Take A Step Into The Past
“Has the package arrived?” Inkwell spoke in a sophisticated tone of voice, his dark-colored eyes gazed off deep across the horizon beyond his large office window.
“Yes, sir.” Isabelle his petite soft-spoken secretary spoke in a polite manner.
The young blonde woman dressed in a lovely orange business attire placed an old wooden box atop the desk of her eccentric boss. Golden waves of hair tied into a sophisticated little bun, her turquoise eyes locked onto this strange object.
Inkwell spun around wearing his green vest and dress shirt combo. Tophat tossed lazily onto a hatrack far across the room, his large firm hands grasping the old box in excitement. “Smashing, simply smashing!” He chuckled out loud in a truly mischievous tune that dripped with sarcasm.
“Well, not entirely sir?” She gazed down in slight embarrassment both cheeks burned a light pink.
“How so?” Inkwell flipped the lid off the box tossing it out the open window behind him, lid plummeting down to the crowded metropolis below the sound of a cat screeching echoing in the distance.
“Well, the expedition that found the box met unfortunate circumstances.” Isabelle sighed in a feminine pout both hands placed atop her hips.
“Ah, wet socks?” Inkwell pursed his lips in genuine worry.
“They nearly perished, sir.” She replied with a serious stone-faced expression.
“Send my regards to the team and fresh socks to their wives!” Inkwell flaunted his hand towards the confused young woman, dismissing her from the office.
“But…” Isabelle stammered.
“No butts, ruts, or coconuts!” He pointed sternly to the office door, the woman giving a defeated exhale exiting from his quarters.
Sometimes she thought this job was far too fantastical.
That perhaps working with Spoiled Rich, was a walk in the park.
After the sound of heels faded off into the distance, Inkwell reached proudly into the box plucking out a withered bird-shaped mask, coated in vibrant golden paint and decorated in lovely blue streaks. Multicolored feathers as old as time itself adorned the top femininely, he knew this was indeed the relic of Mage Meadowbrook.
“At long last, my collection expands!” Inkwell chuckled, walking over to his dull burgundy wall, flicking the light fixture to the side he stood back watching the surface shift back revealing a hidden room.
A pale blue hue flashed to life inside, a massive wall lined with various faces came into view. A technicolor heart-shaped mask with large bulging eyes, a grinning tiki mask full of confidence, even a wooden relic of the face of Loki himself.
These were his treasures beyond compare. Each held a story deep inside their hand-carved grins, beckoning him to awaken the souls within and bring them to life once more. Which was exactly his intention, with a bit of restoration Meadowbrook’s lovely legacy would be ensured for generations to come.
How he wished to leave the hustle and bustle of his Technology Enterprise behind. To explore the far reaches of the world for something new and serene, perhaps even enjoy the pleasures of simplicity.
After all, wealth couldn't buy happiness.
With a dreamy sigh of content, he lifted the mask high in front of his face. Gasping in awe at the sight of faint writing carved deep into the wooden surface within. “To step back into the past, simply gaze through the looking mask.” He whispered nearly in dead silence an icy chill tracing down his spine.
A warning also etched at the bottom in a crimson-colored substance. “Heed this rhyme, touching is a crime, punishable by being lost in time.” Inkwell quirked a brow with piqued curiosity.
Would it be possible to go back in time, if so then where?
Shaking off the sense of superstition, he lifted the mask towards her new home upon his sleek white wall. Glancing through the eye hole from afar playfully, the mere thought of a magic mask preposterous. Inkwell soon witnessed a surprising sight, a calm crystalline colored pond of water perfectly in view.
His heart skipped a beat spinning around towards his open door with the mask in hand. Glancing from afar he could make out beautiful lush woodlands and vibrant green flora. The mask itself was enchanted, a portal to a new world forgotten by time.
He knew he should take every precaution possible to ensure his safety. That even logically it would be a smart move to turn the relic over to a higher power for vast study, but at this current moment, he simply yearned to escape.
Taking a deep breath he placed the mask over his face firmly. The sound of cars honking and the city refusing to sleep came to a crashing halt. Replaced by the calm echo of water rippling in a delicate dance of nature, the melody of birds chirping high in the sky filled his heart with a serene warmth.
A delicate feminine hand lifted the mask. Bright translucent blue eyes shifted upward towards the clear sky above in wonderment. A soft gasp escaped her soft heart-shaped lips a bit frightened, a ringlet of fiery red hair bounced in front of her vision. Everything about her body felt more compact and smaller as if the world had grown several sizes larger.
Her hair felt tight and constricted tied into a tower of lovely red braids. She gazed down to a beige cloth top hugging her new bust firmly, styled to show her full midriff. A leafy green skirt created of dew-kissed jungle leaves hugged her wider hips snugly. Tiny bare feet sunk into the damp earth below, she was surrounded by nature standing beside a small pond hidden within a large forest.
For once in her life, everything felt calm. Tilting over the edge of the pond she could only see the reflection of Mage Meadowbrook stare back towards her upon the water’s surface. She had indeed traveled back in time, her head swam from a surge of botany knowledge flooding her senses.
Meadowbrook took a deep inhale to calm her mind. Turning around her heart was filled with a new sense of adventure, what possible outcomes could she be granted during this time in history?
With her knowledge of the future, how much could she change the world?
Body tingling with anticipation she spotted a pastel blue flower near the shore. Kneeling down she inched closer to touch its vibrant petals. Swiftly halting herself in remembrance of the warning she read, she groaned as her heart sank deep within her chest full of despair.
She was allowed to witness this enchanted display of beauty, but even the smallest alteration of anything around her, might trap her here forever. A once in a lifetime chance for a new beginning and she was stuck as a tourist. Huffing she planted her delicate hands upon her arched hips, “Isn't this just a pickle, darlin’.” She scoffed to herself in disappointment.
Even if she couldn't alter anything, she could still enjoy the beauty around her. Afterwards, she could head home to her loft high above the city of Canterlot, return to the engagements of deals amongst a flood of faceless acquaintances.
Hips swayed side to side walking away from the shore deeper into the living forest around her. Lovely scents of unknown origin filled her lungs calming her nerves, mind racing with dozens of new potions and elixirs which could help the many ill people of the world, that prayed for salvation.
A noble act of kindness, to be selfless with her knowledge. To expand her horizons and ensure healthy generations to come. Her wealth had begun to weigh upon her soul, each passing night alone with her thoughts and material objects created a hollow void in her heart.
Could she make a difference in the world?
Would a sacrifice of one, create a ripple of hope across time?
She could think of less noble ends.
She would never see the outcome of her decision.
But in her heart, she would know that her life was well spent.
Stopping under a towering sycamore tree, she closed her eyes to enjoy the kiss of the wind across her rose-colored cheeks. Her collection of masks each held a story of their own, one to share with the world for those who sought it out.
But for the first time ever, it was her story ready to be told.
Giggling in a joyous delight, thoughts of her upcoming microchip deal would have to be put on hold. It was high time that she invested herself into something with a little more substance, the well being of others.
“Ma’am! Are you Ms. Meadows?” The frightened voice of a child rang out across the open sky, the young woman spun around to spot a poor child dressed in withered rags sobbing.
“Oh, you poor soul! ~ Indeed, I'm Mage Meadowbrook.” She walked over speaking in a loving tone full of confidence and compassion.
“Ma is sick in bed, Pa keeps praying for a miracle to give him just ta’ bit mo’ time with her!” The blonde little child hugged herself worried as tears stained both cheeks.
“Yer’ Ma will be jus’ fine darlin’.” Meadowbrook took the hand of the child tenderly, giving it a reassuring squeeze full of love.
That second she could feel a warm sensation fill her heart, she was finally somewhere she belonged.
The little girl flashed a weak smile, both walking deeper into the vast forest with renewed hope. Meadowbrook would meet many new friends and create countless cures to thousands of illnesses, indeed she would create a mark on the world, that anyone with a spark of hope in their heart.
Could change the world for the better.
The city of Canterlot never slept as each street was overflowing with hundreds of people lost in a world all their own. Nobody had the time to stop and ask if another needed a helping hand or to simply pause for a moment and share a compassionate hello.
Shoulders nudged and pushed Isabelle side to side roughly, the young woman in a hurry to get a bag of fresh muffins to her boss Spoiled Rich. She swore that woman was the devil in disguise, a few moments every day she wondered what it might be like to work for somebody more eccentric.
Her eyes caught a glimpse of a poster for a new museum exhibit. The Healer's Mask of Mage Meadowbrook had been recovered from deep inside The Everfree. With it, dozens of journals detailing fascinating adventures of a woman on a mission, to pause every now and again, reaching out to help those less fortunate.
Isabelle felt an odd sense of connection to Meadowbrook, as if oddly enough she knew such a lovely person. Whatever the cause of such thoughts, she felt happy that somebody out there found their calling.
Continuing down the sidewalk with a skip in her step, Isabelle stopped by the nearby Homeless Shelter. She could think of people a little more deserving of a morning treat than Spoiled, and that was a reason to smile.
