The Traveler's Rose: The Little Prince spin-off

Traveler's Rose

The next place the little prince visited was a flat planet that had continuous rows of shelves as tall as skyscrapers, as far as the eye can see. From this high up, it almost looked like a maze. Aside from the shelves though, the prince noticed a few landmarks; a castle lined with gremlim gargoyles, an island with a waterfall fit for a postcard greeting, a farmhouse with grazing cows, a tranquil hill, and many more settings that you would only witness in the movies (not that the little prince had seen any).

The prince weaved through the towering bookshelves, and wandered about until he had reached the hill. Once he had reached the top, he was startled. "How odd," he mumbled to himself. He had found a woman, laughing at something, yet there was no one around to say something funny.

The woman was reading a book. She had her dark hair tied up in a messy bun with strands of it framing her face. She wore wire-rimmed glasses and her lilac-colored sundress matched well with her cowgirl style boots. She had dozens of books scattered and piled all around her, as is she were in cave, seperated from the world.

Curious, the prince asked the woman a question.
"Hello Miss, what do you do?"
"Why hello there young man," the woman had said. "How can I help you?"
"Hello Miss what do you do," he asks again, for not once in his entire life has he forgotten a question once he had asked it.
"Why I travel. I use these books to take me wherever I want to go. Right now, as you can see, it's taken me to the top of this hill." As she finished her sentence, she struggled to stifle a yawn.

The little prince looked around, as if only now did he realize where he was standing. "Why do you live on a hill," the boy asked.

"Why, this is only temporary, young one. Once I pick up my book again, I will travel to somewhere different." Again the traveler had tried hiding her yawn as not to disrespect the prince, but it managed to slip out. The little prince looked at her, puzzled. "That is funny," he said.
"Why, little one, do you take traveling as if it is a game?"
"Because you cannot go anywhere while sitting!" The little prince suppressed a laugh. "You must find something moving or walk around."
"Why, how did you get here then, little one?" For the third time, the woman has yawned; and the little prince has taken notice of this.

"Why do you keep yawning," the little prince inquired. "Why, because I travel a lot," the traveler had answered with pride swelling her chest.
"But don't you rest after your travel to hills and rivers?"
"I do not, because when you read, you are in a different world. The words take you to some of the best places mankind, or creature-kind, has ever seen. It gives me knowledge no human wise enough would sleep on."

"Is that why you always ask questions?" This question had made the traveler confused.
"What do you mean, little one," the traveler said as she cocked her head to the side.
"You always start with the word why."

"Why-" the traveler laughed, realizing what she had said yet again. "I guess little one, I am always looking for answers. I read and read and read to gain knowledge, but alas, I do not find answers. Only more questions come up. I do not feel complete. After I gain wisdom, I would like to go home, but I do not have a home you see. I am looking for a home. It is like your quest for answers about your rose. You feel incomplete without her. She is your home."
"What does that mean - home?"
"Home is where you belong. At times, the people at your home may frustrate you, anger you, or even confuse you, but in the end they are the ones you want to go back to. They are the ones that make you feel you belong."
"She makes me feel that I belong..." the little prince said to himself.
The young prince suddenly glanced up at the traveler. "If you please Miss, write me a book!" The traveler understood what the boy had wanted. He would like to travel home as well. He would like to see his rose.
"Why of course little one. Now, tell me everything you want in your book." The prince recounted all the times he was on his planet, and how he tended to his rose. He reminisced in the times we would remove the baobabs, and took extra caution in emptying out his volcanoes. He did all this while marveling at how beautiful the sunset was.
The little prince accepted his parting gift, but before he left, he asked the traveler for paper.
"Why little one?"
"I would like to write you a book as well." Touched, the traveler gave him paper and pencil.
As the little prince turned back, the traveler read the little prince's book, and smiled.