Cherry Blossoms

Under normal circumstances a closing window would never be significant. Then again how many things are normal?

The house was not in anyway right. It had suddenly obtained a completely oriental style, and their was bright burning sunlight streaming in from all the windows.

"I'm... in trouble," Mezzo whispered to herself.

To leave someone is alone is awful. To leave someone with out warning was much worse. Especially if the person who left was never to return. 

*She can never return...* was the thought of a lonely green dragon. This dragon was called Ashureii, and she was normally growing things in the garden. Today, however, she was looking into an old vine covered mirror she had unearthed a few days ago. It was buried in her bondmate's part of the garden, and it had been there far longer then either her or her bondmate had been around. 

*Ashureii?* A voice floated in the back of her mind. It was one of the Bishen realm caretakers, Athena to be exact.

*Yes...?*

*Jarod wanted to speak with you about a possible new bondmate. He needs to know where you are, and I just wanted to make sure it was all right to tell him.* 

Ashureii considered this for a few moments. *I'll meet him near the log in twenty minutes, I need to do something before I speak with him.* Without waiting for a response the green terran began to cover the strange mirror with dirt. For the time being she would keep it safe and tell no one of its existence. 

After all, it was only a simple mirror.

"MEZZO! THIS IS THE LAST TIME I'M CALLING FOR DINNER!"

"Eris. I told you she's not going to come."

"For the last time, shut up Dole! You're just a figment of my imagination!"

"Oh? You silly woman! You cannot deny that you're father was an elf."

"He only had odd pointy ears."

"You're worse then the garden nymph."

"Shut up."

"No."

"Seriously. I'm going to smack you if you don't."

"I won't. You're friend won't return home until she's finished with her first task and--OW!"

"I warned you."

He could have warned her this would happen, but no. Now she was stuck in some strange place that may or may not be Japan with no one around to ask for directions. Oh, she was in a strange house as well.

Mezzo did her best to keep clam, and think things through logically. She glanced back at the window, but somehow she did not think opening it would be the best idea in the world. Someone could be on the other side, and she KNEW it would not lead her home. So her next option was to carefully make her way to the door.

And she did. Slowly she put her fingers on the rim of the door and slid it open.  With a gasp she found herself looking at the greatest garden in the creation of mankind.

Flowers and trees of every kind were arrange in a perfect order that seemed natural. The colors were vibrant, the smells were spine tingling and nothing could compare to the beauty of this garden.

Now... who did it belong to?

First Mezzo checked to see if everything was safe before exiting the house. Being mauled by someone was a bad way to end the day... or start it ... or something. After confirming it was safe ( by throwing a near by garden spade into the path and waiting to see if someone or something would attack it ) she stalked out into the yard.

Now that she had a closer look, things were not as wonderful as she had thought. Many of the plants were beginning to wilt or dry out from lack of water, and various harmful things were starting to eat away at some of the plants. This garden had been left alone for some time, but the house looked brand new as if someone had lived their. 

"Maybe they just don't know how to take care of a garden." Mezzo thought aloud. She doubted her own words as she looked at a sickly cherry blossom tree.

Somehow it looked familiar, like she had seen it before, but that was impossible. The only cherry blossom three she had seen was in the former forest of childhood and that had died when they she was still very young. If it was the tree it would have a small carving near the first branch.

It did, and it said the same thing.

"That's..." Mezzo whispered as she read the little carving. 'M loves L' Was all it said. It could have been just a coincidence that it said the exact same thing as the other three. A LOT of people had the initials of M and L. Anyway the tree had died and rotted away when she was young.

'Then why are you so panic stricken?' She asked herself. 'Something is wrong with this place. I have to find a way out!'

No matter the circumstances Mezzo did her best to remain calm. She normally succeeded but she had never been shoved in another world before. This was a whole new brand of stress.

As she made her way back to the house she tripped and landed flat on her face. The few contents of her pockets spilled, and her sunhat blew away with a unexpected breeze. It could have been worse. Really, it could have been a lot worse, but it still hurt and it almost put Mezzo in tears. 

Why could they not leave her alone? She just wanted to be a normal person! Was that so much to ask for?

Slowly, she curled up and looked down at her feet to see what she had tripped over. She blinked a few extra times, since she did not expect to see something so out of place and so small. 

With a groan she sat up. She snatched up the thing at her feet and almost hissed at it. It was a small hair comb used for decoration. Like all the things in the garden it was worn, but it still kept its charm. Images of cherry blossoms falling from trees were carved into it, and their was a very faint image of two people. At least Mezzo assumed they were people.

She twirled the comb in her fingers and on a whim crossed her legs Indian style. ( Or is that Buddha style?) "What is this all about? I end up in the middle of nowhere with a comb of all things. Dole said that they needed plant skills and I don't see any need for plant skill unless my mission is to heal this.... whole garden."

She pocketed the small comb and then It hit her like a ton of bricks. Maybe if she fixed this place up the best she could the window would let her go home! All right, it was a long shot but she did not want to be far away from home for the rest of her life. 

At once she set out on her mission..

It took her nearly a week and a half to clean up the garden, but she had found all that she needed inside of the house. From garden tools to food, it was all there. 

One by one she took on each plant. She gave them various formulas she frequently used on her plants if they became sick. Everything showed improvement after just one dose of her secret mixture. No one knew what was in it, and unless they were majors in horticulture and chemistry they would not figure out what was in. Every time the formula was used Mezzo gave a triumphant smile of 'I never loose a plant, so take that!'

Finally after all the work and cleaning of the garden she came to the very last problem. The all mighty cherry tree. The other trees had taken to her formula quite well, but this one seemed to reject it.

Sighing Mezzo did something unexpected. She put her arms around the tree and gave in a hug. She placed one cheek on the cool bark and let out another deep sigh. "You're a pain in my neck, and you give me a bad feeling about this whole garden... but I still want to make you feel better. I know what it's like to be all alone and forgotten."

The wind suddenly began to howl in a frightening manner. Like lightning Mezzo let go of the tree and quickly scouted the area for storm clouds. Nothing, the sky was a clear, crystal blue.

A chill went down the young woman's spine as the wind began to blow harder. She cursed and quickly ran inside. She hoped that all that hard would not go to waste in all of that awful wind. The poor flowers...

The windows cut her thinking short as they all began to chatter from the wind. It sounded like a tornado was about to hit. Mezzo looked to the window that had brought her here. It was worth a shot.

With that final decision made she slid the window open and fell out of it.

Background, buttons and bars came from KAGARIBIGENTOH. The storyline (as bad as it is) and characters (>_> shut up you.) created and copyright © by Geraldine (Kari Muffin) Nonnewitz. The Bishen is copyright © to Indy and comes from the Bishen Realm.