Running through a Dream

A fern, near grass green, Starlyng with no real name, ran through a field of just grass, searching for an herb or perhaps a flower with no specific shape or size. The warm, vibrant sun was the only source of light being covered by the pearly white clouds, which billowed on by in no particular order yet cast no shadow onto the ground below. For a moment, the Starlyng, being the only being in sight for miles on end, allowed his soft feathers to be ruffled every so often by the endless-seeming wind. His swift feet skipped along the grass and dirt, wrinkling the grass under him. The musty smell of earth, similar to a day after rain or after a lawn is clipped, surrounds him, filling his taste buds and senses with vague familiarity.

All he knew in this world was the grass and sun, creating a moment of immense peace before being clouded by a fog of doubt and suspicion at the bits of dark-brown soil that were stuck under his claws from his quick movements. He slowed down, confused about his location, not so sure where he exactly was. It was in this urge that something was not right that Starberries blossomed suddenly from the ground beneath, out of thin air. He jumped back and cautiously pawed at the giant red berry in the flower's center, confirming it was real. He blinked and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. When he reopened his eyes, the plant was still there, creating a slight acceptance that perhaps it was real. He grabbed one of the bright red berries and put it in his mouth, softly biting into it. The berry juices dripped onto the ground as he ate it. Strange. It had no flavor. He thought to himself, baffled and bewildered. The lack of flavor startled him, so he decided to try another, hoping it would be more flavorful. Once again, as he bit into the giant red berry, it had zero flavor. Freaking out about what was happening, he spat out the berry, using the back of his paws to wipe the juice from his tongue in a desperate attempt to get rid of the fake Starberry from his off his tongue. 

Sitting with a loud plop, he flicked his ears around, listening for life, all while trying to discover where he was, as this was not a planet he recognized. His eyes scanned the rolling hill of endless shades of green that had no flowers or life. He looked around, trying to find another person or even an insect, holding his paws up and covering the sun that blinded him. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his vision up some, but when he reopened them, he saw his Boötes Dandy in front of him. The little fluffy ball of mustard yellow stared up at him happily before running around in the field of green. How did he even get here?  The Starlyng thought reached out to touch his Boötes. Dandy ran out of his reach, so he stood up, shaking off the dust, and chased, not very quickly, after the Boötes, losing track and sight as Dandy ran over hill after hill with almost super speed. After a bit, the starylng gave up the chase, even more confused as he had no recollection of Dandy being that fast, heading back towards where the Starberries had been. As he approached, all of the Starberries had disappeared, with no evidence that they even existed. What was going on? There were flowers here last time I checked! He mentally exclaimed and gritted his teeth, clawing at the earth with sheer confusion. 

With a deep frustration but an even deeper confusion, he plopped down, his tail fluffed up, waving it slowly, a sign he was in deep thought. Everything felt so real but seemed so fake. He concluded, tapping the dirt, still trying to figure it out. Nothing makes sense as things appeared in a blink, but you turned your back on, or simply looked away from, something and BAM! It’s gone as fast as it came!  The Starlyng sighed at his conclusion, taking in the soft green springs all around. Everything seemed to blur together at a certain point; his thoughts merged together, brainstroming and theorizing possibilities. 

Before he could create a theory or even react, the grass started to fall down, concaving on itself into a watery spiral of teal and then a deep blue before ending in black. Desperation filled the Starlyng's voice as he screamed, slipping into the water-like void. His lung felt a burn as his head slipped under the waves. The water seemed endless with no bottom to it; he gasped and struggled until...

“RAAAHHHH!” He shot up, letting out a fairly hearty scream, his eyes widening with fear, with a shiver of his sleek body from the result of the nasty end of his dream. Large droplets of water splashed on him, waking him back to the world of reality and reminding him that he was on an expedition on Evernight, Hyperborea. He quickly stood up, shaking the droplets off and his face twisting to one of annoyance, glancing at who had soaked him.

 “That was unnecessary.” He grumbled, stretching his toes, before walking over to his trusty Boötes Dandy, who was asleep.

The Starlyng who woke him just laughed and replied, “It was very necessary. You were muttering again. It gets on my nerves. Plus, it is time to get going.” 

The green Starlyng looked across the vast land of Evernight, Hyperborea, with a grimace at the cold condition, longing once more for the warmth of his dream.

“I suppose.” He responded, breaking the temporary silence that had fallen between them.

He went over, sitting next to the fellow Starlyng. His body still felt the warmth of his dream, still tasting the earth's odor. He rubbed his eyes, thinking of the deep blue sky with the clouds of white. Those soft green grasses of a world unknown and unexplored. His body longed to run and roll where the grass was like the softest of feathers. He put his paw down, yawning, and stood up to stretch his legs once more before once again shaking the remaining exhaust off, re-focusing his mind on his expedition and the goal. 

He longed to run in those green fields, but he had a task at hand, one that he would focus on and perform well on, for the expedition sake.