Tryout for Buttermilk #656 DNP

[BadgerBuddies]

Entry for Buttermilk #565

Table of Contents:

• The Light of Their Lives
• Waves of Sadness
• Embarking on the Adventure of a Lifetime
• Slow and Steady Help
• Quick Thinking
• A Giant Surprise
• Happily Ever After

[BadgerBuddies]

The greatest joy in any parent’s life is the birth of a healthy baby, and this was no different for Avalon’s parents. They were overjoyed when their little bundle of joy arrived. The little family lived in a majestic lighthouse overlooking the ocean. There were rumors about a mysterious sea spirit living in the waters below, who’s heart was set on wrecking the ships that passed. No one ever took it seriously, because there had been no shipwrecks ever since Avalon’s parents took over the lighthouse. Thanks to them, the lives of many sailors have been saved, and the rumors of the water spirit remained only a legend.

With the presence of the lighthouse, the sea spirit grew angry since she could no longer lure ships into her trap, causing them to sink.. Every day, she plotted on the bottom of the sea, weaving in and out of the jagged rocks she called home. When she had discovered that the happy couple who inhabited the dreaded lighthouse had had a beautiful baby girl, she knew exactly what she had to do.

[BadgerBuddies]

Avalon’s parents wake up in a cold sweat as they hear a loud clamor in the lighthouse. They spring out of bed and rush to go check on their new bundle of joy. They hear her cries as they throw open the door to her room, and are startled to discover a shadowy figure with piercing red eyes. It was the water spirit; her body partially made of water, it splashing around the room as she turns to look at them. She was holding Avalon in her sinister claws, and she swiftly turns around and leaves through the window. The water spirit left behind a violent wake of water to wash over Avalon’s parents, preventing them from following her to reclaim their baby. The two adult cows get washed away and down the stairs of their beloved lighthouse, struggling to stay afloat. As the water eventually begins to settle, they fling open the front door and run outside to try and find their beloved baby girl.

As her parents struggled to stay afloat, Avalon is carried into the sea as the water spirit returns to her home beside the rocky jetty. The baby flails as she struggles, running out of air. The water spirit’s goal was not to kill the calf, however. In order to keep her from drowning, the water spirit uses her magic to turn Avalon into a mermaid. It was her hope that Avalon’s parents would leave their posts at the lighthouse in order to search endlessly for their daughter in the vast ocean. Even if they ever found her, she would never be able to rejoin them, since she could no longer live out of water. As the water spirit noticed the two cows looking down into the sea, she held up their baby above the water’s surface, showing them her shimmering mermaid tail. She then quickly transforms into a burst of water, carrying Avalon with her deep out to sea.

[BadgerBuddies]

Avalon had grown so much, and had made many friends with the fish and other animals that lived in the sea around her. She couldn’t help but feel like she did not belong, however. She would question the water spirit often about it. The water spirit never told her that she was the one who did this to her, but she did tell Avalon about how as a baby she was taken from her parents and cursed to be a mermaid for life. According to her, the only way to reverse the curse was to find a magic pearl that was hidden somewhere deep in the sea.

Now that Avalon was grown enough to care for herself, the water spirit left her to fend for herself. She did not reveal to the heifer where she was off to, as she had planned to return to her rocky reef to destroy ships, now that the lighthouse was out of commission as Avalon’s parents had set out to look for her all those years ago. It was utter chaos, and soon all sailing in the area had to be suspended.

Avalon was none the wiser. She frolicked through the warm waters with her closest friend, a fun loving sea lion named Gem. He was still a juvenile, so he was not yet a large and imposing looking creature. With the water spirit gone, Gem saw a wonderful new opportunity arise for his dear friend Avalon. “She used to tell us about that magic pearl that would break your curse, why don’t we go try and find it! It’ll be a fun adventure!” he exclaims, energetically doing backflips in the water. Avalon was hesitant, thinking about the idea. “I-I’m really not sure Gem. I want to know about my past, where I came from, who I was meant to be, but, finding that pearl would mean I would have to leave the ocean, and have to leave you.”


(Lines by Emblo)

Gem stops his enthusiastic swimming and gently swims up next to his best friend. “Hey. No matter what happens, we’ll always be together. Are you forgetting that sea lions can run on land?!” Avalon giggles, and then sighs. “I guess you have a point there” she says, smiling. “Alright, alright. The pearl won’t be easy to find, I’m sure, but let’s go on the grandest adventure two best friends could possibly have!” The pair high fives before swimming off on their journey.

[BadgerBuddies]

“Where do you think we should look first?”

“I don’t know Gem. I don’t really know much about the legend. Maybe we could find someone else who does?”

The pair of friends look around, searching for a friendly face that may be able to assist them. Gem spots a green sea turtle swimming gingerly in the distance, and he takes off after it. His fusiform body and powerful front flippers make him an agile swimmer, while Avalon struggles to keep up with him, her body not built for fast swimming. Sea turtles have long lifespans, making them incredibly wise and dependable creatures, and the friends were hoping this turtle could help them.

“Hello!” Gem greets as he grinds to a halt in front of the terrapin. “Would you be able to help us? We’re looking for a magic pearl! It’s part of a legend. Maybe you know something about it?”

The turtle is initially spooked by the overly enthusiastic youngster. Avalon swims up behind Gem, out of breath, but apologizing for her friend frightening the poor turtle. The sea turtle’s elderly voice crackles, knowing exactly what legend the pair was speaking of. “Ah yes, that pearl is being guarded by the largest, fiercest looking animal in the sea. Though I’m not exactly sure who that would be.”

The friends look over to each other, each one deep in thought, trying to decipher the wise old turtle’s clue. The turtle yawns and says “I really must be going now. This tired old turtle needs to head home for a nap. Oh, how I would love to be young again and on a fun journey like the two of you!” She begins to swim off as she calls back to the pair “best of luck to you two!” The friends thank her for her help, and move on as well, still trying to figure out where the pearl was hidden.

(Turtle banner by scutterland on DA)

[BadgerBuddies]

The friends wander the sea, still searching for the magic pearl. The sea turtle’s clue was certainly helpful, but neither one was exactly sure which animal was guarding it. While deep in thought, Avalon and Gem’s pondering is interrupted by a loud and lively pod of bottlenose dolphins. “Hey! Wait!” Gem calls after them, suddenly hatching an idea. Avalon frowns as the dolphins race past them. “Gem, it’s no use. We’ll never be able to catch up with them.” Gem laughs in her face. “There sure is a lot you don’t know about me! I thought we were best friends!” He pauses. “Avalon, sea lions can swim faster than dolphins! This is a piece of cake. Watch.” Gem speeds off again, his hydrodynamic body blasting through the water at a pace Avalon had never seen before. He manages to catch up with the dolphins, and swims back to meet Avalon with one of them.


(Dolphin by RandomGatcha-Adopts on DA)

“Avalon, meet Bermuda. She’s gonna help us find that pearl!” Gem yells out as he nears his friend. “How exactly is she gonna do that?” Avalon asks. “Well, I can use my echolocation to get a better picture of our surroundings and be able to use it to find the pearl much more easily than if we simply looked for it with our eyes!” Bermuda explains, smiling. Avalon nods, and the group continues their journey to find the legendary magic pearl.

[BadgerBuddies]

Bermuda stops in her tracks, picking something unusual up with her echolocation. “I-I can see it, I think” she shares with her two new friends. “But, something big and scary is coming along with it.” Despite their fears, the group presses forward cautiously, on the lookout for their treasure. Soon enough, a giant shadow casts over them. Bermuda squeaks out “SHARK!” and flees to hide, while Gem cowers by Avalon’s side. Avalon looks up and marvels at the size of the giant swimming overhead. “This must be it! He must have the pearl!” she cheers as she begins to paddle upwards towards the mammoth creature.

“Hello!” she greets, Gem nervously swimming up behind her. “Would you happen to be the keeper of the magic pearl?”

The creature smiles, but shows no large or threatening teeth, which would be expected of a shark. However, this was no ordinary shark, it was a whale shark, the largest fish in the sea. They may look fierce, but they are gentle giants. This animal definitely fit the description the turtle gave them, and it was a clever trick by the water spirit, since many people would not suspect a whale shark as being the fierce animal described to be guarding her pearl.


(Whale shark by SpaceNougat on DA)

“You! You are the one! The one stolen and cursed to be a mermaid!” the whale shark exclaims. “I am in fact the keeper of the pearl. I have carried it within my mouth for all these years, hoping to find who needed it.” He promptly spits out the magic pearl, allowing it to float over to Avalon. “Go ahead, just touch it, and the curse will be broken.”

Avalon follows the friendly giant’s instructions. A ray of light engulfs her and her body is lifted out of the water. Her mermaid tail turns into a regular cow’s tail and two hind legs. She is able to breath air again. Gem surfaces and barks out in joy for his friend, while the whale shark smiles. As the transformation is completed, Avalon falls back down into the sea and the whale shark catches her, carrying her back to the shore where she now belonged.

[BadgerBuddies]

Avalon and her parents had reunited now that the curse had been lifted. The lighthouse was back in working order, and the water spirit’s plans had been foiled. Ships could now return to sailing safely back out on the sea. Although the curse had been broken, Avalon was still not completely back to her normal cow form. The switch on her tail was split into two, a remnant of her mermaid days. She was also still able to communicate with her oceanic friends, and she made sure to visit them often. With her newfound life between land and sea, Avalon was able to live happily ever after.