"Hmm, fifteen bitterbugs. That's a nice number." Panda said
As he turned around, the sign was gone.
Hm? Where's the sign? Oh well.
He looked for the biggest tree, and found his way back to the camp. Puff was there still lying down, and Dog healing him.
Puff, I got the bitterbug. Here, eat it.
Parrot entered
"PANDA'S GONE!!!" Parrot said
Wait, what?! I'm right here!
"Maybe you just lost sight of him." Dog trying to be the optimist
I'm right here guys!
"I DUNNO WHERE HE WENT!!!"
"C-calm down Parrot. He's fine."
YES! CALM DOWN! I'M HERE!
"What do you mean?"
"He's here."
You can see me Puff?
"Where? Stop kidding around Puff." Parrot said
NO! HE'S NOT KIDDING! BELIEVE HIM!
"Enough Puff. Don't strain yourself. We must wait. Parrot, try to gather some herbs and mushrooms. I'll need it to sustain Puff's life."
NO! WHY CAN'T THEY SEE ME?! PUFF! HELP ME!
"Okay." Parrot left
As Panda tried to block Parrot, Parrot phased through his body.
I-I'm a ghost?!
"P-Panda, I-I know yo-you're here. Fi-ind the tree of il-lusions. Re-remember the de-dead t-tr-tree we passed? I-it sh-should be th-there. I-it w-will be-become a sa-sakura tree i-in that dimension."
Panda understood everything Puff said. He walked through Dog.
Dog felt something passed through her body.
"Maybe Panda is here after all."
Puff smiled at Dog.
There it is, the lone sakura tree. It that Parrot?
"There it is. The dead tree." Parrot said to herself
I'll be back as soon as I can Parrot.
"It's all my fault. I'm so sorry Panda."
No, no need for apologies.
"I should have been there."
No, it will be my test.
"Please come back."
Parrot started to cry
I will
"Please."
I will
A bitterbug tried to escape Panda's pouch and entered the trunk.
Hey! Comeback!
The bitterbug exited in the hole from the other side of the trunk
"A bitterbug!"
Parrot wiped her tears and chased at the bitterbug.
Parrot caught the bitterbug.
So that's how it works.
Panda wrote a quick letter and put it inside his pouch.
Panda pushed his pouch in the hole, and threw a rock inside to get Parrot's attention
"Panda's pouch! Panda! You in there?!"
Parrot checked the pouch, it was fourteen more bitterbugs, and a letter.
*Parrot, I'll be okay. Bring these to the camp. Be careful. Ask Puff for more directions. He knows what's going on.*
"Okay Panda."
Parrot flew back. Panda ran back to the camp.
"Dog! Here are the bitterbugs. And there's a note from Panda. I got it from the dead tree. What should we do next?"
After a moment, the bitterbug kicked in.
"Snow! Cat! Come inside! Panda! I know you're here. Go to the sign. Probably it has vanished, but follow us."
Okay
"What's going on?" Cat asked
"I honestly do not understand" Snow replied
"*Thou shalt not pass beyond this accursed sign.*" Snow read the sign
"Don't even think about it." Cat warned
"Okay, we can't risk of entering the area. There should be a stump nearby." Puff said
Okay
"Sit on it. That's when freaky things start to happen."
Panda sat and time stopped. He was shifted to the heart of the swamp, and in front of him,
"No."
"PANDA! Why did you leave me?!"
"I didn't left you behind! I'm sorry!"
"Why Panda? Why?"
"I'm sorry."
Panda rushed in to hug her.
She fought back.
"NO! I can't forgive you, for you have done to me. I was waiting for you, to tell that you love me..."
"..."
"...you left me behind."
Tears shed on Panda's face. He was sorry.
"I promise, I'll be back for you. You are my strength, and you are the reason I am fighting right now."
"What's your point? I'm just your best friend after all."
"No, to me you were more than that."
The girl cried.
"I'l protect you. I promise, when I get back, I be stronger, and I will protect you, and I will always love you."
"Then you are going to need this."
The girl turned away, and ran into the woods.
"No. Don't go."
He ran to the spot where the girl stood. He saw a gem, that is burning.
He took the gem and wielded his stick.
The gem and the weapon merged into one. He heard the girl.
"PANDA!!! HELP ME!!!"
His stick burned, but he was unscathed.
He ran to the rescue, and she was being hurt by treants.
"STAY! AWAY! FROM HER!!!"
Panda smashed every branch,
burned every trunk,
and made sure the treants doesn't touch her again,
by reducing them all into ashes
"Thank you"
The girl kissed Panda on the lips, and Panda was shocked and stunned. He shifted into reality.
The five saw him, sitting on the trunk beyond the sign.
"I see you are back. and you found the gem."
"Yeah" Panda while still feeling his lips.
"She's not real. She's an illusion."
"To me, she will ever be real."
"I see you have your new profound strength."
"Yeah. Let's hunt."