#I originally wrote this in response to the usual trope of 'lulu pranking veigar and he begrudgingly loves it' thing

[tinypurplewizardfan]

Scary Isn't Fun

Summary: Lulu stumbles across Boleham. She decides to give the terribly self-important shadow person there a change of perspective.

989 words

(Written back in 2022 and apparently I never posted it! Here it is. Hope you all enjoy.)

She giggled to herself from her spot up in the tree. It’d been a sapling hours prior but she’d helped it grow to give her the perfect hiding spot. Pix hovered just above her shoulder, the hum of his wings tickling her ear. She readied her staff.

She’d spotted someone in need of a little whimsy during her travels through a town called “Boleham”, a strange name considering the town had neither Boles nor Hams. She’d fixed the latter by turning some of the sheep into pigs, which caused a good laugh amongst the dreary humans. She also turned one of the houses pink just for fun before slipping away into the forest to watch from afar. A few minutes later, a terribly self-important fellow who was about her height marched into town and began yelling at the humans and gesticulating with his staff. He’d then destroyed her wonderful pink house!

This guy needed to lighten up, that was for sure. She couldn’t even see his mouth and she knew it had to be pulled into a tight frown. That wouldn’t do. She decided he needed a change in perspective, just for a little bit! It’d be fun. 

Along with using her magic to grow the sapling which was now her tree, she also sent up a pulse of magic so he’d know to come here. It worked wonderfully, and the rather cross shadow person in purple robes was stalking around the forest now. She could hear the rustling of plants as he pushed them aside with his staff, along with his mutterings. 

She caught sight of the purple. At least he did have a penchant for colors! That meant he wasn’t totally mopey. He just needed a little push. . .

She pointed her staff at the figure and whispered, “pop!”

A jolt of swirling purple-green-blue magic emerged from the wood and snaked its way down to the grump. In an instant, the purple robes and shadows were gone, replaced by a neon blue squirrel. She giggled and danced in her seat. 

Pix, however, tugged sharply on her ear.

“What?” She looked at him.

He pointed back down. The blue squirrel wasn’t there anymore. She tuned into the hum of her own magic, which revealed a streaking trail going deeper into the forest. That was weird. Most people-squirrels just sat there in confusion and remarked at their lack of thumbs, which was funny.

“Aww, no fun.” Lulu kicked her leg against the branch she sat on.

The enchantment would wear off in a bit. She decided to stay in her hiding place and see if the shadow figure would come back all confused-like, which wouldn’t be as funny but it’d still be worth something. One-thousand-one, one-thousand-two. . . poof! Squirrel time was over. 

A big dark blue-purple ball of fire rocketed down from the sky and slammed into the ground just ahead of her tree. The heat of the blast felt like dunking her face in a too-hot hot spring and the shockwave nearly knocked her hat off. Pix was flung backwards but managed to grab hold of her hair.

Two more crashed down to the left and right, before she heard the sound of one above her. Gasping, she jumped from her spot and hit the ground running.

She whimsied herself into a greenish color to blend in. The balls of fire were crashing down all around her now, chasing her as she leapt over roots and bushes and branches. She pointed her staff towards a mangle of leaves behind her and shaped them into a scary-looking figure. 

A blindingly bright flash of light (although it was also sort of darkness?) enveloped the forest behind her. It was not good energy. It was the kind of energy that sent her fur standing on end. The poor leaves! She couldn’t feel their magic anymore. They were gone, all gone, obliterated completely by the frightening energy.

She bit back tears as she made herself run faster than she ever had before in her life. She reached the edge of the forest and, turning herself a more golden color to match with the grass, she threw herself down in the stalks and stayed very, very still.

After a long period of silence, she peaked her eyes above the tips of the grass. Upon catching sight of purple robes she flinched down again. Nothing happened. She peaked up once more. 

The yellow orbs shining from the shadowy face were darting back and forth. He held his staff clutched in both gauntlets ahead of him, pointing it wherever the wind rippled the grass. A bird rustled the leaves of a tree just to his right and he flinched, snapping in the direction and unleashing a hail of fireballs from the tip of his staff. Lulu squeaked. The tree was reduced to ashes and the bird was nowhere to be seen.

After a few more minutes of jumping at shadows (and many more trees dismembered,) the purple wizard did one last scan before disappearing back into the forest. Lulu let out a deep breath and shifted herself back to her normal colors. 

“P-Pix?” She whispered.

She gasped when she heard no response. 

“Pix? Pix! Pix!” She cried, checking her pockets and combing through her hair, but the little fae was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, his voice came into her mind, just a little peep, “He’s returning to some kind of tower.”

“Where are you?”

“Following him.”

“Pix!” She pouted. “I don’t think he likes us very much. We should go.”

“Aren’t you curious?”

“We’ve never had someone react that way b-before.” She hugged her knees tight. The tears were coming back and she didn’t like it. “I think we scared him.”

“So?”

“We don’t scare people.” She wagged her finger. “That’s a new rule. Scary isn’t fun.”

“Fine.” 

Pix appeared in a flash of ruby beside her. He settled on her shoulder, wings flicking with irritation.