Bug's Grotto

The rays of the sun filtered through the green leaves of the grove that made up the forest in Camp Half-Blood. The dryad Juniper was on her way through the forest to a hidden grotto where her sisters were meeting with the naiads for a day of relaxation away from the prying eyes of the campers and the satyrs that were in an endless pursuit to win them over with affection. Grover, Juniper’s boyfriend, was away from the Camp on a mission scouting out any new half-bloods in the mortal world, leaving her alone to connect with her sisters, catch up with the naiads, and spend some time in her element. As she walked along the overgrown path to this secret hideout, she was joined by the other Dryads of the forest, several coniferous trees, an older, great oak Dryad that had been living within the campgrounds since the camp was located here, a scotch tree, and several other odd variants of trees or plants had joined her on her walk to their hidden sanctuary.

One spring afternoon, Harry is outside, following after Petunia and Dudley on a daily walk. He is a few feet behind his aunt and cousin, looking at the dandelions growing through the cracks of the sidewalk. He stopped, bent down, and plucked one of the bright yellow flowers and hid it in his pocket for later, when he was alone in his cupboard under the stairs. “Don’t dawdle, Harry! I need your help with making dinner.” Petunia called over her shoulder as she ushered Dudley down the sidewalk to number 4 Privet Drive and turned up the walkway to go inside the house.

“Don’t forget to wipe your feet. I don’t need you muddying up the floors after I worked so hard to clean them. We have dinner guests tonight, so you need to be on your best behavior.” Petunia said as she brushed Dudley off before sending him upstairs to get ready for dinner. “Yes, Aunt Petunia,” Harry said quietly before going to his cupboard under the stairs and tucking the flower into a spare mason jar that held odd bits of broken pencils and crayons before going into the kitchen to help Petunia prepare food for dinner.

Harry walked into the kitchen, pulled a chair over to the sink, and washed his hands. He stepped down from the chair and pulled it over to the counter, where Petunia had laid out some vegetables for Harry to cut with a knife. He went straight to work, cutting the vegetables quietly while Petunia worked on cubing meat and making a broth over the stove. When he was done cutting up the vegetables, Petunia dismissed him back to his cupboard under the stairs. He crawled into the tiny room and pulled out an old notebook from under his pillow. He obtained this notebook by sneaking it from Dudley’s extensive hoard of school supplies stacked in his second bedroom. Harry knew that Dudley would never get through so many school supplies for the year, so he helped himself to a notebook, a set of pre-sharpened pencils and crayons, and a couple of pristine pink erasers. He hid them all under his pillow in case any of his family members came looking for them, which wasn’t likely. He opened the front cover of the journal, revealing his messy attempt to copy letters he had learned from an example chart that Petunia gave him so he could learn how to read and write on his own. On the next page was a messy, scrawling attempt to write out his first and last name that was mostly legible. Harry turned the pages in the journal to a blank page, where he took the dandelion from his jar and placed it in the pages. He had seen Aunt Petunia press some of her favorite flowers inside the covers of her favorite books. Since Harry didn’t have many books in his little cupboard under the stairs, he wanted to press the dandelion he plucked earlier that morning. After he placed the flower on the page in the way that he wanted it to look, he shut the journal quickly to press the flower between the pages. He then placed the notebook under his little mason jar, like what Aunt Petunia did, placing her books with flowers in them under a heavy item before he was called to come eat dinner.

Harry quickly shoved his journal back under his pillow, scrambling out of the cupboard and stumbling into the kitchen to help Petunia serve dinner. “Go set the table, Harry,” Petunia ordered, pointing Harry to the table. Harry went to the silverware drawer, grabbed three sets of silverware, and placed them on the dinner table. He placed a fork, a spoon, and a knife at all three places at the table. He went back to the silverware drawer to grab the set of silverware that Harry used at every meal and walked over to his table in the corner of the room, where he would eat alone, separated from his family members. Harry laid out his own tiny fork, spoon, and knife on the table before going back to continue helping Petunia. “Can I help with anything else, Aunt Petunia?” Harry asked. “Yes, carry those plates to the table, and when you’re done, carry the salad and basket of bread rolls to the table. Then that should be everything. You can wait in your room until we’re done eating, and you can clean up this mess afterwards.” Petunia instructed. Harry carried out the instructions that Petunia gave him, and when he was done, he hid in his cupboard, sneaking a look at the pressed dandelion in his journal while his family members ate. The flower of the dandelion had been crushed in a way that made it look like a sun on the page. He smiled to himself and stared at the flower for longer. He then wondered what other flowers he could find and press between the pages of his book, and he thought that he could find more flowers when he went on walks with Aunt Petunia and Dudley, or went shopping with Petunia.

After dinner, he cleaned up the dirty dishes before going back to his room and sneaking one last look at the flower before going to bed.

Dr. Simon Stygian is a cryptozoologist, summoned to examine a new species of Dryad that may be responsible for the first cases of Hanahaki disease. This variant, who was now in containment, looked like a sentient cherry tree in bloom.  He is tasked with recording a description of the creature and a description of what will happen when a person comes in contact with the being and contracts the Hanahaki disease as a warning to be put out to the public, since more of these creatures have been reported in moderately populated areas. The sky was overcast, giving a grim and dreary energy to the giant facility that loomed ahead. I am Simon Stygan, a cryptozoologist, and I work with other scientists in my field in a giant facility on the edge of Seattle, Washington. Recently, there have been reports of people developing a disease that the public has named “Hanahaki Disease,” After the infamous disease found on the internet, where someone would grow flowers in their lungs because of unrequited love. Doctors had managed to find a cure where they could go in and remove the plant straight from the lungs, but the better option was for the love to be returned. I had been called into the facility I was working in because someone had found the origin of this disease- A spiteful Kodama inhabiting a cherry tree was the source of the disease. Finding that when it saw people wait under its branches to meet with someone, only to be stood up by that person because “They forgot”, would make that person upset. As a result, the Kodama would implant one of its seeds into the lungs of the person, infecting them with the disease. This person is now named the “Host,” and their love interest will be known as “Crush” for ease of transcription while describing this creature.

I swipe my keycard and go through the security checks as usual, heading to the “Dangerous and infectious Creatures department” of the facility. For those who are new to this concept of the Hanahaki Disease or don’t remember what all entails this deadly disease, I will give you a brief description regarding the life cycle of the Hanahaki disease. This disease develops in the host after their love is unreciprocated by the person they have feelings for. In most scenarios, this is done under some kind of tree in bloom, usually that of a flowering cherry tree. The tree that emits the disease has receptors in its branches and roots, able to detect the change in their host’s heart rate, body temperature, and change in pheromones.

 If there is any change in the host’s pheromones, body temperature, or heart rate, it can make them more likely to be infected by the Hanahaki disease. In the case that the host is rejected, this is when the tree will release seeds that can get inhaled by the host unknowingly while they are in a state of distress after their feelings are unreciprocated. The tree will only release its seeds when its receptors pick up the spikes in cortisol, adrenaline, and progesterone, along with a drop in dopamine and oxytocin, hoping to spread the virus to the unsuspecting host.

After a few days of the seeds germinating, the disease will enter the first stage, taking root in the host’s lungs, giving the host a low-grade fever, shortness of breath, and an increase in fatigue.  As the disease progresses in the dark, damp environment, over a matter of weeks, the plant will slowly take up space in the host’s lungs, giving the host a harder time to breathe, and gradually sap the life force from the host. When the plant reaches the stage of bloom, the petals will force themselves out of the lungs and into the host’s esophagus, initiating the host into coughing fits, forcing the petals up, and causing lacerations on the walls of the esophagus so rough that the host will eventually cough up blood along with the petals that will slowly suffocate them.

When the disease reaches its final stages, the host is so weak from the constant coughing and blood loss, their skin is pale, and their eyes are sunken in with dark circles under their eyes. Their cheeks are hollow as well,l since eating is a struggle because of the abrasions in their esophagus. The host is now at the point of hospitalization, and on their deathbed, unless their crush comes around and reciprocates their love. The plant is now in full bloom, making the host cough up full flowers or clusters of flowers, which depends on what the crush’s favorite flower is. In the case that the crush does not come around to visit the host in the hospital to reciprocate their love, there are two routes that the host can take: the first one is invasive surgery, where a medical official will remove the plants from the host’s lungs and prevent any other seeds from taking root. This is only to be done when the crush doesn’t reciprocate the host’s feelings, making it clear that the crush does not show affection to the host, and the host wishes to live still. In the case that the host does not wish to live, they can take a darker route.

They can let the disease take over their body, turning their flesh into plant matter or wood, depending on the species of flower their crush liked, and their internal organs into sacs full of future seeds to infect others. This is the least desired route,e as the medical professionals will do everything in their power to keep the host alive. But if the host has lost the will to live and they wish to die, they can let the disease run its course, making the host as comfortable as possible before they eventually pass. This is when a hazard team comes in to remove the host’s body into a sterile containment cell, where their body will revive into a bitter and heartbroken Kodama spirit inhabiting an exact replicate specimen of the flower or tree that their crush liked. Some are put on display in Hanahaki gardens on medical campuses for people to study the disease, while others may be used for scientific dissection to learn about how the disease can transform a human body.

Sometimes the symptoms of the disease can catch up to the host before they progress to the later stages of Hanahaki disease, whether it death via suffocation of the flowers, commonly seen in larger flower variants like sunflowers or hydrangeas or even rhododendrons, or the erosion of the soft tissue in the esophagus causing too much blood to be coughed up and the host dies from suffocation, or a combination of both flower petals and blood being trapped in their esophagus for a long enough time that they die due to lack of air.

In the rare case that the crush reciprocates their feelings, the host may begin healing as the spike in dopamine, along with a rush of adrenaline, may kickstart the healing process; the above mentioned surgical process may be implicated.

This is the least desired route, as the medical professionals will do everything in their power to keep the host alive, even though by this point, the host has usually lost the will to live. Sometimes the disease will cause the host to cough up so much blood that it can kill them, or cause so much scarring in their esophagus and lungs that those injuries will kill the host.

When the crush reciprocates their feelings, even if this happens, the host will begin healing, taking a longer time to heal from the damage done to their organs than how quickly the disease took hold of their body. This is a case where invasive surgery is needed so the host doesn’t die of the Hanahaki disease. The healing process is a bit longer, but the host is on a path of recovery with their new partner.   In the case that the crush reciprocates their feelings under the tree, then the tree will sense the spike in dopamine and oxytocin,n and instead of releasing the contagionitey will release a flurry of its petals around the new couple. Now that you know about the strain of Hanahaki disease, let me show you the specimen that my coworkers have managed to contain within our facility. As I walk up to the ward where we keep the creatures that contain deadly viruses, I see my colleagues surrounding a brightly lit containment cell. My supervisor, Dr. Adams looks up from his tablet, having a solemn look on his face as he gave me a curt nod in acknowledgment. “Mr. Stygian, I am happy that you could make it. Come look at patient zero of the Hanahaki disease.” Dr. Adams said as he led me to the window of the containment cell. Had they really found patient zero of this wide-spreading disease? Could we finally produce an alternative cure besides invasive surgery? My heart was racing as I took the few steps to the window, and when the creature came into view, I gasped out loud.

Inside, there was a beautiful cherry tree, but it wasn’t your typical cherry tree, yes petals were consistently floating to the ground and it had a trunk and branches covered in bark and moss, but the first unnatural thing about this tree was the pair of bright pink eyes staring right at me, they were filled with hatred, anger, disappointment, and heartbreak as they bored into my soul.

The creature seemed to have some kind of power over me, making me unable to move from the spot. The only thing that broke me out of my trance was a couple of my coworkers pulling me back from the window as the creature suddenly lunged at the reinforced, bulletproof glass, shrieking and banging on the glass. I was panting hard, refocusing on the creature trying to get at me. The creature was wailing and pounding on the window, spraying small cherry seeds all over the containment cell. It had wanted to infect me… why me, though? I don’t have any romantic feelings for anyone that I know in my workplace or community, and pursuing a romantic relationship isn’t important to me right now. There is no reason why this creature would want to infect me with the Hanahaki disease. Unless the strain has evolved to a point where it will infect anything warm and move. Another doctor hits a button on the wall, and a sedative is dispersed to knock the creature out.

Once I had regained my breathing, one of the assistants handed me a tablet with the file of the creature on the screen. The file in front of me showed that his Kodama was once a woman known as Dr. Kayla Otakawa. She worked inana organic biomatter department in Japan, where they worked with cryptids made up of plant matter like Dryads and some variants of Fairies. Dr. Otakawa and her team experimented on cross-breeding with species of the same genus to boost population counts of endangered species due to deforestation. One day, while testing the vitality of an infant, Sakura Kodama, who had started to show odd symptoms like running a high fever when it shouldn’t, unnatural hostility to anything that moved, and emitting a seed-like spore out to other beings in its enclosure, infecting them with a new deadly disease, had attacked Dr. Otakawa. The creature sent out a flurry of cherry petals mixed with a cloud of spores as a defensive measure, telling the doctor not to get too close. Even though the doctor was in full hazard protective gear, spores from the infant Kodama managed to slip in through an unknown cut in her suit.

After the creature had been put in an isolation chamber, the doctor was given a full checkup, only to learn that she had been infected with the same disease that had turned flesh into plant fibers and grown seeds in the lungs of the host. The reason why the disease even took root in her body was the fact that she had been dumped by her partner that morning. Why she didn’t call in sick to work was probably that she wanted a distraction to try to heal her aching heart. The records showed that the disease spread quickly throughout her system, growing cherry saplings in her lungs. There was no cure for Dr. Kodama. They didn’t know back then that reciprocated love was the main cure, back then, as Hanahaki was new. Over a matter of days, Dr. Otakawa had transformed into the creature now in the care of my coworkers and me.

I could not believe that the woman in the file was the same creature that had lunged at me moments before. I flipped through the different pages on her file, staring in awe at the drastic change of her skin turning into that of a cherry tree. The bark spread over her skin, and her hair turned into the cherry blossoms. Scans of her lungs showed twin cherry saplings filling her lungs and pushing outward, sprouting out of her mouth, nose, and ears. After she was declared dead, only a few minutes passed before she revived, filled with pure, unbridled rage and sorrow. This is when she broke out of her facility and began to spread the virus now known as Hanahaki disease. I am sure my team will do everything in their power to find a cure for this disease and hopefully put an end to it. The End.

On a warm, sunny spring morning, Poseidon sits on the front veranda of his home with his son, Polyphemus. His son was only a few months old and still learning about how the world works. Today, Poseidon chose to take his son to a nearby lake and let him play in the water. He tucked Polyphemus into a sling across his chest before climbing into his chariot and driving out to a nearby lake to play with his son. Once he parked his chariot nearby, he stepped down, took Polyphemus out of the sling, and carried him to the water’s edge. Polyphemus looked out at the water from his father’s arms and was wary of the water, whining and clinging to his father’s chiton. “Now, now. Why is my son scared of the water? There’s nothing here that will harm you.” Poseidon cooed at his son. Polyphemus pouted and buried his face into his father’s chest. Poseidon chuckled and walked to the water’s edge, and laid out a soft, blue, cotton blanket that he sat the baby cyclopes on before sitting next to him. Polyphemus cooed and gurgled in delight at the sensation of the blanket under his skin. Poseidon watched his son play with the blanket for a minute before redirecting him to the water lapping gently against the shore.

“See that, son? That is water. It is my domain. Wherever you see water, you will have power. The water is safe for us.” Poseidon said, watching his son stare at the water. Polyphemus let out a quiet coo of curiosity. He shifted to face the water while he was still holding one of the corners of the blanket.  “Do you want to go in the water?” Poseidon asked. Polyphemus looked up at him, his eye wide and full of anxiety. “No… go alone., Polyphemus said quietly, hugging the corner of the blanket close. “You won’t go alone. I’ll go in with you, okay?” Poseidon said in a reassuring tone. Polyphemus cooed warily, looking at the blanket, then to the water, and back to the blanket again before he looked up to his father and nodded his head yes. Poseidon smiled softly and picked up his son. Poseidon carried Polyphemus into the water and stood in the shallows for a few minutes, watching his son stare at the water rippling at his father’s ankles. Poseidon sat down slowly in the water, holding Polyphemus close as he whimpered and squirmed in his arms.

“Shh. It’s alright, Polyphemus. I have you, and you’re safe.” Poseidon spoke while Polyphemus thrashed around, causing more splashes and ripples in the water to occur.

Polythemus eventually settled down when he realized that the water wasn’t harming him. The toddler put his hand in the water and splashed the surface playfully. Poseidon smiled as his son adapted to the water within minutes. Polyphemus played in the water around him from the safety of Poseidon’s lap, cooing and squealing in delight. After a few minutes of letting Polyphemus play in the water, Poseidon picked him up and set his son in the water close by, only letting his son sit about waist-deep in the water. Polyphemus watched and patted the water around him, transfixed on the ripples his contact with the water caused. Poseidon watched his son with parental awe, fascinated by his son's growing understanding of water. Poseidon sent gentle ripples back to his son and made shapes out of the water to entertain him. About an hour passes, and Polyphemus begins to show signs of sleepiness. When Poseidon noticed his son nodding off and starting to slump to the side, he scooped him up in his arms and carried him out of the water.

“I think that’s enough of the water for today. Let’s get you home and dried off. The Chef should have dinner ready by then.” Poseidon spoke, holding Polyphemus close as he grew sleepier in his father’s arms. Poseidon tucked the baby cyclops in his sling before packing up the blanket and other small toys that he had brought with him to keep his son entertained in case that he didn’t take to the water, and packed them into the chariot before climbing up into the carriage and stirring the horses to a trot, not to stir his son much, but instead lull him into sleep before he arrived home.

The Sun was rising over the rooftops of Tokyo and streaming rays of light into Shouta’s bedroom. In his bedroom, He was already sitting up, thanks to one of the many cats that lived with him waking him up to get them breakfast. “Okay, okay. I’m up.” Shouta spoke, his voice still rough with sleep, as a brown tabby cat butted its head against his hand. He stretched and left his bedroom, being followed by at least two cats, to his kitchen, where he pulled out an open can of cat food from his fridge and portioned the last of the food in the can for the cats demanding breakfast. He set the food bowls on separate sides of the kitchen so the cats wouldn’t fight over the food as he started on his own food. He started by brewing some coffee, heating some old rice, and scrambling some eggs. After his food was eaten and his coffee had been drunk, he went back into his bedroom, still being followed by an orange tabby this time, and he changed into a pair of jeans, house slippers, and a long-sleeve sweater since it was still a bit chilly outside.

He started by unlocking the door that separated his apartment from the bookstore and let the cats enter the space. He started by turning off the security system that kept his store safe at night, turning on the lights within the store, putting some music on in the background as white noise while he set up his store, and finally adjusted the thermostat to a comfortable temperature before going to check today’s schedule. As he sipped his coffee, he saw that he was running a promotion of buy two books from any category and get one free from any category in his store. Other than that, there was a small, weekly event of a book club that would meet in his shop in the afternoon. This was a pretty casual day at his store. He scrolled through his tablet that showed him when deliveries were due to come to his store, and he saw that a couple of his usual vendors that supplied some of the board games and collectible items like dice, pins designed after some of the book series he carried in his shop, and bookmarks with inspirational quotes or various designs he liked to carry in his shop near the checkout. Shouta also saw that he had an expected delivery of journals, stationery, and colored writing pens coming in today that was expected to come before noon. Shouta drained his coffee mug, setting it behind the desk, next to a brown tabby cat that was dozing on his desk, before going to his cash register, unlocking it, and counting the cash he had at the start of the day, making sure to log it in his tiny black leather journal he kept next to his register. By this time, the computers had warmed up, and he logged into the system that ran his transactions and kept track of his inventory to make sure the system was running properly. When he saw that the point of sale system was functioning properly, he put the system on standby while he walked up to the front of the store where his display case was and rotated the books out for springtime books like the Secret Garden, Pride and Prejudice, The Hobbit, The Three Musketeers, Princess Bride, Jane Eyre, and a selection of gardening books, books on how to declutter and clean, books about springtime for children, a collection of fables and myths from around the world having to do with plants, springtime, and the coming of sprint, along with books on flowers and other plants out on the table in the window, arranging the books around cats dozing in the morning sun. Once Shouta was happy with the way the books looked in the window, he went to the back of his shop to load up a cart with new books he wanted to restock his shelves and tables with to update his inventory and cycle out any old books to the clearance section of his store. After he finished setting up the books, he went to the café corner where customers could sit and read or just exist there for a while if they wished. Shouta started by setting up the coffee maker with enough grounds for the morning and making sure the reservoir had enough water. He then straightened the few flavors of syrup on their stand and made sure he had enough milk and alternative options for those who were lactose intolerant. He then adjusted the chairs and tables to make the area look welcoming and inviting.

After he got the coffee brewing, making the shop smell amazing, he moved on to the next item he needed to finish before he would open his store to the public. The next task on his list was to check the donation bin where people could drop off books they didn’t want anymore. In the bin outside, there were about a dozen books or so in the bin which made Shouta smile. There were about eight children’s books and four youth fiction books that he could catalog into his system for people to purchase. He set them on his desk to log into his inventory late. He reposted to the social media for his shop, promoting the buy two get one free deal going on for a few more days before he went through the store, sweeping the floors, dusting the shelves, and making sure his bathrooms were clean. Shouta then went throughout his shop, making sure that the food and water stations for the cats were full for the morning. He then laid out toys in the different sections where the customers could interact with the feline residents of the bookstore. Shouta walked to where the cat trees were in his store, checking them over for any damage or stains, and finding some minor fraying near the base where the cats liked to use the tree-like decoration as a scratching post. He mended the fraying and paid attention to a pure white cat that had rubbed up against him, petting the creature for a few seconds before he rose to his feet and did a final sweep of his store, noticing a few people lining up already to enter his store, even though there were about five minutes before his store would open. As he walked through his store, mentally checking off all the tasks he needed to finish before opening the store to the public, and deeming that the store was ready to be open for business. He walked to his desk behind the register and grabbed the key to the front door of his shop. He took a deep breath before opening the store to the small lineup of guests that had come early to check out what was new in his store. “Good morning.” He spoke as the few customers entered and began to mill about his store and interact with the various cats that lived in his shop. He took his place at his desk and began by cataloging the books he received from the donation bin and placing them on the shelves in their appropriate categories. When Shouta returned to his desk, he saw that a kid, followed by their guardian, had a stack of books for purchase. “That’s a lot of books there. You like reading?” Shouta asked the kid who watched him intently as he scanned the books into the tally. “Yeah! I really love books, and Dad said that if I did really well on my chores this week, I could get books.” The kid said as they petted one of the cats on the counter, as Shouta put the books into a bag, and as the kid’s dad paid for the books. “I hope you enjoy the book,” Shouta spoke, handing the parent their receipt before they turned to leave. “Thank you, Mister!” The kid said as they left with their parent. Shouta watched them leave and petted the same cat before going to the coffee corner to make himself a second cup of coffee. He put a little milk into his drink before sitting back at his desk and working on answering emails. He enjoyed his work, even though there were days that it was exhausting. But the rewards of seeing people find a new book, or children buying a huge stack of books, made it all worth it.

The End.

Demeter POV The air is still cold, almost unbearable. I can’t wait for my daughter to finally come home, even though it's only for a few months. But I will savor every moment I have with her. I still loathe Zeus for all that he’s done. Marrying my daughter off when she was destined to be a maiden, telling our brother, Hades, to come and take her from her own flower garden and carry her down into the Underworld, and forcing her to eat half of a pomegranate… sealing her down in that fiery inferno.

I am concerned each time she comes to visit, Persephone always looks deathly pale, and there’s a light grey tinge to her skin. I know she can’t get much sunlight in the Underworld, but she shouldn’t be so pale and on the verge of death. Looking at the gardens surrounding my home on Mt. Olympus, and the gardens are a mess, overridden with weeds and dead plants, laden with snow and ice. This is nowhere appropriate or presentable for Persephone’s arrival. I pulled myself out of my temple, and I began by clearing out the weeds.

I pass my hand over the snow that had formed on the blades of grass and watch it melt away. I then sent out my dryads and Nymphs to remove the weeds and replant new crops to grow as Spring came along with the arrival of my daughter. I work alongside the nature spirits in tending to my gardens until I go inside my home and begin cleaning up the dust and debris that accumulated in Persephone’s absence. I make my home presentable for her arrival. I go through her room, having been left exactly the way that she had left it the last time she was here on the surface, and I straighten a few things, cleaning the space of dust and any dirt that had gathered in her absence.

After I am pleased with the way Persephone’s room looks, I go downstairs to gather up any unused items in my home, looking through all the rooms, closets, and cupboards, gathering up items I no longer need to send as gifts to the Mortals who were dedicated to my temples. I find groups of seedlings and tree saplings that I send to my temples throughout Greece as a gift for the Mortals to restart their harvests once my daughter returns, and I make the snow melt away.

As I am preparing some bread in my kitchen, a loud, resounding crack is heard throughout my gardens. I look out the window to see my daughter, my darling Persephone, dressed in black and looking pale as ever.  All color and life return to my complexion as I set the loaf pan on the counter to let a nymph put the bread in the oven, and I run out of my house to greet my daughter.  I am overjoyed to see her. It’s been too long since I last saw my Persephone. She is just as happy to see me as well.

When I reach her, I pull her into an embrace that I wish she would never leave again. “You look pale, my dear,” I tell her as I cup her cheek, taking in how much of a pale grey the daughter’s skin has taken. Even her blonde hair has gone paler since I saw her last year. My smile is turned into a frown that doesn’t last long since my joy is back. As I guide her back inside my home, the snow begins to melt around me. Everything turns green and colorful again as my joy, my daughter, the goddess of Spring, returns to me. The End.

In the country of Drakon, in the Capital Region of Ekado, stands a tall, gnarled, and withered oak tree near the main road that connects all of Drakon. Some have said that this tree is an eyesore and that it should be torn down. But this tree holds history as it wasn’t always this barren and desolate. This tree was once lush and beautiful and served as a popular meeting place for the people in Drakon. This tree serves as a landmark still, as a reminder of a day of both loss and celebration in Ekado.

This tree was once the prison of a dangerous entity in a century-long battle, being bound to one of the Ekadoan Elders who sacrificed himself to keep his mate from meeting her destined, slow and painful death, hence the reason why the tree was not torn down.

The tree had remained vibrant and green while the Entity was bound with the Elder for the hundred-year-long imprisonment, only showing signs of early decay when a prophecy arrived on a cold winter night, when a set of twins was born in the Region’s royal family. As the twins grew older, the tree showed more signs of decay, starting from the cavity in the trunk of the tree and spreading outwards.

By the morning of the twin’s thirteenth birthday, which was also their coronation day, the Region had spread news that the older twin, classified as the Entity of Cold, was the reason why the tree was decaying since the prophecy spoke of the Entity of Cold being destined for a path of darkness and destruction and that she was supposed to release the Entity of Chaos and a Drakonian of Onyx Scale, join his forces to rebuild and overthrow the root of evil, and release the Drakonian of Emerald Scale of a burden that he has long been carrying.  Rumors had been spread across the region by this Drakonian of Emerald scale that no one is to trust anyone that hails from the Cavern of the Onyx Scale or anyone that doesn’t have Dragon blood in them.

So, on the day that the twins are to be coronated as Dragon Masters, everyone waited on edge for something to go wrong, and it did.

That afternoon, before the Coronation ceremony would take place, the Entity of Cold was on a picnic with her cousin. A moment of calm before the pressure of being coronated before the entire Region. The Entity of Cold picked to have her picnic at the base of the oddly beautiful, decaying tree since it was the one place the crowds were avoiding today of all days. As they were eating, curiosity got the better of the Entity of Cold, and she touched the black, iridescent barrier that was keeping the Entity of Chaos and the Onyx Drakonian contained. Once she came in contact with the barrier, it broke, and the dark, evil force was freed.

The Drakonian fell out of the trunk’s cavity in a puddle of black, sticky goo that had kept him preserved for the past century. The Chaos entity sucked all remaining life from the tree, withering the leaves, making them fall to dust, warping and contorting the bark into unnatural shapes before snatching up the Cold Entity’s cousin, and sucking all life from her before taking off to the sky. The Entity of Cold let out a scream of horror that alerted anyone passing by. Her guardian, Elder Myzia of Myziachron Cavern, came to her aid, telling her to go back to her room and wait there until Myzia came to tend to her. Myzia then assisted the man who was lying in a puddle of the black substance to the safety of Myziachron’s Cavern.

Once the man had cleaned up and had eaten a hot meal, he revealed himself as the Elder of the now disbanded Muskegchron Cavern, which had been forced to split under the lies of the Drakonian of Emerald Scale that had spread throughout the Region. The Onyx Drakonian asked about his lover, who was his Acolyte, wondering if she still lived. Myzia tells him that soon after he was bound within the tree, she went mad and now lives in the wild area of the Muskegchron territories. The Onyx Drakonian held his head in his hands and wept. Everything about his life had withered away, and he didn’t know where to start rebuilding when he had nothing.

The End.

 (Early Hero Age Au)

 Shouta Aizawa x Reader.

You were fast asleep when the noise of the fire escape window opening pulled you out of sleep. You stayed still, listening for any signs of the intruder entering your apartment further. You sat up, grabbed a nearby baseball bat, and walked into the living room, where you heard the window open and close. Holding the bat up to swing at the intruder, you peeked your head into the living area where the intruder was. It was a man in all black, with black hair and pale skin. You raised the bat a little higher, ready to strike the man, until he turned to face you and his eyes widened.

 “Y/n! What the hell?” Shouta spoke as he saw you approaching him with a bat over your head. He walked over to you, guiding your arms to go down, and lower the batata and letting it hang from your hand at your side. 

 “I thought you were a robber! Why the hell are you coming home at three in the morning, climbing through the window instead of the front door?” You responded, resting your hand against your forehead.

 “Work ran late,” Shouta responded. Of course, he would respond that way. He usually did when you didn’t see him come home before you went to bed.

 “Uh huh, School ends at five p.m... Unless you volunteered for some after-school program, then that would end at six p.m., not three in the goddamn morning! What are you doing after work?” You demanded. You wanted answers, and you were tired of the same set of excuses he would give you day after day without further communication. Shouta looked up at you as he pulled his boots off and set them by the front door. He walked back and gestured for you to sit down on the couch. You sat next to him, bouncing your leg in frustration at the lack of your husband’s ability to communicate with you about what he was doing in the hours between his working at U.A. and when he came home in the early hours of the morning.

 Shouta took a deep breath and held your hand in his.

 “First, I need to say that I’m sorry I have kept this from you for so long.” He started. You raised an eyebrow quizzically at his response. What had he been keeping from you for such a long time? Had he been doing whatever this secret occupation of his was since he started working at U.A., or longer than that? Had he been doing this since before the two of you were married? Before the two of you even met? You stayed quiet and let him continue explaining what he was doing.

 “I have been working with the police as a hero, helping them stop villains with my quirk, and trying to make this country a slightly better place for us to start our lives here.” He explained, locking his eyes with yours and waiting for your response. Your eyes widened and you gripped his hands a little tighter. You had heard on the news that people had started manifesting supernatural and metaphysical abilities all over the world, which people had started calling “quirks”.  You didn’t know that your husband had manifested a quirk of his own, and you understood why he would keep this from you. There were people in the world who were afraid of those with quirks and he was probably worried that you were one of them.

 “What can you do?” You asked, almost a whisper. Shouta’s shoulders let go of the tension that he was holding in them.

 “I can temporarily erase another person’s quirk by looking at them. I can’t blink, or my ability will stop. It doesn’t work as well on people whose quirk has changed their appearance.” He explained. He rubbed his thumb across your knuckles, letting you process the information that he had just dropped on you.

 “And you’ve been using this 'quirk' of yours to help the police nab the bad guys?” You asked after a few minutes of being silent.

 “Yes. I have been. This is what I’ve been doing after working at school each day. I get paid for it too. I figured we could use the extra income since we want to move out of this apartment and into a bigger house before we start expanding our family.” He said, a smile creeping onto his face. You smiled too and held his hand.

 “Are you angry at me?” Shouta asked.

 “A little bit. I’m not happy you kept this a secret from me. I was getting worried when I found blood on your clothes, and I caught glimpses of bruises on your body when you were getting in the shower or changing. I thought you joined a fight club or were in trouble with the Yakuza.” You told him, leaning your head on his shoulder.

 “Neither of those were happening at all. You would’ve known if I was in trouble with the Yakuza, baby. I will communicate when I’m going to be late coming home from work. Whether it be the teaching job or the hero job, okay?” He reassured you.

 “Sounds good. I am glad that you’re not in trouble or in a fight club.” You told him and let him wrap his arm around your shoulder.

 ~~~

 The next morning, you were making Shouta his lunch like you normally did. When you packed his bento, you added a note saying, “Have a good day, Hero. <3”

 The End.