Forbidden Fruit

Chapter 7: The Voice of Nature

"Girls, in today's class, you need to learn to listen to the voice of nature."

Fantastic. Today is Professor Palladium's nature class. We're currently on a field trip in the Black-Mud Swamp. According to Professor Palladium's instructions, we are supposed to get to the clearing of Gloomy-Wood forest. Seems simple, right? Wrong. There's always a catch when things look too easy. First of all, none of us actually know where the clearing is. Second of all, we are not allowed to use any magic to find our way there. We're supposed to "listen to the voice of nature." In other words, have nature itself guide us to the clearing. The problem is that I've never felt any connection with nature. Good thing that it's a team assignment, or I wouldn't know what to do... Besides, I really don't want to fail and disappoint Professor Palladium. Not that he'd judge me for it, but I really want to impress him.

"Professor Palladium! A mosquito bit me!"

This whiny voice... I know too well who it belongs to. It's Francine, a fairy with long reddish brown hair. She's always complaining about something.

"Yes, well we are near a swamp and it's only a mosquito, no big deal."

You tell her, Professor!

"But it bit me right here..."

I can't believe her! She just lifted up her super short shorts and pointed at a mosquito bite up her thigh. Doesn't she even have any bit of decency?

"Well... I... Uh... What I meant was..."

Professor Palladium is all flustered. Most of the fairies start giggling. Why do they have to give Professor Palladium such a hard time? I glare at them, and they instantly stop. They then turn around, trying ignore my glare. All the fairies know what I am. None of them dares to directly confront me, even though I'd never hurt any of them. Not intentionally, at least...

"Poor Professor..."

Bloom says to us. I nod. Stella then joins in.

"If he were more confident, he'd gain more respect."

I want to say something back to Stella, telling her that it's wrong, but... I know she's right. Professor Palladium brushes the fairies' teasing off like he always does, instead of reprimanding it head on, and continues on with his explanation. He then disappears in a flash of light, leaving us to our assignment.

"So where do we start?"

Musa looks at all of us. Bloom then points at the swamp to our left.

"Let's go over there."

Since none of us had any other ideas, we decide to follow Bloom.

"Ugh! This feels really nasty. I keep sinking in more and more."

Stella is right about sinking in. The muddy swamp was now up to my thighs.

"What's that weird smell?"

Bloom innocently asks. I start sniffing the air. This is...! I look at the swamp and notice bubbles forming up.

"Girls, we need to get out of here! Now!"

At the alarming tone of my voice, the fairies all get out of the swamp as fast as they can. That smell is definitely gas.

"Let's see what that bubble holds."

Bloom, after everyone was out of the swamp, takes a small branch and throws it at one of the bubbles. It explodes and blue gas escapes it in a straight line. Its pressure is pretty strong for it to shoot up like this.

"If we had stayed even a second longer in there, we would've been deep fried."

Musa exclaims. Good thing we got out then. This is not the way I want to go...