aster has the worst experience in his life: in the woods

“Hexi!” Aster yelled, carrying his voice throughout the forest.

The cat kept running.

“Hexi! Hexi, it’s me!” Aster tripped into the mud. “It’s me, Aster!”

But she was nowhere to be found… if she was even there at all…

… Aster wanted that cat to be her.

He pushed himself up and looked up at the dark sky.

The trees were a dull grey-brown, lacking leaves and shaking slightly. Aster looked around and-

An instinctive surge in his chest- It happened before Aster processed.

A thick vine held up by Aster’s magic was stopping a large tree from crushing him.

His ears twitched. Did he hear laughter?

Something raced among the trees. 

Maybe Hexi wasn't hiding from him, but from… Whatever that was… 

Regardless, Aster kept chasing after where the cat went. 

“Hexi!” Aster yelled, running up to a cat-shaped lump in the mud and frantically pawing the mud off. 

Unfortunately for Aster, he did not unearth dark purple, but pink under that mud. 

“... Wha?” The strawberry milk colored cat mumbled. “Groff, is that you?”

A pause. 

“... Groff– I-, this place is dangerous! Novia would never take us here!”

“It is?” Groff popped up from the mud. 

“Trees are falling on people! And it's probably because my sister's there hiding from something and accidentally cursing everyone!”

“Maybe it's just the tat-tating weirdo Groff told us about.” Reese popped up from the mud pile. “The one that gave him that present that scared the shit out of Cream and excited Chip.”

“If so, I should probably find them.” Groff sweatdropped. 

“Why would that strange cat who tat-tats around in a dunce cap be in these woods?!” Aster asked. “It's gotta be Hexi! It's gotta be!” He then ran off. 

A beat. 

Groff and Reese sunk back into the bath. Strawberry fell back asleep.