Holding Out For A Hero
Words: 4855
Summary: When Shelby discovers that Katherine has been missing and that Joey is oddly interested in the Cathedral of Saint Pearl, she comes to a dreadful realization and decides to take matters on her own hands.
Triger Warnings: Blood, Injuries, Violence
~•~•~•~•~
Shelby was really getting fed up with the fog.
Seriously, what was up with it anyway?
Why was there so much fog in the Evermoore?
That morning in particular the fog was too dense. Even within the bounds of her realm it was difficult to see. The lights she had placed around didn't do much to help the situation. Shelby couldn't get from her house to her shop without fearing getting lost in the surrounding woods. How was she supposed to teach Tango under those conditions?
Shelby was getting annoyed.
It was really no surprise that she didn't realize someone flew in the Evermoor until they were right at her doorstep.
"Huh? Who's there?" Shelby asked, squinting through the window in a vain attempt to make out the figure that was walking towards her house.
"Hi, Shelby! It's Gem." At long last, she was able to make out the Princess of Dawn's pink dress and she ran to the door.
"Oh, hi Gem!" Shelby greeted.
"Gosh, it's sure foggy here today," Gem observed, glancing around.
"Yeah, I don't know why," Shelby grunted. "Would you like to come in? It's too humid outside."
Gem looked grateful for the offer. "Yes, thank you." Shelby stepped aside to let the princess in. "So, how can I help you?"
"Actually, have you seen Katherine lately?" Gem anxiously asked.
Shelby's heart dropped. The truth was, she hadn't seen Katherine in a while. Actually, now that she thought of it, she hadn't really seen Katherine since the fiasco that had been the festival near the Rift. It wasn't like she was avoiding Katherine, no. It's just that she wasn't sure how she was supposed to treat the Princess of Glimmer Grove now. Katherine wanted just to be friends and Shelby totally respected that, but she wasn't certain what kind of friend she would be with all those feelings bubbling inside her chest when Katherine was around. Being friends with Joey honestly seemed so much easier. "Uh, not really. Have you tried asking around the rest of... what are they called?" Shelby paused, trying to remember the group of monster slayers that Katherine had established with some of the newcomers. "Ah yes, the Battle Buddies?"
"I'm coming right from Hermitopia. None of them have seen Katherine. You were kind of my last hope," Gem confessed. "I made a deal with her recently. I needed some wool and she was supposed to visit Dawn so I could trade her some honeycomb but she never showed up which I found weird so I went over to Glimmer Grove to see if something had happened to her. Obviously, I didn't find her there so I decided to go ask around."
That was certainly worse than people discovering Shelby's secret. She gulped. "That doesn't sound right," she affirmed. "You know what, would you mind if we went to Glimmergrove together?"
Gem nodded. "Not at all. Two pairs of eyes are certainly better than one."
Shelby grabbed her broom and they headed outside. Together, they flew above the Evermoore where the sun shone brightly, turning Shelby blind temporarily. She had to cover her eyes with her arms before they adjusted to the sudden brightness. She gazed below and saw the fog had engulfed the entire swamp but it wasn't spreading elsewhere. "Of course," she mumbled, although right now the fog seemed like the least of her problems. Next to her, Gem flapped her butterfly wings, soaring in the skies. Shelby could barely keep up with her. Her broom seemed too slow in comparison to the wings.
