This was a narrative I (Forbidden Lloyd) wrote for an LA narrative assignment last month. Enjoy!
Once again, in the moss-covered walls and grassy floors of the Earth Tower, the students, all wearing their black and amber standard Academy outfits as well as their pointed black and amber-trimmed wizard hats, were listening to Florian talk about Earth Magic again. Well, except for Kaiden Greenshine, a boy of a tan skin tone, head laid down in his arms, almost inaudibly snoring. “If one element were to….” Florian paused, turning his attention to the sleeping wizard. “Kaiden.” The black-haired wizard, aroused by his name, looked up at the green-skinned fairy, a bored expression evident within his cyan-colored eyes. The 24 other students in the class turned their heads to the wizard, wondering what would happen next. “Kaiden, instead of giving you today’s homework assignment, I want you to watch the keystones for two hours after class,” Florian sighed.
“Sure, whatever,” was Kaiden’s blunt response before laying his head back on the desk.
Florian facepalmed. “That doesn’t mean you can go back to sleep.”
After class had ended, students flocked out of the classroom with their friend groups. Kaiden went straight to the Great Hall, where the keystones were kept. The green, cyan, grey, orange, and blue gems glowed brightly on their respective stone pedestals, each representing a different element. However, none of them were as bright as the bright blue half-orb between them, surrounded by a five-pointed, yellow star, each point touching a different pedestal. Kaiden stared at the gems, disinterested. Why does he want me to watch these? It’s not like anyone’s going to steal them, he thought as he put his headphone and red-tinted visor set on underneath his standard Academy wizard hat, immediately immersing himself in a video game. An hour and a half later, it was lifted off by someone other than him.
A boy with dark brown hair, amber eyes, and a light-tan skin tone held Kaiden’s visor in both hands, a concerned expression on his face: Lloyd Goldenmaster. “Kaiden, you’re supposed to be watching the keystones, right?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Kaiden responded.
“Then...where’s the Earth keystone?”
“What do you mean, Lloyd? It’s right…,” Kaiden trailed off, leaning to the left, peering around Lloyd’s right arm. Storm, Ice, Fire, Water...wait where’s Earth? Kaiden jumped up. “THE EARTH KEYSTONE IS MISSING!” he exclaimed, panicking.
“Why don’t you just tell Florian the Earth Keystone is missing?” Lloyd asked.
“Florian would kill me if he found out I lost it!” Kaiden exclaimed.
“You don’t know that.”
Can you just help me find it? We find it and place it on its pedestal, before Florian notices, bam!”
“Fine...let’s make it quick, I have homework,” Lloyd sighed exasperatedly.
Just then, Florian walked into the room. Kaiden scrambled in front of the earth pedestal, trying to hide the fact that the keystone was missing.
“I hope all is well, Kaiden,” the green-skinned fairy said to the nervous wizard.
“Y-yes all is well,” Kaiden replied, nervously smiling.
“Well actually-” Lloyd was cut off as Kaiden slapped his hand over the former’s mouth.
“All. Is. Well,” Kaiden said through gritted teeth, forcing a smile.
Florian raised an eyebrow before turning around and walking back to the classroom. “If you say so.” When Florian was out of sight, Kaiden exhaled and began to inspect every area of the room, in search of the keystone but to no avail.
“Maybe it’s in Firefly Forest?” Lloyd suggested, “Last time the keystones were scattered, the Earth Keystone went there.”
“Sure, let’s search there!” Kaiden replied. We’ll get that keystone back in no time!
The two pulled out their maps and teleported to Firefly Forest. Around them, fireflies excitedly flitted about in multicolored trees and down the several grassy paths up ahead, rustles in between the trees. “The keystone could be anywhere,” Lloyd sighed, “Well let’s get to it.”
The group searched for the green gem for hours. They looked under bushes, in the stone fish statue on the edge of the forest’s lake, and the treetops, but to no avail. The two wizards, exhausted, sat down, leaning on a tree with pink leaves, the sky currently being a shade of pink. “The keystone has got to be around here somewhere…,” Kaiden breathed heavily. The rustling in the trees intensified.
“Is it just me or is the rustling getting louder?” Lloyd inquired.
“It’s probably just a squirrel or something,” Kaiden replied.
“Yeah, probably.”
Kaiden stood up. “So let's go find the keystone.”
Lloyd slowly turned his head to Kaiden. “T-that wasn’t...me who said that.”
“Wait, then who…,” Kaiden trailed off as another figure emerged from the shadows of the trees. The figure had hovering wood-like hands as well as glowing, yellow eyes within the shadows of a purple cloak with a red stripe decorated with yellow swirls going down the center of it.
The figure held out its left hand, purple energy swirling around it. The two startled wizards were then trapped inside a faintly glowing purple cage. The figure then pulled the cloak off of its head, revealing a wood-like facial structure with yellow eyes, large black pupils, and a grinning mouth. “Pippet?” Kaiden said, in an unbelieving and shocked tone.
Pippet grinned evilly. “You know, I always wanted to fulfill Master’s purpose, but never knew how to go about it-”
“Well, I’d say you’re starting to be like the Puppet Master. After all, you can’t resist a villainous monologue,” Kaiden snickered, interrupting Pippet.
“SILENCE!” Pippet exclaimed. “Anyway, after hearing you say that you were trying to find the lost Earth Keystone, I figured, ‘Hey that’s one down! Might as well take control of the Earth Tower.’ After all, by losing the keystone, you drained Florian’s power by losing it. After that, the rest of the towers. Finally, the Academy! And you know who caused it all? You,” Pippet cackled as he walked off in the darkness of the night. Kaiden winced at the last remark, shoulders sagging.
Kaiden slumped down in the corner of the cage. “He’s right. It is my fault. If I had paid attention to the keystones like Florian asked me to, we wouldn’t be here right now and Pippet wouldn’t be able to take over the Earth Tower.” He buried his head in his knees.
“You know one thing about you? You’re stubborn. You won’t let a wooden puppet get you down, will you?” Lloyd said. He held out his hand to Kaiden. Kaiden looked up at Lloyd and down at his hand before grabbing it and standing up, grinning determinedly. “Now let’s break out of this cage.” Both wizards held up their hands, upper arms horizontally, elbows bent so that the forearms were vertical, amber particles of pure Astral energy swirling around them. They thrust their arms forward, an amber beam of light bursting from both of their hands and smashing into the bars of the cage. Cracks began to spiral up the bars and eventually spread throughout the cage. The cage shattered, its pieces dissolving back into purple-colored particles of energy. The two cheered before heading back to the Academy.
Pippet thrust open the doors of the Academy, walking towards the Keystones. Lloyd and Kaiden ran down the corridor to the Great Hall. Pippet turned around. “Huh. So you got out? No matter. The Keystones are as good as…,” Pippet trailed off as he heard a click behind him. He turned around, staring into the bright orange eyes of Florian, who was hovering next to the keystones on the pedestals each emitting a glow of their respective colors, illuminating the room.
Cyan, grey, orange, blue...wait, green? Kaiden thought, confused. But…
“B-but...it can’t be…,” Pippet stuttered. Florian stared intently at the puppet, entangling him by the torso and hands with vines. Kaiden looked at the Earth Keystone then back at Florian.
“W-where’d you find it?” the wizard inquired.
“Kaiden, I took it,” the fairy replied.
“Responsibility and admitting to your actions are important, Kaiden,” Lloyd said.
“You knew too?” Kaiden gaped at Lloyd. Lloyd nodded.
“Honestly, I didn’t expect that Pippet would get involved, but hey, we learned our lessons,” Florian said. Pippet muttered something about “plans” and “foiled”.
“I-I’m really sorry. I should have taken the task you gave me seriously and admitted to losing it in the first place,” Kaiden apologized.
“No harm done,” Florian replied. “Anyway, I think it’s time for you two boys to head back home while I figure out what to do with him,” Florian said, gesturing to Pippet.
“Thanks, Florian. See you tomorrow!” Kaiden said. Both boys waved goodbye to Florian before departing.