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The Lantern Festival (7) : Scientists have been hard at work trying to understand the strange, glowing qualities of the luminescent caterpillars found in the caves by the reservoir. The caterpillars still shrivel up if they are taken out of the caves but their glowing secretions have been processed into an organic paste that can withstand the outside world. The city is selling paper lanterns infused with various seeds. The glow paste is full of minerals to support healthy plant growth without risking damage to the environment; all lantern purchases come with a small packet of activating power that will heat the paste up enough to mimic the effects of a candle without the concerns of flammability. When the glow paste loses its heat, the lantern will return to the Earth and upon the first rain (or any contact with water) the paper will dissolve and the seeds may begin to grow. All proceeds from the lanterns are put right back into the community to support local conservation and environmental protection efforts.
Of all the celebrations and events that happened during Destiny City's Star Festival, Alanna's favorite had to be the Lantern Festival. She hadn't missed one since she was a little kid, first helping to hunt caterpillars in the caves down by what was now the reservoir, then later as she got older sending the lanterns soaring off into the sky during the festival itself. Destiny City was rich with native plants and flowers in its many parks, and she felt certain that it was because of the lanterns.
But there was more to her love of the Lantern Festival than that. She had done her research on the cultural significance of lantern festivals across the world, and they almost universally signified letting go of the past, celebrating new beginnings, and hoping for the future. Al was big on letting go of her past, for many reasons; so the Lantern Festival at Star Fest held a special place in her heart.
Her heart, which she now knew bore the starseed of the Senshi Robinhood, long dead on another world and reborn in her.
The next few days after her encounter with the space cat Cuan Oilean had been spent mulling over what she'd been told, as well as doing some of her own research on Robin Hood. She knew about the robbing the rich to give to the poor s**t, who didn't; but she learned that was a much later variation on some very very old lore. Turns out Robin Hood – the original guy – was a ******** badass. A yeoman warder of the forest who rebelled against the cruelty and greed of the nobles. Yeah, he robbed from the rich, but he kept it for himself and his band of hooligans, unafraid to kill if needed. He was like the ultimate "disobey" guy. Totally follow your own rules like. And in all the tales, he was a crack shot with a bow and arrow, just like she was. Alanna liked this b*****d.
This year's Lantern Festival was going to hold even more significance to her, and not just because of the whole Senshi thing. There was the unexpected and unusual passing of her beloved Uncle Alan to honor. She scowled as she thought of him getting his starseed yanked in some dark alley by a Negaverse person and being left to die, an empty husk of himself who would never recover from it. There was no way someone wasn't going to pay for this someday. She might not find the exact one who did it, but she would surely come across some Chaos agent doing it to someone else, and on that day all hell would break loose.
Shaking off the foul mood, she turned her attention to the person leading the release of the lanterns, waiting for the cue to apply the activation powder to the glowing caterpillar paste inside the paper lantern she held. When the word was given, Al sprinkled the powder and felt it all heat up. As the glow increased, so did the hot air inside the lantern, and it was all she could do to keep it from floating off on its own. Finally the signal to release the lanterns came. Alanna gently let her lantern drift into the sky, keeping her mind on what she hoped for and wanted to let go of this year.
And new beginnings. A whole new life ahead for her as Sailor Robinhood.
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