The Forest
Ivy, a ring-tailed lemur wearing leather gear and a pair of grass gloves, masterfully made for her by Thorn Rose, dashed throughout the splendorous forest, leaping from tree to tree with her Ivy-ridden tail, eventually landing at a small clearing near the middle of the jungle.
"Mumble? Hey, Mumble you there?" Ivy yelled joyfully, waving her hands in the air to try and gather Mumble's attention. Moments later, a quiet, tall wolf with scruffy fur wearing a leather cloak and boots, and a wooden mask adorned with a blue gem, in a position that almost makes it appear to be an eye- or an aiming assist appeared. The wolf also wields a cane, a crossbow built onto the end of it- a quiver of bolts attached to the wolf's cloak. The wolf calmly and slowly approached Ivy, snatching an apple from a nearby bush as she walked past.
"Hi, Ivy." Mumble spoke in a soft, quiet tone as she waved at Ivy. Ivy soon ran towards her, happy to see her and embracing her in a hug- then speaking soon after,
"Mumble! So…do you know what's been going on with Thorn? She's been really mad lately. Said something about closing off the forest- but she wouldn't do that, that'd be crazy- Right?" Ivy said as a nervous expression formed on her face. For once, carefree Ivy was worried. Mumble raised an eyebrow, confused and somewhat saddened by Ivy's sudden nervousness-
"…No? Why would she…" Mumble replied, puzzled and ultimately deciding to stop and stand in thought for a moment.
Then, she looked at the apple in her hand.
"The fruits. We've been eating too many…I think." Mumble continued as placed the apple back onto the bush she found it on, resting it on the leaves.
"But- that's crazy! She wouldn't close off the whole forest just because of some fruits! We've got friends here- I've got you here! She wouldn't just do that-" Ivy spoke loudly, shocked at Mumble's theory, having known Thorn for a long time compared to the others.
"…She wouldn't just do that, right?" Ivy said, becoming quieter and worried. "She…she wouldn't take me away from you. Or our friends. It's- it's not her. She doesn't do that.
Mumble whimpered slightly. If the forest was closed off, she would have no way of ever seeing Ivy again- and she wasn't particularly fond of how loud the others were, either. She'd be entirely alone.- She didn't want that to happen again.
"Hey- we're gonna be okay. I'll make sure of it." Ivy said as she put a hand on Mumble's shoulder in an attempt to reassure her.
Mumble turned away and looked at the sky,
"…Okay." Mumble then replied in a quiet, anxious tone.
"I'll go try and figure something out with Thorn. You, uh, wait with the others while I talk to her. Stay safe." Ivy said as she went to walk away- before Mumble gestured for her to stop.
"Wait. I…Please, stay safe too. I don't…want to lose anyone again. I don't want to be alone again." Mumble said sadly as she put on her mask to fully cover her face. Ivy turned to look back at her, with a worried and concerned expression.
"Mumble, you can't keep blaming yourself for what happened to them. It wasn't your fault. You won't lose anyone else again. Promise." Ivy replied before leaping away into the treetops, making her way to Thorn Rose. Once she arrived, Thorn was waiting near a large tree with her hammer.
"Thorn! Is it…really true what you said about the forest? I mean, you didn't mean it right?" Ivy said, laughing in attempt to hide her worry. Thorn gave her an angry glare. She was dead serious.
"They're destroying the forest, Ivy. I won't let them kill it." Thorn said in a sure, serious tone.
"But- they're just trying to survive, too! We can just ask them to stop, or hide away some of the fruits- you seriously can't be thinking about closing off the forest!" Ivy said as her worry became visible, yelling at Thorn.
"You don't trust me? You think I'd make a bad decision on this? This is my forest, Ivy. I know what's best for it." Thorn replied as she tightened her grip on her hammer.
"No, please, Thorn- I understand where you're coming from, but this is just- It's wrong! It's completely wrong! You can't just kick them out- You can't just kick Mumble out, Thorn! I love her- more than this stupid forest and more than these stupid fruits! You know why, Rose!? Because she cares about me, and I care about her! I won't let you close off the forest! I can't let you! I made a promise to Mumble that I wouldn't abandon her- I'm not breaking that promise!" Ivy said as tears began to form in her eyes, angrily yelling at Thorn.
Thorn, however, took a step back. She was shocked, her emotions a mixture of surprise and fury- Ivy's love for Mumble was unsurprising, the two were almost always together- but the fact she loves her more than the forest? That she'd give up the entire land just for her? It…sickened Thorn. Almost made her feel guilty, but that guilt was overridden by rage. And soon so was her surprise.
"Ivy, you're betraying me? After EVERYTHING I'VE DONE FOR YOU!? After all I've done for this forest!? After all I've done for everyone!? I helped them, IVY! I tried to help them, but they're rotten! They take and take and never give! I'm doing this for their own good- FOR EVERYONE'S GOOD!" Thorn snapped at Ivy, screaming as she raised her hammer as if to swing it.
"I WON'T LET YOU!" Ivy cried out as she burst into tears, attempting to strike Thorn with her tail- but the last thing she sees before it all goes dark was Thorn's hammer flying into her. When she woke, she was lying on the forest floor in a small, secluded part of the jungle. There was food, and she could easily live there- but when she rolled over to look at the sky, holding her painful wounds from where Thorn had struck her, she saw not a bright, vibrant blue sky filled with joy and sunlight.
She saw darkness. A green, near-unbreakable set of leaves blocking any entry to the forest. By now, Ivy wasn't crying. But as she realized her situation?
She burst into tears. She cried out at the leaves, screaming at the top of her lungs, "MUMBLE! NO, I'M SORRY- PLEASE! NO, NO, NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING! MUMBLE, PLEASE ARE YOU THERE!?" Ivy yelled and screamed, but there was little response other than the sound of wind blowing through the leaves. "PLEASE, PLEASE MUMBLE! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING- THIS- THIS- This…can't be happening…" Ivy's voice lowered and turned hoarse from her screaming, Ivy sitting up and holding her head in her hands as she cried into her hands. "Mumble…I…I'm so sorry…I failed you…I broke the promise…It's all my fault…" Ivy whispered to herself as she cried, before turning to where the sky once was and screaming;
"I COULD'VE FIXED IT! I COULD'VE SAVED YOU! IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" Ivy then lowered her head again, covered her face with her hands and screamed. Then, as she turned to the leaves again, she saw a light.
Not sunlight, nor moonlight.
But the light of her life. And a voice. And footsteps.
Above the leaves, where a large tree's branch escaped the ceiling that blocked off the jungle, stood a small wooden shack where Mumble sat alone, her own small settlement where she would live away from the other survivors, their loudness driving her mad- and her sadness overwhelming her and leading her into isolation. She was in tears. For once, Ivy could here Mumble not mumble, but scream.
She screamed for Ivy. She begged for her to come back to her. She cried for forgiveness, despite having nothing to be sorry for. Then, Ivy cried out back;
"MUMBLE! I'M HERE! IN THE FOREST! PLEASE, I DON'T HATE YOU- YOU DON'T NEED TO APOLOGISE! I'M SORRY! I'M SO SORRY FOR ABANDONING YOU! I- I NEVER WANTED THIS TO HAPPEN!" Ivy said as she climbed the trees up to where she couldn't pass, the leaves blocking her way to Mumble, but still being able to see Mumble through a small crack in the ceiling. Ivy screamed for Mumble, crying and soon gaining a response;
"Ivy?…IVY! Please, PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T EVER LEAVE ME AGAIN!" Mumble cried out, trying to reach for Ivy through the small crack.
"Mumble- It's no use! The- I can't reach you, and you can't reach me. BUT WE CAN HEAR EACHOTHER! SEE EACHOTHER! Mumble, what happened!? What did you Thorn do to you!?" Ivy yelled as Mumble stopped reaching for her.
"She…she threw us all out. Banished us from the forest- We couldn't…we couldn't live in there anymore. There's no food up here, Ivy. She's left- she's left us to die. Ivy..I…I thought you left me. I was so scared. I-I didn't wanna lose you. I really didn't wanna lose you- but…but you're here now." Mumble said as she began to become quieter, wiping tears from her face as Ivy calmed down and stopped crying.
"Yeah…yeah you're right. I'm here now. I didn't ever want to leave you. I would never leave you. I- I love you, Mumble. I really love you. I didn't ever choose to leave you. I'd rather die than not be by your side." Ivy said quietly, Mumble sitting in silence for a moment.
"You…you love me? Ivy, I-" Mumble spoke at a louder volume.
"I love you too- I always have. I…just could never tell you." Mumble continued as she cried slightly- not tears of sadness this time, but of joy.
A Bittersweet joy. They had confessed their love- but were separated.
"Mumble. I'll do everything I can to reach you. I swear." Ivy replied, staring up at the leaves.
Ivy would never let them be separated again.
She would never let someone hurt Mumble like that again.