Nothing But Memories - Junicorn 2022

Four young Quirlicorns wandered through the forest together, sunlight splashing down on them, from the spaces between the leaves and branches of the trees. Birds chirped all around them, and the barely visible lake in the distance glistened. 

Sonnet walked in front of the other three Quirlicorns. At some point, he turned to look at the other three Quirlicorns with him, eyes scanning over his sister, Minuet, along with Resplendence, and Barricade's daughter, Percuka.  Even though he and Minuet were the youngest of the four, Sonnet still found himself in a position somewhat familiar to himself: at the forefront, with other Quirlicorns watching him for directions. (Sonnet would argue it was because he was naturally charismatic; Minuet would say it was because he was Radiance's grandson.)

"Bets on what we'll find in the lake?" Sonnet asked, not bothering to look in the direction he was walking. The dirt path was familiar under his hooves, one he had walked countless times already in his (comparatively) short life so far. Guiding and greeting visitors to Candentia had been one of the tasks he and Minuet had begun to follow Psychomyth on, shadowing behind the older Quirlicorn as he took the more esteemed and important visitors to Candentia on a tour. This path, to the lake on Aktinovolia, was one that Psychomyth commonly brought Quirlicorns to. 

Generally, Pyschomyth started by greeting the Quirlicorns in Amica Porta, introducing Sonnet and Minuet as well. Then all of them would take the fairy rings to Aktinovolia, where Psychomyth would offer some facts about Aktinovolia, and the gorgeous landscape that made up the island. Psychomyth always mentioned the lake, and the unknown creature that lived within the lake to the visiting Quirlicorns, before taking them to the caves filled with rainbow gemstones, and then to Candentia.

"Mother did mention a sea monster of sorts," Percy said in reply to Sonnet's question. "However, I do not believe I know any details regarding that creature."

Minuet nodded, "There is a monster living in the lake, but every Quirlicorn that tries to figure out what it is, comes back to Candentia with a different account."

"Like Uncle Lux says it's a narwhal, but Gail swears it has tentacles!" Resplendence added in. "But I've also heard some Quirlicorns say the monster has at least three heads."

"Father agrees with Uncle Lux about a narwhal living in the lake, but he says the narwhal horn they saw was from an actual narwhal, not the monster in the lake," Minuet said. 

Sonnet smirked, "Now, what if that monster has three heads, narwhal horns, and tentacles?"

"And razor sharp teeth!"

"And webbed fins!" 

"And spines along it's back!"

"Sounds terrifying," Percy said, warmly smiling as the younger three Quirlicorns offered random ideas as to what the monster could look like. 

Sonnet could tell she didn't particularly believe the sea monster was terrifying, nor did she think the sea monster would have everything that they mentioned. But Percy did offer her own ideas about what she thought a sea monster should be like, chiming in with her own occasional suggestions. 

They soon reached the lake, and Sonnet, still at the forefront of the small group of Quirlicorns, stared down into the deep waters from the large rock he stood on. The lake surface was calm, reflecting the sunlight, the sky, and the trees around the lake evenly, with few ripples along the surface.

"So, how do we find a sea monster?" Sonnet asked, realizing the flaw in his plan to figure out what the monster in the lake was. 

"We don't," Minuet said, eyes widening in fear. "The sea monster's already here."

Sonnet spun around again, ready to search the lake for a sign of the sea monster. Instead, he was greeted with by something that was rather large, long, thin, with shimmering scales reaching out of the water. Entirely unmistakable, and impossible to miss. 

"What is that?" Minuet asked, "That doesn't look like a tentacle or narwhal horn."

Sonnet barely got a good look at it, before Resplendence shouted, "Whatever that is, I think we should run!", and all four of them started moving away from the lake. Sonnet soon felt the rumbling of the earth under his hooves, a distinct growling sound reaching his ears as well, the sound coming from the direction of the mysterious scaled object. While running, he turned back to see a large mouth, filled with sharp teeth moving towards them, far too quickly for his liking.

Sonnet ran faster.

They were a good ways away, when they stopped feeling the growling under their hooves. All four of them stopped, and looked at each other, before giggling. 

"I think I know why no one knows what that monster actually is."

"Yeah, because it's terrifying."