It was a lovely, sunny summer day. The sun shone between the branches of the trees and the birds chirped happy little tunes. A breeze shook the long blades of grass that resided in Wirt and Greg's backyard. Greg pranced around the yard cheerfully, but Wirt sat on the porch, leaning against the railing banister. He wasn't as happy as his younger brother. He was remembering what had happened earlier that year, during that freezing, windy, storming autumn. Specifically, he was remembering who had happened that autumn.
Beatrice.
Where had she gone? Where had the Unknown gone? What exactly was the Unknown?
Wirt still wasn't sure. Had it all been a dream? Had it been an odd unconscious hallucination? Or had it been real? Jason Funderburker (the frog)'s stomach still glowed when you shook him, as if he had eaten the magical bell. Both Wirt and Greg had the same memories of the Unknown, and it's extremely unusual for people to share dreams, so it all being a dream was unlikely. Wirt's personal theory was that they actually had been trapped in a magical world (the Unknown), and when Wirt and Greg had both believed in finding home and once they had both fulfilled their wishes by making sacrifices for each other, some kind of portal had opened up and let them go back home.
He thought it was real.
He knew it was real.
But... Beatrice. How could he get back to her? That was the main thing on his mind, and that was the one thing that he wanted most. Even if he had to see her once and then die, he would do it. He would give his life just to see her.
"Greg, I'll be back," he called to his younger brother.
"OKAY!"
As Wirt climbed over the cemetery's wall, he glanced behind him.
I'll be back, Greg. Don't you worry. And this time, I'll make it quick.
He launched himself over the wall before he could change his mind. He sprinted into the woods until he didn't recognize anything, and then he stopped. He closed his eyes and raised his face to the sky.
"Please let me go back. Just for a little bit."
He stood there for a little while, thinking of Beatrice, wishing as hard as he could that some force would let him back into the Unknown.
"Just for a little bit."
He slowly opened his eyes and waited for them to adjust to the light. Then, he walked farther forward calmly, taking in his wooded surroundings. Everything was dim, because the trees covered up the sunlight somewhat. The brush was thick and the grass was long. A pond with cattails surrounding it sat in the middle of a nearby clearing. He walked along, glancing around him as he walked, not looking in front of him.
"Oof!"
He fell over from the impact of bumping into... Something...
"OW!" Someone else exclaimed.
"Sorry, sorry," Wirt muttered, dusting off his dirt-stained jeans.
"It's- Wirt?"
"Who are you?"
"How did you come back? Why did you come back? Where's Greg? Where did you come from? Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, ohmigosh, Wirt! I always knew you would come back! I always- Oh, I'll shut up!"
She leapt onto him and hooked her arms around his neck. She was... hugging him?
"I still don't know who you are!" Wirt cried.
"Let me give you a hint: I'm your best friend, dunce!"
"Beatrice?"
She continued hugging him.
...And he hugged her back.
It was a lovely summer day to the two of them.
