Submission (#6346) Approved

After a few weeks of coordinated effort run by the botanist community in Cottons's town, the new plant species was tamed. They were surprisingly well tempered and cooperative once bribed with quality plant food. The town quickly fell into a simple routine of keeping their new neighbors fed and happy. A large portion of Terras even took to keeping them as pets. Cotton had started a small workshop on how to properly train and take care of these plants, since they were the one who first discovered how to tame them within the community. Their new pet, Chompsky, was a wonderful workshop partner and the two quickly formed a bond.

After a while, the things Cotton had to teach them became common knowledge, and the Terra was left with a considerable amount of free time on their paws. Their greenhouse was in perfect condition and needed no significant work done. The fair wasn't going to come to town until two weeks from now. So, Cotton took it upon themselves to try to discover just where these plants came from. This was an excellent opportunity at expanding their plant knowledge, and they were excited to apply all of their skills out in the field.

The local papers gave them their first clue. Many Terras claimed that they have started seeing things flying in the sky. Meteorological events have been attributed to strange changes in plants before, so Cotton decided to find one of these Terras who had claimed sightings and further question them. They weren't sure where this investigation would take them, so they packed a few provisions just in case. They dusted off their trusty travel satchel and filled it with the essentials: a small shovel, food and water rations, some bandanas for wiping off the dirt they would inevitably get on themselves, and of course, plenty of food for Chompsky. After donning their sturdy pair of overalls, they retrieved Chompskys's travel basket. It was handmade by themselves, lovingly weaved with the sturdiest grasses and fibers they could find. A small embroiderment in shiny purple and yellow thread read “Chompsky” on the front rim. The plant was excited to be going out, and quickly settled into his little basket.

Finding one of the Terras to question was easy. One of the local store owners, Ryelie, had made a report about a frightening shape whizzing past her house late at night. After a short walk through the woods where Cotton lived into town, they quickly arrived at the shop. Ryelie was well-known for her friendly attitude, so Cotton felt completely comfortable striking up a conversation. After a bit of small talk, Cotton was able to get Ryelie to tell them what she saw. “It was the strangest thing, I tell you! I've seen plenty of shooting stars, and this was no meteor. It was metal, for sure, and extremely big. Bigger than this shop I reckon! It was way too close to the treeline for comfort, and I'm pretty sure I saw it hit the ground all the way on the other side of the forest. Here, have a map on the house. I'll mark where I think it crashed. Please be careful sweetheart!”

With a map in hand, Cotton and Chompsky made their way back into the woods. The location Ryelie had given them was deep in the forest, in a place Cotton had only passed through a couple of times. It would be a difficult trek, but they were determined to get down to the source of these plants and weird sightings.