"So... Are there more guardians like you, Toki?"
Rosy asked while we all were on our way to wherever the fourth piece was.
"Yeah, of course there are! Like the Whisper Shades or me, but I'm the guardian of the WHOLE forest. So of course I had to explore to see what I guard, and I met the other guardians as well."
Toki explained.
"Oh, looks like the forest likes to create living things!"
Rosy said excitedly.
"I like that"
"Me too! Where are we going right now anyway?"
I added to the conversation.
"Oh, into a water"
"WHAT?! Again???"
Toki jumped out of the tree she was climbing on and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Noo, don't worry! It won't whisper lies! And you all will be able to breathe, I'll create bubbles for you."
"Then what is there?"
I asked, looking at Toki.
"The fourth piece is in a glass ball guarded my two axolotls! But they aren't ordinary axolotls. They are Deepkin, guardians of the fourth piece, as I said."
Toki explained as calm as she could.
"But, I have to warn you, they'll ask questions, and if you'll pass, you can have the piece."
"And if I won't?"
"Then.... You'll both have to stay in this human bodies FOREVER. But for now..."
As Toki said it, she leaded us to a small river.
"It's time to bubble!"
We all giggled, and then Toki stepped in front of everyone and for each one she created a bubbles around our heads.
Then—
We jumped.
And swam
deeper,
deeper,
deeper,
And then we saw a glass ball inside which was the fourth piece. The ball was on a stand the same size as the ball, but taller.
I swam first.
And when I raised my hand to touch the glass—
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! Hold on right there! Do NOT touch that!"
And a blue axolotl swam in between me and the ball. And she looked very angry.
Then Toki stepped (or swam) closer to us, nervous, but acting nice.
"Hheeeeyyyy, Lochi! Nice to see you! It was such a loong time, so please don't mind my friends!"
I backed a little, making enough room for Toki and Lochi who looked more confused then angry now.
"Wait, Toki?! What do you mean— you have friends? Since when!"
She said.
"Since yesterday night but DON'T MIND THAT—"
"YESTERDAY NIGHT! You don't trust anyone and you made friends with a bunch of weird humans IN A LESS THAN A DAY?!"
"WEIRD HUMANS?! HOW DARE YOU, I'M NOT EVEN A HUMAN!!"
I yelled, but I quickly covered my mouth after that. But it was too late...
Silence.
Then—
"Not even a human?"
Lochi asked, not angry at all.
"...That explains why you're here. Pink, we have some guests!"
Then some pink axolotl swam beside Lochi.
"Huh? Guests? Is someone half-animal again??"
Instaed of Lochi, I tried to explain.
"Well, not only me! My friend Kai was swapped too a little longer ago than me and when we learned about all this forest and magic—"
"YOU AND KAI?!?!"
Lochi and Pink yelled at the same time.
"Seems like a double questions, sis..."
Lochi whispered to Pink.
Time for the questions. Lochi started. I answered.
"Do you even know what you seek?"
"Well, yeah."
"Are you prepared for what's above the water?"
"Well, kinda"
"Do you trust your friends to help you?"
"Of course! They're my friends"
This time Pink asked.
"Why should the forest trust you?"
"Well, I kinda don't really know... But Toki once said the forest trusts only those who tells the truth so..."
"Have you ever truly faced fear before?"
"...Yeah"
"Do you even know what fear is?"
"Yes, when you're really afraid to do or say something..."
This time Lochi.
"What does 'home' mean to you?"
"...Everywhere where I feel save or loved or both"
"If you fail, will you accept the consequences?"
"Of course I'd try.."
"Do you regret your choices, or are you ready to live with them?"
"...I'm always trying to not regret the bad choices, because that already happened and I can fix it by the good ones later.."
"Alright....
Would you sacrifice yourself for someone else?"
I was quiet.
Everyone looked at me.
And I nodded slowly.
Then Lochi and Pink whispered to themselves something, and then Pink turned. But then—
Pink handed me the ball.
Everyone quietly gasped.
"Oh my— are you serious?! I passed?!"
I asked.
"You are worthy of this piece. You deserve it, feel free to break the glass to get it, okay?"
Pink said, smiling.
And then—
I took the ball.
And I was proud and ready for anything that awaited me next.