((Julie's point of view))
Being least talented is tough. While the rest of my family was into things like magic and sword fighting, I was your average fanfic writer and artist. And that was all I did for the longest time. Not to mention my sister Jo was way better at everything I'm good at, and I had very few friends, all of them I suspected were fake. They all used my magical heritage to impress their friends, along with conning me out of my money.
one day, my grandpa, a powerful sorcerer, performed a very dangerous spell, and It killed him. I was devastated, but little did I know his death changed my entire life. In his will, he wrote that my sister got 75 percent of his riches, while I got the rest, along with his massive library. It was filled to the brim with spell books, tomes, magical artifacts, fairy tales, but what warmed my heart was 6 different books. All were written by me.
I noticed a note on the front cover of my proudest book, "tale of the Quistians". It said:
"Turn me into something that will make you happy."
That's when my life changed for the better.
That night, I went to my grandfather's library, seeking a book on how to turn souls into something new, then I found one. I flipped through the pages, the rustling of paper filling the otherwise silent air. I saw a spell that told me how to turn a character from a book into a real person by splitting a soul into parts. I bookmarked the page, and grabbed my stories before running up the stairs to the spell tower. It was still a bit dirty up there from the explosion spell, but it was otherwise intact. I got everything set up, before opening "Nyla and the 7 chakras".
I took in a deep breath, reciting the spell.
"...souls and sadness are the most powerful tools of creation!" I finished. I waved my wand at the floor. Blue lightning shot from my hand, the shoes of a character I love with all my heart manifesting. My eyes widened as the bottom of the cat onesie started to appear, the spell slowly making its way upward. Finally, her cat ears flicked as the spell finished. Nyla was complete. Her orange eyes opened, darting around, panicked. They eventually landed on me, making me cower.
"Who are you?! What have you done to me?!" Nyla shouted. I simply showed her the book she came from. She took the book from my hand, slowly flipping through it.
"How did you know about all this?" She questioned.
"Because I created you. You're my character, one of my favorites! My grandfather told me to reincarnate him into something that would make me happy. So I made you!"
Nyla gave me a puzzled look when she saw the rest of my books. "What are those for?"
I picked up the next book, "fish flames and flowers", and recited the spell. The lightning burst from my hand, creating two sets of webbed feet, transitioning to a large lioness, with glowing water for a long mane that sparkled in the starlight. Macha, my first ever character. I didn't start writing about her until recently, but she was my first, Nyla was my second. I recited the spell again, and again, creating the four other characters destined to be my friends.
I began with Notme, the sleep deprived, depressed blue boy that I love with every ounce of my being. He's just like me. His crown glimmered, his tan skin just as I imagined it.
Then came Draco, a member of a species I made at school for class. His cyan fur was soft as a kitten, his wings and scales blue as the ocean. His large nose was as black as the night sky. His purple eyes glittered.
Next was Florence, my fox security guard hybrid. His orange tail flicked with confusion, his ears folded.
Finally was Violet, a purple rabbit folk who was taller than me. Her indego hair was short and thin.
"Who are you?!" They each shouted at me.
"I'm Julie, your creator. My grandpa died, and I inherited his spell collection so I could bring you guys to life. You're from my stories." They looked at each other in sadness.
"So everything we've ever experienced was fake?" Florence asked. "We're all just from a story?"
"Not entirely fake." I handed them each the book they came from, to which they smiled as their eyes widened. They flipped through the pages.
Nyla abruptly hugged Macha.
"I remember you, watermon!" She exclaimed. Macha gasped excitedly.
"You too, Nyla! But my name isn't watermon anymore. It's Macha."
I was confused before I recalled how they used to be in the same story, before I split them up.
"So Julie, why are we here?" Notme asked.
"To be my friends! Everyone at school always used me for my magic." I replied. "I just wanted a few people who didn't." They looked at each other with a pitiful look. Then Violet smiled at me.
"I'll be your friend! You seem pretty cool." She exclaimed. Everyone else nodded in agreement.
I yawned, realizing how tired I was.
"You guys wanna get out of here?" I asked. "There's a couple of rooms in the library you can stay in."
I led them down the long spiral staircase, into the large library. There was a balcony with 5 rooms on the third story.
"Take your pick on which room, just know someone has to share. It's not really a problem, there's two beds in each." I mentioned.
"I'll share with Macha." Nyla said.
"I guess I'll stay with... what's your name, wolfridite?" Violet asked.
"Draco." The cyan wolf dragon replied.
"Nice to meet you, Draco. I'm Violet."
"Uh what's your name?" Notme asked Florence.
"I'm Florence. You?"
"Nolan, but I prefer the nickname Notme."
We all went into our separate rooms. I decided to stay in the library that night, reading.
Glad I finally found some friends.
(((Chapter 2)))
((Julie's point of view))
"Wake up, author!" I heard Draco's voice say. "Wake up, Nyla made clouds for breakfast. They're delicious!"
I opened one eye at that, smirking. I gave Nyla the ability to summon edible clouds. They were incredibly healthy, but tasted like cotton candy. I sat up and rubbed my eyes.
"Wow Nyla! This tastes amazing!" Notme exclaimed, his mouth still sorta full.
"Yup! I made it so they're super healthy too!" I mentioned as I slid down the railing. "I remember writing that part. You were so happy when you rode on one of the clouds."
"Yeah, that was awesome!" Nyla replied.
I heard the door of the library burst open, startling all of us. The characters hid under the table.
"Julie! What are you doing here?! You were gone all night!" My mother shouted.
"Mom, I can explain!" I replied, panicking.
"No, get over here, we're going home." She yelled crossly. I hesitated, before she stormed over to me, grabbing my arm. I resisted her attempts to drag me out.
"Hey!" Nyla grabbed my mother's attention. She turned around sharply, looking her dead in their angry orange eyes. Nyla's eyes slowly turned glowing white, a thunderbolt ready in her hand.
"Nyla, calm down!" Notme cried, gripping her shoulder. "You might hurt Author!" Nyla gasped for air, but one of her eyes, instead of neon orange, turned black with a red pupil. She grasped her chest, their sleeves white. I broke free of my mother's grip, rushing to Nyla's side.
"Julie!"
"Go away mom! I'm not leaving my friends!" She backed out the door.
"It's okay, just let Alyn take over. It might seem scary, I know, but trust me. She's kind by the end of the book." I told her. Nyla exhaled, her onesie turning a pure white with a black belly. Her cat ears turned spiky, her tail fluffing and spiking. Her lip quivered, before she collapsed in my arms.
Florence, Violet, Macha, and Draco were backed into a corner.
"You alright?" I asked softly. She opened her eyes, dazed but seemingly fine. She was warm, her body figuratively burning up. She stood up, looking around in a curious manner.
"Hey guys, I just realized," Notme started. "We haven't been out of the library yet."
"Oh yeah! Can we go outside, Julie?" Florence inquired.
"Yeah, of course! Just know that it is snowing." I replied. Winter wasn't too bad in Flagstaff, but it was still pretty icy.
We headed out the door to a light flurry.
My friends started messing around in the snow, Notme, Florence and Violet were having a snowball fight, Draco was digging something up, and Alyn was trying to keep Macha's water from freezing.
"Why is there a dog with wings?" I heard several passersby say. Several people were heading into the library. My grandpa liked having people around, so he always allowed it.
I started building a small snowman, using an old top hat and two sticks for arms. That's when I noticed that Notme was on the ground, coughing a little.
"Woah, you okay?" Florence asked him.
"Huh?! Y-Yeah I-I'm fine!" He replied, standing up. I was a bit suspicious, but I didn't think too much of it. Nyla was still petting Aquaturmacha, who seemed really happy. Several minutes later, I heard Violet shriek.
I looked over to see Notme, face planted on the ground, unconscious. I ran over. Florence was panicking really badly, and I immediately pulled out my phone and called an ambulance.
We anxiously waited in the lobby, my mind contemplating what could have happened. Minutes passed, then hours.
"Excuse me, are you five here for Nolan?" A nurse asked me. I nodded, standing up. Notme was barely awake, slowly looking around. He had an oxygen mask on for some reason.
"What happened to him?" Nyla asked.
"We don't fully understand why, but he had flowers growing in his lungs and throat."
That's when it hit me.
"HE HAS HANAHAKI!!!" I shouted.
"What?" Florence asked.
"It's a disease prominent in his story, Tale of the Quistians. It's caused by a one sided love, and it makes it so that flowers grow in the lungs until the victim can't breathe." I replied panicky. "It only stops when the love becomes mutual or the victim dies."
"Who could he possibly be in love with?!" Florence exclaimed, looking at him.
Notme was gazing at Florence, blushing with a strange look in his eyes. He sighed, a small tear streaming down his cheek.
"I'm sorry, Florence."
(((Chapter 3)))
((Notme's point of view))
I loved how his tail swung gently when he was happy. I loved how he always acted like he was a cartoon, very exaggerated movements and such. I loved his brown eyes, his glasses, his backstory... everything. I never knew I could fall for someone so quickly, but life is full of surprises.
"M-Me?" Florence inquired. I nodded, holding my knees to my chest.
"I'm so sorry, I don't understand why I wanted to be with you... but I do." I stammered, burying my face. "I just- ugh! I don't know what to say! I don't understand how I could like you this bad so fast!"
"You don't need to be sorry." He replied. "We can make this work. I don't like you like that right now, but there's still a chance I will!" I peeked up to see him kneeling down next to me. I had to fight off the urge to hold his hand. "Tell you what, we can go on a date as soon as you are able to, just you and me." I let a teary smile break through my agony.
"I'd love that..."
Two days passed before I was allowed out of the hospital. I got to show Florence some of my cool powers, but I didn't use my telepathy as much as I normally would. I enjoyed hearing his voice. I just didn't show him my alien side yet, I didn't want to freak him out. We walked through the park, on our way to a restaurant that Julie recommended to us.
"So what do you like to do for fun?" He asked me.
"I enjoy reading and drawing. You?"
"I like to garden, despite never eating vegetables, since, y'know, I'm a fox."
I decided that this could be a good time to show him who I am.
"I'm an alien." I said. He looked shocked. "W-Well, half alien."
"Really? That's so cool! What kind?" He said, stars in his eyes. I blushed and nervously laughed.
"It's a type of carnivorous alien called an 'Imposter'. They look exactly like people, except for a few anatomical differences . For example," I opened the mouth in the middle of my stomach. I licked him with the large needle-like tounge, making him giggle. He wiped the saliva off his face and glasses before observing every part of my imposter form.
"I like your antennae." He mentioned. I blushed happily.
We continued walking, when a slush of ice and water fell from the sky. Florence shivered from the cold snow, so I summoned my shield, holding it like an umbrella. We eventually got to the restaurant.
The employees looked skeptical of Florence, due to his ears and tail. One of them loudly whispered to another if they should kick us out, before she noticed his tail swinging and his ears swiveling. I looked at him, before having a small coughing fit. A small flower fell into my hand.
The people continued murmuring, before some drunk guy came up to Florence, smacking him in the head with a bottle.
"No furries allowed in this establishment!" He shouted in a heavy accent. Florence winced, and that was the final straw for me.
"He's not a furry! He's a hybrid, he was born a fox!" I yelled. The guy walked towards me, his stride laced with rage.
"How can someone be part animal?" He asked crossly.
"Oh I dunno, how can I be half alien?!" I replied, summoning every part of my imposter form. He backed away, attempting to run. That was not happening. No one hurts Florence on my watch.
I grabbed him by the foot with my imposter tongue, but a chef of some kind cut my tounge with a kitchen knife. I screamed in pain, blood leaking from my imposter mouth and my normal mouth. I collapsed on the floor, vomiting blood and flowers. Too dizzy to see or hear anything except the one I love.
"Notme..."
"Please... please I'm so sorry..."
"Notme please come back..."
"I love you!"
I love you...
Those three words brought me back. I woke up to Florence kneeling next to me, crying and sobbing.
"Y-You do...?" I inquired weakly. He nodded softly, hugging me tightly.
"We should get you back to the library. Maybe they have something to heal you." He mentioned. He picked me up bridal style, walking me away from that disaster.
I noticed the pain in my chest was gone.
(((Chapter 4)))
((Julie's point of view))
I was talking with my sibling Jo after hours in the library. We chatted about random stuff, like the fact they identified as non-binary (when I asked for her pronouns he said "you could call me a washing machine and I'd respond.").
Suddenly they asked;
"So have you done any cool spells recently?"
I hesitated, but I felt I could trust her.
"Yeah, actually! I-"
I was interrupted by the library door opening. Florence and Notme walked in, but Florence was carrying him. Notme's imposter form was completely jutting out. His imposter tongue was sticking out, cut clean in half.
"Florence, what happened?!" I shouted, running up to him.
"Some drunk guy at that restaurant hit me in the head because he thought I was a furry, then Notme overreacted. He attacked the guy, and a chef decided to slice his tongue off." He explained. "His scream's gonna haunt me for a while."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait." Jo said. "Julie, you used that spell that brings characters to life?"
"Yeah...?" I replied confusedly.
"How were you able to do that? I spent 2 years trying to do it!" He exclaimed.
"Did you remember to use a soul?" I inquired.
"How do you get a soul?" She asked.
"You have to go to a dead body, preferably one that is one or two days old, take a jar, and ask if their spirit has already had their soul used, like a punched train ticket. Then you ask if you can take the used soul, and if they accept, then the jar will fill with a weird glowing liquid."
"Whose soul did you use?" She asked. I hesitated, before showing him the note grandpa gave me. He looked shocked before an awkward silence filled the entire library.
"Anyway, is there anything here that can help Notme?" Florence asked.
"I have a few healing spells, but I'm not sure they'll work on a character from a book.." Jo replied. "Eh, I'll try, maybe even teach you."
We went up to the spell tower, placing Notme on the healing table. Jo grabbed a couple of magnolia petals and a lightning wand.
"Okay, so first, you scatter the flowers on the wound, and make sure it's a flower that represents healing and not something else, otherwise it won't work. Then, you carefully zap each flower, and then the wound should heal over the course of an hour." She explained. They did the spell. Notme's imposter tongue started to grow back, and his face relaxed.
"Hey Julie, do you and your characters want to go to the arcade later?" Jo inquired. "I heard they're having a singing contest. You like singing, right?" I nodded.
Later that day, about 7 pm, we all went to the arcade. Thankfully no one there was discriminatory, most even welcomed us. Notme immediately went to the dance mat, which I found adorable. I wrote that he was a great dancer, and that seemed to carry over to this world, because he got a high score.
"It's been so long since I've done something like this!" Florence exclaimed. While all the characters were having fun, I signed up for the competition. Then I stepped up to the dance mat, but I was very bad at it. I nearly fell several times.
At about 8, the manager of the arcade called up the contestants, me being second in line. I was anxious and scared, but I assured myself that it would all be fine. I stepped onto the stage, ready to sing. I decided on the song "Superstar" by Cg5. I took a deep breath, beginning to sing. I have this weird tactic to keep the rhythm right, which is to imagine a line, with notes as points on it. I sang my heart out, doing small movements to keep the beat. I got carried away at the chorus, but my voice remained intact.
I bowed as the song ended, everyone clapping and cheering. I waited as all the other singers performed various songs.
When the contest was over, the manager announced the winner.
"And the winner of this month's show is..." he started. "Julianne!"
"What?!" I shouted. "I won!?"
"Yep! Your voice was beautiful, never cracking once! I've heard that song before, it was like I could hear the music, despite there being none!" He exclaimed as he handed me a small trophy. I cried tears of joy, giving the widest smile I could. Jo put their hand on my shoulder, grasping my attention. "You were never the least talented."