The early morning light streamed over the village as usual, but today, a strange excitement buzzed through the air. Villagers gathered in small groups, murmuring in hushed voices, pointing toward the forest on the village's outskirts. There had been an odd glow seen just before dawn—a light that shimmered briefly before disappearing.
Some of the older villagers shook their heads, insisting it was just the sunrise. "Nothing but morning light catching on the dew," one of them muttered.
But others were more intrigued. Garvin, the blacksmith, leaned against the well, looking thoughtful. "What if it was a magical beast? Could be that one of them evolved in the forest."
Hanna's mother shivered at the thought. "You think that little scorpion we've seen running around has anything to do with it?"
Hanna shook her head, laughing. "Oh, come on. That scorpion couldn't light a candle, let alone cause a glow like that."
The village elder, who had been quietly listening, smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Or perhaps it was a spirit, drawn to the village by curiosity. Strange things can happen when the forest meets the dawn."
As the villagers continued to speculate, they could only wonder what could have caused such a strange light to appear in the depths of the forest.
The forest was peaceful and still, with only the faint rustling of leaves and the soft scuttling of insects breaking the silence. Blue sat contentedly beside his new friend, Wobbles, who had just "accepted" the name with a single, enthusiastic wobble. He couldn't help but feel a bit of pride; having a friend in this strange world had brought him a sense of comfort he hadn't known he was missing.
"Alright, Wobbles," he thought with a grin, "let's keep exploring, yeah?"
But as soon as he finished his thought, something unexpected happened.
Wobbles's entire body began to glow, a soft light radiating from within the clear, squishy blob. Blue stepped back, his eyes widening as the glow intensified, filling the entire clearing with a brightness that seemed almost blinding. The light engulfed both of them, washing over everything in a brilliant, ethereal glow.
Before Blue could react, the light vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, leaving the clearing quiet and still once more.
Blue blinked, disoriented, his mind racing to make sense of what had just happened. He could still see spots of light, like the aftereffects of a bright flash, and he shook his pincers, trying to clear his vision. The memory of his past life brought an idea to mind, and he clicked his pincers in irritation.
"Did I just get… flash-banged?" he thought, recalling the term from his old world, the small explosive device used to emit blinding light and a deafening sound.
To his utter surprise, a soft, gentle voice responded in his mind. "What… is a flash bang?"
Blue froze, every segment of his tiny body going rigid. He looked around, cautiously scanning the clearing. "Who said that?" he thought, his voice shrill with both curiosity and a slight edge of fear.
He waited, his tail curling defensively as he glanced around. Had he just heard a ghost? Or maybe he'd been alone in the forest too long and was finally starting to lose it. But then, the voice spoke again, calm and gentle.
"It's me," it said.
Blue turned, his gaze settling on Wobbles, who sat there in the same wobbly form, as if nothing unusual had just happened. He clicked his pincers slowly, suspicion creeping into his mind. "W-Wobbles? Was that… was that you?"
Wobbles responded with a single wobble, a small bounce in place that Blue understood as a definite yes.
Blue's mind spun as he tried to comprehend the situation. "You… you can talk?" he thought, his voice a mixture of shock and awe.
"Yes," Wobbles replied, their tone as soft and gentle as before, though Blue could sense a hint of excitement in their response.
Blue blinked, his pincers hanging open in stunned silence. This slime—his friend, Wobbles—could talk. Not just wobble in response, but actually communicate, with words that he could understand. He wasn't just imagining things. This was real.
"So… let me get this straight," he thought, struggling to wrap his mind around the revelation. "You could hear me this whole time? Even before… this light show?"
Wobbles wobbled once, which Blue now understood as a definite yes.
Blue's mind raced, a mixture of emotions flooding him. He was thrilled, awed, and honestly, a bit confused. He'd been talking to himself all this time, thinking he was the only one who understood his own thoughts. But Wobbles had been listening. Wobbles had understood him.
"This is… amazing," he finally thought, a small grin forming on his pincers. "You're full of surprises, Wobbles."
The slime jiggled happily, their clear, glass-like body shimmering slightly in the sunlight. "I didn't know I could talk until just now," Wobbles admitted, their voice gentle and curious. "It was as if something inside me… woke up."
Blue nodded, trying to keep up. He didn't fully understand what had happened, but he didn't care. For the first time, he felt like he truly had a friend he could talk to, someone who could share in the strangeness of this world with him.
As the sun continued to rise over the forest, Blue and Wobbles sat together, silently processing this new, incredible discovery.
This world might have been strange and confusing, but for Blue, it was starting to feel just a little bit more like home.