The Wind Uni

    My name is Norin, and I'm a Green Kacheek. It was a sunny little day, and my parents were off on some private errand. I had been out picking berries all morning at Meri Acres Farm, because it's one of my favorite pastimes. I had gotten a pretty good batch today; a load of Snidberries, half a Loveberry, two Juice Berries, and an Aquaberry. I loved them all, and put them into a little basket. Today, I would take a picnic out to the woods a mile away.

    I packed a bottle of my mum's famous orange juice, a loaf of bread, a whole watermelon, and some leftover gruel from breakfast. It really wasn't that bad. I wrapped my lunch in a fatherly way with a blue bandana. Then, I brought a T-shirt, and my swimming bottoms. I also packed these in my basket, along with a ratty-tatty jacket and umbrella in case it rained, which I highly doubted. Then, it was off to the creek in the forest for a day of fun.

    I stepped out the back door and was greeted by my mum's flower garden. It was pretty simple, with a couple of daisies, wildflowers, and, my mum's favorite, buttercups. They were perked up after a recent rainshower the day before.

    I skipped past the gardens and came to the back gates. They were rough and wooden and swung open with a creak. I ran as fast as my short legs could take me, my muddy gray shirt fluttering in the cool breeze.

    There before me stood the corn fields. They were ripe and golden and they rippled in the wind like a thousand waves rippling at sea. I adored them and as I skipped through a path I picked a few for my outdoor picnic. The smell was a lovely smell of joy and new life. I took a deep breath of it and it drained away my worries of a bad crop this year. Quietly, I strode out of the fields to be greeted by an open meadow. It wasn't entirely large, but you see, there had to be one, or else sneaky forest critters would steal more corn. I raced across the meadow and fell down on the grass, looking up at the bright, blue sky. A single, straggling cloud flitted across it, carried on the wings of the wind.

    I wondered what the wind looked like, but hadn't the faintest idea. I had always been told that once it was a dazzling, pure white Uni. She was exiled from her kingdom by false accusation, but she returned and was discovered. She claimed that they were wrong and that she did not do a crime. Nobody believed her. She was killed and then a terrible gust of wind started. The wind appeared that day when the Uni died. Every Meridellian believes it to be that Uni's spirit, the Wind Uni.

    I really did believe this story and still do. I wondered if the Uni was watching me and I hoped she was happy. It must have been terrible to be her. I looked up a bit more, and then stood up from the grasses. I strode on, the wind tickling my bare ankles.

    The meadow ended, and I stepped inside the welcome shade of the forest. It wasn't an evil forest, but a tranquil, peaceful sort of forest. Everything there was alive and loved it. That's why I came there.

    I stepped inside and the sun vanished, for the trees were so leafy the sun couldn't barge in. I hoped the Wind Uni's spirit could.

    I walked deeper inside to a little creek. I stretched up against the roots of a mossy tree and I dipped my toes into the cold, clear water. It was relieving.

    My worries washed away, and a nice tickling thing tickled my cheeks. I opened my eyelids, but there was nothing there. I knew in my heart that it was the Wind Uni making me happy. I was thankful for her.

    Carefully, I pulled open the basket lid. The smell of food wafted into the air, and hung there.

    "Dear Wind Uni, if you are out there," I said clearly into the forest, "if you'd like, you can have some of my food, if you're real, because you have helped me so much when I didn't realize it.." I waited for something to happen, and at first nothing did.

    Then, a moment later, the air about me sort of moved, and a pearly white Uni appeared. She was beautiful, so beautiful that it made me want to cry. She strode over to me with an overpowering grace.

    Her horn was made of pearls, and she had long, strong legs. Her head looked so finely shaped that it was impossible. Her mane and tail was silver and they streamed through the sky. It looked as if each strand of hair was really silver. The Wind Uni's wings were huge and stretched to the skies. Her eyes were pure blue like seas and they held joy and many sorrows in them.

    "Y-you're real," was all I could utter. She laughed a laugh like that of a harp's chords being pulled into a laughing tune.

    "Yes, I'm real," she chuckled in a musical voice. "I am more real than you are, even though I am a spirit. I only appear at certain times, and this will probably be the last time you see me for a long time. After we have lunch, would you like to ride upon my wings and see the world from the sky?"

    "Oh, yes!" I exclaimed, shocked by her kindness, "Thank you, thank you! We have some corn on the cob, leftover gruel, a full watermelon, a bunch of berries, a loaf of bread, and a jug of my mum's famous orange juice."

    "That sounds wonderful," the Uni laughed. She dipped her lips to the gurgling creek. Then, she strode into it, because it went up only to her shins.

    "What is your name?" I asked. "Your real name?"

    "My name," she pondered, "is Alessa."

    "Great!" I piped up. "Mine's Norin!" She laughed at my eagerness and I divided my lunch with her.

    The bread was still warm to the touch and it was soft and squishy. I molded mine into a glass of orange juice. Actually, I molded the inside and ate the outer edge, which I would call the crust, but it was much too soft to be a crust.

    The watermelon was juicy and ripe, and some red juice dribbled down my chin. It was so delicious that I made sure that the rind was clean and free of any hidden watermelon. Alessa laughed when she saw this and ate hers carefully, making sure that it was eaten slowly and politely.

    The gruel, however, wasn't close to being so good. It wasn't bad, though. It was a bit cold and tasted of radishes, I don't know why, to this day. But it was still very fine compared to some people's gruel.

    The corn wasn't cooked, but with her horn, Alessa toasted it. I rummaged in my basket for any salt from previous trips. I found a small amount which we shared, flavoring our ripe, golden corn. It was mouth-watering.

    At last, we split the berries, which were all very delicious. We topped off the meal with some swigs from my mum's famous orange juice, clear and cool.

    "I have never, in my life, tasted such wonderful food. Now, shall we take a dip in the waters before your first flight?" Alessa was smiling. I nodded joyfully, and she splashed into the water, making sure that her whole body got a rinse. I splashed in, and it felt nice to the touch. I floated on my back to the middle of the creek, which was about three feet deep. It was a rather large creek. The water lapped into my ears and it was welcoming. I had never felt so full and happy before.

    Alessa stood up and shook herself, then she led me out of the forest to the meadow where we both lay down to watch the sky.

    Soon, her feathery wings had dried and she stood patiently, waiting for me to climb onto her back.

    I pulled myself up between her wings. Soon, they began to flap. The Wind Uni soared into the skies and I looked below. The ground was rapidly disappearing. I felt a new self and I insisted that she take me everywhere. She flapped her wings and glided through the air. I thrust my hands into the air and whooped joyfully. I felt this wind rushing through me.

    It was then, I realized, that I was apart of the wind, for the Wind Uni and I were no longer visible. I didn't care.

    Alessa carried me over the sea. It was a deep, pure sea-green, just like her eyes. The waves rippled and shimmered in the sunlight. I hoped that this would never end.

    I then felt the comfort of the soft, warm fur and feathers, and my eyelids started to droop. I cradled my head on Alessa's arched neck and drifted off into sleep.

    * * * * *

    I woke up, startled. There I was, outside, in the meadow. The memories of Alessa were brought to mind, and I looked about for her. I realized she was gone. Could it have been a dream?

    My heart became a lump in my throat, and I almost cried. I looked at my side and there were my things. I didn't feel like looking into the basket, only to find the food waiting for me. That would be proof that it was only a dream.

    Then, I heard a whisper, a lullaby, in the trees. It was soft and soothing, coming from the wind. It calmed me. I looked back to my things and hesitantly opened the basket. It was empty... except for a pure, white feather with a silver strand of hair wrapped around the milky white stem.

The End