★ Eartha

The gentle and curious Snock slowly made their way to the center of the secret garden. In the middle of this secret garden stood a Rose-tree in full bloom.

A sudden gust of wind blew the petals around and around, surrounding the Snock. When suddenly, there lay a small Pouflon with fairy wings and a Snock's shell! Reaching into their trusty Snock shell, the Pouflon shared their new findings with the tree. Bunches of interestingly shaped leaves, some twigs, fungi, and other useless knickknacks they collected from their journies across Bellacoste.

"It's been some time. I've been traveling... and observing. There's quite a lot to see outside of this little garden..." They smiled dryly. They weren't used to speaking more than a few sentences yet. They left their gifts next to the old ones, and slowly but surely tidied away the large masses of petals that had hidden the beautiful spiraling roots of the Rose-tree.

"You always loved to see the beauty in the world..." murmured the mild-mannered fairy. A moment of silence, and a few dew-dropped tears later, the Pouflon packed up their belongings and shook their head free of anxious thoughts. You see, reader, this tree was once someone very special to them...

An ancient Ursuki had befriended the leaves, the petals, the weeds, and the fauna of the surrounding forest... and eventually, a curious and lonely Snock. Their friendship proceeded their size difference, and while they didn't talk much, they didn't need to. They loved one another. The Ursuki grew to love this Snock more than she first realized, and viewed them as a child of her own.

The Ursuki had been bedridden in her nest of rose petals for quite a while. Surrounded by the flora and fauna that loved her just as much as she did them. She knew her time was coming to a close. She lived a full, and quite happy life. She told the Snock as much, that the little Pippet had given her such great joy in knowing them during her final years. She wished for her child to witness the world and all its beauty, outside of this little garden they called home. The Snock lay their head against the chest of their caretaker, tears slowly dropping to her fur.

The Ursuki smiled, and her eyes crinkled as tears fell to meet her child's... With her final breath, her love spell was cast. Her child was born anew into the magical world of Bellacoste, given the chance to experience the world and all of its good and bad for themselves.

In the middle of this secret garden stood a Rose-tree in full bloom. And at its root... lay a small Pouflon, with fairy wings and a Snock's shell.

- Written by Puppysmooch