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

I love how they could help the owl. And a spookier ending? Saving a bird is a real nice story

 

I love it when a plan comes together ...

... and when creativity sparks in young Jedi. Excellent run of stories here, and I look forward to more!

 

All caught up! Actually, I read the Night of Spooky Tales stories a while ago, because Chyntuquito needs his bedtime stories, but I'm finally back for a review!

A fun story about spiders in Chyntuckopolis: I really don't like spiders (although I'm not as terrified as Hap) but I do tolerate them in my plants for all the reasons you mentioned in your story. But the story really made me laugh, because a few years ago I was working on my balcony with my daughter, and she wanted to remove the spider webs, and I told her to leave the spiders alone because they're really useful bugs... Next thing I knew, I found a jar of spiders in her closet, she wanted to keep them as pets!

The Ghost Story: I love all the details in this one, with the fringe on the end of the feather and the owl swivelling its neck (which is one of the most characteristic things about owl movements), and of course, Lys is so smart! She's really the environmentally-minded Hermione Granger of galactic creatures, and she's so good at handling animals but also at providing solutions for them. Now I'm curious to know what ending they made up for their story, because it must have been a good one!

I know that now it's time for winter holiday stories rather than Halloween stories, but I'll be here(and so will Chyntuquito) whenever you're ready to post the last story in this spooky series!

 

Rediscovering this thread has been so much fun! Creature stories are a favorite subgenre of mine and though I don't know the show, you've made Lys and her friends so endearing that it's just a ray of sunshine to read about them.

Returning the fist-shake is definitely something that I can picture a lizard-monkey doing and it's quite a mental image when paired with the hat.

I really like the solution that Lys comes up with; it's very clever and doesn't involve chasing a lizard-monkey (which sounds like a recipe for disaster and unpleasant for all involved). And the lizard-monkey gets an even better "hat" in the bargain, which is just sweet! I like how right off the bat, we get to see her compassionate and inventive way of dealing with what most would consider to be a pesky creature.

It's very sweet to see how the three younglings are learning to solve problems and work as a team in real situations, and how they are so determined to help relocate the fish safely.

Good thing she did have the breather just in case, flash floods are dangerous things as Lys discovers. (PSA: especially if you are in a desert area, make sure to check the forecast before venturing into riverbeds and canyons; desert flash floods can be very intense.) Lys really shows that her Jedi training is paying off by being so capable in a crisis -- she's dealing with the problem and trying to find a way back to her friends and the surface as soon as she knows what's happened.

YAY, FISHIES! Her little finny friend definitely came through for her here! Really cool that helping the fish turned what could have been a bad situation into a success, though they were just doing that to help the creature for its own sake.

Ever the wildlife enthusiast! It does sound like a very pretty bird.

Really liked the quick thinking as to how to better calm down a cornered, panicky creature, based the information that she has about it. It shows a lot of kindness and good problem-solving combined, something that seems to be her hallmark!

This is just so cute! Glad they were able to help the little guy find his way towards home.

Perfect puffer pig is perfect. Such a helpful piggy, keeping the pirates contained. And such a hilarious plot in one sentence too.

Aww, I really like that explanation of why one would have a holiday featuring scary stories. I think there's a lot of truth in that interpretation too; sharing stories about what makes us afraid has some really positive sides to it and reminds people they're not alone.

Oh no, I have been there.

Understandable feelings, though I am glad that the kids found a different solution that was happier for the spider(s).

Very true, and as @Chyntuck mentioned they are fantastic little pest-controllers for gardens. I always feel very fortunate if there is a spider on my plants.

Yeah, five would not go over well. It's nifty to see how Lys, Nubs, and Kai can locate such a tiny life form with their Force senses, and well enough to figure out it wasn't just one. Thankful that they were able to find a new home for the leggy little critters that will appreciate them much more!

I love that Kai's reaction to the idea of a haunting is like it's one of Lys's creatures... even before they know that's what it is.

Ouch, poor bird.

That's a very chill owl! Really liked this little demonstration of Lys's animal communication skills. And it was great to see Nash and the others help the owl together; they are definitely building their teamwork through all these wildlife rescue-related adventures.

 

Thank you to @earlybird-obi-wan, @pronker, @Chyntuck, and @Kahara for reading and leaving such lovely messages. My time has been very limited of late (death in the immediate family, being designated as estate executor, and getting through the holiday season), so I'm rather late in responding to everyone. I'm hoping my schedule will go back to something resembling normal soon and I can get back to writing.

In the meantime,

I hope Chyntuquito is doing well, and I'm happy that he's enjoying my stories. I hope to have more soon.

Good for her! I know a lot of people who are very much afraid of or repulsed by spiders. I always try to scoop them up in a jar or cup and take them outdoors. Spiders in the wild are the best kinds of pets -- they are completely self-sufficient and all the "owner" has to do is watch them and maintain a safe environment for them. (And give them names, although I've never seen a spider come when it's called. Perhaps I'm doing it wrong....)

I'm fascinated by owls, so of course the Spooky Stories sequence had to have an owl story. I love the "environmental protection" message in Young Jedi Adventures, although I'm leery of the idea of Lys and friends just walking up to wild creatures and petting them. (Yikes! Don't do this in real life, kids! My favorite story on this theme comes from a Yellowstone National Park ranger, who told us about the parents saying to their children, "Go over and stand by the bear and we'll take your picture." )

I'm not sure what the ending was on the story Nash told at the official Night of Spooky Tales fest, but I hope it promoted the idea of wildlife tolerance.....

As mentioned, I would like to do at least one more story in this set, and I have a short list of possible creatures to use. If Chyntuquito has any animal preferences, drop me a line.

If you don't have Disney+, some of the episodes are on DisneyKids on Youtube. Episode 1

Part of my inspiration was the classic children's book Hats for Sale, in which a peddler has his collection of hats stolen by monkeys. He tries several methods of getting the hats back, and his final attempt is quite humorous, but the monkeys in that story don't get the trade-off that they do here. Lys Solay for the win!

I've seen plenty of nature documentaries showing how devastating a flash flood can be, so yes, good point. Master Zia clearly is a good mentor to these kids, making sure they're reading in case of emergencies.

As noted in the story, there is zero evidence that the flitterpods are telepathic, or even particularly intelligent, but hey, it's a fantasy kids' show, so why not?

The show really stresses the whole idea of Jedi helping everyone (even people they don't necessarily like or trust). Lys is, of course, pre-disposed toward helping animals, which is a good message for, well, all of us.

Puffer pigs are just such a fun addition to the GFFA.

As a Youth Services Librarian, I've seen plenty of kids gravitate toward the Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series, partly because they enjoy being scared. I think there is an advantage to this -- kids can experience fear in a controlled setting, learn ways of dealing with fear (and that there are ways of dealing with fear), and at least the idea of being able to think their way out of scary situations. In most cases, we really don't have to face our fears alone.

I used to be scared of spiders, until as a teen I decided that was a stupid attitude, and assembled a bunch of close-up pictures of spiders. Then I looked at them and studied them closely, and that helped the fear subside. Plus, as an adult, I realize that I'm a lot bigger than any spider, and have the capacity to hurt them a lot more than they can hurt me (mostly, and I don't particularly want to hurt them, anyway, they're just living their lives). I now tend to just pick them up in a cup or jar and carry them outside.

The show seems a bit fuzzy on how strong the kids' Force abilities are, but, again, it's a fantasy show, so... yeah, why not.

I know plenty of people in real life who would happily go hunting a ghost. To each their own.

It is very chill. Plus, these are very small humans, and pretty non-threatening, so that helps. This really is one of those fun series with lots of plot and character-building possibilities, which is one reason I like it, even though I'm well outside the target audience.

Thank you for commenting!

 

I've watched about ten in the series, thanks for the rec! It's very Star Warsy.

 

Birds of a Feather​

Written for the Monday Mush Mania Challenge Warm Fuzzies Roulette​

Nash Durango led the way to Hap’s Tap Café. “Let’s get a cool drink. My treat, since you guys spent most of the afternoon helping unload cargo.”

“We’re always happy to help,” Kai reminded her. He glanced past her suddenly. “Is that Raena?”

“And it looks like she’s got a new friend!” Lys added. Sure enough, Raena Zess strolled down the main street, holding a leash. On the other end waddled a small, squat bird-like creature wearing a body harness.

“Um, hey, Raena,” Nash said. “Did you get a new pet?”

“I’ve called him Budgie,” Raena answered. “Isn’t he cute? Daddy had some business on Coruscant, and I saw him in a pet shop, so I made Daddy buy him for me.”

Budgie shuffled over to Lys, who immediately stooped to examine him. He was indeed cute, covered in fluffy feathers, with a white tummy, grey wings and back, and an orange-brown band around his eyes. After a moment, the bird butted his head against her knee, and she petted him carefully. “What kind of creature is he?” she asked.

“The pet shop owner called him a porg,” Raena replied. “He eats mostly fish, and he likes to swim. Fortunately, I have a very large pool.” The Zess family was among the wealthiest people in Kublop Springs.

Budgie was now allowing Kai to pet him, but the porg continued to lean up against Lys’s leg. She eyed him. “Raena, is Budgie okay? He seems … tired.”

Raena frowned. “Daddy says he thinks Budgie might still be recovering from the flight back from Coruscant,” she said finally. “But if he doesn’t get better soon, we’ll take him to the vet.”

~*~*~*~​

A few days later, Lys, Kai and Nubs met with Nash after their errand to order replacement parts for some of the Jedi Temple’s vehicles. Nash had been describing her trip to a neighboring star system when they noticed Raena again taking Budgie for a walk. When he caught sight of Lys, the port immediately began waddling in her direction, pulling on his leash.

“Hello, Budgie,” Lys greeted him, stooping to stroke his head. “Are you feeling better?”

“I don’t think so,” Raena said. “He’s not eating much and he doesn’t seem to want to swim any more. Daddy and I took him to the vet yesterday, but the vet said he’s not sick. His temperature’s normal. He just doesn’t have any energy!” She looked frightened.

“Raena, I’ve been looking up information about porgs,” Lys said. “Porgs are social birds – they like to be in groups, called flocks. Does Budgie have a flock?”

“He has me, and Daddy, and Mom,” Raena replied.

“But he doesn’t have any other porgs around, does he?”

“No.”

Lys suggested, “Maybe that’s why Budgie seems tired – maybe he’s lonely. He wants to be part of a flock. He might be missing his family or friends back on his home planet.”

Raena brightened suddenly. “I know! I’ll have Daddy buy me some more porgs! Then Budgie will have a flock of friends!”

Kai, Lys, Nubs and Nash exchanged alarmed glances. “Um, Raena….” Kai said, “maybe that’s not such a great idea.”

“Porgs are wild creatures,” Lys added. “A lot of wild creatures don’t make good pets. They can damage people’s property, they’re hard to train, and they’ll bite or scratch if they feel threatened. Plus, they're happiest and healthiest in their natural habitats. Porgs live on rocky cliffs near the ocean. There aren’t many places like that on Tenoo.”

Raena looked thoughtful. “Maybe I could ask Daddy to build something – “

“Or maybe you could take Budgie to visit the Wildlife Sanctuary outside of town,” Lys suggested. “They have a lot of different habitats there. One might work for Budgie.”

~*~*~*~​

By the time the group reached the Sanctuary, Raena had scooped Budgie up to carry him. They all passed through the outer gates (Lys waving to the gatekeeper, who of course recognized her on sight). A few minutes later, the Sanctuary’s head xeno-zoologist appeared, called by the gatekeeper. “Hello, Lys, Nubs, Kai,” she said. “And who have we here?”

Lys introduced Nash, Raena and Budgie. The xeno-zoologist smiled. “A porg!” she exclaimed, crouching to examine Budgie. “Hello, little fellow. Your species has become quite popular these days.”

“You’ve seen one before?” Raena asked.

The xeno-zoologist nodded. “I’ve seen several, actually. Many of our animals are rescues – they come to us when people who’ve had them as pets or show pieces decide they don’t want them or can’t take care of them anymore. Porgs, because they’re small and cute, seem like good animals for pets, but they don’t always work out. We’ve recently had several porgs brought in.”

“Could we see them?” Lys asked.

“Right this way.” The xeno-zoologist led them to a large enclosure with a pool, a rocky shoreline, and a wall of short cliffs. Seven porgs were swimming or playing on the rocks. In Raena’s arms, Budgie perked up immediately.

“Come on in,” the xeno-zoologist said. “We don’t usually let people into our enclosures, but these porgs are all former pets and are used to people. They’re quite friendly.”

As soon as the group stepped into the enclosure, the porgs stopped what they were doing and stared; those in the pool climbed out to join the rest of their flock. Then the porgs came waddling forward in a wave, squawking and flapping their wings. They surrounded Lys, Raena and the rest, nudging them, nibbling at clothing and boots, shuffling back and forth from one child to another.

At first, Raena held Budgie up out of the way, but at last she lowered him to the ground. The other porgs immediately began chirping, flapping their wings. Budgie also chirped, standing up straight as though introducing himself.

“Raena, why don’t you take the leash off Budgie and see what he does?” Lys suggested. Raena unsnapped the leash. A few minutes later, Budgie was swimming with his new friends, climbing up onto the rocks and diving back in. One of the Sanctuary’s staff brought in plates of fish, and Budgie helped himself right along with the rest of the porgs.

“Budgie seems a lot happier,” Raena admitted. “I could probably bring him back every few days.”

“Or you could leave him here and come visit,” Lys said. “The Sanctuary can always use volunteers to work with the animals – that’s what I do when I have time.”

Raena hesitated. “Well, I guess I could try it,” she said finally. “Come here, Budgie!” The porg came waddling over. Raena took off his harness. “Here. You can stay with your new family,” she told him. “I’ll be back to see you tomorrow.”

Budgie chirped and nudged Raena until she petted him. The other seven porgs came scurrying over and crowded around, chirping and demanding attention too. Raena, Lys, Nubs, and Nash spent several minutes petting the birds and saying good-bye; when they finally left, the flock followed them around the enclosure fencing, squawking until the children were out of sight.

“You did the right thing,” Lys assured Raena. “Budgie will be happy there, and you can visit whenever you want.” She paused, then added, “Just think – you haven’t lost Budgie, you’ve gained a whole flock of porgs!”

~*~*~*~ End ~*~*~*~
​

Author's Note: One of the few gripes I have about Young Jedi Adventures is the interaction between the children and wildlife. Wild animals, no matter how cute or friendly they might seem, are not pets and are best admired from a distance. Lys Solay can get away with walking up to wild creatures and petting them, but that's part of her Jedi abilities, which the rest of us don't have. Here on Earth, wildlife biologists, park rangers, wildlife rehabilitators and zookeepers are all careers that let humans work with non-domesticated animals, but people in those jobs all have training and tools to make those interactions safer. Please remind children to give wild animals plenty of space.

 

Darling name and darling story!

 

A nice piece with Lys giving Raena a lesson about wildlife. Budgie now free with a family as it should be

 

Great encouragement from Lys and nice for Budgie to be amongst fellow Porgs