Third Fix
Apparently, the green curtains in this realm had bad tempers. They wrapped around Lil C.'s head, and for a full minute he struggled to escape, while Yuki giggled and helped untangle him.
This time the kids landed in a very strange place.
Below stretched a boundless plain, like a sea—but with no water, no shells, nothing from the -Mandatory Sea Starter Pack. No waves at all, just endless smooth sand. A brand-new kind of desert.
-Whoa, looks like some giant pupper drank up all the water here, Lil C. marveled.
-Yeah… that's one big dog bowl, Yuki agreed. They fixed their eyes forward and kept walking. No use trying to figure out directions—they couldn't anyway. Forward was enough.
They hadn't gone a hundred steps when they heard loud music. It came from behind a massive sand mound, clearly piled up on purpose. Rounding the strange ridge, they came upon the heart of this dry ocean—a wooden stage gleaming with lacquered veins.
On it strutted woodpeckers in work overalls, drumming precise rhythms with their beaks. They'd pause, then hammer out another beat. Off to the side stood a coffee machine on two bulging legs, wheezing and puffing steam in time with the percussion. Each breath laid down a bass track that shook the air.
Also on the platform, giant mosquitoes in ballet tutus squeaked in harmony, tiptoeing hand in hand to match the music. The guitar solos came from two performers: a green crab, carefully cradling his instrument in his claws, plucking strings while adjusting the amp—and beside him sat a pale young man with a thin, artistic face. He shouted,
-I majored in bassoon at the conservatory and was supposed to play at La Scala! But I swear—this is the best gig of my life! And he shredded his guitar, lost in the frenzy.
Beneath the stage, on warm sand (the kids kicked off their shoes to feel the heat), sat Pom-Pom, buried to his ears in popcorn boxes, clearly waiting for the soundcheck to end. Spotting the twins, he waved a tub without pausing his crunching.
-Take a seat… nom nom… cheese, bacon, or licorice? Licorice's trending right now.
-I'll take anything! Lil C. cheered, throwing dignity aside and diving headfirst into the snacks. Yuki picked only a few kernels—one turned into a fork, another into asparagus, which instantly skewered itself.
-Figures, she frowned, setting the fork aside, waiting for the show to begin.
-And where's Mami? she asked Pom-Pom.
-Right there. Conducting the orchestra!
Rising up a bit, Yuki finally noticed Glasses darting back and forth with a stick tied to her left lens, waving it like a baton and barking at the musicians.
-Ladies and gentlemen, you're too slow and clumsy. A demanding audience that bought tickets to our show will not forgive such sloppiness. She scolded a drowsy baby hippo with a flute and his partner. -Every move here must be precise—this is a musical, after all. I won't allow my favorite genre to be desecrated, do you hear me? Where's the emcee? When is she crawling in already?!
On the long stage stretching into the sand hill, green curtains materialized.
-Ah, you again! I'll get you one of these days! Lil C. threatened with his mouth full of popcorn, still wrestling Pom-Pom for the tastiest bag.
The curtains parted theatrically, and out slithered a massive snake, winding its coils lazily—except for Mami's constant yelling to hurry up. The music stopped. Everyone waited patiently as the snake made her way to the mic stand.
She raised her heavy head, coiling her brown-and-green checkered body tightly, and squeaked in a surprisingly thin voice:
-I'm just a regular anaconda. Was napping in the jungle, wrapped around some kind of palm tree—coconut, maybe? I'm no florist, so don't quote me. Then I got a call: 'Cover for a sick host.' So here I am, doing an extra shift. Please don't judge too harshly.
Not willing to listen to her excuses, Pom-Pom tossed aside his popcorn, leapt up, and clicked his heels for emphasis:
-Anacond, Comic-Con, Marathon, Gong, what's going on? Dong… ding dong? He trailed off.
Silence. Then Mami sighed heavily:
-Musical ineptitude… but I'll admit, you caught the rhythm. And when the beat drops—I repeat!
Half the woodpeckers instantly began hammering, while the other half sang:
-I am a woodpecker and I will eat pepper.
Mami bounced on her hoverboard, singing ad-libs:
-Pepe, Pepe.
The coffee machine finished a macchiato, set a paper cup on the stage, and joined in:
-I'm a coffee machine, I wear blue jeans and sing Billie Jean. I'm coffee, oh-oh, coffee.
-Oh-oh! And I'm not coffee! their conductor shouted back, lost in her own ecstatic riffs. It wasn't that Mami had a great voice—but she was giving it everything she had.
And that alone made Yuki trace the number 5 in the sand. The grains dampened, clumped, and rose into the air so Mami could see how her effort was being scored.
The wooden stage split open, belching smoke and thunder. Someone had apparently hauled in their personal volcano for special effects. As the noise faded, a giant pack of pasta bounded toward the microphone, where the anaconda was still dozing. Jumping to reach the stand, it sang:
-And I'm a pack of pasta. My dreadlocks are like a Rasta's.
It burst open, releasing strands of dough that really did look like dreads.
Yuki applauded, whistled, and sang along—until her eyes slid sideways. She noticed another spectator she'd missed among the chaos. A girl in a simple red checkered dress sat nearby, watching the stage without a single expression, sadness plain on her face.
Dragging her brother away from the popcorn by his ear, Yuki sat down next to the quiet girl in the red dress. The girl traced patterns in the sand and muttered softly:
-They stole it. They stole her.
Lil C., with his usual delicate touch, commanded:
-I forbid you to be sad! Look around—this place has salty, crunchy popcorn, hippos that sing and dance, and Pom-Pom promised to teach me how to jump in puddles without getting wet. Nobody's allowed to mope here!
-Lil C., stop. You're pushing her too hard. Yuki shoved him aside and leaned toward the sad girl with more care. First she tried a joke:
-See? Your braids are way prettier than my brother's French braids.
-Hey! I just had mine redone at the barbershop, thank you very much. Don't drag me into this, Lil C. protested, proud of his hairstyle.
-I said it to help her calm down, Yuki hissed back at him, then softened her tone again for the girl. -So, what did they steal? Can you tell us anything?
-Far away. He's far away. Or close? … The girl kept mumbling to herself, not paying attention to them.
-Hmm. We came here to help the grandma singer, remember? And now you're totally about to drag me off chasing some mystery for this girl, Lil C. pointed out, sharper than usual.
-Don't you see? This is the grandma. Just a heavy memory of hers. We need to change it, to bring back her confidence.
-Whoa, you sound like a real detective. He was impressed. -All those logic games of yours—guess they finally paid off. I always thought they were boring.
-Oh, cut it out! Yuki blushed, secretly pleased. -Thanks though. Come on, let's find it.
The concert raged on. Pom-Pom was now dancing cheek-to-cheek with a sparking phone charger shouting, -Man, this vibe really recharges me! Meanwhile, Mami stood at the edge of the stage, ready to stage-dive into a crowd of fans that didn't exist. She nudged the drowsy anaconda and asked her to catch instead.
-Well, they're keeping busy. Yuki decided. -Let's go alone. The girl said the thing might be nearby.
-Yep. Like right there. Lil C. pointed. They spotted a lone aquarium, a tiny guppy flicking her fins and bubbling happily in her glass home.
-That aquarium has to mean something. No way it's just decoration, Lil C. reasoned.
-I think so too. Let's check.
As soon as they stepped closer, the sand erupted. A huge dresser burst out, spraying grit everywhere, and lifted the aquarium onto its top, towering over the children.
-Not bad! Lil C. admired the flourish.
-Meow!
The reply boomed so loud it gave them goosebumps.
They whirled around. A massive cat—three times taller than them—was prowling straight toward the dresser. Clearly, it planned to leap up.
-Shoo! Get back! they shouted in unison. -Don't touch the innocent fish!
The cat jumped in surprise, glaring at them as if they'd spoken unspeakable blasphemy. His ginger fur bristled, and with an offended snort he turned away.
-I was only going to sip the water. It's delicious—seaweed and other seasonings give it such an exotic flavor, I must say.
-You could knock it over! Yuki scolded—but her voice softened. -Please don't, okay?
-Then I'll let you pet me, Lil C. bargained.
-No, no! the cat yelped. -I take care of my fur myself—carefully licking and preparing it for the dog beauty contest!
-How would they even let you in? the twins gasped.
-Easy. The huge cat snorted, sat down, and scratched behind his ear. -I'll tell the judges I've got Pekingese blood. And I'll win the grand prize—because I'll be the only cat there. And who doesn't love cats?
-Genius! You've thought of everything, Lil C. agreed. -Can you hand us the aquarium?
-I can—though it's not exactly convenient with paws.
From the ongoing concert came Mami's wild shout:
-Obedience and discipline above all… except the chorus! Yee-haw!
And Pom-Pom bellowed back in support:
-Mami, Mami—I'm Yummy, Yummy!
Fumbling, the cat finally managed to clutch the glass tank. Yuki's heart nearly stopped each time it wobbled, looking ready to crash, but at last he passed the now shrunken aquarium safely into her hands.
The twins shook the cat's paw gratefully and rushed back to the girl, who sat as still as before. Placing the aquarium in front of her, they held their breath…
-It will never break again. It'll always be with me. Only you, Tanti, love to hear my voice. Everyone else yells and scolds me, but you never judge. The girl stroked the glass gently and began to sing a tender lullaby.
That same melody carried into reality. The children found themselves smiling as they watched the woman happily singing into her broom handle, lost in the joy of her own performance. She was radiant, overflowing with happiness—until a neighbor shouted from the next yard:
-Catty, could you keep it down?! My grandkids are trying to nap!
The singer startled, grabbed her things, and bolted into the house as fast as she could.
The twins exchanged looks. Yuki sighed bitterly.
-Everything we try goes sideways. We want to help, but it turns out the opposite. What kind of noble soul-savers are we?
-Not noble, Lil C. shrugged. -But we're just learning. So, leave comments below on what we should improve and how we should interact with people and pastries.
-Who are you even talking to? Yuki asked. -You really think anyone besides me will watch your new channel called Lil C.?
-Dad will! the boy said proudly. -And I'll get Mami and Pom-Pom to subscribe too.
-Fine. Let's just go home. Our work really isn't sticking today.