Isher Notra

She was a fucking star!

"WAHOOOOOO!"

Stella carved her way through the cosmos. Her body was enveloped by a burning aura, allowing her to rocket her way to infinity. A thin, fiery trail drew elaborate figures in the overwhelming blackness of space.

A dog, a snake, a [male sex organ]! She proudly admired her works of divine art, radiant amidst the universal canvas.

She was feeling great! Invincible! Freedom was finally within her grasp, with no pesky earthly attachments or responsibilities! There was only the great beyond, her new home.

Her fire grew hotter, expanding and swirling until it became a miniature sun. "Come on, come on! I want to see MORE!!!"

Lightyears were crossed in mere seconds, and planets were vaporized by the comet of destruction, creating astounding explosions on the way. Who gave a shit about physics?!

The meteor could see the white dots that eluded her for many years approaching. They were practically her parents, and now she was FINALLY coming home!

But before the heartfelt reunion could begin, Stella saw a calling tint of beige in the corner of her eyes. She was intrigued.

The comet changed course to the cloud, which dwarfed whole galaxies! When she plunged into the mass of gas, dust, and plasma, her eyes sparkled with the discovery of new colors it concealed.

Countless tones of orange, purple, blue, and red, all swirling in a synchronized dance that reflects their harmony. Sometimes, they intersect, flashing memories of her first day in Sayama. Her first meeting with Lien, the deer, her reconciliation with Kristal, and the reveal of the Knight's identity.

Even though some of these events brought some uncomfortable feelings to her, it was ultimately a collection of the people she met and cherished in the forest. As Stella's mind processed the memories, more detailed representations of these embellished the cloud, and new ones formed.

The fight with the Yule Lads, the escape from Jólakötturinn, the trauma from losing Lien to the giant, and the near-death experience from drinking pego jam. These recollections spiraled and pushed Stella in all directions, making her stomach churn.

The girl's senses were heightened to an excruciating degree as she could hear the voices of everyone she ever knew screaming in her head. The current of cosmic dust led her to an unknown destination, repeatedly changing course by the second.

However, after a while, her body moved along with the flow. Her mind felt numb while she entered something akin to an auto-pilot state. She recoiled her arms to her side and her legs straight and together, like a flying superhero.

The moment she stopped worrying, she could see the beauty of it all again. The excitement, the adrenaline, the determination in the middle of the rising chaos! Then she remembered what she felt when Lien and her defeated the Lads, the weird yet alluring desire for thrill.

Her mind was now at peace again. The hues that composed the cloud were now absorbed into her reignited aura, pushing her to finally burst through it and return to the vacuum!

Before she could resume her journey, she glanced back at the cosmic agglomerate. Weirdly enough, it seemed like a piece of her had stuck on it. She felt... incomplete.

She was half a mind to return to the chaotic mass. However, it seemed to have read her mind and did the courtesy of quickly drifting towards her. What the hell?

Stella was in awe, transfixed as it flew faster and faster, seemingly teleporting at some point. She could only react by screaming, "WAIT!"

The full might of the cloud impacted the girl all at once. The flickering dyes overwhelmed her eyes, forcing her to close them to remain sane. She couldn't resist the force of its current, only accept it and let it guide her again.

Thankfully, it didn't take long until she stopped spinning, and the heat was replaced by absolute cold. Her eyelids slowly opened to see the oranges and purples fading away. The rest suffered the same fate seconds later.

Stella summoned her fire and flew to investigate this odd phenomenon.

She dashed to a safe distance, close enough to see a distinct shape amidst the fading dust and plasma. It certainly wasn't a Human, not even a humanoid Monoke.

She slowly drifted towards it, its shape gradually becoming more visible.

It was...

"What the fuck is that?"

It was a large, quadrupedal creature. At first, it looked like a bear, but as Stella approached it, she could see its striped, orange legs, like a tiger. Not only that, but the creature also had an elephant-like trunk with two horns at the end.

What the fuck did her mind cook?!

"Ah... This dream is DELICIOUS!" Of course, the creature could talk. "I have never feasted like this since-"

"Hey! What the fuck are you doing?!" The girl cried.

The dream creature, of course, quickly turned his attention to her. However, he was more horrified to see her than vice versa.

"I can't believe this..." A faint smoke came out from his snout. "TIME TO GO!"

Stella stretched his arm. "Wait!"

The monster disappeared with a loud pop. The girl was left with the endless solitude of the cosmos.

If that wasn't mind-fucking enough, she now became more self-aware of her surroundings. She was floating in the freaking outer space! Holy shit!

This had to be a dream. If so, why did that weird chimera feel so... different from anything else. His sheer presence sobered her for some reason.

And why did her nose itch so much?!

ACHOO!

"Good morning!" Lien beamed with unadulterated joy. "Just wanted to wake you up. I'm gonna hunt with my mom."

Stella rubbed her nose, paying attention to the pup's tail, suspiciously close to her. What was her deal?

The Human grumbled. "Okay, Lien."

The Monoke sat on her bed. "Is everything alright?"

She didn't expect that question from her friend at all. She was barely able to respond. "Where did that come from?"

Lien's ears slightly twitched. "I heard you crying in the middle of the night. I was worried."

The girl blushed. Damn it! It wasn't supposed to be like this. Now, the Wolf saw her as a pathetic crybaby.

"I-I'm so-"

Before she could apologize for being a bother, Lien stunned her by jumping on top of her, sitting like a regular canine. "Hey! If you miss your home, I can tell my mom or the Knight! I'm sure they'll help you!"

Why is she so... So...

The Human's heart drummed at the same pace as the beating wings of a hummingbird. She tried to shake these feelings away, but Lien made it so difficult! Was she doing it on purpose?!

"Lien, get down here already!" A voice from downstairs. It was her mother.

"Oops!" She jumped away, landing on her four legs. "See you later!" Then ran away without waiting for a goodbye.

Stella was left with her own thoughts. Again.

Wait, again?

Finally, she vaguely remembered her dream. Well, the end of it, at least. That weird creature greatly unsettled her.

After that encounter and how her morning started, Stella needed a break already. After taking deep breaths, her heartbeat slowly stabilized.

It would be fine. It was a brand new day ahead of her. And in what better way to start it than by getting out of bed with a smile?

That cheery attitude crumbled by the first thing she saw when exiting the bedroom, Asra's door. The guilt crawled on her back when the memories of yesterday inevitably flashed in.

She'd have to make it up to him later. But for now, she didn't want to cross paths with him for a few hours, at least.

And her prayers were answered! The only people on the lower floor were Padda and Kaku, who were bickering again. That appeared to be a common occurrence.

"C'mon, old turtle! We gotta get some extra meat!" The Frog held a fishing rod in each hand.

The Kappa swung their cane again, but their partner dodged. "I already said no! I don't even know why you still take me. I'm horrible at this!"

He sighed. "I know! But I don't know who else to take!"

Stella saw this as an opportunity. Learning how to fish could be a good survival skill for her. She wouldn't go against getting free food.

"I can help you, sir!" Stella shuffled her feet anxiously while the two elders stared at her as if they had forgotten she was there.

After a closer inspection, Padda's expression wasn't much of a relieved one. Actually, he appeared to be... disappointed?

The Kappa cooed. "Thank you, sweet girl." They patted her head.

Stella hadn't expected that gesture to bring such a fuzzy feeling from her. She associated that with the typical image of the sweet old grandma, something she also craved at times.

They poked their claw at the Frog. "Now you be a decent old Frog and let this eager young girl help you!"

Padda sighed in defeat. "Alright, kid!" He grumbled. "Here's yer rod!"

It was too big for her to wield it properly, or so it seemed. She didn't know if fishing rods were too light or if she was more powerful than she thought. The same went for that heavy book.

Her questions were smothered by the blinding rays of light that burst when the Frog opened the door.

Padda whistled. "Fishing with a Human! Not on my bucket list."

Stella understood the sentiment all too well.