Sofia the protected

Bonus chapter 9

We ride in silence for a little while. Off to my right side, there's a strange wrestling in the bushes. My eyes flick over to the offending bush. My spine goes rigid and my mind goes into full alert.

A gray lightning bolt cracks across my vision and I grab my head in searing pain. I fight to keep my eyes open but the gray light washes over, blinding me. Like a wave of the ocean, it rolls back revealing an entirely different scene. My home. Walls black with char illuminated by the orange destructive fire overtaking the castle. I look around frantically for water or someone to help, anything! Then 50 yards away I see Sophia lying on her side. Momentarily forgetting about my home I race towards her. I seem to be running In slow motion. I push as fast as I can go but I'm still moving snail paste. Not being fast enough frustrates me to no end. I stopped just short of her. I walk closer hoping to see her breathing. My knees hit the dirt beside her. I call out her name but it seems to come from far away.

"Sophia!"

I shake her shoulders violently. My vision blurs the hot tears sting my face. I use my hand to wipe the tears away. I caress her cheek with my wet hand. The salty water on my hand  smears the blood on her face. Even with the red goo on her face, she's still beautiful. She's beautiful but she's gone.

"NO!" I scream. Blinking through the tears I look around for anyone but I'm alone.

Wait? I was just in the forest? this can't be real. I don't want this to be real! Wake up, Hugo. Wake up! I smack my temples with my hands and close my eyes willing myself to see trees and sunlight. When I reopen them( to my surprise) I do. I'm back in the forest. A quick surveillance of my surroundings tells me that everyone around me is in a strange trance. The Caravan has stopped moving entirely. The thief is here! I don't see anyone new though. Another strange russell and a few thumps cause me to draw my sword and whirl around to see a bunny with the wings of a raven and the antlers of a deer eating an entire head of lettuce in one of the wagons belonging to the caravan. Within 2 seconds that ginormous cabbage head is gone. I watched for a short time. I stare and disbelief the tiny creature has eaten half of the wagon load.

" Halt!" I know it's cliche Prince talk, but it's all I could think of.

"Tipsy was hungry." the bunny spoke. I don't know if it's possible but the bunny is giving me a bashful look.

"I understand that but there are better ways of getting food than stealing. Especially if you're going to transport people into their worst fears to do it." I say my sword still raised. I know it's a bunny but in a world of magic you never know what to expect.

" What do you mean? Tipsy doesn't put people into their worst fears. Tipsy slams her antlers on the ground and people freeze." the innocent creature says

"I saw a vision of my home burning down and my girlfriend dead."

The strange bunny creature slides down a mountain of cabbages onto the cobblestone.

" Tipsy didn't know," she hung her antlered head.

" But how will Tipsy get food now?" She wales so loud I have to cover my ears.

"Maybe my girlfriend Sophia and I can help you with that. But you need to release everyone else from your spell."

Tipsy wiggles her nose and all of a sudden everyone else starts to move again. Onwowerd as if nothing had happened at all.

I flick the Caravan leader a silver coin to pay for the decimated cabbages. Taking the creature into my lap I flick Electra's reins and we take off into the sky toward Sophia.

" Where are you going? I thought you wanted to find the thief?"

" Already did," I call out telling Electra to go faster. I don't want to hand the creature over to them just yet.

Sophia sees me coming toward her and closes the distance between us.

"Hugo?" for a second all I can do is look at her. A moment ago I believed I had lost her. I reach out for her and give her a crushing hug.

" Are you all right?"There is concern in Sophia's robin's egg-blue eyes.

" Yeah, I'm fine. Just stay here for a little bit please." I say unwilling to release her.

"Okay." I feel her arms tighten around my back.

finally, it's time for me to let go. I reluctantly pull away. " I found the culprit." I point to Tpsy,the little rascal

" This little bunny ate caravans of food?"Sophia said disbelievingly.

" I was hungry!" Tipsy wines.

" What are we going to do with you?" 

A glint forms in the bunny's eye." Maybe, maybe, Tipsy could become a pet. Humans feed pets in exchange for love. Tipsy can love."

" But who would be wealthy enough to feed you little cutie pie," I ask?

" You can hear her?"Sophia leans back suddenly obviously surprised.

" Yeah. Why is that so astonishing?" I shrug my shoulders.

" Sorry, I guess I'm just used to being the only one who can actually talk to animals."

The soft paws of the bunny go on either side of my face as her snuffly nose touches mine." I can be your pet. You have good heart, you help Tipsy. You give man money."

Catching Tipsy's train of thought I pull the animal off my face and pass her to Sophia.

My brother just got a new pet so maybe my parents would be okay with me having one too.

" We can try it," I say.

" Woohoo!" the bunny doesn't Loop to Loop in the air with its wings.

" On a trial run." I clarify.

My parents were pretty shocked when I brought home a bunny with raven wings and antlers but they quickly accepted her. I've had Tipsy as a pet for a month now, it turns out that when she's not using her powers her appetite is severely lessened. Which is good for my bank account. She insists on earning her keep by racing around getting things for me.

She didn't feel comfortable sleeping inside so I built her something between a dog house and a birdhouse. I wedged it snugly between two tree limbs. She sleeps there overnight and first thing in the morning races to wake me up. She's taken on the responsibility of becoming my alarm clock. Which is annoying but I haven't been late to school once this month.