4. Only Healing

When Ismaraldah caught a first glimpse of the Curse, she instantly recognized it. Even the Goddess of Time kept her distance. She shook her head at the workbench and tools that Mindy had scattered around.

“You have touched that thing?” she yelled. “On purpose?”

“To communicate,” Mindy said defensively. “To find an antidote more quickly. A researcher can’t do anything without researching—”

“This is the Flamefeaster of Ardex.”

“Who?”

Ismaraldah threw sand at their faces. “The god who gave his life to give you all of this! That one, do you remember? No, no, of course not. Human schools don’t even teach this part of history anymore.”

Using a twig, she drew some rough shapes in the sand.

“All the gods had their own Heavenmatter. Ardex was the only one who had two—long story. I tried to keep them out of the hands of other beings, but I think a group has been secretly collecting them for a while. This is the first one I see in a long time.”

Mindy took pictures of the Goddess’ drawings. “Why can’t other beings—”

“Because they’re dangerous beyond belief!” Ismaraldah kept shaking her head. “Be glad you didn’t break your brain by touching that thing multiple times.”

“But … but what does it do?” she asked.

The white panda curled her tail around herself like a blanket to hide behind.

“It’s my fault. Ardex wanted to add specific magic to his Heavenmatter because he thought it would make the world a better place. Eventually, he will be right, in the current timeline, but for now …”

Some of Mindy’s machine beeped and blooped. Sotho recognized it as the confirmation of results.

Ismaraldah glanced at them, but her eyes didn’t truly see.

“The Flamefeaster burns relationships. Whoever is under its influence can only see, talk, or think about someone else for a short time. When that time runs out … your friends and familiy disappear completely from your brain, your eyes, your life.”

She climbed a tree with godly grace, to point at the sloths congregating in Treetower 22.

“I am sure there are sloths here, Sotho, that you can’t even see anymore. Like you imagine happened to the Wish Fulfiller.”

Mindy interrupted the conversation with a yell.

“I might have found something! Something about the structure of the Flamefeaster and the energy pulses it emits!”

“Really?” asked Ismaraldah, surprised. “Humans are so arrogant they think to understand Heavenmatter in a few days? It is magic!”

“Everything in nature follows rules and laws,” said Mindy. “Gods and magic simply use science we don’t know yet. Until we discovered how weather worked, we also thought it was magical and controlled by some weather god.”

“You see a time traveling panda and still believe that?”

“I’ve seen no proof of time travel yet.”

Ismaraldah’s face darkened. “I am not some puppet putting on a show. I carry the heavy burden of keeping the timeline alive.”

Mindy bounced from machine to machine, carrying at least twenty flasks and tubes in her arms. Sotho followed hopefully, but confused.

“She is in danger!” he whispered to Ismaraldah. “The other sloths could arrive any second to push her against the Curse if need be! And … and me too, maybe.”

“What’s he saying?” Mindy asked with a smile.

“He hopes you’ll find a solution to the Curse soon,” said Ismaraldah.

“Why do you lie about this?” he asked with a growl. “You’re a Goddess. You’re far too mean and petty—”

Mindy watched the two animals with a smile. “And now?”

“All the sloths love you right now and want you to continue your research.”

Sotho pushed her aside. He reached for the Curse again, ready to touch it and tell Mindy what he really thought.

Was it worth it? Forget everyone he loved, just to have Mindy maybe fulfill his wish and stop the Curse?

Yes. Yes, he felt it was worth it.

He made the final step—

All the other sloths stormed the place.

Though let’s be frank, dear reader, that it wasn’t a very intimidating storm of course. The sloths lazily fell from branches, shuffled towards the Curse Circle, and some sleepy voices told them to “stay where they are or else”. They were only impressed because of the number of sloths and how they cut off any possible escape routes.

Ismaraldah grabbed Sotho.

“Tell them this was all your plan,” she whispered. “Make Mindy trust you, so you could erase her fully.”

“I don’t lie to my own folk,” said Sotho confidently.

Ismaraldah sighed and climbed on his head. Her tiny body towered over everyone.

“Stop this madness! You need each other. Mindy and Sotho try to help.”

Not a single sloth stopped moving. The circle around Mindy, Sotho and the Time Traveler shrank further and further, until they could do nothing else than step closer to the Curse.

“Weird,” said the panda. “This usually works.”

“We don’t need others,” said a sloth. “Less so than anyone! Others are a disaster for us!”

“But she speaks the truth,” said Sotho. “Mindy thinks she can heal us!”

“Yes, that’s what a traitor would say,” bit Lothan.

The encirclement was complete. The Curse burned at their back, awfully close. Lothan came alive and quickened his pace, holding a sharp stick as a weapon.

Sotho’s arms drooped. His expression turned to stone as he stopped moving.

“Mindy can’t understand me, so believe me that I speak the truth now. This was … all according to plan. Get Mindy to trust me and then attack. Brrrr, I hate humans and they must be erased! Right? Right?”

The sloths froze.

Mindy had simply continued researching. She grabbed object after objected, tapped all the buttons of her machine, and regularly yelled something like Eureka!

Sotho was accepted back into the sloth society. He even received some pats on the back and remarks about how intelligent he was. As they stood ready to push Mindy against the Curse with their wooden spears.

Only Lothan remained suspicious. He’d seen Sotho’s desperate leap a few days ago to rescue Mindy. Worthless friend. He could walk against the Curse, if the lazy gods were merciful!

Mindy looked over her shoulder. No more escape. Sotho had won her some time, but not much.

She voluntarily touched the Curse.

All because she wanted to send one final message to all the sloths.

“Flamefeastersendsparticlesintotheair.” The pain slowed her down. And the fear of not being understood. “Particles seem to be a virus that messes with the part of our brain that deals with relationships. Recognizes faces. Remembers names. That’s what I know now. If—”

She screamed until Slumberland repeated with deafening echoes.

The sloths threw leaves against their ears against the sound.

Mindy’s bright eyes looked at Ismaraldah one last time.

“Eureka!”

She let go of the Flamefeaster and sunk to the floor.

The sloths scattered, afraid to see each other for too long, afraid to exhaust their relationships. Better they be in their own beds and save the chance to be with each other for … later.

But Grandmother stayed.

“She really wanted to help us?”

Sotho crawled to Mindy and held her unconscious body. When she wakes up, she’ll see an empty forest and wonder how she ever got there. She would be alone, scared, and maybe afraid she couldn’t get home. No slides would appear before her eyes, just a very normal forest that she doesn’t tell anybody about.

He had to bring her home safely.

Ismaraldah teleported her clock to the floor. Together they carefully placed Mindy on the benches inside that were far too small.

The Goddess shut the door, but Sotho held it open.

“You’re the Goddess of Time. I’d think you were wise,” he said bitterly. “Is this really the best you can do? Allow being abused, cursing at other beings, and then lying against innocent humans? All so that a few … a few beings accept you and like you?”

Ismaraldah gave him a final pained glance.

“Yes. I’d give anything to never be alone again.”

She disappeared among the Treetowers.

Sotho had touched a life of hope, a life of more action and excitement. He noticed the restlessness was gone, if only for a bit. Once he could finally overcome his tears for Mindy, he fell into a long, deep sleep.