Before the Saga Walks on the Wild Side | featuring Lys Solay |2023 Summer Fanfic Olympics Triathlon

Lys Solay, a young Jedi initiate during the High Republic era, invites you to join her as she Walks on the Wild Side and meets a trio of GFFA creatures. Make sure you’re wearing sturdy but comfortable footwear….

Spoiler: Background for Lys Solay and the show "Young Jedi Adventures:"

It’s aimed at preschool and early school-aged children and set during the High Republic Era. Kai Brightstar (Human), Lys Solay (Pantoran), and Nubs (Pooba) are friends and initiates at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. They and their classmates are sent to the Jedi outpost on planet Tanoo, where they are mentored by Master Zia (Human) and (occasionally) Master Yoda. They have a non-Jedi friend named Nash Durango (Human), who is a pilot and has a small droid buddy named RJ-83. The kids all look to be about seven or eight years old. Reviews of the show can be found here and here.

The plots are simple, the color palette is bold, and the kids are adorable. Actually, pretty much everything in this series is adorable – even the “dangerous” animals, the greedy businessman, and the pirates. (In one episode, I fully expected the pirates to break into a GFFA version of “I’ve Got a Dream” from the Disney movie Tangled.) The violence is negligible – other than a head cold and a sprained ankle, no one gets seriously hurt, or even dirty. The Jedi younglings use practice lightsabers which allow them to spar, but can’t cut through or actually burn anything.

Lys is a wildlife enthusiast who has the Galactic Guide to Creatures pretty much memorized (if you’re a fan of the Galaxy of Creatures animated shorts series, you’ll recognize a couple of guest stars in one episode of Young Jedi Adventures). All three of my stories will feature Lys (and friends) interacting with various animals. In keeping with the tone of the series, these stories are short and simple.


Index:

“Trading Up”: 200 Freestyle: An exactly 200-word story about your character, family, friendship or couple with a free choice of any theme.

"Friends in Need": 400 Word Cross Country: Exactly 400 words about your character, couple, family or friendship with any theme.

"Tiny Wings in the Temple": Rugby 7's: Write a story of 7x 7 sentences.

Additional content:
"Just Desserts". Single Sentence Shot Put. A story told in a single sentence about your character, family, friendship or couple.

Stories for the Night of Spooky Tales (written for Halloween 2023):
Spider Story: Hap finds an unwelcome guest in his kitchen.
Ghost Story: Nash Durango sees a ghost in the Crimson Firehawk's storage hangar.

 

Trading Up

200 Freestyle: An exactly 200-word story about your character, family, friendship or couple with a free choice of any theme.​

“Why is that Kowakian monkey-lizard wearing your server’s hat?” Lys asked the Latero owner of Hap’s Sap Tap Café.

“He stole it!” Hap exclaimed. “And I have to open soon. I need my hat!” He shook one of his four fists at the lizard-monkey, who shook a fist back.

“Hmm.” Lys gazed thoughtfully at the creature in the tree. “Monkey-lizards are smart. Maybe he’d trade for it.”

Hap offered a muffin. “Trade this for my hat?”

The creature swooped down and snatched the muffin, but kept the hat.

“Maybe a better hat,” Lys said. “Do you have any flimsi?”

“Sure. For wrapping to-go orders.” Hap brought out a long roll.

Lys tore a piece off and began folding it. A few minutes later, she had a paper hat. “Any decorating materials?”

Hap set out markers and left-over party decorations. Lys added feathers and colors to the hat. Then she put it on Hap. “Why, Hap, what a beautiful hat!” she said loudly. “I like it better than your old one! It’s really nice!”

The monkey-lizard scrambled down the tree and snatched the new hat, dropping the old one.

Hap stooped and retrieved his old hat. “It worked! Thank you, Lys!”

Spoiler: Reference links:

Kowakian monkey-lizards

Hap

Latero

 

Great fun. Fooling the monkey-lizard with a paper hat.
Excellent beginning

 

So cute! I'm unfamiliar with these characters but they sound adorable. And colorful.

 

Thank you, @earlybird-obi-wan and @pronker! Young Jedi Adventures really is a fun little show, and if you get the chance, watch a couple of episodes.

Now, on to our second event!

Friends in Need
400 Word Cross Country: Exactly 400 words about your character, couple, family or friendship with any theme.​

“So, how do we move the flitterpod?” asked Kai. During the rainy season, the rivers and lakes of Kublop Springs often experienced flooding. The most recent storm had passed, and all the temple younglings were helping with rescue work. But Master Zia had warned that flash floods could still happen.

The flitterpod, a striped lavender fish with a large back fin, circled the tiny pool. Both fish and water had been left behind as the flooding receded; now Kai and his friends Lys and Nubs were trying to return it to the nearby river.

“We’ll use the Force to create a water bubble, then float it over,” Lys Solay explained. The three younglings concentrated on pushing with the Force; their bubble rose slowly, flitterpod inside, and drifted over the river. They let it go, and the fish plopped back into its natural habitat.

“Yes!” Kai exclaimed, then fell silent. A rushing sound filled the air, and a wall of water slammed into the three younglings. The flash flood bore Lys to the river bottom, where she was tangled in rocks and tree limbs. She fumbled in a pouch for her breather and popped it into her mouth. Master Zia had insisted the children carry breathers during rescue work.

The Pantoran youngling tried to kick her way free, to no avail. Her leg was stuck. She pushed against the debris, but none moved. She knew Kai and Nubs would help if they could, but they might be in more trouble than she was; then they would need her help.

Something bumped her back. Turning, Lys found the flitterpod swimming around her. I’m glad you’re home, Lys thought, but I need to get back to dry land. Despite there being no indication that flitterpods were intelligent (or telepathic), she added, Can you can help me? She pointed to her leg.

The fish circled again, then swam away. Lys closed her eyes and reached for the Force, but before she could do more, she felt the debris move. Opening her eyes, she found a small school of flitterpods pushing and pulling at the tree limbs. Once the wood shifted, the rocks moved too, and Lys was free. She surfaced.

“Lys!” called Kai. He and Nubs appeared on the riverbank; they pulled Lys to land. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine now,” Lys replied, removing her breather and testing her leg. “Thanks to the flitterpods!”

Spoiler: Reference links

Flitterpods

Kublop Springs

 

Another charming tale, and I like how Lys' thoughts do not center around her predicament but flow to her companions.

 

love how they rescued the flitterpod and that the flitterpods rescued Lys who is thinking about her companions first

 

As I told you on PM, I started watching this series with my children a few days ago and we're loving it. I agree with you that it's absolutely adorable, and you've captured that perfectly in these stories. I'm also very much enjoying the fact that you chose to focus on Lys's affinity with animals; it's such a wonderful personality trait and there's so much potential there.

Lys is such a smart little girl! She tricks the monkey-lizard into returning the hat, but there's no malice in it – on the contrary, she gives it something it wants.

Again, she's so smart! And she's quite mature for a child of her age; she chooses to use the Force in ways that are not flashy or audacious, but as the best solution to the given problem.

THIS. I so loved this moment! Her concern is for her friends more than for herself, and she knows to trust any ally, however small, that can help her get back to them.

I can't wait to read the last story of this triathlon, and I hope you'll write more of these characters in the future

 

Part of the Jedi Code mentioned several times in this show is that Jedi are there to help others, and all the younglings seem to take that to heart. Thank you for commenting!

Lys never seems to underestimate those around her, even when they happen to be fish. Thank you for commenting!

Normally my favorite character on this show would be Nubs, but Lys's affinity for creatures, and the fact that she is still a non-Human (despite looking very much like one), gives her the top spot here. (I do like the rest of the cast, of course!) Star Wars boasts a powerful bestiary, and although the show deals mostly with small, friendly creatures, there's still plenty of possible animal guest stars. I may have to keep writing about these characters....

All the kids in this show are bright and eager to learn. It's shown that there are techniques of the Force that they haven't mastered, but that there are ways to accomplish pretty much anything, even if the Force isn't involved. It's one of the show's best characteristics.

Never underestimate the power of anyone, even a fish! There's no indication in the show that the flitterpods are this empathetic, but there's also no indication that they're not, so I consider it fair game.

Thank you! I hope your children are enjoying these stories too! There are new episodes slated for two weeks from now, and perhaps I'll be inspired to write some more of these shorts. Also, we'll see if I end up expanding this thread into pentathlon territory.... Thank you for commenting!


The third story will be up shortly.

 

Tiny Wings in the Temple
Rugby 7's: Write a story of 7x 7 sentences.​

The Jedi younglings were gathering for breakfast. Lys Solay straightened her tunic, clipped her practice lightsaber to her belt, and slung on her cloak with a flourish. She grinned at herself in the dormitory mirror. Ready for the day. Kai and Nubs would be saving her a seat. Scooping up her copy of Galactic Creature Guide, she trotted out the door and down to the dining hall. Food and fun awaited.

~*~*~*~​

Kai Brightstar waved at her as she entered the room. Nubs, their Pooba friend and fellow youngling, was already eating. Lys returned the wave and took her place in line, picking up her tray and food, which she then carried to where her friends sat.

“What do we have on today’s schedule?” she asked, drawing up a chair.

“Lightsaber practice this morning, then swimming lessons, then lunch. History this afternoon, then beginning meditation, then free time,” Kai replied. “Maybe we can meet Nash at Hap’s afterwards.”

~*~*~*~​

There was a commotion at the dining hall door. Younglings ducked and called warnings to everyone else as something flew past them. Lys watched as the small object – no, creature! – shot from one end of the hall to the other. It was a bird, boasting a blue head, red throat and belly, and green wings and back. “Oohhh, it’s beautiful!” Lys crooned, watching the bird fly back and forth across the room. It finally flew to the ceiling, where it found a window. The bird alternated between pecking at the glass and perching on the sill.

~*~*~*~​

“What is it?” Kai asked, gazing upward.

Lys opened her Guide to Creatures and began searching. Finally she answered, “It’s called a squeep. It’s native to the planet Parnassus. It mostly eats flower nectar.” She looked up at the window. “It probably escaped from the wildlife preserve outside of town.”

~*~*~*~​

Lys waved down Master Zia. “Master Zia, can that window be opened?”

Master Zia shook her head. “No, it’s just there to let in light.”

“Can we cover it? That way the squeep might think it’s night and calm down so it won’t hurt itself.”

Master Zia smiled and replied, “I’ll find a blanket and use the walkway on the second floor to cover the window.”

~*~*~*~​

“So, how do we get the squeep out of the temple?” Kai asked.

Lys turned back to the Galactic Creature Guide. “It says squeeps like to sing to each other – oh, and there’s a recording of their song!” She tapped the screen, and a warbling filled the air. The squeep at the window warbled back. Lys tapped the screen again, and again the Guide sang. The squeep replied, this time winging down to land on the table and study Lys with bright eyes.

~*~*~*~​

“Hello!” Lys greeted the bird. She played the recording again, and this time the squeep hopped up onto her shoulder to sing. “Let’s go outside!” She carefully walked to the door, playing the squeep recording while the bird sang back. At the temple door, the squeep launched into the air, landed in a tree, and sang one last time before winging off toward the wildlife preserve. Lys waved farewell to her new friend. “Thank you for visiting!” she called after the squeep.

Spoiler: Link

Squeep

 

Every time I visit your entries, I learn something new and something else to nerd about

I also wasn't aware of this series or this character but it seems really cool! (biased because I love animals )

Future businesswoman right here.

Teaching kids about animal conservation early on is something I fully support if this is what the show has going!

Oh, Lys, if only it was so easy on Earth...

Animals helping people--I love it!

Happy ending!

Hey, Lys, is this book available at my local library?

I do this IRL so I totally relate here!

These entries were really cute! They made me super happy for some reason and Lys is really engaging with her wonderful animal nerdiness. I would love to see more sometime in the future if you have any plans writing more!

 

Lys has a perfect way to help the bird gain its freedom again

 

A perfect book for Jedi - and the image of a squeep squeeping to its savior is sooooo cute!

 

Because birds (and other wild animals) should be free. (I have to admit to having a love/hate relationship with zoos, however.)

Thank you for commenting!

Human/animal communication should always be so easy. And I so want a copy of that book -- or at least an updated version of The Wildlife of Star Wars.

I am a firm believer in slipping a bit of education in as often as possible. Preferably in the most painless way possible.

You can actually watch episodes on Youtube without a subscription to anything. The first full episode should be here.

The series is very pro-environmentalism. There's a whole episode (called "Forest Defenders") where the kids lecture a greedy business-being about preserving trees and habitats.

Oh, I wish!

I have a Single Sentence Shot Put to post tomorrow, but I may come back and keep adding to this thread after the Olympics are over. I've got a list of 25 other animals that are possible guest stars for these stories, so we'll see what happens. I just want to avoid doing the exact same plot multiple times.

In the meantime, thank you for commenting, and if you track down those Youtube episodes, I hope you enjoy them!

 

My son LOVES this show (and I think it's pretty cute, too). I wish he was old enough so he could read this fic. I might print it out and read it to him at bedtime.

 

@JediMara77, you are welcome to print out any of my fics on this thread to read to your son. I'm a Youth Services Librarian in real life, so I absolutely support bedtime stories. I don't know if you're aware, but a handful of books adapting some of the show's episodes are due out in early September. There is also a Little Golden Book version of the "Get Well, Nubs!" episode available now, as well as a hardcover picturebook, Jedi Training. I haven't seen either of them in person yet, but they're on my to-be-ordered list.

And six new episodes are due on Disney+ next week!

 

Just Desserts
Single Sentence Shot Put. A story told in a single sentence about your character, family, friendship or couple.​

The inflated puffer pig was wedged in the ship’s doorway, trapping Taborr and his pirate crew in the cockpit while the Kublop Springs citizens retrieved their stolen property; later, when the puffer pig deflated, Lys offered it a jellyfruit, and it happily followed her back to its home.

Spoiler: Links

Taborr Van Dorn
Puffer Pig
Jellyfruit

 

A great way to use the puffer pig

 

I've gotten D+ recently and look forward to watching the series!

I like how Lys uses food, the great common denominator in dealing with all animals here and in the GFFA, too.

 

I'm here! Sorry for falling behind.

Tiny Wings in the Temple
I love how you gave Lys a Hermione Granger vibe here, going off to the dining hall with her book at the ready, in case she needs information about a random creature while eating breakfast. Which goes to show that having your Galactic Guide to Creatures at hand can come in useful at the most unexpected moment!

Just Desserts
This has got to be the best single-sentence story I ever read! It says so much in so few words. Taborr and his pirate crew had it coming, but Lys came up with an unexpected way to trap them.

And you know, between @JediMara77 and me, that's already two kiddos who are getting their bedtime stories from this thread, so I certainly hope you find inspiration to write more. For now, congrats on completing this triathlon with bonus!

 

Thank you! My mental picture is that of Taborr stealing the pig but not realizing what happens when it gets startled, then finding himself and his crew stuck in the cockpit at an inopportune moment. Kind of serves him right....

It frequently works with small children, too, as well as the occasional adult human.

You are/were on vacation. I expected you to be walking along the beach. (Pick up a seashell for me, please!)

Just as I often have my Guide to Alien Species with me when I'm away from home. Because you just never know!

Awww, thank you! As I mentioned to earlybird-obi-wan, my mental picture is that of Taborr stealing the pig but not realizing what happens when it gets startled, then finding himself and his crew stuck in the cockpit at an inopportune moment. I don't know if you have seen the new Young Jedi Adventures episodes, but it appears Taborr is getting some character development and backstory as the series progresses.

Yes, I saw that. I would like to continue adding to this thread, with the "challenge" of just keeping each story at or under 500 words, so we'll see. I still have my "25 Creatures List" available....

 

What endearing characters and fascinating animals. I got a real chuckle at how Lys tricked the monkey lizard into giving up Hap's 'old' hat for a 'pretty new one.' The flitterpod rescuing Lys was cool. The squeep sounds lovely, and I'm glad that there was a copy of a squeep-song to lure it back out to the reserve.

 

Night of Spooky Tales​

“What’s going on, Nash?” Kai Brightstar and his friends stood looking around at the decorations that Nash and other residents of Kublop Springs were hanging up.

Candles in house and shop windows were set in green, orange or purple glass bowls. Metal lanterns hung from trees; each lantern had holes punched in it, in the forms of circles, bats, or spiders. Ribbons of green, orange and purple had been twisted together and strung between houses or across streets from second-story windows.

Nash grinned. “Tomorrow is the shortest day of the year,” she replied. “So it’s also the longest night of the year, and we’re celebrating the Night of Spooky Tales.” Seeing her friends’ puzzled expressions, she explained, “It’s the night when almost everyone in town gathers to tell stories about ghosts and monsters and other scary things or places. It’s a night to face your fears, but it also reminds us that we have friends and neighbors around us to help when we need them.”

“That sounds great!” exclaimed Lys Solay. “Can anyone come and tell stories?”

“Sure! Tell everyone at the temple that they’re invited. And to bring their best spooky stories!”

Spider Story​

On the road to the Jedi Temple, Kai, Lys and Nubs heard a high-pitched scream from Hap’s Sap Tap Café. Rushing inside, they found Hap in the kitchen, waving a broom at a small eight-legged creature. “Shoo! Shoo! Go away!” The creature scuttled across the floor and vanished under a stack of produce baskets.

“Hap! Are you okay?” asked Kai.

“Th-there’s a spider in my kitchen!” Hap shouted. “I was m-making a stew for tonight’s party, and – and there it was! Right on the counter!” The Latero shook the broom at the baskets. “And now it’s gone! Which is even worse, because now I don’t know where it went or if it will come back!”

Nubs patted Hap on the back and chirped at him. “Nubs is right – we’ll help you get rid of the spider, Hap,” Lys said. “Do you have a jar with a lid to put the spider in? Then we can carry it outside and let it go.”

“No! No, no, no! You are not letting that thing go anywhere around here! Put it on a ship and take it to another planet! I don’t want to see it in here again!”

Lys, Kai and Nubs exchanged looks. “Hap,” Kai said finally, “we’ll take it to the other side of town. Maybe even as far as the wildlife sanctuary. That way, it won’t be able to come back here.”

“All right, all right!” Hap wailed. “Just promise me I won’t have to see that scary thing again!”

Nubs crooned reassuringly, and Kai translated, “We promise. We’ll give it a nice home in the forest. But we have to catch it first, and we’ll need a jar with a lid.”

Hap gingerly stepped down from the stool and leaned the broom up against the counter. “Let’s see what I’ve got…” He rummaged around on the shelves and finally held up a clear glass jar with a screw-on lid. “Will this work?”

Lys grinned. “That’s perfect!” She looked around for the spider, which had sensibly gone into hiding. “We’ll just need to locate it again. Could you step outside for a few minutes?”

Hap trotted to the door. “I’ll go refresh drinks and take orders. Let me know when you’re done.” He stepped outside, then turned and stuck his head back in. “Hurry!” He vanished.

Shaking his head, Kai said, “I can’t believe Hap’s afraid of a little spider!” Nubs squeaked and chirped. “Yes, I know everyone’s afraid of something, but that spider’s so much smaller than Hap is.”

“Well, spiders are venomous, and in some species, their bite can be painful,” Lys told him, “but most spiders are harmless. Plus, they catch lots of other insects that are considered pests, so they really are helpful creatures, even if they look scary.” She unscrewed the jar lid, then sat down on the floor. “Right now, though, we should find the spider. Will you help me?”

“Sure.” Kai and Nubs sat on the floor. All three initiates took a deep breath to clear their minds, then began to reach out with the Force, seeking the spider’s life signs. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then Nubs squeaked.

“Yes, I feel it too,” Lys said. She stood and picked up the jar. “It’s over here.”

“Uh uh,” Nubs said, pointing in a different direction. “Eepa na hoo-ah.”

“Wait. I felt it over there,” Kai said, pointing in a third direction. “There must be more than one of them.”

Lys looked down into the container, then back at her friends. “I hope we don’t need a bigger jar.”

~*~*~*~​

Five minutes later, Hap cautiously peered around the door jamb. “Helloooo,” he called softly. “Did you catch it? Is it safe to come back?”

Lys quickly covered the jar with her cloak. Five spiders huddled in the bottom; each had been gently Force-lifted out of hiding and into the jar. If Hap had been afraid of one spider, she couldn’t imagine his reaction to five. “Yes, we’re done.”

“You shouldn’t have any more spider problems,” Kai assured Hap. Nubs nodded vigorously, smiling.

Hap visibly relaxed. “Oh, thank goodness. I need to be able to get into my kitchen – I can’t run a café without a kitchen.”

“Well, you’re all set,” Lys said. “We’ll just take this –” she slid her cloak down just enough to show the jar lid “—out to the forest.”

Lys, Kai and Nubs carried the jar out the café’s front gates, followed by Hap’s profuse thanks and some curious looks from his customers. Once away, Lys handed Nubs the jar and pulled her copy of Galactic Guide to Creatures out of her satchel. “These are wisp spiders, originally from Dalna,” she said, locating the correct entry. “They usually spin their webs in bushes or tall grass, but sometimes they end up in people’s homes. Most of the Dalnians just pick the spiders up and put them back outdoors.”

“Like we’re going to do,” Kai said. He glanced up as someone approached them on the road. “Hello, Farmer Weebo!”

The elderly Rodian greeting them. “What do you have there, younglings?” she asked.

Nubs held up the jar. “Wisp spiders!” Lys said.

“Do you really? Where are you taking them?”

Kai told Weebo the story of Hap and the spiders, and the farmer nodded. “I’ll take those off your hands, if you like,” she said. “I’ll set them free on my farm, and they can spin webs and catch all the bugs they want. That’ll keep the pests out of my gardens and the spiders away from Hap’s!”

“That’s great!” Lys exclaimed, as she handed Weebo the jar. “Every creature has a place it belongs!”

“That they do,” Farmer Weebo agreed as she tucked the jar into her own carrying bag. “And it’s fitting that the spiders came from Hap’s café – they’ll be helping me provide more food for his customers and everyone else!”

Spoiler: Link and Author's Note:

Wisp Spider

Author's Note: I hope to have a trio of "spooky" stories in honor of Halloween (two are already finished or mostly complete), and to post one a week until October 31st. I thought it would be helpful to keep all my Young Jedi Adventures in one thread, even though the Summer Fanfic Olympics are done. As with the Summer Fanfic Olympics, these stories will feature some of the creatures of Star Wars, particularly those that may look scary but really aren't, once we get to know them.

 

Love how they took care of the spiders. Very useful creatures.
And a very nice story to see more of the Jedi-younglings

 

Thank you, @earlybird-obi-wan. Glad you liked it!


On to my next story:

Ghost Story​

“Kai! Lys! Nubs! Guess what? I’m going to have my own spooky tale to tell tomorrow night!” Nash Durango seemed absolutely gleeful.

“What do you mean?” Kai Brightstar asked.

“I. Just saw. A GHOST!” Nash grinned.

Kai, Lys and Nubs all exchanged curious glances. “A ghost? What do you mean?” Kai said finally.

“I was opening the door on the Crimson Firehawk’s parking hangar, and this big, white thing in a long robe flew right over me!”

“I didn’t know there really were such things as ghosts,” Lys exclaimed. “I thought they were just made-up stories.”

Nash indicated RJ-83, her droid friend and co-pilot. “RJ saw it too!” The small droid whistled in agreement.

“Do you think it’s still near the hangar? I’ve never seen a ghost,” Kaid said.

Nash shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe. Want to go see? If nothing else, I can show you the modifications I made to the Firehawk.”

~*~*~*~*~​

Once inside the hangar, the four younglings and one droid spread out to look for the ghost. But they discovered something else instead.

Look what Nubs found!” cried Kai. Beside him, the Pooba held up a white feather. “Maybe it’s some kind of bird!”

Nash said, “But it was wearing a long white robe! And if it was a bird, wouldn’t RJ and I have heard it?”

Lys examined the feather. “Hmm. There’s a fringe on the edge of this feather. This would let the bird fly almost silently. The only kind of bird I can think of that has feathers like this is an owl.”

As Lys pulled her copy of Galactic Creature Guide out of her satchel, Nash said, “But it was huge! Could an owl really be that big?”

“Sure.” Lys opened her Guide and activated a holopic. “Some kinds of owls have wings that are huge, compared to their bodies, so they can also fly slowly – sometimes just gliding.” She read through the entry. “It looks like this feather comes from a snow owl, a species that lives on Alderaan. There’s nothing here about owls wearing a robe, though.”

“We’ll definitely have to catch up with this ghost bird,” Kai said. “Let’s spread out again and search. If you see it, contact the rest of us with your com.”

About ten minutes later, Nash’s hushed voice informed Lys, Nubs and Kai, “RJ and I found the ghost. It’s sitting up on a beam at the far end of the hangar. And it does have something long and white hanging down to the floor. Come quick!”

A minute later, Lys, Nubs and Kai joined Nash and RJ in their hiding place. Sure enough, a white owl perched on a ceiling beam just inside the bay doors; something long and white hung halfway to the floor. Lys studied it for a moment, then said, “I don’t think that’s a robe – I think it’s a sheet of the white placticine used to wrap food and other things. But plasticine is supposed to be thrown away properly. I think the owl’s foot is tangled in it!”

“No wonder you thought this was a ghost, Nash!” Kai exclaimed. “A white bird trailing a white sheet! How do we free the owl, Lys?”

“Let me see if I can get it to come down to where we can reach it. Then we should be able to pull or cut the plasticine off.” Lys stepped into the hangar, and the owl immediately swiveled its neck to look at her. “Hello,” Lys murmured. “Don’t be afraid – we want to help. Will you come down?”

The snow owl stared unblinking, and Lys took another step. “It’s all right. We won’t hurt you. We just want to take that wrapping off your foot.”

Finally the owl launched itself from the beam and flew toward Lys. But when it tried to land, the white plasticine tangled its foot. Beating its wings frantically, the owl landed awkwardly on the floor.

“Nash, could you find a broom or some other pole the owl could perch on?” Lys asked. “I think it will be more comfortable that way, and it might be easier to get the plasticine off.”

A few minutes later, Nash and Kai held a flagpole between them. Lys had calmed the owl enough that it allowed her to slip an arm under it. Perched on her arm, the owl spread its wings for balance as she carried to the pole, where it finally stepped off and stood looking around at them.

“Okay! Nubs, can you help me with this?” Lys and Nubs began carefully unwinding the plasticine from the owl’s foot, with the bird continually shifting its weight, wings spread. After a few minutes, the white sheet lay on the floor, and the owl’s foot was free.

“Wow! This bird really is big up close!” Nash commented. “What do we do with it now?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem to be hurt,” Lys replied thoughtfully, examining the owl closely. “We can probably just take it outdoors and let it go.” She and Nubs opened the small side door used by clients and pilots; Nash and Kai carried the pole and its passenger outside.

“You should be okay now,” Lys told the owl. “Just stay away from plasticine sheets!” The owl crouched over the pole, then spread its wings and launched itself upward. It silently glided across the field, turned, and glided back again, passing overhead before flying out of sight over the Tenoo trees.

“That was amazing!” exclaimed Kai. “I’ve never been that close to a bird that big!”

“It was pretty cool,” Nash agreed, “but also kind of scary. I think I’d rather the birds stayed outside the hangar.”

“The birds probably prefer that, too,” Lys said. “What do we do about the plasticine, though?”

“I’ll roll it up and put it with our supply. My moms are really good about properly storing and reusing that stuff. So, it won’t go to waste, and it won’t be out where anyone or anything can get tangled up in it again!” Nash’s expression changed to one of disappointment. “I was looking forward to being able to tell a ghost story tomorrow night, but this one isn’t very spooky anymore.”

“Well,” Kai said,” are the spooky stories all real, or are they made up? Because you could start with the real story, and change the ending to make it scarier and more exciting! It’s just a story, right?”

Nash brightened. “Yeah! It would be just a story!” She grinned. “Come on! Let’s go to Hap’s and have a snack while we think up a different, spookier ending!”

Spoiler: Link

Snow Owl