Trouse lies on the sandy beach in the midst of his companions, staring up at the stars overhead, and worrying about the next day’s voyage. The pounding ocean crashes on the shore nearby, and Trouse shifts to turn his back away from it. The sound of soft footsteps on the beach steals his attention, and Trouse sits up. The bonny sits calmly on the edge of the beach, watching him serenely, her amber eyes filled with an unexplainable mirth, and she rises as Trouse makes eye contact.
Trouse slowly rises to his feet, and the bonny turns. She prances off into the seagrass, and Trouse follows. A forceful gust of wind almost knocks him down on top of Gole, but he regains his balance at the last minute. He shivers in the cold night air, and then follows the bonny once more.
The bonny sits in the middle of a ring of rocks in the grass and bares her teeth at Trouse as he approaches. Alarmed, Trouse takes a step back, and the bonny chuckles.
“What was that for?” Trouse asks, his heart pounding in his chest fearfully, and the bonny laughs,
“Nothing. I just want to see your teeth.”
The bonny’s eyes are bright with joy, and Trouse hesitantly shows his teeth.
“Try to make it scary. Like you’re growling,” the bonny mentors, and Trouse tries again.
He does an odd smile thing, and the bonny tilts her head to look at him.
“No, I do not think that is your strength. You are not very scary.”
“Why would I need to be scary?” Trouse asks curiously, and the bonny’s eyes light up,
“You are leaving Nearth tomorrow. You are trying to save it. I have been trying to help you on your quest. I will not be with you any longer. I cannot follow your boat across the Great Ocean, so I cannot follow you. I have taught you all that I could to help your quest succeed, my little doub friend. I must go. My time is long past.”
The bonny waves its paw, and Trouse feels his eyes opening. The bonny dissolves into a glittering orange mist that floats away with the wind, and Trouse’s eyes open completely. He sits up, but the bonny is gone.