To Be a Hero {SBI Fantasy AU}

14. Flowery Acquaintances

The soft tinkling of a bell announced their presence in the quaint bakery. Gazing about, Tommy couldn't help but marvel at the interior. Flowers of all kinds filled the room, filling it with the sweet scent of the various blossoms. Distracted by the shop, Wilbur managed to pry himself out of the squire's grip and adjust his hat while muttering angrily about being dragged about like a lanky ragdoll. He didn't really mind at this point though, since they were already here. The place reminded him of the old hedge witch that lived at the edge of town back home. She was always really helpful whenever it came to anything about plants and she always helped Tommy whenever he got scraped up while running around with Tubbo.

The whole bakery felt like stepping into a warm hug and the proprietor of the establishment only cemented that feeling. The hedge witch was helping a customer at the counter in a simple green flowing dress. Two strands of blonde hair framed her face while her dark brown hair fell past her ears, brushing her shoulders. As the lady she was helping left the he and Tubbo approached the counter. 

Smiling down at the two, she kindly greeted, "Hello! Are you passing through? I don't think I've seen you around town before." 

"We are!" his friend grinned, "We stopped by because Techno said that me and Tommy could get better gear!"

"Yeah!" he exclaimed, proudly showing off his shield, "I got this shield! Tubbo still needs a staff though so we came here! Ranboo says that you can make staffs."

After hearing his explanation, she nodded, remarking, "I can definitely help with that. I always keep a few staffs on hand for any travelling mages." 

The duo cheered happily before noticing the strange silence of the tallest member of their party. The bard stood stock still in the center of the bakery where he'd left him. There was an odd look of recognition on his face as the hedge witch went to bring out the staffs. 

Sidling up next to the lanky man, Tommy whispered, "Do you know her?"

However, subtlety was not one of his strengths and his furtive whisper came out as more of a comical stage whisper. Turning around with a bundle of staffs, the nice lady asked, "Know who?" before finally seeing their third companion. How she missed the tall beanpole standing in her bakery was beyond him.

Her eyes widened as she gave a loud gasp. "Wilbur?" she cried, as if she couldn't believe her eyes. 

"Is it really you, Niki?" he murmured, still in some sort of state of disbelief. Coming towards the counter, he grasped her hands as if he was checking if she was real. He looked as if he halfway expected her to disappear like fog when the sun began to rise.

He and Tubbo shared a confused look but neither of them really wanted to ask. Their reunion was lasting a little too long in his opinion and Tommy wanted some answers. Wilbur ended up being the first one to speak though, conveniently breaking out of his weird trance right when Tommy had decided to try and interrupt. "I thought you were staying in L'manberg? Why are you all the way out here?" the bard asked, "Of course I'm glad to see you again but I thought you'd stay after I left."

"Wil, I don't know how to tell you this but," she turned away solemnly, "things changed a lot while you were gone... and not for the better."

Wilbur looked like he wanted a more concrete answer but it seemed like a touchy subject for the hedge witch. Pulling out of his grasp, Niki turned her attention towards the two boys and the array of staffs laid out before them.

Facing Tubbo, she explained, "I have a few here but I don't know which ones will match the spells you typically like to use." Peering down at the counter, Tommy noted the four sticks laid out in a row. Each was about twice as long as his forearm and noticeably different from the rest. The one closest to him was carved from a pale birch which grasped a shiny black rock. It looked eerily like a hand and she picked it up, explaining, "This obsidian staff will work best with healing spells while this one," this time picking up a reddish staff, "this jade one does really well with healing spells too but it really just does well with any kind of spells that are intended to have positive effects once casted."