Successor

In the dusk of slowly settling night, Sapling Village was winding down. After a very recent tragedy, it wasn't quite the stirring hub of commerce it often enjoyed being, even at the peak hours of the day. Thus, not much of a crowd awaited a most familiar, monocle-wearing visitor as he approached on the path. There was only a somber silence which accompanied the orange glow of the setting sun through the surrounding trees. The mood wasn't lost on Shroomsworth, even though he'd just arrived. He shared their sense of loss.

With the elder gone, there was only one logical place to first make his return. Shroomsworth sighed to himself quietly as he trudged his way to the entrance of Sapling Library. Much like many of Tao's old buildings and all of the others in Sapling, there was no entry door, in favor of a draped archway. From under the drape, soft light emanated like an offered welcome. With that, the flimsy cloth was pushed aside as the Breloom peeked his way into the building proper.

The library's lobby was a cozy area, one that its caretakers often used as living space. There was adequate seating both with and without end tables, coffee tables, anything that could be needed between them and any number of visitors interested in their literature. Glowing, bulbous flowers, often strange to newcomers, grew from the walls like traditional sconces, freely giving off an adequate, faintly-blue light. Several feet from the entrance, the room expanded greatly into the library itself, with many books sorted for many tastes. That wasn't what interested Shroomsworth, though. In the middle of the comfortable lobby was a familiar face, forlornly buried into a book of some sort over one of the taller tables. She hadn't even noticed him yet.

“Ahem...” Shroomsworth cleared his throat to gain attention. He stepped all the way through the drape, allowing it to properly close behind his tail. The Roserade seated nearby perked up to notice him, and a smile came over her face. He could tell it was genuine... but it was anything but excited.

“Shroomsworth...” she called him by name. Arianna released the book from her viny grasp and pushed her seat back, standing from it. She quickly approached the gentleman standing in her library's doorway, stopping just short of him. “I wasn't entirely sure if you'd come right away... but I'm glad you did.”

“How could I not?” Shroomsworth replied, stepping further into the comfortable lobby. There were no belongings in tow other than his worn monocle, leaving him at a loss to do anything except approach the back of a chair and settle his claws upon it with a sigh. Arianna followed at his side, and he turned his head to look upon her. Seeing the sadness through her smile caused feelings of guilt to well up inside him. “I am sorry,” he spoke up after a moment of silence, averting his gaze once again. “I trusted her...”

“As did I,” Arianna replied without missing a beat, “but we can't dwell on that. It wasn't your fault any more than it was mine.”

Just then, Shroomsworth felt a single vine creep under his chin, gently coaxing him to look its owner in the eye once again. Her smile looked a little more welcoming than it did before. It certainly did the trick. After the intense feeling of betrayal he'd suffered before making his way westward, a genuinely friendly face from his childhood was much like applying salve to a wound.

“I'm simply happy that you showed up. I'm certain your siblings will be too,” Arianna assured in a calming tone. She then utilized the vines protruding from her flower-like hands to pull the nearest seat out from under the table. “Please, make yourself at home.”

So much time spent traveling made the offer all the more pleasing. A relieved sigh sounded from Shroomsworth as he let himself settle into the wooden chair. “Thank you,” he accepted graciously, wincing down toward his own feet once he was off them. Their combined ache made him wish he had simply taken Barty's air service, but the rather explosive consequences of his departure didn't exactly make room for the idea. No sense worrying about that now, he guessed.

---

Arianna let her smile fade somewhat as she walked around the table and returned to her seat, leaving Shroomsworth at the left side of the table from her. The book she had been reading was still in front of her, but she certainly didn't wish to go back to reading now that she had a most important guest. “I know you must be weary of the subject... but I'm sure you would like to know that the burial went along as planned.”

The news felt like a stab to Shroomsworth's heart, but it carried a feeling of closure with it. There were worse possible fates. Ones that made his skin crawl. “... I am glad nothing went wrong. To even think of those bone-yard scavengers finding him first, I... I can't bear it.”

“I made absolute sure we moved him as soon as possible. The worry was on my mind too...” Arianna admitted with concern. Her gaze averted to the book she had been reading prior, and she picked it up in her vines to accentuate its importance, “I had been studying the history of previous elders... most of them passed within the village itself, ensuring that they will be... prepared for burial, and then--”

“Miss Arianna!”

The gentlemanly Breloom stood quickly after his stern-sounding outburst, pushing his seat out behind him with the motion as he settled his clawed hands upon the wooden table. “I... ahem, pardon me for the interruption,” Shroomsworth apologized, shame in his voice over his own rudeness, “but I really must arrange some quarters for myself. I plan to reside in this village once more.” He really didn't know what came over him, but... he couldn't listen to more of that thought.

It was strange. Not once to Arianna's recollection had Shroomsworth ever outright interrupted someone like that. Her eyes averted until she heard of his plans, which brought her to smile once again. In light of confirmation that he would stay around, Arianna was willing to forget all about that minor faux pas. “I see... I can offer you spare quarters here, if you'd like.”

Though it was a nice gesture, Shroomsworth shook his head, stepping to the side and pushing his chair back in, “I will be quite fine with one of the caretakers' quarters in the hub, but thank you, dearest Arianna.”

With solemn understanding, Arianna nodded up at Shroomsworth. “I suppose that would be most comfortable for you. Perhaps on your way, you could pay your respects at the elder's grave before sundown,” she suggested, lifting her book to continue where she had left off.

The suggestion caused Shroomsworth to freeze for just a moment. “Quite...” was his only reply, low and somewhat unsure, as he made his way back out of the drape he had entered from, into the relative low, orange glow of the outdoors.

On the way across the unpopulated square of the village, Shroomsworth briefly pondered the suggestion he was given. Very briefly. Before he knew it, his feet had taken him to the front of the Shroomish Hub, a building he was very familiar with. It was once his home... he never thought he'd call it that again, but it wasn't a bad thing. He would have to tread carefully though – an early bedtime was something he remembered clearly from his childhood.

As Shroomsworth entered through the drape, he was greeted with the sight of many toys, desks, and other activities that his brothers enjoyed so much, basking in the glow of those same sorts of flowers found in the library and most other buildings. It always gave him a sense of accomplishment to remember that they were once making do with makeshift toys crudely made of leaves and wood, only to have him put actual funds toward importing well-crafted things. His funds went toward expanding the hub as well – a large bedroom, accessible by two draped archways across the room from the entrance, housed many beds, which were currently full of his slumbering siblings, if he had to guess. They previously had to slumber in the entry room, with all of their belongings.

There were two more bedrooms off to the sides of those. While designated caretakers often had their own dwellings to return home to, they would need to stick around at night to watch over the little ones. Sometimes there was more than one volunteer at a time, necessitating multiple private quarters to retreat to. Shroomsworth approached the arch leading to one of those very rooms, being as silent as he could. He was just about ready to peek inside, to see if a current caretaker was utilizing it. That's when he heard a most peculiar noise.

Sniffling.

That was a clear sign that they were awake, but what was wrong? Was it someone grieving? Shroomsworth felt that he should at least check on them, knowing that they were awake. He pushed the drape open to a nearly pitch-black room. The soft light from the central room shone in on the darkness, revealing his closest, tie-wearing brother seated on the room's relatively large bed, sobbing quietly to himself. “Sporegard..?” he called out, pushing his way into the room.

There was a segmented half-sphere covering on the wall with a handle in the middle. Shroomsworth reflexively turned it, causing the upper segment of the sphere to rotate so that it was cupped inside the lower one, releasing light into the room from a previously-enclosed flower. It was the village's light switch, so to speak, and it allowed Shroomsworth to see his brother gazing back at him. Though teary-eyed, it would seem that his presence warranted a smile.

“Brother!!” Sporegard exclaimed, though in a whispered tone that was mindful of the others sleeping nearby. Eagerly, the little Shroomish slipped from the edge of the bed and ran for Shroomsworth, making a very trustworthy leap toward him.

“Oof!” Shroomsworth exhaled as Sporegard impacted lightly against his stomach, though he still caught him in his arms and embraced him in a warm, brotherly hug. However, he immediately felt the stain of those wet tears against his body, accompanied by another sniffle. “Goodness, Sporegard...” he began, carrying his smaller brother back to the bed and sitting down on it himself, allowing Sporegard to rest on his knee. “I had certainly hoped to see you, but not so very sad. What is the matter?” he asked in the most calming manner he could.

“Oh... it's indefinitely nice of you to ask, brother,” Sporegard started, pausing only to sniffle, “I went to the elder's burialment ceremony, because Miss Arianna said it was respectful... but not all of our brothers and sisters went! I tried really hard to get them to go, because I want them to be respectable to the elder too... but they would not go. Then I got in trouble... for yelling.”

It was quite unlike his closest brother to shout at anyone. Still, Shroomsworth understood what it was all about, wearing his best comforting smile as he looked down upon Sporegard. “You must understand, not all of your brothers and sisters are as brave as you are...”

“But what does it have to do with bravery, brother?!” Sporegard replied, looking up through teary eyes. “It is not about that, it is about being respectable to the elder, right?”

The notions brought up by his smaller brother made Shroomsworth look away for a brief moment with nervousness. It was certainly not an easy subject. “Eheh... well, that is true. Still, you should not pressure them if they feel uncomfortable with going. Surely you know that all of your siblings, myself included, have the utmost respect for our elder. You may be shouting at them for things they cannot help.”

Sporegard looked down in thought. “I suppose that is true... I should apologize,” he concluded, hopping right off of Shroomsworth's lap and landing effortlessly on the floor below. He turned to face Shroomsworth, and a smile was crossing his face for the first time, though his eyes were still teary. “How long are you visiting for this time, brother?”

With a relieved sigh, Shroomsworth placed his claws together in his now-empty lap. “I am not visiting this time, dear Sporegard. Let us say you and I will be seeing a lot of each other from now on,” he hinted quite blatantly, with a wink through his monocle to match. A rather upbeat gesture for such hard times, but if anyone would bring good feelings out of him at this point, it would be his closest little brother.

---

It took a moment for Sporegard to get it, but when he did, his smile went from mild happiness to absolutely glowing. He even hopped in place with glee, though he did his best to refrain from making too much noise with the gesture. A curious look came over him once he stopped though. “What of the Merchants then? Are you not still working with Miss PK?”

Another question that felt difficult to answer... even though it wasn't. “She is responsible for...” Shroomsworth almost said outright, then paused. He gazed into his brother's curious eyes, and he just couldn't say it as he would to anyone else. “... she and I decided it would be best not to work together anymore. She is staying with the Merchants, and I am going to stay here, with you.” It was the best way he could think of to put it... though it was certainly not telling the whole story.

“Oh...” Sporegard acknowledged. His smile didn't return upon hearing that news. “She was ratherly fun to be around. Are you sure it is alright for you to leave and come here? It does not make you sad?” he asked with innocent curiosity.

Shroomsworth let his gaze lower to the floor as he became lost in thought. It certainly was regrettable that everything turned out this way. He soon returned his eyes upon Sporegard, and a pleasant smile crossed his face. “There could be nothing more 'alright' than spending more time with you and the rest of our family. Please, worry not and let us get some rest.”

Those were some reassuring words for certain. Ones that returned the smile to Sporegard's face. “Very well! I am feeling incredulously better now, so I am going back to my bed. Good night, brother!” he whispered, seemingly in a much better mood as he waddled through the arch drape.

Alone again, though at least with a proper bed to rest his weary bones on once he settled his monocle upon the nearby table. It felt so physically pleasing to roll back onto the cushioned surface, to pull the smooth, pleasant sheets over himself. Shroomsworth had finally found proper rest after having so little ever since Sorbet's rampage. He'd sent his brother to bed feeling uplifted, but as the side of his face nestled against the pillow, he found himself gently pulling it to cover his eyes. In spite of his earlier stoic manner, it was dampened with tears until he could find the peace of mind to sleep.

---

For all that went wrong, for all that felt wrong, it was at the very least a peaceful night's slumber. It was only nearing sunrise that a commotion rang out from the rest of the hub, stirring Shroomsworth from his rest. Groggily, he eased himself up to sit at the side and rubbed his half-lidded eyes. Like he'd done many times before, he reached to the side without looking to grasp his monocle, but had to adjust his reach somewhat to account for the different room and thus, different furniture. With ease, he attached it and settled it upon his face, only to have it nearly startled off of him as he heard shouting.

“Let me go!” a familiar, youthful voice rang out.

“Look at that bag of goods he's already pilfered. What a little sneak! Planning to take some Shroomish eggs next, hm?” another voice followed. Another familiar one.

Whatever it was, it required his attention. Shroomsworth reared back from his seat and hastily sprung to his feet. Once upright, he noticed that he had left the light cover off. It hadn't interrupted his sleep at all, after how utterly exhausted he was, but he still remembered to slide it closed on his way out into the hub.

Within that large room, many of the Shroomish had awakened already. That wasn't so odd. Early to bed, early to rise, and all that rot. The Serperior in the middle of the room throttling his coils around a Sneasel? That was odd. The Shroomish were gathered around the occurrence. Some were frightened, others almost seemed happy, likely thinking the act was deserved. There was also a strange sack near the two. It was easy to infer that it must have been carried by the Sneasel.

As the smaller Sneasel struggled in the Serperior's grip, the green snake wore a righteous scowl. “What do you say, kids? Send him back featherless and with a mouthful of soap instead of eggs?” he suggested in a playful, yet grim manner. It was met with several of the Shroomish around the room cheering aloud.

The Sneasel, clad in a green scarf, shook his head briskly and pleaded up at the snake, “I'm not here to steal anything! Please, let go!”

“Ginko! Let that boy go!” Shroomsworth intervened, marching right up to the scene. Everyone regarded him with some degree of surprise, except for Sporegard.

“Shroomsworth?!” the Serperior responded in kind, though he kept his captive in his grasp. His eyes darted back to the captive Sneasel with confusion, then to Shroomsworth again. “Are you sure? You know what they've done before!”

With a sigh, Shroomsworth rested his face in one of his claws. “Yes, he is one of mine from the guild,” he explained. That was enough to convince his friend to release the Sneasel, who he promptly approached to place his claw upon his shoulder. He appeared somewhat distraught; understandably so, given what had just happened to him. “Rhodes, dear boy, are you alright?”

“Yeah...” Rhodes answered, sputtering a minor cough in the process. He turned and crouched to pick up the simple sack he had dropped before, looking up at Shroomsworth and offering it to him in his claws. “Miss PK told me to bring you your stuff. Like... mostly tea stuff. I was real careful 'til now, but I don't think I heard 'em break!” he added, throwing in an optimistic smile at the end.

“Eugh...” Ginko chimed in, worrying at his own mistake, “... uh, sorry about that, little guy... I'm supposed to be looking out for these little guys.” He extended a grassy vine from just under his gold-adorned neck area, gesturing to the many Shroomish in the room. They were varying degrees of confused and perhaps still worried over the presence of a Sneasel.

The apology grabbed Rhodes's attention as Shroomsworth accepted the belongings from him. He turned to the larger snake, still a little tense after their run-in. “... It's okay...” he forgave, though his averted gaze and unsure tone were quite apparent.

---