Ideas and Rejects

Rejected Chapter: Merco meets Anu 2

A/N: I guess I went through several different scenarios with this when writing Stranded on a Tiny Planet. A G/T first meeting or interaction is always vitally important to establish. For me this scenario was fun to write but it made Merco feel like a different character. (perhaps a bit more like Kendrick) Also at this point I hadn't established Pixie as a character and was going to have Anu serve her role, but ultimately decided she was a great segway into the trust of Merco by the others. And I also decided the story would be more engaging if the language barrier stayed up for a much longer period.

Inevitably I ditched this idea too.

Anu swallowed hard and tried to steel the trembling of her frame as she attempted to float the rest of the gap. She dropped to the ground on her feet. Too scared to fly.

She was just about to the outer edge of the trees when she heard Traynar hissing a warning whisper from the trees above, "ANU! What are you doing?"

Anu looked up at him and gestured harshly for him to be quiet and stay where he was. He shook his head incredulously as she exited the trees and approached the prone giant with cautious steps.

"ANU!" he whispered intensely, "NO!"

But she was already just yards from the giant's head. The thought of her next move made her legs go to jelly upon imagining the repercussions. She was going to wake him and run. Anu put down her bundle of weeds just in front of his face and crept ever closer. She hoped this wasn't going to be her last mistake. With a shaking hand she reached out and quickly slapped his closed eyelid. She didn't pause and made a frantic dash back into the trees just as the giant's eyes opened.

...

As Merco lay there, trying to sleep amid the pain, he felt something soft as a rain drop hit his eyelid. He opened his eyes, focused, and tried to see what had hit him. He caught a glimpse of a small purple and blue form disappearing into the trees before him. He lifted his head and upper body up slowly. Then he noticed a strange ball of plant matter wrapped neatly in a leaf sitting in front of his face. He picked up the tiny ball and examined it. He had no idea what it was, but it appeared to be left for him by...someone. He glanced ahead toward the woods.

"Little pixie?" he called gently, "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you."

He hoped to get a reply so his translator could have a sampling of her language and be able to decipher it.

He held up the tiny plant ball and wiggled it out in front of him for emphasis, "What is this stuff?"

The tiny, lavender alien in the blue pilot suit peeked out from behind a tree. He pointed questioningly to the plant ball. She responded by patting the place on her head that mirrored his wound.

So, it was a poultice. Or a poison to end him quicker?

There were certainly folk stories of people tricking the terrible giant by poisoning him or putting him to sleep so they could kill him easier. He eyed the bundle skeptically at first but was suddenly overcome by another chill that laid him back down in a trembling ball. There were three scenarios at this point: he could reject the poultice and let the infection kill him slowly, he could use the poultice and find it to be poison, killing him quickly, or he could use the poultice and it wasn't poison and he'd have a chance at recovering. He decided a quick death or healing were better than a slow suffering death.

Removing the wettened bandana from his forehead, he dabbed the green mush into his head wound with his fingertip. It felt cool and wet with a slight burn but nothing like the pounding the wound was inflicting. He sighed and replaced the bandana. Now all he had to do was wait and see if it was poison or medicine.