Sunny woke up on a dull and cold summer's day, and she sat up from her mattress. She stretched her arms, and she let out a whale-like yawn. Smiling, walking out the door to greet the little ones and Mrs Starling. Instead, she was met by the dark and distant forest, she looked up at the sky, and she watched as a harpy soared through the air, squawking as usual. She remembered the entire incident, how Mrs Starling lied to her, how she ran away in grief and sorrow, how she was deceived by a stranger who pretended to be her father, and worst of all, she was thrown into a whole new world, stranded and lost. Her eyes burned with tears, and she knelt down, her head lowered as she began to cry.
"I'm so sorry, Mrs Starling.." She muttered, barely able to speak clearly. "But I don't know if you are."
She was aware that back on earth, everyone was looking for her, it was past her curfew, and they were desperate to find her and apologize for what they've done to her. However, she was also aware that the searches for missing children weren't that advanced, and she would surely become a cold case in a matter of days. She imagined tears streaming down Mrs Starling's cheeks as she wailed in agony, she had already suffered the inability of giving birth to children, and now she had lost the youngling she considered her daughter. A heart attack or insanity from grief was even likely. But despite the fact that it was Mrs Starling's 7 year lie that resulted in Sunny to run away, Sunny herself blamed nobody by herself for her actions.
"Aww, what's the matter, darling?" The woman placed her wrinkly fingers on Sunny's shoulder and rubbed it.
Sunny sniffled, and she said, "I did something very wrong, ma'am."
"You know that you can call me Granny, right?"
"Why?"
"Because you're like a granddaughter to me, I always wanted a granddaughter."
"But you have Elliot."
"I wanted a pretty child."
Elliot grumbled as he stepped out the hut, "And I always wanted a beautiful grandmother, not some pale raisin."
Sunny, however, nodded her head, "Alright, I'll call you Granny."
Granny smiled, and she stood up, giving Elliot a menacing glare. She approached him, grabbed her ear, and spoke in her usual raspy voice.
"If you ever insult me again, dear boy, I'll just have you for supper instead of those fruits."
Elliot shivered, it was the first time he was shown to have fear, and he gulped, nodding his head and trying to remain calm as usual. Those cruel words lingered in his mind, plaguing his brain with the thoughts of being ripped apart and having his limbs devoured by Granny, who then spoke in a soft and almost motherly voice.
"Now, what's the matter, sweetie?...And, I haven't figured out your name yet."
"Oh! I'm Sunilda Tournesol, but you can call me 'Sunny'!"
"That is a beautiful name, I heard that 'Sunilda' means 'Swan battle maiden'. You're as beautiful as a swan, and I know that you'd make an amazing battle maiden when you become a crusader."
Sunny sniffled, some strings of her hair coming out due to pulling them, "Granny, I feel so guilty right now."
"Why's that, sunshine?"
"I ran away from home because my father was dead the whole time, and a stranger deceived me into believing that he was my father's ghost. Then that stranger and his friend grabbed me and threw me down this stretch-able hole that sent me here because of Mr Boomer, the man who tried to take me away! I was so frightened, and I'm so lost and scared right now. Besides, it's all my fault, if I didn't let my grief get the best of me, then I wouldn't have run away."
Granny's expression softened, and she put her hand under Sunny's chin gingerly, tilting her head upwards, "You must be strong, dearest. Look at you, you remain positive and happy even after what you've endured, please remain like that. Remember, a person's power is not their strength, but their resilience."
Elliot nodded his head, and he spoke, "Hey, can I talk with her?"
"Of course, Ellie!" Granny squealed with delight. "Look at you, already become more extroverted! I can't wait to have grandchildren one day!"
Sunny and Elliot both flushed red, but they shook their heads and they sat together on the ground while Granny walked deeper into the forest.
"So…Your father's dead?" Elliot asked, surprisingly sympathetic.
Sunny nodded, her expression somber, "Yes…I've only had memories of him when I was 5, nothing else. I remembered how he would call me his 'Sunshine' or 'Sunny-bunny', and yet I don't even know what his voice sounds like anymore. He left me at the orphanage because of financial struggles, and he wanted to give me a more stable place to live at."
"That is very selfless, yet it's also very selfish."
"How so?"
Elliot grumbled, "How could a father leave her own daughter like that at a place and with a caretaker she never knew? It's like he sees you as a burden."
Sunny gasped, "No! He would never think that!"
"Trust me, you seem to love your father so much that you're willing to deny anything he's done, no matter how horrible it is. You're a daddy's girl."
"Yes, I am a daddy's girl, but I can believe that he might do anything wrong. But regardless of it all, he's still my father, and I love him."
Elliot sighs, shaking his head. Sunny was clearly too positive and happy to be true, but he knew that he can't just argue back…But it was unusual why he was thinking this way, perhaps it was something more than just his conscience, perhaps it was warm and fuzzy. However, he also felt a sense of protectiveness for Sunny, and he spoke to her,
"You know, when you wanted to become a crusader, I was thinking that maybe you should join, but don't get killed, alright? I would never forgive myself if that happened."
"Why?"
Elliot gulped, pausing for a moment before turning his gaze back to Sunny, "Someone as resilient as you are could go through a lot of danger, and yet in the end, you'll brush it off like it was nothing. Are you really sure you want to be a crusader?"
Sunny nodded with a smile, "If it means to help out people who couldn't help themselves, then I will!"
Elliot sighed, his eyes closed, and he muttered, "She's lying."
"Who?" Sunny whispered.
"My grandmother, she's only being nice to you to deceive you into thinking that she would never harm you. However, she's planning to turn you into an Emvryo tree, just like them. You have to run away and never turn back."
Sunny gasped, she had already been lied to many times, but it felt like the first time this happened, "But what do I do? What do I bring with me?"
Elliot rushed back into the hut, taking a few fruits and gathering them into a single, clean basket. He rushed back, and he put Sunny's fingers around the handle, giving the basket to her.
"I want you to take these. Don't worry, these aren't the unborn fruits, they're normal, we have apples, strawberries…anything we have. The journey might be long as you try to escape this island, but as much as I hate to tell you this, I know you can do it."
Sunny nodded, and she gave Elliot a hug, "Thank you, but what about you?"
Elliot shook his head, "I'll be alright, I've tried to escape this island before, but it was no use."
"You can come with me, then!"
"No, it would be too dangerous. Besides, I have to trap her somehow so that you can have enough time to escape."
Sunny's eyes watered, she realized that she would have to go on again, before she nodded, "Alright…Goodbye, and thank you so much for your help."
She then took the basket, and she began to flee through the forest, making sure she wasn't caught. Her adrenaline rushed, and her heart was beating rapidly, it was a life or death situation. She couldn't help but begin to cry again as she ran through the dark and thin forest, the squawking of harpies heard in the distance, she cried over the fact that she was in danger, cried over the fact that she had been deceived again. It was like she was dishonesty's punching bag, everyone would always lie to her about everything personal.
"I'm home!" Granny called, revealing a basket of fruits from the Emvryo. "How are you, my little boy?"
Elliot just stared at her with a dull expression, "Sorry, old hag, but I wanted a model for a grandmother, not a raisin."
He then raised his foot, and he stamped on the ground. The strength of his stomp was so intense, that it was almost causing a mini earthquake. The entire hut shook, many of the tiles began to fall, and even the walls, which were made out of delicate wood, started to fall apart as dust smothered the moist air.
"What have you DONE?!" shouted Granny, who dropped her bag, the fruits rolling out.
Roaring with rage, her face wrinkled even more, and it was barely recognizable, she raised her arms, sprinting towards Elliot as she prepared to pounce on him.
However, it was too late, the hut had already collapsed, with both of them trapped down under the rubble. The sounds of the destructive collapse echoed through the forest, and even Sunny, who was already miles away, heard the sound in the distance. Her heart leapt, and she let out a tearful gasp, they had been buried under the woodley rubble. But meanwhile, back at the rubble, Elliot leapt out, his woundless body and face covered in ash. He let out a few coughs, causing some ash puffs to leapt out his throat and through his lightly fabric mask. Knowing that his grandmother would come up anyhow, he hopped out, sprinting forward through the forest. For the first time, he was hopeful that he may escape.
Sunny continued to sprint through the forest, her eyes teary and her heart pounding. She kept her hand on the basket's lid in case any of the fruits fell out, after all, it was all she had. It was the race against the clock, there were phantoms everywhere, and she was the only human around, if she act unwisely, then they would spawn her into a Embryo tree, the thought of becoming a bearer of harvested children frightened her, especially since she'd had to spend the rest of her days like this until she is no longer of use. That was when she remembered how Granny never told her of what becomes of a dead Emvryo, she wondered about all the possibilities that could occur, perhaps they burn it? What about burying it? But then she thought of another possibility…dismemberment. She grimaced as she thought about the witches coming together and ripping the tree apart as if it were a person, and she began to feel a headache run through her head.
"Emvryos….and phantoms….and witches, oh my!" she whispered, her tone shaky. "This isn't right, this isn't right at all!"
But she snapped out of it, she thought about a beautiful spring's day, filled with beautiful flowers blooming in the field for her to adore and the sun shining, bringing warmth to the chills that ran down her spine because of the cool atmosphere. Yes, that was all she needed to think about, to distract herself from the grueling imagination of the tragic Emvyros. Instead of fear, she began to pity them, she loathed the fact that they must be reborn into something heinous. However, she also knew that this is what Empusa's circle of life might be. Eventually, she was in a clearing, she sat down on the mossy grass, and she wiped her eyes and closed them. In her mind, she began to imagine Mrs Starling's warmth as she opened her arms and wrapped them around her, she was the only mother she ever had. She also remembered the little ones, who were like her younger siblings, clinging to her legs and begging her to take them on walks. She was left in a trance, as a misty memory played in her mind.
It was a cloudy day back at the orphanage, and the children were far in the forest but near the orphanage, they played with their beloved ball, joyful laughter rung Sunny's ears as she peddled her bike. It was a crooked one, and it went really slow, but she had a smile on her face, she had fun nonetheless. She was only 9 that time, and she was already the leader of the children, taking care of them like how an older sister would. But then, a tiny raindrop landed on her hand, looking up, more begin to fall.
"It's raining!" she alerted, and all the children began to sprint back to the orphanage on their feet, all of them already getting soaked.
Sunny hurried, pedaling as fast as she could to keep up with them, but then she heard a wail and turned around.
"Sunny, I'm scared!" Little Charles, who was 4 that time, was weeping out of fear as the rain continued to soak him. The cold, winter-like wind blew through, and he began to cry even more, pleading for Sunny to not abandon him.
Unable to leave him, Sunny ran towards him, grabbing his petite hand while her other held onto her bike's handle. She carried both through the rain storm until they made it back to the orphanage, where they were embraced by hot towels wrapped around their hair. The two looked at each other, and they began to laugh, laugh because of how silly little Charles was to cry when all there was was rain.
Sunny, who dreamed of that memorable moment, began to laugh as well, but at the same time, she was crying, crying because she wished she could relive the moment again, crying because she could still comfort Charles like how she always did, because she knew that nobody will be able to console him like how she did.
"I'm sorry…" she wept. "I'm so sorry, Charlie…" Then she spoke, "I'm so sorry, Mrs Starling…I'm so sorry, mommy."
For the first time, she began to acknowledge Mrs Starling as a mother by just saying it out loud, and it made her weep even more.
Woof! Woof!
Sunny suddenly gasped, and she hugged her legs as she shot her head up, looking around to see where that sound came from. It sounded like a dog, but Sunny remained skeptical, unsure if she could call to that barking.
"Hello?" someone called in the distance. "Anyone there I can fight? I know you want to die so come over!"
Sunny gasped, and she hugged her basket with the need of some comfort when she saw a little boy with the head and fur of a dog. She was surprised, never seeing such a creature before, he didn't look humane at all.
"Aha!" The dog-boy pointed his paw towards Sunny dramatically, before balling his paws into fists and leaping around like a boxer warming up to fight. "Come up and fight me, witch!"
"No, please!" Sunny backed away, her eyes filled with fear. "Don't hurt me! I'm not a witch!"
"That's what they all say!" said the dog-boy, who sprinted towards Sunny, ready to give her a kick.
Sunny, without flinching, dodged to the side, and the dog-boy, unable to react to her doge in time, raised his leg at a forceful speed, and he ended up raising himself in the air, causing him to fall down on the top of his head. For a split-second, he was left there, balancing on his head, but then he leaned over, falling on his back. He sat up, grumbling as a pinkish red bump grew on the center of his head.
"Oh, my goodness!" Sunny knelt down, examining his bump. "Are you alright? That must've hurt for that bump to appear!"
The dog-boy slapped her hand harshly, "Don't touch it, you fool! You'll make it grow!"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Sunny moved her hand away, still surprised by the dog-boy's bump and how he's more annoyed than in pain. "I'm Sunilda Tournesol, but you can call me 'Sunny'!"
The dog-boy replied bluntly, "I'm Cynoce, and I wanna fight people so that I can show them that I'm strong."
"I think you're strong!" Sunny smiled. "You managed to survive that fall!"
"I know!" The arrogant Cynoce smiled, wrapping his arms behind his head like a pillow and relaxing on the ground. "That's why I came to Empusa so that I could fight those ugly witches."
Sunny sighed, shaking her head, "I came here by accident. I didn't understand what happened, I didn't even know where I was."
"Well, how'd ya got here?"
Sunny sighed again, "I was in the forest when two men grabbed me by the arms, and they threw me down this big hole they managed to stretch. It was so confusing and so unorthodox, they threw me down this hole, and here I am walking and talking like a cartoon."
Cynoce's expression faltered, turning more soft, he could sympathize with the little girl in front of him, but he huffed, "Well, then get a boat and get the hell out of here!"
"But I don't even know where the docks are! Besides, there are witches everywhere coming to get me."
That was when the two of them heard a demonic shriek that was even fiercer than a harpy. Both of them startled, Sunny and Cynoce grabbed each other into an embrace, whimpering out of fear, and to Sunny's surprise, she was on the smaller, younger Cynoce's lap, she turn pink with embarrassment, she was so used to comforting the little children, that she never expected to be in a little dog-boy's lap.
"What is that?" she whimpered, but she yelped when she saw her thumping heart suddenly leaping out her chest, her skin and fabric bending with the heart that went up and down with every thump. "I'm seeing things!" she told herself, until she noticed that Cynoce's heart was thumping up and down like hers, but he overreacted less.
"That must be a witch!" Cynoce grinned, his heart dumping with excitement as he stood up, revealing sharp claws on the fingers of his paws. "It's showtime, baby!"
Sunny turned her gaze to Cynoce, and out of fright, she hid behind him, "Oh, I wish I was still at the orphanage.."
"You have no parents?" Cynoce asked, his expression softening. "Say, you're just like me."
However, their moment was interrupted when a heavily wrinkled and demonic-looking Granny roared at them, waving her arms around like a feral beast and letting out Harpy-like screams of rage. Sunny and Cynoce let out screams of terror as they ran as fast as they could, with Granny following after them. Sunny could imagine this as a horror movie, where a huge, scary monster chases after her, threatening to swallow her whole like a whale. But then Cynoce stood in front of Granny, his fists ready.
"Alright, granny! Show me what you've got!"
Granny said nothing, instead letting out even more fierce roars, and she raised her arm, giving Cynoce a big slap on his cheek, causing a huge swelling. Confusion and horror filled Sunny's mind as she watched this, because they were surely cartoons, they can't sustain painful injuries like a bruised cheek. But then the words of Elliot echoed in her mind.
The Creator controls what we call the 'Non-Law' because it violates what you earthlings call the Law of Gravity, and like an author of a book, he can turn it on or off if necessary.
Sunny nodded her head, understanding now what Elliot meant, the Non-Law could protect anybody here in Mythikos, but sometimes, it wasn't forever.
"Go away!" Sunny yelled, now becoming furious with the dangerous and cruel Granny, she stood her ground, standing right in front of Cynoce, who laid on the ground, utterly defeated. "I never want to see your face again! I feel pity for you, but I loathe people who harm others! So get away and never come back again!"
Granny stopped for a moment, her eyes widened, blood-like tears streaming down her cheeks, her face wrinkled even more, and now it was fully disfigured, with no eyes, nose and even bones. All that remains is her toothless mouth, and with that, she let out a high frequency scream of humiliation and agony. Turning back, she scurried away, running into a tree.
"Wait! Watch out for that—"
But before Sunny could warn her, she rushed towards the tree, but instead of crashing, she left behind a hole shaped like her, matching her frantic running motion. Sunny sighed, her heart finally stopped thumping heavily. Cynoce looked at her, his eyes filled with awe and fascination.
"Woah! You really told her off, girl!" he said with a smile, before saying, "Oh, and you have cold feet."
Sunny giggled, "Yeah, I must be really scared, wasn't I? Even though I was brave in front of her."
"No, I mean it, look down."
Sunny, obliging to what he said, looked down, and she let out a huge yelp when she realized that her feet were in fact bitterly cold, ice forming around its calloused skin.