Rainy the Croc's Journal pg.1: Through the Banana Trees

Just before I left with Pineapple and Coconut (evidently the names of the two gecko guards from my kingdom), Berry gave me this journal to write in everyday of my trip. It's pretty thin (but just enough for me to go to Crocodile Kingdom and kick the lions out) and has a drawing of Liza on the cover. Happy the pink elephant can be quite the artist.

Happy says he saw her once in the woods wearing a dark shawl like the one in his drawing. I'm pretty sure it was just a dream... Liza and the other shamans are all pretty reclusive. 

Anyway, dear journal, it's been a few days since I took off with the gecko guards at my side. We don't talk much, except maybe a few "are you all right, majesty?"s when I trip on a root. 

Currently, we're passing through the village and on an unnecessarily twisty route to Crocodile Kingdom. No one so far has given us a second glance, even though I'm a prince! Maybe my kingdom isn't that well known in this part of Jamaa. As the prince, I know we don't really focus on expanding our territory as much as more important matters. Like eating popcorn. Speaking of which, I haven't eaten any popcorn since Patches the lion or whatever launched me across Jamaa and into Berry's backyard. 

I miss Berry... 

But never mind that! My kingdom is at stake, and it's my job as the prince to stop those lions and kick them out!

But I do feel something odd around the two geckos... Like they're not really there.

*TO BE CONTINUED NEXT MONTH! STAY TUNED!* 

Parting

A month passed after that meeting, and as each day flew by, the truth began to dawn on me and Happy: Rainy would probably have to stay at the kingdom.

Perhaps we could live at the castle with Rainy... but no, I'm far too attached to this den to leave. Happy could probably stay at the kingdom... But in all honesty, I hope he doesn't. If he left with Rainy, I would be all alone again without any friends! It's nice being alone with peace and quiet, but not like that! 

Finally, just today the time came when Rainy had to go. 

It was midmorning, a nice one too. Everything was quiet until the guards came up to the door and called for "Rainbow."

Rainy snuck to the door from behind a potted plant as to not wake us. Happy was asleep, but I certainly was not. Without hesitation I got up to look Rainy in the eye.

"I'll miss you." I said.

Rainy nodded, but responded "There's no need, really, you know I'll be back."

Apparently, Happy wasn't asleep at all and jumped up at those words.

"Really? Yayy! In that case, bring me back something from your kingdom!"

A muffled "Hey! Don't order around his majesty like that!" Was heard from the door, which of course everyone ignored.

"Like what?" Asked Rainy.

"Ummm..." Happy began, to which the guards sighed. "Uhhh... Ummm... Wait, lemme think... Ummm... uhhhhhhh... uhhhh... ermmm... Uhhh–"

"We don't have all day, elephant!" Yelled the guards.

"Just lemme think! Ummm...–"

"Okay, I think I should get going. I'll bring you back something, like a feather or a jewel, I promise." Rainy said, and then took off.

We called "goodbye!" and "farewell" until they were gone.

"Well..." Happy began.

"I hope the lions don't cause him much trouble."

*TO BE CONTINUED*

The Crocodile Prince

There was a long, awkward silence as what Alex was saying sank in:

Rainy would have to leave.

By now, the other plushies had turned away from us and the normal chatter of the market returned, but it still felt too quiet.

Happy, I've observed, dislikes quiet. Especially when there are questions to be answered.

"How come you never told us you were a prince?" Happy asked skeptically.

Rainy looked from the ground to the pink elephant. "Well–"

"Yes, go on."

Rainy rolled his eyes at Happy's obliviousness. "You interrupted me. I was ABOUT to go on. Now, as I was sayi–"

"Hey! How dare you interrupt The Royal Prince Rainbow of the Crocodile Kingdom! You would be thrown in the dungeon, had you been back at our castle before the lion invasion!" The orange crocodile decided to chime in irritably, taking a defensive stance towards Happy with his sword.

Rainy shot a look straight forward that said loud and clear 'you've got to be joking.'

"So," I said quietly, not wanting to annoy Rainy any further, "you were a prince before you came to live with us?"

"Yes," Rainy sighed, "Remember when I fell out of the sky?"

Happy brightened up. "Oh yeah! I remember! We thought you were sent by Mira, haha. Berry was so clueless–"

After those words was a... loud and abrupt reaction in unison from Alex and I. Alex to accuse Happy again of "injustice against the prince" to think Rainy was "anything less than Mira herself," and me... to protect my pride, I guess... but I'm not clueless! Happy thought Rainy was sent by Mira, too!! I'm not clueless!!

It was just a bunch of annoying blabber in Rainy's ears, who obviously couldn't stand it. He looked at the ground and covered his ears (or whatever crocodile ears are called). It seemed odd that even though he was a prince, he held back from telling other plushies to be quiet.

The market's gaze wandered over to our loud squabble. I was embarrassed, and so was Alex, so we quieted down.

Rainy glanced around, and seeing our commotion silenced took his webbed reptilian paws (or whatever crocodile paws are called) from his ears. "I thought you'd go on all month. So yeah, I didn't literally fall from the sky. This lion– Patch I believe –launched me out of a cannon for some reason and that's how I ended up in this region of Jamaa. Patch was a friend of mine, but we hadn't spoken recently. Now I think I know why just out of the blue he suggested 'Hey Rainy, wanna get launched out of a cannon.'"

"Why?" we all said in unison. 

"If the..." Rainy struggled to say, "prince was gone, the lions could invade and take over."

TO BE CONTINUED

Rainbow???

"I've been looking everywhere for you, Rainbow!"

I darted my head around cluelessly and turned to Happy and Rainy. "Who's Rainbow? Happy, any idea? What about you, Rainy? Who's Rainbow?" 

Happy and rainy annoyingly didn't say anything, only looked at me disappointedly. The orange crocodile swished his eyes back and forth between us and glared at us expectantly.

"Well?!" He asked.

Rainy stepped forward and I put my face in my paws. Duh!

"What is it this time, Alex?" Rainy (Rainbow) said to the crocodile, looking at the ground. I guess Alex was the orange crocodile's name?

"You're needed back at the kingdom! Didn't you know?! The lions have taken over and everything is in chaos! I thought you knew! You're the crocodile prince, for Mira's sake!"

Other animals in the market began to look and whisper at us worriedly. There was silence in the group as his words sank in.

I couldn't stand the silence and blurted out. "You're a PRINCE, Rainy?!"

Alex flicked his head towards me and glared. "Shh... keep it down. There may be lions around." He whispered.

"But Rainy, I had no idea that–" I was cut off again by my friends' agitated faces. "Oh, right.." I whispered sheepishly. "Sorry."

Alex turned back to Rainy. "You need to be back at the castle by next month. I'll send some of the guards with you, if you like. You and you only need to be there to restore peace."

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Notice

Hi! Sorry for the inconvenience, but Berry The Koala will be on hiatus through the month of October. (I will not be posting here for all of October.)

Things have come up that make it hard to do so, sorry.

Bye!

–Quintanna/DoomyPanda

The Crocodilian Messenger Part 1

Yes, we did know that crocodile!

It was the very same crocodile that we had run into so many months ago!

I slowly shuffled closer to get a better look, but I should not have. I accidentally kicked a pebble, he glanced over at me, and immediately bolted out of the market.

I searched the crowd for Happy and Rainy. I had long lost sight of them when I was buying some 10 gem lemonade (which tasted a bit funny, now that I think of it), and I had to navigate through quickly enough to keep up with Rainy shifting between each shop. That crocodile could really move fast, especially when 10 gem food was involved. 

My unsteady trail through the crowd was just a repetitive "Excuse me! Pardon me! Sorry!" until finally, I spotted Rainy and Happy sitting at the far back eating peanuts. 

"Happy! Rainy! You'll never even guess what just happened!"

"You saw that very same orange crocodile that we had run into so many months ago?" The pink elephant replied coolly, all attention on the bag of peanuts.

"How did you know?" I asked.

Rainy piped in "We saw him too. Right around the lemonade stand. He cut in line... ugh." he rolled his eyes irritably.

"But don't you remember him?"

"Of course we do, we just thought that he wouldn't be much of a threat now. He was just minding his own business––"

"Cutting in line..." Rainy interrupted.

I sat down next to my friends and took a hand full of peanuts. Maybe this whole sighting didn't matter at all, and we'd never see the orange crocodile again.

Rainy stood up. "I think it's time to leave. The shops are beginning to close up."

I stood up with him. "C'mon, Happy."

"Okay!" Happy said with a mouth full of peanuts.

We started up the path to our den on the hill. Hummingbirds stopped at flowers to stick their beaks in to drink the nectar. It was peaceful, until we heard an unexpected voice from behind.

"Rainbow!"

TO BE CONTINUED

Sleepy Summer Days

Summer faded and blended together as each day passed, making the days seem shorter and shorter. Although it was supposedly the warmest season, the skies were often grey in the morning and the sun only broke through for an hour or so during the afternoon before retreating back behind the clouds. 

The truth is, it had not rained for months. The immense rain clouds just hung in view always, casting a dry light on Jamaa below. 

Bored of constantly looking out into the grey sky, I spent most of my time in the Chamber of Knowledge. I did puzzles and read the old dusty texts that lined the walls. It's really fun, actually! *cough*getoffyourcomputerandreadabook*cough* I haven't even read through a fourth of the books there yet, there are just so many!

Although, I really would like if they added some more biology to the shelves. I'm getting so tired of finding no informational text except about frogs, butterflies, and pandas all of the time!

I wonder who originally stocked this place so full of books... 

Luckily, there were at least a few days with nothing but sunshine. I used those days to go to the village with Happy and Rainy. There it was always packed with chirpy bunnies, giant giraffes, and many other animals. There was always something going on and sometimes it got so loud, it was really a wonder how we didn't hear it from our home!

It was nice to be so close to where everything is and be unable to hear it.

Hang on a second...

Do I know that crocodile??

********

TO BE CONTINUED!