The girls remained in the garden, awaiting the return of their Sunset Prince and Sierra. It had been quite some time and neither had returned, causing quite a stir. They decided to take matters into their own paws, to seek out their missing garden-mates.

With rumors flying everywhere, both decided it would be best to go together rather alone. Safety was their main priority, they couldn’t help their friends if they landed themselves in trouble as well. With Hallie’s good eyes, and Cassie’s strong sense of smell they could easily compensate for the other’s short comings and make quick work of finding their garden-mates.

Despite not knowing where to start their search they came across what they were looking for rather quickly. They spotted Sunset Prince’s unique coat from a distance, Cassie went to call out to him when she was quickly stopped by Hallie. The white-coated Dogweed shook her head, something was wrong.

In silence they watched as Sunset Prince began snarling. He hadn’t spotted them yet, but the deranged look in his eye was enough to unsettle them both.

A.) Call out for Sierra instead.
B.) Stay silent, sneak up on him.
C.) Go up to Sunset Prince.

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c

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Moonie

Pegasus proceeded with caution, minding every step he took. As he peeked through the bushes he caught sight of the human, a dark-haired female. She was cooking something, or rather boiling. What it was he couldn’t make out, but it was most definitely the source of the foul scent. He was surprised, usually human food was quite appealing.

She had her hair tied back out of her eyes and seemed to be humming softly as she worked. He grew concerned, humans were not meant to be in this forest in general but they had been specifically banned during the invasion of Mar. Why was she here?

He began to shift his position, eager to get a better vantage point, when the woman spun towards him. In shock she held out a sharpened blade in his direction. She screamed for the intruder to reveal themselves. She parted the bush and revealed him and her expression shifted to glee. She clapped her hands together in delight and leaned down towards him cooing praises. Tears were lining her eyes, threatening to fall at any moment. She mentioned something about another blessing and that she knew her work would be rewarded.

She hurried off to grab a small treat for him and returned just as quickly, extending the food for him to take. This one smelled much better than whatever she had been cooking over the open flame. In fact the offering had a deliciously sweet scent to it.

How does Pegasus react?

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Ianian

The two females neared their garden-mate, eager to greet him though slightly apprehensive. As they drew closer they saw what it was that he was snarling at. It was Sierra. In their confusion they gawked, unable to understand what was happening.

The formerly missing pair were attacking each other, neither saying a word. This no play-fight, their fangs were bared and their thorns aimed to cause real harm. Cassie made the unfortunate mistake of making just the slightest noise as they drew closer to try and get a better view of what was happening.

Both Sierra and Sunset Prince turned in their direction, blank eyes staring at the interruption in their fight. Soon they were barreling towards them, eager to include their garden-mates in the fray as well. It seemed they did not care who was the victim of their violence, so long as they had an outlet to lash out at. Cassie and Hallie had to think fast, their confused friends would reach them any moment.

How do they react to the violent outburst?

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Pegasus was wary of this woman. He didn't know what she was doing here or why, but the words "another blessing" piqued his interest. Another? That meant there had to be a first, and since she was referring to his presence as the blessing he took the educated guess that Ajay was that "first blessing". Pegasus loved treats as much as any Dogweed, but you were never supposed to take treats from strangers, especially highly suspicious ones at that. However, this strangers weakness appeared to be Dogweeds, perhaps he could use that to his advantage and learn more about her.

Pegasus tilts his head to the side showing off his recently torn ear and whimpers, the pain had long gone but she didn't know that. If he could lure her into a false sense of security then he could figure out exactly what was going on. He let his eyes give her the puppy-dog look as his tail wagged slowly, he was giving it all he had in order to appear hurt and seeking comfort.

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they run to the trees hiding in the thick foliage then pause for a moment to recuperate themselves they have never seen sunset or sierra act like that to them after a few minutes of planning they figure out their plan

they wait for the rabid like dogweed to find them and the sane two immediately knock them out using a fat tree trunk, this gives them time to rest and maybe sunset and sierra will find themselves again in the morning

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Moonie

At first the woman seemed pleased that Pegasus was reacting so warmly to her, not trying to escape as the others had before him. Gently she stroked at the torn edges of his ears, she seemed rather upset by it all as if it was a familiar sight.

“Oh you poor lost lamb. You’re broken just like my son then. No.. not quite as badly I suppose,” she seemed to drift into thought as she said the words, “But it’s okay. He’ll be better now, and you shall be too.” Her eyes widened as she realized she had left her fire unattended.

“Wait here little friend,” she whispered before turning to attend to the bubbling iron pot that sat atop an open campfire she had created. The fire roared powerfully, it was well fed. She obviously knew her way around a flame. She hummed gleefully as she scraped the bottom of the pot to mix the contents.

Pegasus took the chance to peer into the bubbling brew and saw a glimse of what was held within. Shadow-snakes, or at least the remaining essence of them. They had been melted down to nothing but a dark ink-like liquid. He watched in disgust as she strained out their skeletons.

“No no little friend, you can’t come here. Your kind gets sick when you get too close to these fumes. I wouldn’t want you to turn like the other friend,” she shook her head mournfully while holding a bandage that was tightly wound around her injured hand, “I still haven’t figured out what to do with her..”

She sighed heavily in disappointment, “It’s a pity but what’s done is done, and it had to be done. How else was I to get the tree’s approval? I tried so many times… That wretched old man refused to let me try anymore! Who was he to say I was unworthy? If he had just listened, my cause was a thousand times more worthy than everyone else’s. Why wouldn’t he just--” she interrupted herself as her face was turning to a sour grimace filled with malice. Instantly she tweaked her expression into a gentle smile, “It doesn’t matter anymore. I now have two blessings and soon to be many more now that I’ve proven myself worth to the Great Tree!”

She turned to look at him once more, upset to see his eyes betray a hint of concern. The dark haired woman reached into her rucksack and pretended to fiddle with it with her back turned to him, only whip around the second he started to back away. In her hand was a length of rope. She made quick work of restraining Pegasus before his quick feet could carry him away.

"You can't leave. I need you.. If I don't- If I don't-" her eyes were now red with tears, she seemed simultaneously rage-filled and horrified by her own actions. Once she had properly tied Pegasus up she used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears, fortifying her resolve.

"You'll forgive me one day little friend, you'll be so happy," She seemed to say the words more to herself than to him though.

You have found the following items:
- Intel (2 event points)


Pegasus has been trapped. His story is temporarily on hold until one of the currently running story lines picks back up with him.

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Sorry i'm taking so long to reply to my turns! I had a competition that lasted the entire day, along with other things~

Alcaeus approaches the girl curiously, greeting her with a sort of familiarity and hoping she remembered him and his unique blue pelt from their last encounter. He wondered why she was here again, and what was so important to be in the forest while it was dangerous.

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Ianian

The girls were horrified at the behavior, but had no time to waste by panicking. Thanks to their quick thinking they managed to not only escape but subdue their attackers. With both Sierra and Sunset Prince incapacitated the girls had a moment to breathe. The hard work had just begun.

Hallie and Cassie grabbed their gardenmates by the scruff of their necks and slowly made progress dragging them back towards the gardens. Neither said it, but both were secretly terrified this change might be permanent. Soon they had reached the clearing where the Great Ribbon Tree stood and decided to stop for a break.

In the distance they could see Mar still tightly coiled around the trunk. She still hadn’t roused from the most recent attacks. They wondered if anything would go back to normal... Things just seemed to be taking a turn for the worse.

Hallie stood guard over the bodies of their friends while Cassie went off to see if she could find something to help their cause. She returned with some mint for when the injured pair awoke, and a large stick to bash them upside the head in case either one of them decided to have another episode.

For now all they could do was wait and hope for the best. Both stood vigilant, ready to hand out naps again. These were no damsels in distress, that was for sure.

You have found the following items:
- Mint (1)
- Teething stick (1)
(Why the battle items you say? What use do they have now that the battle is over? Hush V: just trust Catty.)

Sunset Prince, Sierra, Hallie, and Cassie's story is temporarily on hold until one of the currently running story lines catches up with them.

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Heya, Vega! No prob, you weren't slow to respond. I was busy trying to keep up with everyone today anyways xD Did your competition go well?

I'll respond to you tomorrow if you don't mind waiting.

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Alrighty! We're officially wrapping up! Get ready for some long post as I wrap up the loose ends of our events story. You are more than welcome to skip the wordy posts if you don't particularly care about backstory. I'll let you all know when the shop has opened.

Ending Part 1
The young girl’s eyes were alight with joy as she spotted Alcaeus. She recognized him immediately and flung her arms around him just as she had done a few nights before. She scratched the back of his ears, then looked down and grabbed his scarred paw. Her little hands could barely reach around his wrist joint.

“Y-you didn’t have this before did you?” She looked distraught, as if it was her fault that it had happened to him. She looked nervously at her own feet for a few moments lost in thought, then plopped down on the soft earth beside him. Her forehead scrunched as she tried to suppress the thoughts that she wished to say aloud. Confused and curious, but not wishing to push the girl, Alcaeus sat at her side quietly. She buried her face in his plush coat and could no longer stop the tears that had threatened to fall.

Their reunion was interrupted by the sound of a large man calling out loudly as he made his way towards them. He seemed temporarily distracted by a bramble that had caught his ankle, but then turned his eyes onto them. The girl looked shocked and Alcaeus was quick to stand between them for her protection. The man stood at full height and grabbed the nearest branch, swatting it wildly at Alcaeus in a fashion not so dissimilar to the way the girl had done a few nights before.

“You stay away from her,” he yelled while moving closer “Ava, come here!” Alcaeus snarled back, caustic sap dripping from his fangs. Both were ready to jump at the other when the girl forced her way between them. She leapt into the man’s arms and he dropped his weapon to catch her.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” She mumbled between heavy sobs, “Please don’t hurt him, he’s nice! He’s my friend! He helped me when Mama- When Mama-“ the man gingerly pet her back trying to calm his frantic child, “I wanted to bring her back, I thought maybe if I came here she’d stop, but she just got worse.. I didn’t want to help her, but she told me if I did he would get better and we could all be together as a family again.”

The girl’s father grabbed her by the shoulders and stared her straight in the eyes, his expression stern.

“Honey, he’s not coming back. He’s gone. He was too sick, there was nothing you, your mother, nor anyone else could have done to save him. These creatures they’re…” he stared at Alcaeus, never seeing a Dogweed in person before and obviously entranced by his unique pelt, “Whatever the stories say about them, they can’t bring him back. I don’t mean to speak ill of your mother, but she was wrong to hit you, and the things she’s done… She needs help, Ava. We need to bring her home, but that’s not something you should have come out here to do on your own”

“I’m not on my own, Mr. Blue is here,” Alcaeus cocked his head to the side and snorted at his strange nickname. She sniffled while clearing away the tears then pat her self-proclaimed friend on his back.

“That doesn’t count.”

“Maybe he can help! Can you help us find Mama?” from her pocket the young human pulled a scarf with the scent of another female on it. The man seemed reluctant to accept the help, but ultimately assented. Alcaeus took one sniff of the scarf and instantly recalled the scent. He had smelled it very faintly throughout the forest, too weak to insight a reaction in him before.

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Ending Part 2
Pegasus struggled in vain against the restraints that bound him. He could still smell the vapor reaching closer and already he felt it clouding his thoughts. He had to escape before they took hold of him and drove him to insanity. He thrashed wildly but the metal twine had no give to it. This would not be the end of him, he refused to quit. The woman could hear his resistance and was making her way towards him, knife in hand, ready to teach him submissiveness like she had with the other. He growled, though his bravery was beginning to wane.

Just as she was drawing near another human stumbled into the clearing. No two, an adult and a child. Great, more humans. Luckily for Pegasus his kin was amongst them, though he worried that that he too may have been captured. Pegasus whined, trying to warn his brother of the dangers of this place. Alcaeus’ eyes caught sight of him but instead of escaping he moved deeper into the woman’s camp towards his captured comrade.

“Cora how.. What have you done?” the man looked absolutely appalled. He moved with Alcaeus at his side and began undoing the restraints. The woman tried to pull him off but he refused to acknowledge her.

“No! I worked so hard to get him! Stop! Stop, you’ll ruin everything! He’s the only chance we have to fix—“

“Cora, he’s dead,” the man no longer restrained his tone, whipping around to face her. His young daughter flinched as she wasn’t used to seeing her father so angry. The man tried to calm himself before continuing for their daughter’s sake “Our son is gone. If you hadn’t wasted your time on this.. this insanity you would have been there at his side when he passed.”

“But I—but the tree gave me its blessing.. I..”

“Blessing? What kind of blessing is this? This isn’t your Dogweed, this is some poor creature you’ve captured. Do you think the tree would reward you for cruelty?”

“You’re wrong! I killed her enemies! I torched the evil serpent’s lair so that they wouldn’t blight the land anymore... I proved myself worthy! ”her voice was a high pitched panicked shriek at this point, “I have two now, the tree never gave me a single one before no matter how many ribbons I tied and now I have two. Surely that is proof enough that what I did wasn’t wrong.” The little human was now rubbing the sore spots where the restraints had dug themselves into Pegasus’ hide, trying her best not to show fear at the fighting. Alcaeus stood at Pegasus’ side, helping him onto his feet.

“The only thing you did was anger an ancient being, and destroy the balance of my forest,” at the sound of another voice everyone turned. An old man seemed to have appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He leaned down and scratched the two Dogweeds under their chins, then pressed his forehead against each in greeting as if apologizing for his temporary disappearance.

“You! I thought you were-“

“Dead? Oh no. It’ll take a lot more than that to kill me,” a grin curled across the older man’s face.

“If you had only let me tie more ribbons none of this would have happened. I wouldn’t have had to hurt anyone.. I would eventually be blessed and my baby would have been saved.”

“You could have tied a thousand ribbons but the tree would still have refused you. They are not some holy miracles that would have saved your child. The only thing they could offer you was companionship to ease the pain, but that’s not what you were looking for and the Tree knew it,” at his words the woman sunk to her knees.

“I assure you the Great Tree would not have been happy to see another forest dweller so cruelly treated, enemy or not. Mar is an old friend despite her poor temper. Thanks to you the animosity that had long since been forgotten has been roused again, their kind sees the Dogweeds as enemies once more and are out for vengeance,” from his pocket the Dogweed-tender pulled a small bit of bark from the Great Ribbon Tree and held it under Pegasus’ nose. The painful fog that had clouded his mind began to lift. Pegasus wagged his tail slowly to show his friend that he was alright.

“Mama come home, please,” the girl reached her hand out to her mother and the woman, now pale-faced in realization, took it. Her husband helped her up onto her feet, his face worn with disappointment.

“You may take her home, get her the help she needs,” the old man’s words were directed at the male human at first. He then leaned down to stare the woman in the eyes, she tried to cast them down at the floor to avoid his gaze but he gently lifted her head up by the chin, “There is no such thing as true evil, Mar is not evil because she is vengeful, you are not evil for your cruel mistakes. You have darkness in your heart, but you yourself are not evil. However, for your actions I cannot let you return to this place. You are barred from our forest, should you step so much as a foot back into the woods I will not be so merciful.”

The woman nodded, ready to return home to see her son one last time. She seemed to finally realize the damage she had done. Though her husband said nothing, his eyes spoke volumes. Relief was etched on his countenance and his eyes shimmered with tears. Silently he nodded his thanks to the Dogweed-tender and an apology to the Dogweeds that had all suffered so much thanks to the selfishness of their family. The young girl hugged Alcaeus once more, whispering “Good boy,” in his ear before the three of them returned home.

“Well now, I think it’s about to fix this mess, don’t you?” the old man looked at both the Dogweeds at his side before they too ventured into the forest to return home. On their way home the caretaker woke many confused Dogweeds from the effects of the poisonous vapors released by the burning of shadow-snakes. His heart ached for the suffering Ajay went through, and felt the pang of guilt seeing how brutally Sunset Prince and Sierra had attacked one another. He stroked Tarul who showed him just how desperate the woman had been by revealing the hundreds of fake ribbons she had tried tying in desperation to a false tree.

Regardless, it was all over now.

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Part 3 (Final)
The old man stood before the massive tree, staring at Mar whose eyes still remained tightly shut.

“You look awful,” he said after the long silence. The snake used the last of her strength to hiss at him.

“At least I don’t look as old as you do, Cypress.”

“You know I don’t go by that name anymore.”

“Ah yes, you’ve demoted yourself to the ‘Tender of Dogweeds’ or whatever title it was you settled on.”

“I quite like it to be honest, and I wouldn’t be so quick to disrespect my little friends after they whooped you so badly,” he laughed jovially as he inspected her wounds. At the Dogweed-tender’s words Mar grunted refusing to acknowledge how badly she had been beaten, “I tried to warn you. I said they would never stand for it. You should have just been patient and trusted me.”

“I couldn’t wait anymore, she was burning my children,” this time it was the tender who grunted, he seemed disappointed at how long it took him to fix the problem.

“Either way, you can’t stay here. You have to leave. This is their home, not yours. I have made a new home for you, go there and leave this grudge behind. You may have been hurt on their behalf, but you also caused pain. Don’t be stubborn about this, go to your new home and let’s leave it at that.”

“This isn’t over,” she spat while slithering away. Though Cypress wanted to point out that it was indeed over as his friends would likely defeat her again if she ever made another attempt at usurping their place, but decided to drop the subject.

Exhausted he laid beneath the tree, stroking each of his old friends that joined him, “I’m sorry it took me so long. I’m finally home and I’m so proud of you all.”

-end-

Final post points
Ajay: +2 event points during incapacitated turn.
Zek: +2 event points for Finding Ajay.
Alcaeus: +2 event points for bring the lost girl and her father to the mourning mother and an extra +2 because you never got points for your last turn finishing.
Tarul: +2 for discovering the false ribbons tied by the mourning mother.
Pegasus: +2 for information gathered in the camp.
Cassie and Hallie: +2 for quick thinking and breaking up the fight between Sierra and Sunset Prince

It's been a pleasure doing this event with you all! Thank each and every one of you for participating. I'll be posting up the event shop as soon as I finish some art that goes with it and make sure all my math was correct.

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It’s been awesome! Round of applause to catty for managing the event despite the crazy week lol the storyline was also very engaging so kudos for that as well!

I never used my sweet treat, does that turn into event points too or are all the event items saved for another event?

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Oh my this must have taken ages! It's so well done! The entire event was amazing! Thank you so much for doing this! The lore, the history, the story, it's all so rich and vibrant!

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