Double Rainbow

Torch-6

We spend the whole day looking for the third member of our little destined trio. Soon, we have an application line waiting outside of our tree. We end up inviting them all in and having a party, but that was Avery's idea, not mine.

Avery turns out to be really good at makeovers- all you need is some flowers and a bit of class (which I turn out not to have). She's the life of the party. I hang out near the refreshments, because I can't get enough of the sweetbark. Avery comes over to me, watching me lick my paws, and says finally, "I think we've found our Third."

She guides me to Riana, and I back away, saying, "No. No. No. She is NOT the third."

Riana snickers at me. "OOOOH, scared ya, didn't I? Of course I'm not the third, I just know where he lives."

"How do you know it's him?" Avery asks in awe.

"The symbol." Riana brushes the trident symbol. "I saw it at Natrina's Palace."

"Who's Natrina?" I ask.

"She's the protector of the forest, to put it simply. You could also call her the ruler, or just the owner of the land. Point being, she's in charge. You have any problems, you take them to her."

"Do you think SHE'S the third?" Avery asks, brushing around vines in excitement.

"No. I think Spritz is. He's been her personal assistant for the past the months. Occasionally, he'll come out here. He's huge, very muscular, sort of grumpy. The type you wouldn't want to run into in a dark alleyway." Riana shivers.

Avery looks nervous. "I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"If he's been chosen," I reassure her, "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"What are we chosen for, anyways?" she asks.

"That's the fun of it. Don't you want to know?" I flash a winning smile at her, and she looks a bit more comfortable.

"Okay, we'll go find him after the party." Avery looks much more confident.

Riana inserts herself back in the conversation. "No need to go get him. I brought him here!"

"Wait what?" Avery and I shout at once, and we both turn around to see a large blue Canira at the edge of the willow tree, talking to some tiny Twig Canira. The Twig Canira, being only about a foot tall, are dwarfed by his massive bulk.

He walks up to us, and says in a surprisingly smooth voice, "So you're Torch and Avery?"

"You're really... really... big." Avery stutters, tail between legs.

He laughs. "Actually I'm small for my species."

Avery is whispering to me, "Small... small?!"

I roll my eyes. "Nice to meet you," I bow, a formal gesture of respect.

"We should start clearing out." Spritz flicks his tail dismissively towards the partygoers. "We don't know what this thing will do, but they probably shouldn't be around to see it. It might be dangerous."

I nod. "Party ends at sundown. Until then, want to enjoy it?"

Before Spritz can do anything else, I rush over to get more sweetbark. To my dismay, it's already gone. I end up eating regular wood with honey on it instead, but I spit it out and begin wretching. I think some of it got stuck in my throat. The Twig Canira from before come up to me. "Do you like it? We made it by ourselves."

I want to say no, but I'm choking so I flash them a smile that looks really insincere and throw up the bark behind a few willow branches.

Sundown happens just minutes later. The guests close out one by one and I'm left in darkness. Taking a glass vase and a candle (two of our housewarming gifts), I light up the darkness beneath the tree.

"Here we are. It's finally time." I state dramatically.

"I'm kind of scared, now that you put it that way." Avery adds, knees shaking.

"It seems like I've been waiting a long time for this." Spritz notes solemnly.

"You go first." I tell him.

Spritz places his paw on the trident, and it begins to glow in a mesmerizing blue glow. The first two rungs of the rainbow around the tree trunk, red and orange, light up.

Avery goes next, placing her paw on the two wings and horn, which glows pink. Yellow and green burst onto the tree.

I slam my paw down, and the red flame glows like a raging inferno. Blue and purple finish the tree's glorious spectrum.

The light bends into three beams, and the energy from the rainbow bursts outwards, blinding me.

All I can see is the form of a beautiful Canira, glowing in white, black, and every color in between. Avery cripples besides me, then Spritz. For a second, I look straight into the face of the Canira and she looks a lot like someone else, from all those years ago...

Then I join them, passed out on the floor below.