The Parade Verdict

TheCuriousSeed

And lo and behold, the next part of the Silly Days tale.

~"Well, this is going to be a very unhappy Silly Days this year," said Magnolia shortly following the announcement.

~"No kidding," said Holly. "But at least the hibernators will be getting their much needed rest."

~"And besides," said Daylily. "At least the rest of the festivities are still on."

~"Just why?!" Serendipity exclaimed. "Why can't there be a parade with animals this year?!"

~"Because if we wake the hibernators now, they'll be really cranky," explained Holly.

~Serendipity then eyed Daylily. "Yoooooouuuuuu," she drawled, pointing to Daylily. "How could you?! How dare you?!" Serendipity flew off in a steamed harrumph.

~Did we make the right decision? Daylily thought.

~"Ask Mother Dove," suggested Lilacsong the purple bee, also able to read Daylily's thoughts. "She'll know what to do."

~Maybe you're right, Lilacsong.

~"Can't hurt to try."

~"I'll just be flying off to Mother Dove for a bit," said Daylily. "Again."

~Daylily received news that though the parade was important, it was best to let the hibernating rodents continue sleeping for the next month, but the parade still had to happen, with or without the hibernating rodents. Daylily then knew what to do, so she flew back home and told Gingerbright that she would try gathering all that did not need to hibernate to be in the parade... well, minus the apex predators.

~"That's a wonderful idea!" said Gingerbright. "I'll consult the other fireflies while you consult the other Animal Friends!"

~"Okey-doke!"

~Off to revive the parade!

~After the consultations of the Animal Friends, Daylily now had quite a few bees, butterflies, fireflies, hummingbirds, ladybugs, pollywogs and dragonflies accompanying her. She was no veteran Animal Scout yet, but she knew a few Animal Talents and Scouts that could help. Phoebe could keep an eye out for apex predators and Elva and Jessie could teach all the Animal Friends different manœuvres for the parade. It was a great compromise and start, but...

~"How about cardinals?" asked Jessie.

~"Or squirrels?" suggested Magnolia.

~"The squirrels are hibernating this month, remember?" asked Daylily.

~"Bears, then?"

~"They have to be cubs."

~And cue the bears cubs.

~"Bears'll do, but how about ducks?"

~Cue the ducks too.

~"And--oh, we definitely need some bunnies!" suggested Magnolia.

~"Still hibernating," sang Daylily. "But we should bring in some caterpillars and worms too. Oh, and some wolverines too."

~"Yeah, how about instead of wolverines we invite some weasels because they're smaller?" suggested Phoebe. "And generally safer."

~"And don't smell as bad," added Foxglove, waving a hand in front of her nose.

~"Too late," said Magnolia, thumbing the wolverine behind her.

~"So that's what reeks."

~"He doesn't reek to me," said Daylily. "Animal Scouts have noses geared to tolerate the smells of most animals, yet can still smell dangers most other Animal Talents can't. Isn't that right, Jake?" she asked in Wolverine.

~Jake the Wolverine answered, "Indeed. Will there be a parade this year because I want to participate."

~"See? He wants in the parade too."

~"Fine, he can stay, but he'd better not have anyone else from his pack coming," said Foxglove. "We'll need at least a few hundred thousand fragrant flowers."

~"The other mammals here won't like that much perfume. Maybe a few dozen, but that's the most I'm willing to display. Let's have rehearsals daily until parade time."

~Jake the Wolverine nuzzled Daylily, who wound up smelling like him for the rest of the day.

~After bathing off the wolverine smell and explaining her backup plan for the parade to the Leaders, Daylily returned to her friends and told them the parade was back on, but because four wolverines were in the parade, there would have to be one tulip per fairy to sit in. Bad idea because Tansy was severely allergic to pollen and one sneeze from her would ruin said parade even with her mouth shielded (which she made sure to do with at least two leaves a sneeze)!

~"Uh, Daylily, we have a problem," said Xenops R. as she, Lavender and Sunrise were growing some tulips. "We can't give Hickory, Heidi or Tansy tulips to sit in because of their lungs."

~"Hmm," said Daylily just as Phoebe brought Hope and Grace, a Forest Talent. "Have Grace grow some hypoallergenic shrubbery for seating."

~"Okay," said Grace as she grew small shrubbery free of thorns, strong pollen and other dangers. "There."

~"Hope and I will guide the animals that are in the parade for some rehearsals before an audience, then we all will be said audience."

~"What in the name of Pixie Dust are you doing?" asked Serendipity.

~"Saving the parade," answered Hope.

~Serendipity laughed. "You do know that's a task for an Event Talent like myself?" she boasted, thumbing herself before sniffing, then wrinkling her nose. "And what is that awful smell? Eugh!"

~"That's just how wolverines are," answered Hope. "Ergo why they're sometimes called skunkbears."

~"Well, we can't have those--AAAAAH!" Serendipity squealed as a fifth wolverine toddled into the rehearsal area and sat right next to Serendipity, his left back paw touching the fairy. "AAUUUGH! See, this is why we can't have those wolverines in the parade!" Serendipity then flew into a tulip in an attempt to mask the wolverine scent, but...

~"P-U, that's just about the worst attempt at masking a musteloid I'd ever smelt," said Daylily, holding her nose. "Try lemon juice instead, the citric acid will take care of that issue faster!"

~Serendipity then flew off, now smelling of wolverine and tulip.

~"Well, that could've gone a little better," said Phoebe.

~"And from the top," said Hope as rehearsals commenced.

~Once the animals got the hang of the parade moves and the Silly Days Festival began, things went swimmingly until...

~"My nose feels a little tickly," said Tansy, rubbing it. "I think I n... ahh..."

~"Oh no, hit the dirt!" cried Foxglove, flying out of her tulip and to the ground.

~But not even a second passed before...

~"AACHOOO!" Tansy sneezed, felling not only herself and her own tulip, but anyone and anything in her wake... and she covered with one of the tulip petals, but sneezed ten more huge sneezes! Fortunately there was just enough time for the fairies to fly out of the way and the sneezes didn't reach the parade animals until Tansy's twelfth sneeze, the biggest of all! She felled almost every tulip and even knocked the shrubbery asunder!

~"Oh, for the love of..." said Magnolia. "Someone get her a hypoallergenic leafkerchief?"

~"I knew those tulips were a bad idea," said Xenops R.

~"Is everyone all right?" called Daylily as she flew to the parade procession.

~"We are, but I can't assure the same for the rest," said Gertrude the Wolverine, eyeing her three sisters and brother Jake, who had accidentally crashed into eight weasels, 63 ducks, 58 fireflies and a badger, in that order. "Thankfully, everyone is still here and breathing."

~"See?! This is why we keep our parades wolverine free!" called Serendipity, pointing to the felled procession. "If not for those five wolverines, we wouldn't have needed those tulips to sit in to hide the smell!" She then faced Daylily and said, "Maybe you should leave and take those wolverines with you."

~"But this was their first parade," said Daylily, trying not to cry. "They were so excited and knew all the moves... I thought this year the wolverines and other animals usually omitted could finally enjoy the parade..." Daylily then sobbed.

~Hope and Holly then joined Daylily, followed by Jessie and Elva and before long the entire Animal Talent joined in, helping the animals up. Even Tansy decided to help as did Heidi and Hickory. Before long their other besties joined in too. However, most other talents weren't so willing to help.

~"Maybe you should change your name to Crybaby because whoever hear of a Scout that cried like a Water Talent?!" Serendipity told Daylily.

~This triggered a huge row betwixt the Water and Animal Talents vs the rest of the fairies that weren't Leaders. Mean words, including threats were exchanged and soon the Queen called for all to cease immediately. Thanks to all those rowdy arguments and mishaps, the rest of the first night of Silly Days was over with everyone sent to their homes.

What a change of pace for this chapter, eh? Read happy, folks!