The Wishing Tree (1): A Destiny City Star Festival Tradition to be held every year; In Town Square, there is a beautiful tree with spreading branches. It is tall, but the lowest branches are easily reached. The city has decorated the tree with small, starlike ornaments and glistening lights. Thick leaves and beautiful purple flowers dangle from the branches, along with a myriad of different colored papers with handwritten wishes. Next to the tree is a stack of blank paper with twine attached, and a handwritten sign that explains:
Write your wish on a sheet of paper and tie it to the tree. Take one wish off the tree and do your best to grant it. When you have granted the wish, bury the paper in the park.
The papers are biodegradable and filled with seeds. There are no rules for wishing, but you are encouraged to wish for something vague enough that it can be interpreted in many ways so that it can be granted; you do not write your name on it, but it is encouraged to write something that doesn’t wish for self gain, but rather something that can make the world a better place. Some wishes dangling from the tree already include things like “I wish there wasn’t so much litter in the park,” “I wish someone would clean the graffiti off the old historic buildings,” and “I wish there were more volunteers at the shelter.”
If you choose to use the Wishing Tree, what do you wish for? If your wish is private, you may write it on the paper and choose a spot in the park and bury it yourself instead of hanging it on the tree.
Write your wish on a sheet of paper and tie it to the tree. Take one wish off the tree and do your best to grant it. When you have granted the wish, bury the paper in the park.
The papers are biodegradable and filled with seeds. There are no rules for wishing, but you are encouraged to wish for something vague enough that it can be interpreted in many ways so that it can be granted; you do not write your name on it, but it is encouraged to write something that doesn’t wish for self gain, but rather something that can make the world a better place. Some wishes dangling from the tree already include things like “I wish there wasn’t so much litter in the park,” “I wish someone would clean the graffiti off the old historic buildings,” and “I wish there were more volunteers at the shelter.”
If you choose to use the Wishing Tree, what do you wish for? If your wish is private, you may write it on the paper and choose a spot in the park and bury it yourself instead of hanging it on the tree.
Illyria was going stir crazy. Between the visits to home worlds that needed help with the clearing of ancient chaos or the random, yet pleasant, trips to be moral support for Ida when she helped a dark mirror senshi to purify, it seemed as if she had lost sight of what it was that she had wanted to do as soon as she had healed satisfactorily from her injuries against the corrupt senshi Beatrix: she wanted desperately to be able to patrol, night after night, for as long as it took so she could find and rescue Meissa. The idea that she had to be meticulous about her approach to everything rankled the small feline. Meissa had counted on her assistance and the Bobcat senshi's time of need, she had let Meissa down. Regret washed over her small frame once more even as her paw steps traversed the city commons where the Star Festival had once more made its annual appearance. The Mauvian trod past stalls without really seeing what was being sold this year. Violet orbs locked onto the most auspicious of sights that lay straight ahead. Yawning branches reached ever upwards but Illyria's gaze sought out the lower branches with a little bit of wariness. The Wishing Tree: perhaps by utilising the tree, perhaps there was a chance that an individual would be able to direct Meissa back into her orbit. The Guardian cat scoffed inwardly at her own folly. The only way that she or someone else could find Meissa would be if Meissa wanted to be found.
The table on which the paper resided on for which individuals could write down their wish was being manned by a stern looking teenager who periodically would offer his assistance to those that approached the table. At other times his nose was glued to the screen of his cellular device. However when Illyria ambled by the table in an effort to test the teen's awareness of her presence he sharply shooed at her with his foot before telling her to "get away from him."
It hurt to be rejected in such a resounding manner but Illyria was determined to get a slip of paper away from the table in order to write down her wish. Custom dictated that once you had tied your wish up into the tree then you had to take one down and do your best to fulfil it. Illyria and Orah had completed the task last year that the wish had directed them to do and this year the Mauvian was flying solo. How would Orah/Ida react if she knew what Illyria was doing without her? Guilt had her gaze lower to the ground before her violet eyes caught on a little trinket that a person must have recently dropped because it had not been there moments before. Dashing forward at the same time that a gust of wind kicked up, Illyria heard the teen shout in dismay as some of the paper stack was lifted off the table and taken away on the wind. Tracking one such liberated piece of paper did the small feline pause underneath the projected landing spot before pouncing on the paper as soon as it floated back to Earth. Mission accomplished. However, Illyria's attention was on the small charm on the ground. Even as she caused the paper to vanish into her little pocket of subspace did she return to scoop up a bonus prize. The star charm was a magnificent find. Feeling rather pleased with herself Illyria retreated for the moment to find a location in which she could rest before tackling the second, and most dangerous part of her plan.
(614 words)
