Inside, the box was inlaid with velvet pillows. Nestled inside was a metal jewel-encrusted egg. As we stared with wide eyes, it began to slowly rock side to side. The rocking speed increased until the box tipped over, sending the egg onto the floor. Me and Tigress screeched, and Jay made an attempt to grab it, but it hit the floor, BoUnCeD, and settled into a small nook in the floor. A large crack opened in it, and out popped... A metal chick! It didn't have any color, just silvery gold... Fuzz? It had gems for eyes, and those roundish cog gear things for wings. It had robot looking legs, but it was so cute. I bent down and scooped it up and started cuddling it. It was too cute! Tigress gleefully picked up the shell and eagerly asked if I wanted it. I told her I didn't, and begged to keep the chick. She happily agreed, and then climbed up to go hide the egg shell somewhere in her stash of treasures. She told me I could keep the box and the key, and in return, I would send her monthly samples. Jay assured me that samples meant poop and feathers. Whatever! Now the little guy (or girl) was soooo cute I almost couldn't get over it. It peeped, clicked, beeped, and.. Pooped. Tigress almost fainted from excitement. I promised her I would send her a box full of poop whenever she wanted, and she was already talking about all the new potions she would be able to make. Once, she pet the chick in the wrong place or something, and it bit her with its metal beak so hard it drew blood. She was so happy and went off to test her blood for metal birdy blood poisoning or something. While she was gone, Jay scribbled something on a scroll of paper and grabbed me and my new stuff.
"Come on, let's GO!"
I was very reluctant, but eventually she pushed me down the hole and into the forest again. Before I could get my bearings, she grabbed me and started to run, dragging me along with her. I was confused about her sudden rush. Finally we emerged into a beautiful clearing. Jay gave a great sigh and walked over to the largest tree, and started to set up a PICNIC. I walked over once I had caught my breath. I asked her where she was going to get food. I was starving. She pointed up at the tree. She climbed up onto one of the lower branches and grabbed something out of a hollow in the trees trunk. She climbed back down, and to my amazement, in her arms she held Root Beer, grilled cheese, cookies, and many other goodies. I was amazed and sat down immediately on the thin blanket on the ground.
“How..where..what..wh-”
“The Giving Tree.”
“I thought that was a book by Shel Silverstein.”
“In your world? Of course. Those who can cross borders make much profits by telling stories of what they have seen on this side.”
She handed me a soda, and I drank gratefully. We ate and talked and laughed. After a while I remembered Tigress and asked why she had hurried so to leave. She answered that it was best to leave now before anything bad happened to me of my pets. Speaking of which, Frost had run with us and was now rolling around in the grass. The little bird was toddling around the blanket, falling down every so often. Me and Jay discussed names, and whether it was a boy or girl. When we tired of that, we merely sat and rested. Finally I brought up the subject of Tigress again. BlueJay narrowed her eyes at me, but then sighed and relaxed again.
'My sister Tigress is..... Complicated. When young, she had a Tiger Aura. Saji. Known as Leana, she was wise, compassionate, and beautiful. The tiger was the same. But one day Saji felt neglected. She left, but only after almost killing her. Saji went and joined the group of evil witches and wizards that afterwards made this forest. She still lives, however. I know not where, and those that have found her are shaken to their very core. I advise you to be wary around tigers of any kind. But Leana was almost murdered by her own evil Aura and then almost died of shock of the betrayal. Remember, Auras are attached to their soul partners, but they still have a mind, opinion and personality. Always listen to your Auras advice. Frost snorted from his seat beside me.
‘Well that goes without saying.’
I smiled weakly, then asked
'But that still doesn't explain about Tigress's.... Handicap.'
BlueJay sighed and the color in hair seemed to fade a little bit.
“Well, whatever Saji thought or felt, Leana still had loved Saji deeply. Leana was and still is, wise, clever, and very logical. But the question of 'Why did she betray me?' bamboozled her. The heartbreak, shock, and confusion broke her inside. Unable to form a logical conclusion, her exhausted heart and mind came upon a crazy answer. She had been a horrible person. She turned wild, forsook her old self for being too evil for Saji too bear, and changed her name to Tigress. She refused to hear a bad word against Saji and came to live here. She still refuses to accept the idea of Saji betraying her. In her eyes, Saji, overcome with grief for her evil master, attempted to kill the demon in her mistress's heart. Failing and shocked at what she had done, she fled to a group of wizards and witches in shame. Tigress is firm in this haphazard view, but that does not make her any more sane.”
We were quiet for a very long time.
I considered this new view of things.
“But what about-”
“Wisdom is still inside her though, but misused and wasted on any myth that catches her fancy.”
BlueJay sounded bitter.
“Me and my sisters were once daughters of a very rich and kind duke. We had anything we wished, and we were all well known for our beauty and talents. But upon Tigress's Snap, our mother became distraught and died soon afterward of sadness. Our family became cursed of bad luck and almost no one came to call. Tigress had unknowingly disgraced our family. Father became withdrawn after this for a while, but shook himself out of it when he noticed how quiet our house had become, and restarted the never ending schedule of parties, dinners and openings. But one day me and my remaining sister went to him and asked for his blessing to leave this household and wander out into the world to seek our destinies. He consented and gave us much money and supplies. We traveled together for a while, until we discovered a treasure of treasures. We parted ways and I rarely see her anymore. When I am in passing, I visit Father. The last I checked he was doing fine. But the house feels much too large and our wealth has become smaller every coming year. Less business, less visits, and bad luck has fallen upon him. Wagons are robbed, boats sink. Ever since my sister has left, things have never been the same.”
She fell into a brooding silence for a while and did not speak. As I gazed at her, I wondered what the treasure she and her sister had found was. When I finally found the courage to ask her, I was amazed at the treasure but even more surprised at the nonchalance of which she spoke.
“Fountain of Youth.”
I gaped at her.
“Me and my sis gave some of the water to Father and Tigress.”
As the rays of sunset touched her brooding face, I wondered exactly how old she was. Suddenly I remembered a fourth grade unit we had done on art. The expression of her face matched that of The Thinker statue. The regal beauty of her head matched the bust of Nefertiti. The curves of her body matched that of Greek statues of goddesses. Her eyes and former smile held the mystery of the Mona Lisa. I recalled her speaking of people that could cross from 'world to world' and how she had 'many names' How different had she looked like a couple hundred years ago? Different enough to have a different name and then reappear in history years later as another unknown painting or sculpture, hidden within her own identity? As these thoughts raced through my head, she spoke.
“Everything is not what it seems here or in your world, Tweet. Mysteries in your world are easily unraveled here. And vice versa as well.”
She winked at me, then sighed and continued to study the distance like there was a movie playing there that only she could see.
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