Sunny stood there speechless, before finally finding the strength to say: "We have to find my father, he's the only one who knows the secret to defeating Princess Grey and reversing all of this!"
It was brightly lit considering how overcast the weather conditions were, however everyone seemed to think that something was off.
"Hmmm..." Sunny wondered "It's usually bustling at this time of day. Where is everyone?"
The sunlight being filtered through the clouds slowly began to dim as they walked through the empty street.
Soon they came across a horrible sight. They found one of the villagers petrified in stone.
Day 25: Mind
"Hello Lottie" The mysterious girl said "I've been waiting for you."
"How do you know my name?" Lottie asked
"I have seen your journey in my mind's eye. My wand has been reaching out to you, while trying to keep my village hidden."
"My father and I have been making preparations to assist you in your quest." She continued "By the way, you can call me Sunny."
Sunny led the group through a curtain of foliage to reveal a hidden glade with a small hamlet inside.
Day 24: Tranquility
One wand to go, Lottie was feeling the pressure to find it before Princess Grey could. Soon, the group started tracking an intermittent signal that led to a hidden oasis in the desert.
"I had no idea this was here." Maxine said
"The signal has disappeared, I can't get a lock on anything." Claire lamented
Lottie spotted someone meditating by a pond, and thought she might be able to help.
The worm charged towards her and tried to break through her shield. This gave everyone else the opportunity to regroup. With the worm distracted, Claire was able to spot a weak point on the back of its head, and with a well placed bolt of electricity, was able to bring it down.
The wand glowed brightly and began to split. The light subsided to reveal two wands resembling a paintbrush and a lollipop. She grabbed both wands and ran outside to assist.
Once out in the street, she immediately sighted the worm, dashing around a few buildings down.
"HEY WORM!" Ingrid yelled "How about taking me on?"
As she shouted, she combined the two wands into a staff, and casted a shield spell.
Day 23: Tank
"This is terrible!" Ingrid lamented "Unless I can get this wand working, that worm is going to get people killed!"
She quickly ran back into her store to find her wand.
"If only I could figure out how to make this thing work! But I can't decide between baking and art!
Why can't I just choose both?"
As soon as she said this, the wand began to glow.
Day 22: Ambush
Painting was interrupted by a sudden earthquake. The girls ran outside to discover it wasn't a seismic event, but a giant subterranean worm monster. It moved faster than you would think, and it could fire deadly laser charges from its central eye. Everyone scrambled for cover. With everyone hiding or protecting themselves from debris, Lottie was unsure how to bring the monster down.
"It looks like something is stopping this wand from taking on it's next form." Claire explained
"Based on my data, wands take on a form that reflects their user. However this wand must be having trouble figuring you out. This warrants further investigation!"
In the back room, behind the bread flour and titanium white, was a wand tied to the surface of a large table. It appeared to be on the verge of transmogrifying itself.
"What is it doing?" Lottie asked
"I have no idea, I found it a while back, but a few days ago, it started doing this." Ingrid replied
Claire stepped in to take a closer look
Inside, they met Ingrid, the shop owner who welcomed them, and asked if they were in need of baked goods or paintings.
"Actually, have you seen any magic stuff lately?" Lottie asked
"Do you have jelly donuts?" Maxine asked
"Are you single?" Delores asked
"To answer your questions..." Ingrid replied "Raspberry or Strawberry jelly? Two, I have a husband, and as for magic stuff, I did come across something weird lately."
She then opened the door to the back and beckoned the group to follow.
Day 18: Dream
With five wands now active, the girls discovered a new spell that could summon a floating crystal castle. It was the same one used generations ago, around the time Delores defeated Princess Grey for the first time.
"Sweet!" Delores exclaimed "Old stomping ground is back!"
For Lottie, this was a dream come true, because affording her studio apartment was becoming more and more impossible every month. Defeating Princess Grey however, would be the next pressing issue.
When the light had dimmed enough for everyone to see again, the wand was sufficiently energized enough to power itself.
"Experiment successful!" Claire said with glee.
Day 17: Paper
After numerous experiments, and with input from everyone else, Claire finally had the data she needed. With the flip a heavy duty switch, machinery started activating, and energy started filling the air. The wand levitated into the air as it began to power up. Soon all the loose papers in the apartment were blown into the vortex of energy. The wand began to glow with a bright intensity before settling down.
"We're looking for wands like these." Lottie said to redirect the conversation
"Ah! you're magic experts! Just what I need! By the way, my name is Claire. Please come in, I could use your expertise on this."
Claire pointed the group to a custom built wand made from spare electronics and an exposed wand core.
"With your help, I could get this to really work." Claire said
They tracked the now faded beam of light to it's unit of origin, approached the door, and knocked lightly. The tenant soon answered the door saying:
"This was just an unexpected misfire, but the data I've gathered is more than valuable enough to cover the costs of..." She paused
"You're not my landlord."
"No we're not." Lottie replied "Did that beam of magic come from your apartment?"
"You're not a cop are you?" She asked
"This outfit doesn't have pockets for a badge." Lottie quipped
(She/Her) Animator + game designer who loves crafting cute, colorful, and magical worlds and characters. Former CNS intern for The Fungies! Views are my own.