Previously on Oranges to Grapes...

Jessica remains trapped in the Icerend Shrine until she meets a snow weasel named Leopold, who releases her and gives her a Sealing Ball. But after rejoining Rosita and Conner outside, how will they continue their journey?

-

Given the new information, Rosita only had minutes to think. "Rosita," Conner piped up, "perhaps this is enough of an emergency to conjure up a longer ladder?"

"I guess that could work," Rosita supposed. "Jessica does climb up and down tall buildings for a living, so maybe she could get down fast enough."

"Fast enough?" Jessica questioned. "What do you mean, fast enough?"

"Conner explained it to me the first time he showcased his powers," Rosita questioned. "He can conjure up vines to make ladders to climb, but the longer the ladder he makes, the less time I have to climb it before it wilts. Apparently it's called the 'Principle of Ruin," if I remember right."

"Oh, that," Leopold chimed in. "Well, this Principle of Ruin can be modified if we add another variable now that I'm here. If Conner and I combine our powers, we can get all four of us down quickly and with more fun!"

"Combine your powers?" Rosita asked with keen interest.

"You can do that?" Jessica followed up.

"It has been some time," Conner answered, "but yes, we can. Observe." He then looked over the ledge and focused.

Vines started sprouting up from the ground at different points, growing higher and higher with each passing second. Suddenly, the vines that were furthest bent backwards to another bunch, then that bunch bent backwards to the next, then the next, then the next until all the vines grown became a frame that connected to the edge of the ledge.

"Okay, my turn!" Leopold said, and with a single sigh from his muzzle, cold air was blown to the edge of the frame, causing the top to be encased in frost before it hardened into solid ice all the way down to the bottom until...

"Whoa, cool!" Rosita exclaimed. "It's an ice slide! Now we can ride it down to the path and keep going!"

"But, like you said," Jessica reasoned, "we'll have to be quick before it melts. I'll go first while it's still stong."

Rosita agreed with the descision, and let Jessica pass so she could sit down at the edge. She then scooted across the surface to test it, and finally pushed off. The slide carried her down swiftly, and in just a few seconds, she touched down on solid ground again. "Ha! It worked! Okay, Rosita, your turn! See you at the bottom!"

Knowing she didn't have a lot of time, the caracal steeled herself before she followed the snow leopard's example, and soon she found herself at the bottom of the slide just as quickly. "Oh. My. Them. That was awesome!"

"Wasn't it?" Jessica said, but then she realized, "Wait, where are they? Didn't they follow us down the slide?"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that," Rosita answered as she got up, "but here's what happens when the Principle's time is up."

Suddenly, as if on cue, the top of the slide snapped off of the vaccant ledge and started to collapse. With a light crash, the whole slide, ice, vines and all had crumbled into mulch and slush, and from that mess, the shrapnel coalesced into two points near the girls, reforming Conner and Leopold.

"Ta-da!" Leopold said once he and Conner were back together. "We're back!"

"Pretty neat trick, huh, Jessica?" Rosita boasted. "As long as there's a source of their materials nearby, our partners can disappear and reappear again!"

"But..." Conner added, "there will come a point when we'll have to recharge, so you'll need to keep some Berries on hand... or, should I say... on paw?"

"Good one, Conner," Rosita said as she reached into her backpack and produced another Kelpsy Berry for her partner to snack on. "How about you, Leopold? Want some?"

"Got any Qualot Berries?" the snow weasel asked.

"Just two," Rosita said after rummaging around for a bit. "One for you, and one for Jessica to save for later."

"Yay! Thanks!"

As Leopold happily munched on his little treat, Jessica took the other berry and put it in her pocket. "Thanks, Rosita. Glad we have someone with experience at this sort of thing to help us."

"Right," Rosita reasoned as the two girls picked up their partners, "it is nice to be needed. But, now that we have a bit of a supply shortage, we'll need to go somewhere to restock. And so far, the closest place that comes up on the map is..." She then took out her Rotom Phone out and pulled up the map app for the end of her sentence. "...Porto Marinada and their shopping plaza."

"Shopping costs money, though," Jessica reasoned. "Do you have money?"

"I have some treasures I picked up on my journey that I can sell for extra cash," Rosita answered.

"Close enough," Jessica said. "Then let's roll!"

And so, our two current heroines and their partners in tow set out for their new destination...

-

To be continued.