CHAPTER 6
Southwoods at a glance didn't appear too different from Northwoods. It was dark, windy, and caked with trees in any way the average forest would be. However, Southwoods seemed to have a much more rural and reserved vibe to it. At the town Twig and Alicia were at, there wasn't much besides some houses, a few markets, a clock, and a subway station. Northwoods didn't have many subway stations; then again, there wasn't much of a need for them.
It was 11:00. Even the rural Southwoods seemed to be filled with travelers. Mostly, it was supposed friends and family reuniting to see the chaos of 2021 end. It was a lot darker here than Downtown at the Keep Central, as there weren't any streetlights. It was up to a sparse set of lanterns to bring some semblance of light onto the roads.
"This looks pretty far away, doesn't it?" Alicia turned to Twig. A few adolescent gachagons and a scribblie bounced down the dirt road with makeshift sparklers. Twig looked up at the night sky. She looked at the mosaic of stars, little pieces of glitter spread across an expanse of darkness and void. In a sense, she and Alicia and all other gachagons were like stars in the void that is the Keep. They are the ones who prop up their homes, light up the roads, make something for themselves and for those around them. They turn the blank canvas of the Keep into a masterpiece. And that's precisely why the Keep is such a tourist attraction. Tourist season is like a meteor shower which leaves an marvelous impact on the sky. It's a sight to behold even among other common tourist destinations. And even Twig knew that, in spite of barely knowing anything beyond her forest upbringing.
A stray firework from afar swirled into the sky. It bursted into a flower of fire, its shape enamoring both Twig and Alicia.
"I think we found our spot." Alicia said. An older gachagon passed by, holding a bag of cups and a pitcher of hot cocoa.
"Interested in some hot chocolate?" the gachagon asked Alicia.
"Yeah of course!" she responded, and the gachagon poured the drink into two paper cups. Alicia took the cups and offered one to Twig. She sniffed it, and to Alicia's surprise, accepted it. However, she didn't touch it much; she was simply attentive to the night sky.
"Cheers!" Alicia grinned. The two gachagons tapped the rims of their drinks together, then drank up.
CHAPTER 7
The air seemed warmer down in Southwoods. A sense of calm had taken over Twig and Alicia, and now they were just sipping their cups of cocoa. More small gachagons were playing tag in the trees. A second scribblie joined in, carrying with it a ton of sparklers. However, this one looked particularly chaotic and unkempt in comparison to the other scribblie. Its fur was all shades of purple, and blue specks seemed to come off of its body like particles. Its ears and tail were adorned with bells, and on its neck was a bow tie. The jester hat on its head remained in place and static even as it zipped around the trees.
"This place is so cool," Alicia said to Twig. "I should come here more often, I love the vibe! It's always fun to spend New Years in cool places --"
"DID SOMEONE SAY COOL PLACES!?" a voice shot through the depths of the woods. The chaotic scribblie with dozens of sparklers jolted down towards Twig and Alicia at presumably lightspeed. His voice was equally fast, and it took a moment for what he said to fully register into Alicia's brain. Twig's ears folded back and she hissed at the scribblie.
"Yessssss, it is I, the Madcap!" the scribblie blurted out, startling Twig again. "I heard you mention cool places? I can take you to a verrrry cool place!"
Madcap's voice was rapid and flamboyant like a YouTuber reacting to trending content. Not even Alicia was sure how to feel about this creature, and she makes friends with everything she meets. The scribblie took his sparklers and swallowed them whole. The inside of his mouth glowed ominously, and then a column of fire blasted back out into the ground below. What appeared from the carnage of the fire was a mysterious hole.
"I have many tools in my bunker!" Madcap said giddily.
"Sounds like something a serial killer would say." Alicia giggled.
"But I am not!" Madcap shot back. "I can take you to the collllllldest place you can think of in the Keep!"
He nudged Alicia to enter the mysterious hole. She finally relented, and stepped into it. Twig immediately followed, then Madcap, and he closed the hole up the way a coat is zippered up.
There was literally nothing in the hole. The two gachagons and the scribblie were floating around in blank space.
"Okay, where are you even taking us?" Alicia asked, confused.
"Why, it is the Snowwwwsboro!" Madcap said, zipping between where Alicia was and where Twig was at such a speed where it seemed there was two of him in both places.
"We were just fine where we were," Alicia interjected. "We were jus--"
"The view is sooooooo much better up in Snowsboro though!" Madcap interrupted. He then zipped back to where Alicia was, and extended his tail out for what seemed like an infinity. Wherever his tail seemed to stretch, the blankness of the bunker changed into a stock image of a snowy mountain. Eventually, the bell at the end of his tail touched the pixels making up the top of the stock image mountain. He snagged the two gachagons by their scruffs and raised them up. Twig hissed again. The two gachagons ascended into the air like cable cars. Periodically, Madcap coughed up a gachapon ball that looked as chaotic as him and his surreal bunker. He'd then throw it at the gachagons. Sometimes it was sour candies, and sometimes it was jingling bells, but for the most part it was glitter bombs, and Madcap spent an exorbitant amount of effort aiming for the faces.
"Isn't it woooooonderful being taken across the Keep with scriiiiiiiiiblie power?" Madcap asked, speaking like a video that was sped up. Twig rolled her eyes.
It felt like forever as Madcap lifted the two gachagons towards the top of the stock image mountain. Twig and Alicia could literally see the pixels of the image. The air grew colder as the two ascended. Clipart images of snowflakes started falling. The edges of the snowflakes were highlighted in a way that made it look like they were being moved across a Photoshop image with a mouse. Twig tried biting at the snowflake images.
When the two gachagons were finally above the top pixel of the mountain, Madcap released his grip and let them fall.
CHAPTER 8
The fall lasted ages. It didn't even seem like Twig and Alicia were moving. Then, Madcap took out some more of his sparklers and swallowed them. Once more, a blast of fire shot out from his mouth, burning a hole in the image, into which the two gachagons proceeded to fall.
The hole returned the duo to the real world, and they crashed into a snowbank. Twig was first to pop her head out from the snow, and she quickly flapped her way out. She whimpered as the snow on her wings turned into ice. Alicia appeared from the snowbank like a mole.
"What the hell was even that?!" Alicia asked while laughing. "I don't even know what just happened!"
A gachagon passing by with an owl gachapanion waved to the duo.
"Welcome to Snowsboro!" they said.
"Snowsboro?" Alicia said to herself. It clicked a second later.
"Twig!" she turned her head to the taller gachagon. "We made it to Snowsboro!"
Alicia tried running around on the icy sidewalk, but she slid around like an air hockey puck. Twig was shivering, her breaths growing quick and heavy.
"You guys need help?" the gachagon who passed by before asked. The duo nodded.
"How'd ya guys even get here?" she added. "Looks like ya just dropped from the sky!"
"Uh ... pretty much, actually!" Alicia chuckled nervously. "Got thrown into a whole new dimension by a scribblie --"
"Oh, prolly Madcap?"
Alicia nodded again.
"O'course. You guys must be freezing up here. Lemme get y'all to the clothes shop!"
The gachagon gestured for Twig and Alicia to follow. Twig simply grabbed Alicia and held her like a cat. Her steps were deliberate on the solid snow of the streets.
Twig and Alicia could now see the other gachagon much better. Their fur was a rich shade of brown, with markings reminiscent of a chocolate snack. A yellow striped hat with a tuft of fur on the top adorned her head, and a matching scarf covered her neck. She clutched the blue owl gachapanion with gloves which also matched the rest of her winter gear, and her tail was a big, puffy, chocolate cloud.
A clothing store was just nearby, and it looked very similar to the Art Cabin from Downtown. The interior was warm and comforting, with glowing orange bulbs on the ceiling. The clerk at the register waved invitingly.
"Why don't ya guys find something warm?" the gachagon said to the duo. "I'll pay!"
Twig immediately sought out the wyvern clothes section and took a heavy fur coat off of its rack. The entire thing was covered in long faux fur, as if a gachagon's fur was ripped off its body and turned into winter gear. She located a matching set of boots. Alicia grabbed a soft black infinity scarf and the same brand of boots Twig took. It all costed quite a bit of crayons, but the other gachagon didn't seem to mind.
Immediately, the effects of the new gear could be felt. Twig wasn't shivering at all, and she spent a lot of time feeling the long fur with her snout. Alicia strutted across the snow like she was Downtown with her stilletos on. She was grinning from ear to ear, and even Twig showed a faint smile.
The trio attempted some small talk while they passed by the edge of a snowy cliff. A bunch of gachagons were there, anticipating the New Years celebration. Many had phones and drinks in hand. Even the silhouettes of gachapon balls could be seen as they rose to the air and were then thrusted down by gravity.
"Oh!" the other gachagon exclaimed. "It's ten to! Ya guys wanna see the fireworks?"
Alicia and Twig nodded. The other gachagon then gestured the group towards the cliffside.
"By the way," the other gachagon added. "I don't think I ever introduced myself properly! My name's Warmy Cozy! Well, my real name's Danielle, but most people call me Warmy Cozy because, well, I'm warm and cozy!"
"Twig." Twig blurted out. Her voice was quiet and raspy from disuse.
"Woah!" Alicia gasped. "I've never heard you talk before! I'm putting that in the books!"
Alicia laughed heartily and Twig shrugged her shoulders. The owl gachapanion joining Warmy Cozy flew up on top of her head and cooed.
"The cliff's pretty crazy," Warmy Cozy continued. "Everyone says it's the best place to see the fireworks! But it's not so much anymore 'cause everyone is going there! And I mean everyone! All sizes, all shapes, it's so hard for little guys like me to see! So I found another place that's just as good."
The trio continued walking until Warmy Cozy noticed a reasonably large tunnel behind some shrubs.
"Bingo!" she exclaimed. "You just have to slide down this tunnel, and it'll take ya to another cliff that most don't really know about!"
She shoved the shrub branches out of the way for Alicia. Twig jumped over it with the help of her wings. Then, Warmy Cozy entered the tunnel, sliding into the void. She appeared on another icy cliff at least 50 feet below Twig and Alicia.
"Come join us!" Warmy Cozy called out, her voice as inviting as her namesake.
CHAPTER 9
"Us?" Alicia asked Warmy Cozy, her voice echoing down towards the cliff.
"Yeah, duh!" Warmy Cozy yelled back. "Me and the gachapanions! They ain't even mine except for North Star --"
She pointed to the owl gachapanion on top of her head.
"-- I just babysit the things for some extra crayons!"
Suddenly, a swarm of other gachapanions of all shapes and sizes stormed through the shrubs and leaped into the tunnel. By the time the flurry of gachapanions rolled over, there were at least a couple dozen of them surrounding Warmy Cozy.
Alicia was next to go down, and Twig followed. The taller gachagon tucked her wings in and sped down the tunnel like a toboggan. Alicia attempted to skate down the tunnel, and remained surprisingly balanced for a bit until the tunnel took a sharp drop. She took on this drop with ease, sitting and sliding down the ice. Twig panted and hissed as she went down. The tunnel was a perfectly-carved cylinder of pure ice. There were faint etchings, stones and leaves, and even possible fossils embedded in it. It was hard to tell though, as it was so dark and it therefore looked more like a void.
Alicia skidded to a stop at the end of the tunnel, but Twig almost fell off the edge. She throttled past the edge, but flapped her wings vigorously to avoid a fatal fall.
The view was perhaps even better here than on the cliffside above. The night sky rested in a cradle of mountains which made up the rest of Snowsboro. Snowflakes silently swept through the air, carried by gusts of wind. More stray fireworks shot into the sky, encapsulating this cliff as the perfect place to view the incoming lightshow.
"See how cool this place is?" Warmy Cozy said cheerily. Alicia nodded while petting one of the many gachapanions. Twig stuck to looking at the night sky. Then, the sound of another creature bellowed through the tunnel.
The creature which came out was a gachagon, though it also looked quite similar to a reindeer. Its neck and back were covered by a mane of mistletoe, and both lights and gachapon balls cohabitated its gacha fluid. Two flimsy stick horns crowned its forehead.
"How'd you get here?" Warmy Cozy exclaimed in surprise.
"Saw the tunnel!" the reindeer gachagon said simply. "Looked to be less crowded than the top cliff. I woulda been squashed by those guys!"
Warmy Cozy paused, then frowned.
"Dammit," she said to herself. "I forgot to cover the tunnel. You weren't supposed to come here, but as long as no one else comes--"
Eyes from above gazed at the cliff. A bunch of gachagons on the higher-up cliff retreated, seeking out the uncovered tunnel. The sound of more gachagons entering the tunnel penetrated Warmy Cozy's eardrums.
"Down..." she sighed.
CHAPTER 10
Though Warmy Cozy's intentions were to maintain a secret, quiet location to view the fireworks, the curiosity of her fellow gachas ripped that plan to shreds. Every second, another creature exited the secret tunnel. It wasn't even just gachagons; there were bitlings and creatures the group didn't even recognize. The bitlings eagerly slid down the tunnel like dogs running through grass, and continued to romp around on the cliff. The cliff grew more claustrophobic as more creatures slid down the tunnel. Eventually, once the cliff had become just as crowded as the one above, the arrival of new faces slowed.
The bustle and chaos of dozens of individuals on a small cliff's edge resonated throughout Snowsboro. Some pushed each other around for space, while others took to the skies and rested on branches. Twig held Alicia close, blanketing her with her massive wings. She kept a close eye on the crowd to make sure no one would mess around with her friend. Warmy Cozy sighed again, sitting on the very edge of the cliff with her head buried in her hands.
Then, the noise of the crowd disappeared. The bells of the Snowsboro Clock Tower rang with furor. 12:00. 2022.
The entire crowd shouted uniformly, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Then, the first real firework rose up. It birthed an explosion of colors and lights which slowly descended to the ground. The falling sparkles were like will-o'wisps. Oohs and ahhs filled the air like the fireworks. Blasts of light continued to streak the sky. It was as if all of the stars surrounding the Keep in the sky decided to go supernova all at once. Gachagons cheered, bitlings barked, and gachapanions bustled around in excitement. Alicia dispensed a gachapon ball from in her pouch. Then, she nudged Twig.
"Friend?" she asked. Twig cautiously took the ball and opened it to see a tiny Sweet Heart candy. The words "you're awesome" engraved the sweet treat. In response, Twig coughed up a gachapon ball of her own and tapped on Alicia's shoulder. She giddily took the ball and opened it; inside the ebony container was a black cat doll with red dots for eyes.
"Friend." Twig added.
The mood of the crowd swelled in spite of the lack of space. Everyone was too focused on the allure of the fireworks to care anyways. Every sparkle, boom, and glow in the sky seemed to make the cliff warmer and calmer. And when the final bursts of light made an appearance, that warm tingly feeling lingered for a long time. Long after the lightshow announcing the start of a new year.
sequiem
CHAPTER 6 Southwoods at a glance didn't appear too different from Northwoods. It was dark, windy, and caked with trees in any way the average forest would be. However, Southwoods seemed to have a much more rural and reserved vibe to it. At the town Twig and Alicia were at, there wasn't much besides some houses, a few markets, a clock, and a subway station. Northwoods didn't have many subway stations; then again, there wasn't much of a need for them. It was 11:00. Even the rural Southwoods seemed to be filled with travelers. Mostly, it was supposed friends and family reuniting to see the chaos of 2021 end. It was a lot darker here than Downtown at the Keep Central, as there weren't any streetlights. It was up to a sparse set of lanterns to bring some semblance of light onto the roads. "This looks pretty far away, doesn't it?" Alicia turned to Twig. A few adolescent gachagons and a scribblie bounced down the dirt road with makeshift sparklers. Twig looked up at the night sky. She looked at the mosaic of stars, little pieces of glitter spread across an expanse of darkness and void. In a sense, she and Alicia and all other gachagons were like stars in the void that is the Keep. They are the ones who prop up their homes, light up the roads, make something for themselves and for those around them. They turn the blank canvas of the Keep into a masterpiece. And that's precisely why the Keep is such a tourist attraction. Tourist season is like a meteor shower which leaves an marvelous impact on the sky. It's a sight to behold even among other common tourist destinations. And even Twig knew that, in spite of barely knowing anything beyond her forest upbringing. A stray firework from afar swirled into the sky. It bursted into a flower of fire, its shape enamoring both Twig and Alicia. "I think we found our spot." Alicia said. An older gachagon passed by, holding a bag of cups and a pitcher of hot cocoa. "Interested in some hot chocolate?" the gachagon asked Alicia. "Yeah of course!" she responded, and the gachagon poured the drink into two paper cups. Alicia took the cups and offered one to Twig. She sniffed it, and to Alicia's surprise, accepted it. However, she didn't touch it much; she was simply attentive to the night sky. "Cheers!" Alicia grinned. The two gachagons tapped the rims of their drinks together, then drank up.
2022-01-18 00:09:24
Feature Comment
sequiem
CHAPTER 7 The air seemed warmer down in Southwoods. A sense of calm had taken over Twig and Alicia, and now they were just sipping their cups of cocoa. More small gachagons were playing tag in the trees. A second scribblie joined in, carrying with it a ton of sparklers. However, this one looked particularly chaotic and unkempt in comparison to the other scribblie. Its fur was all shades of purple, and blue specks seemed to come off of its body like particles. Its ears and tail were adorned with bells, and on its neck was a bow tie. The jester hat on its head remained in place and static even as it zipped around the trees. "This place is so cool," Alicia said to Twig. "I should come here more often, I love the vibe! It's always fun to spend New Years in cool places --" "DID SOMEONE SAY COOL PLACES!?" a voice shot through the depths of the woods. The chaotic scribblie with dozens of sparklers jolted down towards Twig and Alicia at presumably lightspeed. His voice was equally fast, and it took a moment for what he said to fully register into Alicia's brain. Twig's ears folded back and she hissed at the scribblie. "Yessssss, it is I, the Madcap!" the scribblie blurted out, startling Twig again. "I heard you mention cool places? I can take you to a verrrry cool place!" Madcap's voice was rapid and flamboyant like a YouTuber reacting to trending content. Not even Alicia was sure how to feel about this creature, and she makes friends with everything she meets. The scribblie took his sparklers and swallowed them whole. The inside of his mouth glowed ominously, and then a column of fire blasted back out into the ground below. What appeared from the carnage of the fire was a mysterious hole. "I have many tools in my bunker!" Madcap said giddily. "Sounds like something a serial killer would say." Alicia giggled. "But I am not!" Madcap shot back. "I can take you to the collllllldest place you can think of in the Keep!" He nudged Alicia to enter the mysterious hole. She finally relented, and stepped into it. Twig immediately followed, then Madcap, and he closed the hole up the way a coat is zippered up. There was literally nothing in the hole. The two gachagons and the scribblie were floating around in blank space. "Okay, where are you even taking us?" Alicia asked, confused. "Why, it is the Snowwwwsboro!" Madcap said, zipping between where Alicia was and where Twig was at such a speed where it seemed there was two of him in both places. "We were just fine where we were," Alicia interjected. "We were jus--" "The view is sooooooo much better up in Snowsboro though!" Madcap interrupted. He then zipped back to where Alicia was, and extended his tail out for what seemed like an infinity. Wherever his tail seemed to stretch, the blankness of the bunker changed into a stock image of a snowy mountain. Eventually, the bell at the end of his tail touched the pixels making up the top of the stock image mountain. He snagged the two gachagons by their scruffs and raised them up. Twig hissed again. The two gachagons ascended into the air like cable cars. Periodically, Madcap coughed up a gachapon ball that looked as chaotic as him and his surreal bunker. He'd then throw it at the gachagons. Sometimes it was sour candies, and sometimes it was jingling bells, but for the most part it was glitter bombs, and Madcap spent an exorbitant amount of effort aiming for the faces. "Isn't it woooooonderful being taken across the Keep with scriiiiiiiiiblie power?" Madcap asked, speaking like a video that was sped up. Twig rolled her eyes. It felt like forever as Madcap lifted the two gachagons towards the top of the stock image mountain. Twig and Alicia could literally see the pixels of the image. The air grew colder as the two ascended. Clipart images of snowflakes started falling. The edges of the snowflakes were highlighted in a way that made it look like they were being moved across a Photoshop image with a mouse. Twig tried biting at the snowflake images. When the two gachagons were finally above the top pixel of the mountain, Madcap released his grip and let them fall.
2022-01-18 00:09:40
Feature Comment
sequiem
CHAPTER 8 The fall lasted ages. It didn't even seem like Twig and Alicia were moving. Then, Madcap took out some more of his sparklers and swallowed them. Once more, a blast of fire shot out from his mouth, burning a hole in the image, into which the two gachagons proceeded to fall. The hole returned the duo to the real world, and they crashed into a snowbank. Twig was first to pop her head out from the snow, and she quickly flapped her way out. She whimpered as the snow on her wings turned into ice. Alicia appeared from the snowbank like a mole. "What the hell was even that?!" Alicia asked while laughing. "I don't even know what just happened!" A gachagon passing by with an owl gachapanion waved to the duo. "Welcome to Snowsboro!" they said. "Snowsboro?" Alicia said to herself. It clicked a second later. "Twig!" she turned her head to the taller gachagon. "We made it to Snowsboro!" Alicia tried running around on the icy sidewalk, but she slid around like an air hockey puck. Twig was shivering, her breaths growing quick and heavy. "You guys need help?" the gachagon who passed by before asked. The duo nodded. "How'd ya guys even get here?" she added. "Looks like ya just dropped from the sky!" "Uh ... pretty much, actually!" Alicia chuckled nervously. "Got thrown into a whole new dimension by a scribblie --" "Oh, prolly Madcap?" Alicia nodded again. "O'course. You guys must be freezing up here. Lemme get y'all to the clothes shop!" The gachagon gestured for Twig and Alicia to follow. Twig simply grabbed Alicia and held her like a cat. Her steps were deliberate on the solid snow of the streets. Twig and Alicia could now see the other gachagon much better. Their fur was a rich shade of brown, with markings reminiscent of a chocolate snack. A yellow striped hat with a tuft of fur on the top adorned her head, and a matching scarf covered her neck. She clutched the blue owl gachapanion with gloves which also matched the rest of her winter gear, and her tail was a big, puffy, chocolate cloud. A clothing store was just nearby, and it looked very similar to the Art Cabin from Downtown. The interior was warm and comforting, with glowing orange bulbs on the ceiling. The clerk at the register waved invitingly. "Why don't ya guys find something warm?" the gachagon said to the duo. "I'll pay!" Twig immediately sought out the wyvern clothes section and took a heavy fur coat off of its rack. The entire thing was covered in long faux fur, as if a gachagon's fur was ripped off its body and turned into winter gear. She located a matching set of boots. Alicia grabbed a soft black infinity scarf and the same brand of boots Twig took. It all costed quite a bit of crayons, but the other gachagon didn't seem to mind. Immediately, the effects of the new gear could be felt. Twig wasn't shivering at all, and she spent a lot of time feeling the long fur with her snout. Alicia strutted across the snow like she was Downtown with her stilletos on. She was grinning from ear to ear, and even Twig showed a faint smile. The trio attempted some small talk while they passed by the edge of a snowy cliff. A bunch of gachagons were there, anticipating the New Years celebration. Many had phones and drinks in hand. Even the silhouettes of gachapon balls could be seen as they rose to the air and were then thrusted down by gravity. "Oh!" the other gachagon exclaimed. "It's ten to! Ya guys wanna see the fireworks?" Alicia and Twig nodded. The other gachagon then gestured the group towards the cliffside. "By the way," the other gachagon added. "I don't think I ever introduced myself properly! My name's Warmy Cozy! Well, my real name's Danielle, but most people call me Warmy Cozy because, well, I'm warm and cozy!" "Twig." Twig blurted out. Her voice was quiet and raspy from disuse. "Woah!" Alicia gasped. "I've never heard you talk before! I'm putting that in the books!" Alicia laughed heartily and Twig shrugged her shoulders. The owl gachapanion joining Warmy Cozy flew up on top of her head and cooed. "The cliff's pretty crazy," Warmy Cozy continued. "Everyone says it's the best place to see the fireworks! But it's not so much anymore 'cause everyone is going there! And I mean everyone! All sizes, all shapes, it's so hard for little guys like me to see! So I found another place that's just as good." The trio continued walking until Warmy Cozy noticed a reasonably large tunnel behind some shrubs. "Bingo!" she exclaimed. "You just have to slide down this tunnel, and it'll take ya to another cliff that most don't really know about!" She shoved the shrub branches out of the way for Alicia. Twig jumped over it with the help of her wings. Then, Warmy Cozy entered the tunnel, sliding into the void. She appeared on another icy cliff at least 50 feet below Twig and Alicia. "Come join us!" Warmy Cozy called out, her voice as inviting as her namesake.
2022-01-18 00:10:17
Feature Comment
sequiem
CHAPTER 9 "Us?" Alicia asked Warmy Cozy, her voice echoing down towards the cliff. "Yeah, duh!" Warmy Cozy yelled back. "Me and the gachapanions! They ain't even mine except for North Star --" She pointed to the owl gachapanion on top of her head. "-- I just babysit the things for some extra crayons!" Suddenly, a swarm of other gachapanions of all shapes and sizes stormed through the shrubs and leaped into the tunnel. By the time the flurry of gachapanions rolled over, there were at least a couple dozen of them surrounding Warmy Cozy. Alicia was next to go down, and Twig followed. The taller gachagon tucked her wings in and sped down the tunnel like a toboggan. Alicia attempted to skate down the tunnel, and remained surprisingly balanced for a bit until the tunnel took a sharp drop. She took on this drop with ease, sitting and sliding down the ice. Twig panted and hissed as she went down. The tunnel was a perfectly-carved cylinder of pure ice. There were faint etchings, stones and leaves, and even possible fossils embedded in it. It was hard to tell though, as it was so dark and it therefore looked more like a void. Alicia skidded to a stop at the end of the tunnel, but Twig almost fell off the edge. She throttled past the edge, but flapped her wings vigorously to avoid a fatal fall. The view was perhaps even better here than on the cliffside above. The night sky rested in a cradle of mountains which made up the rest of Snowsboro. Snowflakes silently swept through the air, carried by gusts of wind. More stray fireworks shot into the sky, encapsulating this cliff as the perfect place to view the incoming lightshow. "See how cool this place is?" Warmy Cozy said cheerily. Alicia nodded while petting one of the many gachapanions. Twig stuck to looking at the night sky. Then, the sound of another creature bellowed through the tunnel. The creature which came out was a gachagon, though it also looked quite similar to a reindeer. Its neck and back were covered by a mane of mistletoe, and both lights and gachapon balls cohabitated its gacha fluid. Two flimsy stick horns crowned its forehead. "How'd you get here?" Warmy Cozy exclaimed in surprise. "Saw the tunnel!" the reindeer gachagon said simply. "Looked to be less crowded than the top cliff. I woulda been squashed by those guys!" Warmy Cozy paused, then frowned. "Dammit," she said to herself. "I forgot to cover the tunnel. You weren't supposed to come here, but as long as no one else comes--" Eyes from above gazed at the cliff. A bunch of gachagons on the higher-up cliff retreated, seeking out the uncovered tunnel. The sound of more gachagons entering the tunnel penetrated Warmy Cozy's eardrums. "Down..." she sighed.
2022-01-18 00:10:29
Feature Comment
sequiem
CHAPTER 10 Though Warmy Cozy's intentions were to maintain a secret, quiet location to view the fireworks, the curiosity of her fellow gachas ripped that plan to shreds. Every second, another creature exited the secret tunnel. It wasn't even just gachagons; there were bitlings and creatures the group didn't even recognize. The bitlings eagerly slid down the tunnel like dogs running through grass, and continued to romp around on the cliff. The cliff grew more claustrophobic as more creatures slid down the tunnel. Eventually, once the cliff had become just as crowded as the one above, the arrival of new faces slowed. The bustle and chaos of dozens of individuals on a small cliff's edge resonated throughout Snowsboro. Some pushed each other around for space, while others took to the skies and rested on branches. Twig held Alicia close, blanketing her with her massive wings. She kept a close eye on the crowd to make sure no one would mess around with her friend. Warmy Cozy sighed again, sitting on the very edge of the cliff with her head buried in her hands. Then, the noise of the crowd disappeared. The bells of the Snowsboro Clock Tower rang with furor. 12:00. 2022. The entire crowd shouted uniformly, "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Then, the first real firework rose up. It birthed an explosion of colors and lights which slowly descended to the ground. The falling sparkles were like will-o'wisps. Oohs and ahhs filled the air like the fireworks. Blasts of light continued to streak the sky. It was as if all of the stars surrounding the Keep in the sky decided to go supernova all at once. Gachagons cheered, bitlings barked, and gachapanions bustled around in excitement. Alicia dispensed a gachapon ball from in her pouch. Then, she nudged Twig. "Friend?" she asked. Twig cautiously took the ball and opened it to see a tiny Sweet Heart candy. The words "you're awesome" engraved the sweet treat. In response, Twig coughed up a gachapon ball of her own and tapped on Alicia's shoulder. She giddily took the ball and opened it; inside the ebony container was a black cat doll with red dots for eyes. "Friend." Twig added. The mood of the crowd swelled in spite of the lack of space. Everyone was too focused on the allure of the fireworks to care anyways. Every sparkle, boom, and glow in the sky seemed to make the cliff warmer and calmer. And when the final bursts of light made an appearance, that warm tingly feeling lingered for a long time. Long after the lightshow announcing the start of a new year.
2022-01-18 00:10:43
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