced calmness to numb it anymore.
Sue had no idea how to respond. A straightforward answer would inadvertently reveal her extra... whatever this place was- origin, prompting her to switch the topics and attempt to solve at least one thing from her ever-increasing pile of unknowns.
"H-how did you get inside my dream?"
And another while at it, anxieties making her worry whether it would be seen as pushing it too far.
"A-and how do you know my name?"
While the first question had her interlocutor open their mouth as if ready to answer, the second made them visibly pause. They glanced away for a moment with a thoughtful expression before looking back at her, pensive but thankfully not suspicious.
At least, not yet.
For once, Sue had really wished the weirdness of this body also worked in her dreams; the silence where the sixth sense once was not reassuring her in the slightest.
"You've been through a lot, haven't you?"
Oh, you have no idea...
Sue wasn't entirely sure how to respond to her own question being sidestepped like this, nodding nervously as she tried to hold on to her flaky calmness. Yeah, it was true, but going into any further details would be the kind of mistake she'd only get to make once...
"That's regrettable, but-"
The once-human heart skipped a beat, body shaking as she stared at the royal creature before her. She hoped to Duck that the fateful word wouldn't be the point at which the trap was sprung-
"-but I want to reassure you, Sue, that you're safe here no matter what."
The trap continued to lay inert, Sue taking a good few moments to start releasing her tension, still completely unsure whether she could trust them. She didn't have a concrete reason not to, but the elephant in the room remained untackled, making any assurances much harder to fully believe; leaving her to weakly nod as she felt drilled.
While Sue was too nervous to pay close attention, the not-her's expression soured further in response. The attempts at soothing this lost, confused stranger weren't working at all; only making her more concerned about some secret she thought so hideous it would turn everyone against her if they ever knew.
No way through but to be direct.
"I... I know you're hiding something, Sue, hiding and afraid of bringing it up, afraid it'd make everyone you've met turn on you. There are very few acts as repulsive as to force our hands towards exile, and I severely doubt someone who had risked her life to save an innocent despite not having the inner power to do so would have done any of them."
Sue's body froze solid in response to these words, her brain threatening to lock up in panic.
She'd been seen through, she was done for, and there was nothing else she could do, nothing but vainly hope that their words would ring true. A glance upwards with shaking eyes found a look of genuine reassurance looking back at her, their faint smile trying its absolute hardest to melt through her fear.
What in the world was she to do now?
She hyperventilated as she tried to process it all, finding there to ultimately be no way out but ahead. There was no way she'd just be let go scot-free after all this, leaving her to confess at what felt like gunpoint, hoping to any deities, real or imagined, that things would be okay.
Duck save her.
It took Sue a while to gather her thoughts and words into something halfway coherent. Her eyes stared into the fire throughout, using it as a feeble distraction from what was about to happen. Eventually, she took what felt like her final breath-
"You don't have to go into detail if you're uncomfortable, Sue. I just want your fears to be finally soothed."
It probably wasn't even possible to explain any of this without going into detail, regrettably...
"I-I'm not w-what you think I am."
In her anxious bracing for the immediate reaction, Sue didn't notice the royal simply tilting their head a bit, unsure what she was getting at.
"How so? Your upbringing seems to have been rather distressing, yes, but you're still one of us. The first Forest Guardian I've seen in a good while outside of my tribe, hah."
Forest Guardian? Was that what this species was called?
Quite a weird name, if that's the case, sounding more like a title than a scientific designation. She had no idea what they meant by 'her upbringing' either, but it ultimately didn't matter. It wasn't true, and at this point, it was too late to even pretend it could be.
"I-I'm not- or rather I wasn't. I-I wasn't always this- this species."
Sue dared to peek up this time, seeing the confusion on the royal's expression in detail. Confusion, which was then followed by some more hesitant words-
"I... alright. If that's the case, what… did you used to be, and what happened for you to become one of us?"
She nodded shakily, expecting a response like this, reminding herself what she looked like beforehand. A pang of panic shot through her at finding that task so much more difficult than it once was, details about her past self slowly becoming muddy. If she wasn't being held at oneiric gunpoint, it would've hit her even harder than it did; a couple of tears forcing their way past her eyelids.
For a moment, she worried about how she would even present her previous appearance before feeling inner reassurance; glancing to her side to see a vague outline of her human self start coalescing in the air. She concentrated on what she wore that day, how she tied her hair, the hologram sharpening with every thought. Eventually, she was done; the sight catching the royal off guard, their eyes widening in response.
"T-that's how I looked. I-I used to be a human, and as to what happened... I don't know. I remember walking through a forest in... my world, and then... suddenly waking up here, in this body, with no memory of what caused this."
No going back now.
The truth was out, and all Sue could do was watch how they would react. And, if she was extremely lucky, it wouldn't be by ending her there and then. She jumped slightly as they got up from their spot, walking around the illusionary image to inspect what was once her from every angle; Sue's dreamed-up heart beating a mile a minute as she awaited their judgment.
"Is... is this what you were afraid of us knowing?"
Sue closed her eyes and nodded, turning back to face the campfire as she braced for the inevitable; a wave of eerie calmness filling her.
This was the end.
There would be nothing more.
All she could do was wait for it to happen, whatever 'it' would end up being-
And then... Sue felt an arm wrap around her, tingly to the touch, and pull her to the side. Within moments, she was sitting right next to the royal, her head resting on theirs. Her eyes shot wide open as she turned to face them, seeing the concern filling their expression. Concern and uncertainty- but the latter quickly evaporated as reassurance replaced it.
"I'm... I'm so sorry this happened to you, Sue. You must be so, so terribly lost..."
Sue couldn't help but stare blankly in return, mind going blank at the sudden bout of affection. Was that really it? Were all her worries for naught?
"...but you don't have to fear anymore. You're safe now."
She felt calmness fill her once more, not unlike earlier in the forest. This time, though, it didn't feel as alien, as cold; a blanket of comforting warmth wrapped around her body instead of the cold clarity in her head. Moment by moment, she felt the tension slowly fade, giving way to exhaustion. At having to fear, at running away so foolishly, at feeling like she couldn't trust anyone here, despite how friendly they seemed.
But it was over, and now it was time for healing.
The once-human shook as she was being held, dreamt up tears running down her cheeks as she felt safe, truly safe, for the first time since finding herself in this magical new world. A place where nothing made sense, and yet one in which the people were just as kind, if not even more so, than in hers, despite all their fantastical appearances and abilities.
The pair simply sat in silence for what felt like hours, all the pent-up emotions finally finding an outlet through freely flowing tears. Not-her's gentle rocking continued, soothing the occasional sob until all that remained was peace. Peace, calmness, and clarity with which to face the world as it actually was, not the imaginary one she had almost run away from mere hours ago.
"It's all good now."
The quiet, almost whispered words made her look up at the royal; their expression even softer than before. Their patient, downright motherly smile provided more comfort than Sue could've thought possible, especially when coming from someone fundamentally not human. And yet, more humane than many people she had the displeasure of meeting in the past.
It all felt... so, so nice.
"Th-thank you."
"You're welcome, Sue. I can only imagine all the questions on your mind now that you finally found someone you can talk to. I'll try to answer as many as I can, starting with the most urgent one, hah. My name is Solstice."
Sue nodded along, her mouth already opening before one of her questions was immediately answered. Not the one she was about to ask, but this answer was immensely helpful as well.
"Solstice. Th-that's a beautiful name."
"Why, thank you~. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious about your name, too. Elegant and rolls off the tongue for sure, but does it mean anything in your language?"
She certainly didn't expect a question of that nature, making her think inwardly about whether her name meant anything. It probably did; she remembered looking it up on trivia websites when she was younger, but couldn't recall any findings. And regardless, even if it technically meant something, it was far from the same level of literal meaning as 'Solstice.'
"I-I don't think so, no. It's just a name. It doesn't mean or stand for anything."
"Huh. Quite intriguing. I must admit I haven't run into a name like that before, without meaning in itself."
Speaking of running into things-
"I-it's quite usual for humans... on that note, d-do you know where they could be?"
The question briefly took Solstice aback, expression faltering slightly as she shook her head.
"In truth, this is the very first time I've seen or even heard of kin like that. Similar to mine and my father's in appearance, but only just, unless there's a large mane that your recollection isn't showing. And these clothes... not even the seamstresses in the Central City were making anything near this detailed or richly dyed."
So that was it for getting back home the easy way...
At a certain level, Sue already knew that, especially with no sign of any human habitation anywhere she could see. Solstice having not even heard of humans was merely a confirmation of that fear.
Fear that she would be stuck here forever.
"I... I see."
Sue nodded weakly in response. The sorrow of the realization started to nibble at her before the warm calmness emanating from Solstice forced it away, her embrace becoming that bit tighter.
"I'm sorry, Sue. I can't imagine this being easy to process, but do not despair. Pale Lady sees many things, and I'm certain Her guidance will help us find a way back into your world."
The connection didn't click for Sue, the girl simply nodding her way through Solstice's words, not thinking of them as much more than some vague religious reassurance. Despite her remaining unconvinced, the comforting words were more than appreciated, helping her avoid breaking down there and then.
Once was more than enough.
"Forgive me for asking, though. Your... original kin are not psychics, right?"
"Psy... chics?"
Both of them were left about as confused as each other. Sue at having no idea about what that word meant, at least in this context, and Solstice at Sue being unsure despite her language appearing to have a word for the relevant idea.
"I'm not sure what you're referring to..."
"I thought your tongue had a term for that concept, so that's what I used. Does it refer to something else?"
"I don't know what you're talking about in the first place. T-the only time I remember hearing that word used is with, like, conmen that pretended to see the future and move objects with their mind and stuff like that-"
The association took a while to click in her mind, but once it did, it was so obvious.
Bowlcut levitating that one treat a couple days ago, Solstice stopping her fall just this very day... not to mention other potentially related things, like her sixth sense or even this dream communication. These definitely fit that definition, though without the association with fraudsters.
"I think you might just have cracked that one yourself~. There's no seeing the future like that, at least not in the way you're thinking, heh."
Sue appreciated her hunch being confirmed, though it only solidified an observation from earlier; making her vocalize it with it being very appropriate-
"W-wait, are you reading my thoughts or something?"
Solstice was briefly taken aback before breaking into quiet giggling and nodding.
"Yes, yes I am. It's admittedly hard not to in here since I was the one that put you to Rest. It's not a particularly common occurrence in the waking world if you want to be reassured of that."
Sue sure didn't expect her to be so nonchalant about that, as if it was just an everyday thing. Though, who knows, that might very well have been the case here; she still had no concrete idea about the extent of this species' abilities.
An excellent opportunity to find out about just that.
"Is that just... a thing you can do?"
"Well... essentially, yeah. And so can you now, I'm quite sure."
"I dunno... I tried doing some of that levitation thing after seeing Bowl- your child do it and couldn't figure it out."
Solstice was unsure about Sue's double take, expression turning uncertain before she broke into soft laughter, trying her hardest to hold it in but failing.
Sue threatened to burn up in embarrassment all the while.
"That's one nickname for the lil' Comet, hehe. Even though he sure didn't look like it, it took him a lot of practice to get to that point; the practice I heavily doubt you had any opportunities for, let alone knowledge of how to go about it."
"With how effortlessly they- he did it, I would've thought it was a subconscious thing..."
"Oh, it does become subconscious, and rather quickly at that. I hope you'll find out soon yourself~."
"O-oh? What do you mean?"
"It'd be an honor for me to help show you the ropes, so to say. No Forest Guardian deserves to live like this, separated from and unaware of their inner power. And it's certainly a better outcome than what Willow was afraid of. They feared that the poisoning you've sustained at the hands of that beast had injured your brain and rendered you unable to draw from your inner power."
Oh goodness. The queen of this village offering to personally teach her how to use this body to its full potential. It was touching and humbling; a sting of regret at having ever doubted her intentions going through Sue's body.
"Th-that's... I don't think I can thank you enough for this..."
"Neither can I thank you enough for saving my best friend's daughter's life. She had a terrifying premonition during our stay in the Central City, urging us to return as soon as possible, worrying something horrible had happened. And, if not for your intervention, it might have very well had."
The outsider weakly nodded in return, almost forgetting the importance of what she had done on her first day here, thinking back to Ember and their endless gratitude.
"And it's Spark, actually."
"Huh?"
Sue was caught off guard, unsure what Solstice meant there.
"The one you've named 'Ember'- her name is Spark. And before you ask~. Willow is the one you know as 'Doc,' they'll be more than relieved to learn that your brain is alright. 'Leafy' is Splitleaf, caretaker for the village's little ones; we asked her to look after Comet and Spark while we were away. 'Pixie' is Poppy, a cook like no other- fortunately, because I'm not sure the world could endure having two of her in it, and 'Spook' is Hazel, Poppy's wife. Made quite an introduction, didn't she?"
"That's helpful, th-thank you. I hope none of my... nicknames were offensive or anything..."
"Oh, not in the slightest. We've all been called much worse things than that to our faces, and it's not like you did it out of any sense of malice. I'm sure they wouldn't mind, but since you'll be getting to talk to them sooner rather than later anyway, knowing their actual names will come in handy."
"Getting to talk to them? I don't know the language at all though-"
"You don't know it yet~. And besides, that won't even be an obstacle, telepathy is handy like that."
"W-wait what? You mean like talking to someone without speaking?"
"'Communicating with people with just thoughts' would be a more accurate way to describe it, but yes, essentially that."
"That sounds... complicated."
"Oh, it isn't, nowhere near. In fact, it's the simplest thing a psychic can do. If Comet knew how to speak to begin with, he would've been chatting you up your entire stay in Willow's clinic. Sundance will gladly teach you the basics, and from there, it's just practice~. I'm sure Spark would love to be your practice partner on this one, hah."
Sue giggled quietly at the mental image of the Martian tyke babbling like he did during their meetings, but directly into her brain. It would've quickly become quite grating in all likeliness, but it was fun to consider.
Though... Sundance?
"Sundance is that close friend of mine I mentioned earlier, Spark's mother. Regrettably, I won't be able to help teach you today. There are a lot of issues to discuss on the Elders' council following our talks in the Central City, plus a celebratory feast to organize in the evening. You're cordially invited to sit next to me in advance~."
Right, so that other figure on Doc- Willow's drawing, got it. A couple further things still stuck out at Sue, prompting her to speak up again.
"Elders' council? I thought you were some sort of royalty with that diadem... and if telepathy is so straightforward, why didn't you use it to talk to me earlier when I ran into you?"
The comment made Solstice look sharply upwards at the barely visible tip of her diadem, as if she'd forgotten she was even wearing it. She carefully took it off before handing it to Sue to inspect, the latter taken aback by the gesture.
"Oh, the furthest thing from royalty, I can assure you of that much. I'm... hmm... in your language, the word 'mayor' comes the closest, but it's not an exact match. 'Head of council,' I suppose? I sit on the Elders' council and am its informal leader and our village's political representative. The diadem is just a gift from an old friend. I can't say I ever imagined it would be perceived as a royal insignia, hah."
The piece of jewelry really was quite basic when looked at from up close. It was made of one continuous strand of now partially corroded metal, decorations limited to simple geometric patterns etched on the diadem's outer side.
"And as for not communicating with you beforehand and dragging you in here to talk. You can thank Willow for that, though they were acting in the best of faith. Since you didn't show any psychic ability once you woke up, not even your own telepathy, they assumed there was something wrong on the inside, likely caused by the poisoning. They decided against asking the other psychics in the village to talk telepathically with you, since they were worried that doing so would only exacerbate the issue. Instead, they opted to wait for me to return since I have more experience with psychic health issues. From there, I played it safe and talked to you in your dreams first, which is probably a good thing, considering what I learned here."
It made sense when Solstice put it like that, though the latter remark made her hair stand on end, and the Elder noticed it.
"Don't worry, I only intend to share the truth about your origins with Sundance, and that is just out of necessity, so she can teach you more effectively. If you want anyone else to know, I will not stop you; it's your call. Otherwise, I can come up with a... cover-up story if you wish, though it'd be of a rather miserable kind."
"A miserable kind?"
Solstice thought through her words, her expression faltering.
"It's... not really done anymore, at least not in the tribe I hail from, but once upon a time... disposing of children which were crippled like that, either wholly unable to or only able to draw a bit from their inner power was commonplace. Some tribes sent them out to die, and some just... took matters into their own hands, not wanting to waste resources on those who wouldn't ever be able to repay them. I thought about spreading a story that you were one of those children sent off on their own, but which managed to survive."
Sue could only stare at her in shock; the actions described so utterly unlike anything else she'd seen from the mayor, or anyone else in the village, for that matter.
"That sounds..."
"Monstrous? Barbaric? Abhorrent? It is. It is all of these things. That's why we're here, to escape from the callous brutality of nature and the cold ruthlessness of those who only cooperate for survival."
She laid a hand on Sue's shoulder, the two Martians locking eyes as Solstice smiled once more.
"And we're more than honored to have you here, Sue. Though I should get going now, council issues won't talk themselves through."
"Wh-what about me then? Isn't this a shared dream?"
"Well, I was thinking of leaving you asleep after this place fades away. You've already had quite a day and could definitely use some more rest. It'd also give me time to explain everything to Sundance and for her to walk over, though it is up to you."
Sue pondered on that choice, gaze shifting to stare at the ground. Guess there was no harm in snoozing some more, especially with how exhausting her day had been so far. Might as well take her time before meeting everyone, for real this time.
"A-alright, that sounds good. Th-thank you, Solstice, for all of this."
The mayor bowed in response before turning her head to the sky; the dreamscape beginning to unravel around them. Solstice's parting words echoed in Sue's mind as her unconscious was plunged into nothingness once more-
"Rest well, Sue. Much lies ahead of us..."