Smile, darn ya smile…
You know this whole world is a great world after all…
She had grown to love Mythikos since the day she arrived, and she already knew what she wanted to be. Despite the numbness of her feet and the agony in her heart, which still burns today, she was ready to face the future. Judith approached the hallway, her footsteps echoing. She was dressed in a white robe, and her hair was tied in a smooth bun.
"Well done, darling." she smiled warmly. "You've been wonderful to our services. But I would like to apologize for troubling you so much before your sessions."
Sunny shook her hand in insistence, "Hey, don't worry about it! I'm always ready to help no matter what the work is!"
Judith couldn't help but chuckle, and out of nowhere, she rested her hand on Sunny's head, petting her like an obedient kitten. The young girl's eyes watered in nostalgia, but she bore an angelic smile as she let out some child-like giggles.
"You are a wonderful girl, Sunilda Tournesol." the old woman spoke. "Anyone would be lucky to know you."
Sunny smiled bashfully, "It's really nothing, Priestess Jude. There's no need to—Say, where's Cynoce? I haven't heard from him all day!"
That was when the two heard the sounds of grumbling and the rhythmic clanking of a bucket. When they turned around, they saw Cynoce, all drenched in water and soap as he hopped on one foot, while the other was stuck to a soapy bucket.
"Oh, what have you done!" Judith groaned. "You're always causing trouble everywhere you go, Cynoce!"
Cynoce scoffed, "Well, it's not my fault I tripped over while mopping the floors!"
Suddenly, a panting priest bolted into the hallway, until he suddenly slipped and fell onto his stomach. It was a comedic sight for Cynoce, who burst into laughter. However, Sunny and Judith rushed towards the priest and helped him up.
"Creator's might, are you alright?!" Judith questioned.
The priest let out a heavy sigh, "I was, Sister Judith…Until I saw the morning news!"
Judith arched an eyebrow as the priest led them into the central area. All the priests and priestesses were gathered around the broadcasting screen glued to the wall. Meanwhile, Cynoce continued to hop around on one foot, growling like a bulldog in frustration. He shook his leg, attempting to get the bucket off, but to his dismay, nothing worked. He then let out a sigh, and he started to walk on two feet, giving up alright. But the moment he reached the entrance, he suddenly flipped into the air and landed on the top of his head, letting out a huge girlish scream.
"Breaking news today!" the reporter informed. "It was revealed by the Heart of the Lordly Quartet, Theodor, that the Prophet is missing. A huge search party is sent around the city. But if anyone has seen the Prophet, please contact the Lordly Quartet using the phone number '3:79:521'. We pray to the Creator that he will come home safely."
Everyone gasped, chattering amongst the crowd. Judith's hands balled into fists as her face turned pale.
"No…Oh no!" She covered her mouth. "This is awful! We can't possibly lose the Prophet like this!"
Sunny, however, let out an exclamation, "Jiminy crickets!"
"Jiminy cricket!" mocked the irritated Cynoce, who was kneeling on the floor, all drenched in water and sneezing from the cold.
"This is awful! Who would ever do something horrible?" continued Sunny. "I'm sure there's something I could do to help out! We can't have him go missing forever! After all, I am a crusader."
"Crusader trainee." Judith corrected as she petted Sunny's head. "But you mustn't intervene, especially since it's been a few weeks since your first session. We don't want to take any risks, don't we?"
Sunny frowned, "But Judith, there must be something I could do! The Prophet sounds like someone who's really worth saving if everyone's grieving his disappearance!"
Judith smiled softly, "But you're just a little girl, my darling. Little girls don't have to become knights in shining armor real fast—That's something only the grown men must do. So you can stay a princess for a while and leave the work to the true crusaders."
Cynoce snickered and nudged Sunny's shoulder.
"That's what I always tell you and you never listen!" he mocked. "The best you can do right now is just sing and waltz around like a silly, little princess, then take things from a stranger or two."
Sunny let out a sigh, and she turned to face Cynoce coldly, "Enough, Cynoce. Why don't you do the best you can do to fix your fur? You look like a wet kitten when you're all drenched like that."
Cynoce grumbled, his chest rising up and down frequently due to his constant huffing.
"That wasn't very nice! You make me really mad! Very mad, indeed!"
Sunny rolled her eyes, "And I'm speaking to the one who keeps ranting all about me to the point of insanity."
"That's because you know nothing about fighting and I do—and yet you're already keeping up the progress!"
"Enough, Cynoce." Judith spoke, sternly. "Leave the poor girl alone, she's been through enough already."
"Well, what about me, huh?!" Cynoce exclaimed. "I was lonely too! I had no friends or family, and neither did she! Only one of us has to get all the pity!"
"But wasn't it you who claimed you didn't need sympathy?"
Cynoce scoffed, and he just rolled his eyes, scurrying off. However, the floors were still wet, and the dog-boy ended up sliding down like an ice-skater all the way to the wall, crashing violently.
"Oh jiminy!" Sunny exclaimed, taking slow steps as she walked onto the floor. "Are you alright, Cynoce?! I'm so sorry, I totally forgot about the caution board!"
Judith sighed, "That dog ought to be put in a cage."
"Or the sausage factory!" a priest yelled. "He's always causing trouble wherever we go!"
Sunny's face turned green, and her stomach churned.
"Please don't ruin sausages for me." she winced, causing the priests and priestesses to giggle at her nausea. "I'm turning green around the gills again.."
"Well, anyways, darling, it's your break. Now run along and train like how you always do." Judith insisted. "And don't worry about the caution board, you've done enough. Besides, I must do something other than just performing the rituals for the Creator, right?"
Sunny smiled delightfully, "You sure do! I'll see you later!"
***
Imani skipped out of the bakery, munching on her donut. She let out a few, bombastic squeaks that caught the attention of a few passerbys. She didn't mind their judgemental looks, all she wanted was to delight in her snack.
"Imani!"
Sunny exclaimed out of nowhere, running directly behind her and wrapping her arms around her waist, only to accidentally pounce onto her back. The two girls fell onto the sidewalk together, everyone around them gasped.
"Oh, sorry!" Sunny sat up, her cheeks red. "I was gonna hug you, not pounce on you!"
"Nah, that's fine!" Imani rubbed her back. "Never before had I've gotten a greeting as bright as yours! I love it to death!"
"But anyways, Imani, have you heard what happened on the news?!"
"You mean the one about that man they call the Prophet?"
Sunny looked around to meet the tension of the nearby folks. All she could hear were their mutters about the news. The words "Prophet…Missing…Where?" echoed.
"Yes! What's happening is so horrible! I can see it in people's eyes! He must be so important if they're all talking about it!"
Imani rolled her eyes, "Yeah, yeah…But it's not like there's anything we trainees can do."
"But there must be something! We may be trainees but…" Sunny stammered off.
However, her eyes glimmered as she watched a snow white dove soar through the sky, its wings flapping fluidly like a butterfly.
"Imani…Do you see that bird?" she questioned.
Imani looked up, and she just took another bite from her donut. She clearly wasn't interested, and yet she watched the soaring bird.
"It's just a colombe, nothing too special." she said with a full mouth.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, it's a choking hazard!" Sunny said, anxiously. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that?!"
Imani rolled her eyes with a chuckle, "I'll be fine, it's not like I'm going to die or anything. Anyways, about the Prophet, I don't even know, and I don't think I'll even care. Today's Saturday and I feel like relaxing right now."
Sunny let out a sigh, but her eyes still wandered as she gazed at the colombe. Her eyes glimmered like stars, and she put a hand to her heart. She felt rather hopeful, almost as if this was a calling—her calling.
"Don't worry, Imani…You may not care, but we will definitely get him back."
***
It was still the afternoon, and in fact, still Saturday. Sunny took out a shaky breath as she faced the Academy. The doors were closed, and the guards were still there. However, she was sure that there were some people inside, so she mentally prepared herself to be careful. She leaned her chest against the wall, her hands pressed against its firm material. She mustered up the strength of the front of her foot to glide upwards. She continued to repeat this process, but she made it to the top. She let out a sigh, until she suddenly yelped as she dropped back on the floor. Groaning, she got up, rubbing her rear with a pout.
"This is going to be harder than I thought." she muttered to herself.
That was when her eyes lit up, and from her backpack, she pulled out the ToonBook.
"Rule #6, use a pogo stick to soar through the sky and make it to the other side."
Sunny looked around, there was no pogo stick. She frowned, all hope seemed to be lost until she rubbed her itchy back. Her memories flashback to the time she pulled out an umbrella from her, and a lightbulb appeared on top of her head.
"Wait…that's right!" she mused with delight.
With one grab, she pulled out a pogo stick, and she couldn't help but jump in the air a few times.
"Yes! I did it, I did it!"
Wasting no time, she stepped onto the pogo stick, and she clutched the handle with caution.
"Alright…Here goes nothing!"
With one bounce, the pogo stick started to leap up and down, starting to rise even higher in the air. With every bounce, she started to get higher, and soon, she was about to reach the wall.
"That's it, we're almost there!" she yelled. "Bounce for mama!"
She was starting to come closer, and with one leap, she made it on top of the wall. She was lying on her stomach, balancing herself in case she fell. She quickly rose her feet, but the sheer force caused her to turn over. She yelped as she fell, landing straight into the bushes. Getting up, she was quite a leafy mess. There were branches tangled with her hair, as well as a few leaves trapped in her mouth. She let out a huff and spat out the leaves, her nose scrunching at the sight of them laying down, melted and mucus-tainted.
"So I'm a reindeer." she said, snarkily.
Wasting no time, she got up from the bushes, wiped the leaves off her rear, and she started to blend in with the walls, its olive paint and brown spots blending with her appearance. She let out a small sigh, relieved the Creator was merciful with her at a time like this. She continued to blend in, to make her look like a painting in the middle of the wall. She could already feel herself becoming as flat as a pancake. But her breathing hitched when a commander and his cadet. They both had alabaster guns, their faces were hidden. But she knew they were blood-thirsty.
"Say, what do we have here?" The commander questioned.
He dabbed his finger against Sunny, as if trying to confirm it was just a painting. However, he squinted his eyes, trying to further spectate. Sunny's eyes were shut, she didn't dare move a muscle, she even held in her breath. However, she mentally gasped, she had the urge to let out a rip. No, she couldn't do it now, especially in a situation like this. She had to get into the Academy somehow, and maybe she could figure out a clue on what happened to the Prophet! Her heart was racing, but thankfully, it was as quiet as a mouse. However, she couldn't hold it in anymore, and without breaking a sweat, she slowly let out her gas. The horrible odor filled the air, some of the flowers comically wilting. The guard looked around, and so did his companion. He pinched his nose and fanned his hand around to make the odor waft away.
"Oh my Creator, cadet!" the commander scolded his companion. "Why do you have to eat so many beans?!"
The cadet gulped, "But I didn't do it, sir!"
"You were the only one here, and you had the reputation of eating beans, cadet! Besides, do I look like the kind of person who would fart?!"
The cadet gave his superior a small sniff. He immediately began to gurgle out foam as he started to wobble downwards, collapsing on the ground.
"Oh, great, now I'll have to pick you up like some princess!"
Sunny's eyes were still shut, but she could hear the entire sequence. She couldn't help but let out a short laugh. However, the commander and his cadet's eyes widened.
"Who's there?!"
The commander wielded his spear in defense. His cadet began to shudder, and he hugged the armpierce of his commanding officer.
"Is there a demon?!" he whimpered. "Come out, come out, wherever you are! We'll butcher you to pieces and send you to below!"
The commander scoffed, shaking the cadet off him.
"Get off, you nasty mutt! Come on, we have a duty! The Prophet's out there a-missing, and you're complaining about something that isn't there?! The Prophet's priority comes first, always remember that!"
The cadet nodded his head, still whimpering as he and his officer started to waltz off. The moment they disappeared from her view, Sunny let out a sigh, finally able to breathe. She removed herself from the wall, and she did a ballroom-like spin to relive the beauty of freedom. However, she paused, her determination regained. Now's not the time to goof around. She quickly made it to the building, immediately trying to figure out a safe route inside. To her dismay, there was none. She let out a sigh, getting ready to give up…until she found her ToonBook. She flipped through the pages, until she found a certain paint brush.
"What is this supposed to be?"
She questioned, taking it out and inspecting it like a new specimen. She shrugged, until she looked down to find a set of paint. A lightbulb spawned, and she smiled cheekily. Whipping the brush, she wasted no time painting out a portable hole. However, she frowned, the sight of its darkness bringing back horrible memories. Her breathing hitched as she placed a toe inside, expecting its emptiness—And yes, there was nothing there. She was hesitant, afraid of what was truly inside. She had already experienced falling down one and landing in an unknown world. But this was the unknown world she had come to adore. This situation was different however. Back when she was in the dreaded Empusa island, she had Cynoce, who made her jump down the pit, with him following after her. But she was all on her own again, and there was nobody who wanted to help out with the missing Prophet like how she did. She was alone…
Suddenly, she heard the clanking of heavy boots and the shadows of spears. Her breathing hitched even further, and she started to sweat. She looked back down at the hole, which awaited her entrance. But she was still reluctant. What if she ended up in another unknown place, one that was even worse than Empusa? What if she never sees her friends again and instead lands in a world where nobody could help her? Those questions plagued her mind, her eyes began to water. Her vision went blurry as she saw thrice of things.
"Oi!"
Her hearing became normal again, and she turned her head to face a group of guards pointing their guns and spears at her. She let out a huge yelp, her eyes popping out her sockets. To make matters worse, the commander was back again, and he stood in front of his comrades, hissing furiously.
"What are you doing here, missy?" he asked, gruffly. "The Academy's closed. And what is your name? I need to figure out who you are before I have any business with ya."
Sunny gulped, her hands clutching her heart. She was already scooting closer to the portable hole, but she held herself back.
"Ummm…" she muttered. "Sunilda Tournesol…And about where I am…Well…Ermm…"
"Go on!" the commander demanded. "Tell me what you are doing here!"
The young girl thought for a second, until a smirk appeared. She stood up, and she approached the commander.
"Say, commander." she inquired. "Have you ever heard of the Name Game?"
The commander remained gruff, but he nodded his head.
"Well, I was wondering if you would like to play!"
The soldiers all let out sounds of awe and amazement when they heard her request. They all glance at their commander, awaiting his answer.
"Well, alright, child. But make it quick so that we could escort you out."
"Well, first, I need your name."
The commander sighed, "Alberto."
Sunny breathed shakily, on the verge of laughing. The soldiers went quiet, respectfully awaiting her antics. They murmured amongst sometimes, but out of nowhere, she exclaimed, pointing her finger to the commander's lower half.
"I see London, I see France! I see Commander Alberto's underpants!"
Looking down, Commander Alberto yelped in horror as his pants drooped down, revealing his heart-themed underwear All of the soldiers burst out laughing, his face turning a violent shade of red. He watched as his cadets horsed around, clutching their stomachs as tears oozed out their eyes. He turned around, steam blowing out his ears as veins on his forehead bulged.
"Quiet, you fools! That girl's gonna do laps for—"
But the moment he turned around, he gasped in shock. Sunny had disappeared from his sight. He looked down at the portable hole, and he immediately rushed over, attempting to reach it. All of the sudden, water squirting everywhere, the sprinklers had turned on, and the paint vanished, the portable hole disappearing. His eyes turn red with rage as he clenched his fists, and he let out an angry,
"TOURNESOOOOOOL!!"