Welcome to Issue 6
Lugia Winning Entry
Kalla Lilly was distraught. As she bent down to examine the sprout that had sprung from her garden's topsoil only moments before, she knew something was wrong. The Koko had grown every seed there was to grow - big ones, small ones, ones that took months to grow, others that took seconds - but this was unlike any she had ever seen. The sprout was a dingy grey, and it hung depressingly over the side of the pot it was growing in.
Normally, Kalla would've been more upbeat, excited to have a new plant type to study, but now it wouldn't do at all. Pandoria's birthday was fast approaching, and the Koko had planned to craft a tiara out of flowers for the goddess in celebration. This sprout was meant to be the centerpiece of the crown, the jewel that would make it outstanding. Her heart fell as she realized there was no time to grow another flower before the goddess' birthday, which was the next day.
Kalla Lilly turned from the depressed-looking flower, blinking away the tears that were biting at the corners of her eyes. She scanned the rows upon rows of sapphire, pink, and yellow flowers that were soaking in the warm spring sunlight and sighed. None of them were impressive enough to be the jewel of Pandoria's crown, and this upset the Koko.
“Whatever will I do?" She questioned to nobody in particular. As she expected, there was no reply. Just the soft sound of the flowers brushing against each other.
The rest of the day came and went, with Kalla only checking on the grey sprout twice. Each time that she did, however, brought her a sense of great discontent. Still, she worked on the main structure of the tiara throughout the night, hoping something miraculous would happen. By the time she had weaved all of the sapphire, pink, and yellow flowers together to form the base structure of the crown, a quick glance at the clock hanging on her shop's wall told her it was almost noon. Pandoria would be coming to visit in only a few short hours, and there was still no centerpiece to fill in the oval. A wave of panic shot through the Koko, and with this panic came a single thought.
I should check on that grey sprout one last time. Kalla brushed the thought away, but it sat stubbornly in the back of her mind until she pushed herself up from her work desk and walked out to her garden. But she was sure glad she did. For standing where the dull grey sprout once rested was the most beautiful rose the Koko had ever witnessed. It's petals shone with the crystalline hues of a rainbow after violent rain, washing Kalla with a warm, radiant glow. The Koko thought she had fallen asleep at her desk and was only dreaming of the flower. But a light touch assured her that it was, in fact, a real object.
With careful movements, Kalla picked the rose and brought it into her shop. She rested it down on her desk lightly and waited for a moment in stunned silence. When she made her next motion, the rose was moved into the oval shaped hole, where it rested perfectly. A wave of mingled delight and relief rushed through the Koko, and it was only then that she allowed herself to rest her head in her arms and fall into a deep slumber.
“Kalla? Are you in here?" The regal voice of Pandoria echoed through the Koko's shop, jolting her awake.
“Yes, Pandoria!" Kalla replied groggily as she pushed herself up from the desk with a grunt and turned to face the great Braenon.
“I hope my birthday didn't cause you too much sleeplessness, Kalla." The goddess commented, taking notice of the dark circles under the Koko's eyes.
“Don't worry, Pandoria, it didn't," Kalla lied. Turning to her cluttered desk, the Koko retrieved the crown from where it rested. “I made you a birthday gift, though." She then turned and presented the tiara to the goddess, feeling a sense of elation as Pandoria's face lit up.
“Oh, Kalla, you didn't have to make me anything!" She laughed, accepting the crown constructed of flowers graciously. The second she placed it atop her head, though, it began to change. The pink, yellow, and sapphire flowers morphed, their petals turning into crystal. Their vines hardened, giving the crown a sturdier and more realistic look while still maintaining its patterns and intricacy. The jeweled rose which was the centerpiece of Pandoria's birthday crown hardened last, giving the tiara a pleasant glow. Kalla stood in awe of her creation, now made permanent by the goddess.
“I...I..." She began, but was silenced by a warm smile from Pandoria. The goddess, as if having known about the little grey sprout the entire time, whispered.
“Sometimes, the dullest of seedlings sprout into the most beautiful flowers." All Kalla could do was nod in agreement as she glanced out the window at her garden, the few flowers that remained dancing in the springtime breeze.