The Emotional Regulation Unit glided silently away around the hedge, its purpose fulfilled. As it vanished, the strange, magical effect of the blue fruit seemed to fade with it. Gilda's laughter subsided, replaced by a series of shuddering breaths. She stood up straight, her face returning to its usual, stoic mask, though her cheeks were still flushed a deep red.
She looked at her friends' stunned faces. "We are never speaking of this again," she grunted.
An awkward silence fell. Pip let out a long, shaky breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Zazu studied the empty space where the golem had been, as if pondering the philosophical weight of a "mood audit." Sir Crumplebuns merely puffed out his chest, immensely proud of his heroic interpretation.
