Information

Imari Paradise
Legacy Name: Imari Paradise

The Field Neela
Owner: SlashSlashX

Age: 8 years, 9 months, 1 day

Born: July 24th, 2015

Adopted: 8 years, 9 months, 1 day ago

Adopted: July 24th, 2015

Statistics

• Level: 129
   
• Strength: 318
   
• Defense: 313
   
• Speed: 305
   
• Health: 310
   
• HP: 310/310
   
• Intelligence: 1,158
   
• Books Read: 1125
• Food Eaten: 20
• Job: Lead Librarian

As far as memory went there had been a room. Shelves, light, dust glittering in the light. Not that they understood this. Light. Shelves. Such things had never been explained and there was little chance of understand what they were even if they had explained. There was no awareness. Just a sense of being there. Like the sensation just before the mind realises that it is awake after a long sleep. But this mind couldn't wake up. Only exist. Word reached it, spoken across the room. Light. Snow. Warmth. Please. Stars. This word was said as a pair of paws seized it and held it close. The clank of limbs that had no reaction to a mind with no will. "I know stars!" A young voice calls, mixed with the sound of a heartbeat. "Stars glow in the sky! They glow and guide you. You can see them really clear in the desert." Stars. Glow. Sky. New words and no explanation. But it was enough to wake the mind up. The steady rhythm encouraging further energy. The mind began to wake up. There was warmth. Life. But a distant voice calls to the speak and they place the mind back. But this time the mind refuses to go back to that vacant state. Stars Glow. Guide. The words bounce in the empty area and give it a focus. With each new voice and words the mind grows and grasps that there is more. That there should be more. After that, every word is remembered and considered. Every conversation helps build the world and make the mind see clearer. The first thing in the room to attract the attention was dancing points of light. Stars? But they didn't glow on their own. Something made them glow. Beyond was the light but no clear source. It came from somewhere covering in white. Soft and harsh at the same time. Even when the creatures raced through it or built things in it, the white recovered. Sometimes it fell from the sky. But the creatures were much more interesting. They moved, ran, flew and did a million other things. The mind tried to do the same. To shout and run but there was no feeling nor control. The mind envied the creatures. They could move yet the mind could only do so with help. Even then it was only as far as the strings would allow it. After the brief periods of play as the creatures called it, the mind was always returned to the shelf by the two legged creature with a face of fur known as Vanya. It sat on the shelf thinking and watching. The mind wanted more. It wanted something other than white, shelf and the tug of strings. Again the mind was removed from the shelf and placed on the desk. But this time there was something new. "Excellent work Vanya. Thank you for making it." "It vas no problem. You have it? Make it real?" The strage two legged creature shook it's head. "Not yet. I'm still missing an ingredent or two. But soon. I'll take this for now." Real? Ingredent? New words but no explination. A hand closed around the form the mind inhabitied while coins were exchanged. It was placed inside one of the bag things two legs carried and the world was dark. But there were sounds. Muffled but less than inside the workshop. The steady crunch, crunch sound. Bird song, other creatures, many creatures and a thousand other things the mind had no knowledge of. It listened intently, memorising as many sounds as it could. At last there was the sound of a door and the bag stopped moving. It was opened and the two legged creature picked the mind up. "I'll need to do some work before you're ready. For now, you'll have to wait." She turned to a door and took the mind into a place with nothing but shelves. Had the mind been able, it would have pleaded to be left outside. It could not learn here. But it had no way to communicate and was placed on a shelf amoung a thousand items it had never seen. The door closed and slience decended. The mind spent its time trying to understand what it was it was looking at. The items were interesting but without the ability to touch or interact there was no way for the mind to understand. Some moved on their own and that helped. But in this place where there were no sounds, no one moving around or any change, it made the workshop feel sweet. The two legged creature appeared now and then but only from a distance. Just as the mind felt it couldn't take another moment of this missery the door opened and whispered voiced reached it. "Are you sure? We'll get into trouble won't we?" "But there's always a toy in here somewhere." "We have toys. I'll share mine." "I have toys." "You wouldn't like me to take your Rregin models and I want something new. She won't know. We'll put everything back." "Oh! Look! How pretty." "Hm." "See? I told you this would be fun." Then there were hard little paws picking it up. A face with brilliant blue eyes, soft fur a strange white colour with blue horns and a back nose. The eyes of blue gazed at the mind. The mind gazed back, longing to speak. A thousand questions but no way to say them. "This one." The new creature said. "I'm going to play with this one." The creature turned to two others. One with many tails and huge pink eyes. "A puppet? But it's not soft." The other, huge and black with blood seeping from it sniffed at the mind. "It will be okay. We'll look after him. Let's go to the garden." Garden? The three creatures hurred out carrying the mind with them. They were laughing, running, talking and suddenly the walls fell away. The mind had only known walls, hard surfaces and the dark of the indoors. Now there was the sun. The creature who'd pick it up began to work the strings and for the first time the mind ran across grass. It could see forever. The world suddenly had no limits and had the mind been able to it would have run forever. The world was hard and soft and dry and wet and full and empty all at the same time. A moment of magic. This was a garden? The outside had been white but now was every colour the mind could imagine streching forever. The creatures raced in one endless moment and the mind was one of them. It delighted in their laughter, joined in with the games and the creature that had brought it from its prison to this wonderful place acted as the mind's voice. She didn't get everything right but it was so good to head a voice that was supposed to belong to the mind. But the moment ended. A new voice was heard. "Sophia! Fireson! Summer! We're back! Where are you? We have lunch!" "Oh no!" Gasped the Kora. "I'll put everything back. Go greet them!" The Sheeta urged. "You'll be quick won't you? They'll want to know where you are!" "Just go with Fireson! I'll be fine." The Kora dashed off after the one known as fireson. The black and blood red magnus. "Honestly. Sofia can be such a worrier." The Sheeta complained as she gathered up the items along with the mind and hurried back to the room with the shelves. The mind pleaded not to be left there again. Anything but that. But it had no voice and as hard as it tried the form it inhabitted wouldn't move. She left the mind until last though. She cleaned the form carefully and placed the mind back on the shelf. "We'll play again soon, okay?" She whispered. Then she was gone, taking the light of day with her. The mind thought. The one with the many tails was a Kora. The one with the red and black hide was a Magnus and the one with the fur almost like snow was a Sheeta. The Magnus had been leaving when the Sheeta had used the word Fireson. The Magnus was Fireson. The Kora had to be Sophia as creatures rarely ever called themselves by their names. That meant that the one who had taken the mind to the garden was called Summer. What was the mind's name?Every day was now filled with new experiences. No longer was it one room but many. Creatures racing all over. The mind learned of families, of food and most of all Summer. Summer loved gardens and plants. She would take the mind outside and talk, explaining all the plants. She pointed out the stars and their stories. Every day was new and different and the mind loved it. But still there was that want. The mind would watch Summer play with Sophia and Fireson. Racing hither and thither around the gardens filled with energy. The mind tried but the form was unresponcive. The mind had to sit where the form had been placed. The mind could only watch and it made the mind deeply unhappy. It wanted to run. It wanted to plant. It wanted to do all the things they were doing and could not. The mind had to sit and wait. Then one day, before Summer would normally come in and collect the mind, the creature known as Slash came in. She'd been running from the looks of her. She glanced round the room of endless shelves while the mind watched and waited to see what would happen. Slash spotted him. "Ah! There you are. Now it's your turn." She grabbed the form and a strange bottle of gold, filled with red liquid, and hurried out the door. There was another form waiting outside. A strange bundle of wool that lay far too still. Quickly the mind was placed by the form and both pushed away. Much to the mind's alarm they were heading for the colder reaches. Was it going back? Was the mind to return to the shelf and watch again? The mind didn't want that, it wanted to be with the others. It wanted the garden, the stars and the home it had there. A strange unpleasent sensation was creeping over the mind. It couldn't understand what it was but it recalled a time when Sophia had fallen and wept. It felt like that only worse. In a bid to escape it looked at the form beside it. A heavy woolen form. A Devonti. But it was too still. What had happened? The mind had seen these creatures rotting and dropping pieces of themsvles and still moving freely. But this one wasn't. There was no information and that made it worse somehow. The muffling of sound signalled the white was back. Snow as the mind now knew. The familar clatter of the door and then the faint light of the workshop. The mind felt better with this. It knew this place. Vanya, fluffy of face as normal, leaned dow and examined the form. The he picked the form of the mind up and sighed. "Dis is very bad. So very bad. You are sure?" "Most certainly." Slash replied. "It's getting worse all the time." "Vell. If she could not help dis van, I don't see vhat I can do." "The body will die without a soul." Slash pointed at the form of the mind. Vanya stroked his beard. "Dis is not normally how dis verks. Vhat if the original owner comes back?" "I think it will. If what I saw was right, the spirit of this little one is trapped but still has a link to the body. The spirit in that puppet is incomplete. Together they will form one and that will save the little one as well as damanging her power." "As vell as saving dis van from it's cursed fate." Vanya sighed and placed the mind very gently on the desk. "Der are far too many dat suffer in dis vorld. You have de potion?" Slash held out the golden bottle with the red liquid. Vanya nodded. He turned to the mind. "You vill not understand dis. But vnce you vere like de creatures that play outside. Den you vere attacked and lost yourself. I make dese," He held out a hand to the sheleves full of toys. "So da little vans like you can find a vay back." All the toys? Those it had been pressed against? They were minds like it?! "Now, der is not enough of vho you vere left to be put in a bigger body. But, dis little van is in the same place. He is lost and you vill need to look after him. You two vill be brothers. I know you can do dis." Carefully Vanya picked up the form of the mind and placed it on the body of the Devonti. He uncorked the bottle and poured the red liquid over them. It shimmered like the blood on Fireson. It's sparkle filled the world robbing the mind of understanding and the sight of the workshop.A strange swirl of colours met the mind's sight. "Where am I?" It had a voice but this did not suprise it. The mind had always had a voice. But no one had heard it. "Where am I?" Came the answer though from further away. "You are here." The mind replied. "Where else would you be?" "I don't like it!" The voice was young and shrill. "I don't like it! I'm scared!" "Scared." A new word. "What is scared?" "Scared. It means your afraid." "I do not understand." The mind replied. It began to move towards the sound. Here was another who could hear it. Maybe it could answer it's questions. "Oh, I just want to go home! I don't like it here!" The mind moved closer through the swirles of colour. Home. That one it knew. "I wish to go home too." Memories flashed before it. "I want to go home to Summer. I wish to see Sophia and Fireson again. I want to play in the garden. I want to sit at the lunch table and have stories read to me and to see everyone again." "I want that too." The other voice said. Very small now. "But we're trapped. We can't go home." The mind looked around. It could move where ever it wished. "We are not trapped. This is the most free I have ever been." "I don't understand." The other voice replied. "All I have known is watching. I could not move. I could not speak. I do not eat. I do not sleep. I sat on a shelf and watched stars of dust until I thought I would go mad. I like this more." How delightful it was to speak and get a reply. Yes this was much better. "That sounds awful." The other voice replied. "I don't want that. Is that the only way out of here?" The mind thought. Vanya had said the mind could do something. "I don't think so. There is another way. I'm not sure yet. I do not know where this is but I would rather go back home even if it is just to watch again." "Won't you be lonely?" "I am not sure what lonely is. But I would rather be home. This is interesting but it isn't the garden." The other voice didn't reply. "Am I alone now? Did you go home?" The voice asked. It didn't like that idea. It wasn't done asking questions. "No." This was said in the same sobbing tone Sophia had used when she had fallen. "But I want to go home and I don't know how!" The mind could see something through the swirls. It looked like a ball of light. It bobbed unhappily in some sort of cage. The swirls were darker here. The mind looked around. Vanya had said there was not enough of the mind to go back. It would rather stop the crying. It recalled what the one known as Widow had said. "It will be alright." "Will it?" "Yes. I have said so and I am sure it will be." "It doesn't work like that. I'm stuck and I can't go home. I'll get hurt again. There's a nasty witch. She put me here!" The voice started wailing again. The mind didn't see the point of crying. It seemed like a waist. Carefully it poked at the cage. It felt something. The mind froze in astonishment. For the first time it felt something! The mind pushed against the cage like structure. Again it felt and this was more insitant. "What are you doing?" Sobbed the voice but the mind didn't answer. This was far more interesting. It pushed hard against it, forcing a hole that it could step through. At last it could feel! It could move things! The mind remained in tryumph in the hole it had created. The ball that held the other voice gave a squeak and shot forward striking the mind. The two of them crashed back away from the cage. It vanished and a wild scream began. As the scream grew louded and more enraged the mind and the voice tumbled back. But the voice and mind weren't appart. There was a new warmth as memories and things the mind had never thought could exist exploaded through it. Meshing together they tumbled through the swirle of colour and the glittering red encircled them and became everything.A gasp and a thrashing of limbs were the first thing it understood. It looked up to see Slash and Vanya only they were smaller than before. There was panic as images of the sea and the dark under it flashed before it's eyes but it was alright. It was here with those who cared for it. It shook it's head and marveled that it could. Yet it had always been able to at the same time. It blinked and tried to process what had happened. "Are you alright?" Slash asked stepping closer. "Yes. I... YES!" He stood up and knew himself to be a he. "There was a witch and the ocean! I know what an ocean is! It's big and wet and there were islands and she put me in a cage which was scary and then I pushed open the cage even though I was outside it and then I bumped into myself and now I'm here though there was all this sparkly red stuff and-" He stopped and panted hard. The words were thundering in his head but this form couldn't keep up. Arms gently wrapped round him. "Calm down. It's okay." "The witch. I wasn't scared. I mean I was but the me who broke the cage wasn't. In fact...that me didn't feel anything much. It... was really unpleasent." "I know. But you're okay now." Slash soothed. He looked down at his long limbs, white with blue spots. "I...Who am I?" "You're who you've always been. You're Imari Paradice."Walking was a bit of a challenge but Imari was happy to try. For the first time he ran and jumped in the snow outside. He could chase other creatures and find the song birds. He could sing and laugh and talk and it was wonderful! The experience had been strange, rather like a very vivid dream but Imari didn't mind. Slash was nice and had an answer for almost every question. It was on the boat back home that she had given him a book. Imari had read it as fast as he was able and had a thousand new questions for her as soon as he'd finished. Slash looked tired by the time they made it to the front door. Imari had raced into their holiday cottage. He knew that Slash had saved him somehow and they stayed in the resort as protection. He darted through the cottage and into the garden. As before the walls fell away and he ran and danced under a blue sky. Slash brought out some lunch and drink. As soon as he was tired he hurried over and ate as fast as he could. "Alright that's enough!" Slash said firmly. "You can't eat like that or you'll hurt yourself. Eat slowly and decide what you like." Imari tried but he wanted to ask more questions. There was one big one that he had. "When will Summer and Sophia and Fireson and Widow-" "You need to shorten your question." Slash interupted him. "Okay. Well, when will they be home?" "Fairly soon I would have thought. Now finish your lunch." Imari did, delighting in the taste of food and drink. As soon as he had finished, Slash appeared with a pile of books. Imari read slower this time, absorbing every word and adding to what he already knew. The click of the door interupted him. He strained his ears and could hear voices. They were back! He scrambled down from the table and hurried indoors. Slash was explaining that there was a new member of the family. Imari hurried up to her and looked round at everyone. They stared at him in amazement. "Hi!" He greeted and tripped as he tried to get around Slash. He landed in a pile of wooden limbs before them. But he didn't mind. He could talk and play with everyone! This would be great!Unfortunetly, things are rarely that simple. Kaori, the oldest pet wasn't interested and could be brutal in how she answered his questions. "You are so annoying! Go read a book!" She snapped after a question session. Eloran was much the same or was busy with his sword forging. Dembi and Delta was nice though. They loved answering his questions and helped him as much as they could but their fire made spending too much time with them dangrous and after Imari tripped and crashed into Delta's lab table he wasn't allowed into the lab again. Red ignored him or mocked him for his lack of knowledge. Evangline and Widow were happy to help but Eva rarely gave him clear answers and Widow was always busy looking after the youngest. That was the worst part. He'd looked forward to playing with Sophia, Summer Fireson and Tipper but they didn't seem to want to play. Fireson didn't mind him but Sophia showed genuin fear at his appearence and that set Fireson against him. Tipper was scared too and after a game of what Imari had thought was tag got him punished he left her alone. Summer was the worst. He couldn't understand why she viewed him as scary now that he was bigger. She loved to play with him as a puppet but now she just hid from him. He asked Eva about it but she tilted her head and said "You're not real yet. They don't understand." That didn't help. He went out to the garden and began to examin the plants and remember what they were called. It was while he was taking a closer look at one of the flowers when the stem snapped. "My roses!" Cried a voice. Imari was pushed aside as Summer picked up the stem and began to cry. "I'm sorry. I'll help fix it." Imari tried. Summer whirled on him, tears streaming from her eyes. "No you won't! All you do is hurt! There's dents all over the house and now you're breaking my plants! You're scary and nasty and you won't touch my plants! Go away!" Imari ran.Slash found him sitting in the room of endless shelves that he now knew was the vault. He was sitting under the shelf he'd been on as a puppet. "You're not having a good time are you?" She sighed as she lent against the door frame. "No." Imari replied in a small voice. "You okay?" "I don't want to feel any more. When I sat up there," He looked up at the spot on the shelf. "I just thought. It wasn't fun but it didn't hurt either." Slash shook her head. "I should have done this sooner. The truth is you're too young for a wooden body. I think I know how to make this better." He looked up at her. "How? They don't like me." "Because they've never had to go through this. But Sophia was almost taken by the witch for good with no hope of escape." Slash sighed as she moved through the room and picked up some items. "Really? When was this?" He still had nightmares about the witch. Slash sat by him and scratched his horns. "Come with me. I'm going to the Sacred Lands. There I'll take you to an oasis and tell you the stories you need to hear."The desert sands reminded him of the snow around the workshop. A land that was both familar and brand new. Imari followed Slash through the shifting sands, to a market and finally to an oasis on the edge of it all. Here the plants were tough. They didn't break at his touch and made the whole place seem like a dream. He could see the sand beyond but somehow it didn't seem real even when he touched it. Slash set up camp and sat under a tree. Imari explored to his heart's content and then came over to sit beside her. "I suppose I should start with Kaori. She's the oldest after all. It all began with a cold winter and I was lonely." The stories flowled through the nights with the water and during the day Imari explored the plants and the lands. He learned of Kaori's protective streak, of Eloren's love, of Delta's quest of knowledge. How Dembi collected ingredents for her and travelled the world. Of Sophia's loss and Fireson's abandonment. Of Summer and Wido and the strange tale of Eva and Red. He learned about creatures and after Slash was done she gave him a poition. "Drink this when the sun rises." She told him. Imari was up before the sky was light. The sand was in his joints and he moved slower now. His body once white and clean was covered in dents and scratches. "A wooden body is not right for me." He sighed as he watched the starts. They were so clearer here. "I want to find more and I think I can here. So much knowledge." He gazed at the bottle. It was in the shape of the rising sun. Carefully he removed the cork. As the sun rose he drank and felt his body shudder. The sand that had ruined his joints fell away, the scratched healed and the wood disolved. Imari staggered, his legs felt the heat of the sands, his body felt strange, tingly, as if everything was bumping against him. He looked back and saw a mass of fluffly fur being pulled about by the winds. His back itched. Turning his head he used his horns to strach himself and felt better. He could smell the water and plants. He could feel the sun and his eyes blinked. His ears picked up the sound of footsteps. Glancing round he saw Slash watching him from the shade of the oasis. "What do you think? Dawn for a new beginning. I thought it was appropret." She commented. "You could have given this to me sooner." Imari couldn't keep the hurt from his voice. "I know. But you could hardly walk. A wooden body wouldn't break as easily. I wanted you to know enough to look after yourself." Imari thought about this. "Yes. You were right. You're a good owner." He turned his gaze to the horizon. "Imari." Slahs began. "I want to walk. I want to travel as far as I can. I know how to care for myself. But I need to know who I am now." "Will you be okay? I can ask Dembi to go with you." Imari shook his head. "No. I want to do this myself. I sat on that shelf for so long or I was running around a small garden. Here the horizon is endless. I want to see it myself." He turned and walked back to Slash. He'd grown again he realised. He pushed his head under her hand for a scratch and breathed in the scent of home. "I'm going to come back. I just want to walk and be free for a while." "I can't argue with that. You're safe from the witch here and the people are wise. Seek the knowledge you need. You'll be welcome when you return. Don't forget that." Imari purred and turned. He stepped onto the sands and walked towards the highest dune. Slash sighed as she watched him leave. As soon as he was out of sight she turned and began to tidy away the campsite. It was time to go home.Slash stepped in the door still feeling unhappy. Imari had a tough start and just couldn't feel comfortable in his own skin. She was just sorting out her gear when she heard a clatter of hooves and claws. "Slash! You're home!" She laughed as a bundle of furry and scaly creatures barrled into her in a welcoming hug. "Alright everyone! Let's settle down so Slash can get organised." Widow had come through. It always struck Slash as strange when she looked at Widow in her apron but she loved it all the same. She was scanning the mass of happy pets at her feet. But she couldn't see or hear the one who should have come in the door with Slash. She looked at Slash with a question in her eyes. Slash just shook her head and looked sad. Summer didn't miss that look. Day turned into evening and Slash spoke of the trip to the Sacred Lands. But of where Imari was she said nothing. At first the younger members of the family didn't mind. The strange clacking puppet had been scary and it was nice to know he wasn't here. But Summer couldn't understand why Slash had looked sad. When she'd asked Slash had refused to answer and had even walked away when Summer hadn't let the matter drop. Summer looked in the vault but there was no sign of him. Not in his room, still generic as he had no toys of his own. She padded out in the garden but there was no sign of him. The marks of his hooves were the ones that had been there before he'd left. As she entered the house she saw Eloren and Widow painting and repairing the dents he'd left. It looked like the house was trying to forget him. They went to bed as normal but Summer couldn't sleep. She kept thinking of when she'd shouted. He'd hurt her plant and had been so scary. But after she had shouted at him he hadn't gone near her garden. He hadn't even come to lunch. She recalled Widow taking a plate of food to the vault. She'd known he was in there but had avoided it. Finally she got up. "Where are you goin Summer?" Summer glanced round to see Sophia was awake. Fireson had opened one eye while Tipper was sitting up in bed. "I can't sleep. I'm going to get a drink." Sophia glanced at the cup that Widow always put next to every bed with water in it. "Okay." She jumped out of bed. "I'm only going to be a minute." "Well so am I." Sophia replied. Fireson and Tipper were getting up too. Summer sighed and opened the bedroom door. They were on the stairs when they heard the voices. "What?! What do you mean he left?!" "Kaori, tone it down. You'll wake the cubbies." Slash sounded tired. "Explain this minute! Why would he just up and walk into the desert? More over how could you let him?!" "It was his choice." Summer peeped round the door. Slash and Kaori were standing in the middle of room with some of the older pets sitting around watching. They looked unhappy. "His choice? You let a mere foal walk into the desert because he could choose to?" Slash narrowed her eyes. "Yes. Because I couldn't give him the support he needed. He didn't feel liked here, nor that he fitted in. So as soon as he could fend for himself I stepped back and let him choose!" Kaori snorted. "You shouldn't have let him do that!" "And you shouldn't have shouted at him when he was trying to make friends!" Slash snapped. Kaori took a step back. "I didn't shout! I just told him to give it a rest!" "Which is why he didn't come near you again. Face it Kaori. Your temper made you snap at someone who didn't diserve it. Not the first time but I've warned you so many times to tone it down and you never listen! Now look at what your tough girl attitude has done." Summer was amazed. She'd never heard Slash speak like that to Kaori before. From Kaori's expression she hadn't either. "This isn't Kaori's fault." Eloren spoke. "No. It's mine. I should have found him a better home. But he begged to come back here. Calling it his home and we have the space. He gets back and is dismissed. It's no wonder he left." "Well, I don't understand. Why was he so sure that this was the right way to go about things?" Widow spoke up. Moving to clasp Slash's arm in a bid to offer comfort and reason. "Imari is the result of two victimes of dark forces. One was the sea witch. She's started taking creatures so young they don't know to avoid her. I wasn't able to stop the attack but I knew a way to save him. The puppet I had was made by Vanya. Some of his toys he makes as a new body for wondering spirits that have been attacked. The spirit in the puppet was all that was left of another creature that had been almost completely consumed by the dark. The spirit of the puppet freed the little one and became a part of the younger spirit. Two became one and a wooden body was the safest form for the resulting personality to learn how to live again." Behind her Summer heard Sophia's soft gulp of fear. She'd never forgotten the dark that had tried to take her. "Why didn't you say something?" Kaori's voice was soft with horror. Slash gazed back. "Because I was trying to help him. Because he was having nightmares and he was everywhere. I didn't know how to explain his situation and not hurt him." Slash rubbed at her eyes. "I couldn't work out how to explain and not make him feel more alone than he already was. Every time I tried to explain to one of you he was causing an upset or something else needed doing. The witch wants her prey and I had a hard enough time diverting her from the scent. The other personality helped there as it's no longer the same magical signiture." "The dark will come for him." Red growled. "It won't let him escape. Whatever attacked the puppet will come for it again. They don't like to see their prey escape." "I know. But how can we look after him if he doesn't feel safe nor welcome? I didn't want to make him feel trapped. After everything he's been through, it might best to let him wonder and try to understand what he is now." Slash explained. She turned sharply and pulled the door open. Summer backed up. "You should be in bed." Slash told them. Sophia burst into tears.The next day saw Slash leave early and a quiet household. Summer couldn't quite blieve what it was she'd heard. The puppet had been aware of what they had been doing. No wonder he'd wanted to play in the garden. He'd wanted to join in their adventures even though he was clumsy. He'd remembered how much fun it had been to play with everyone. She pushed her breakfast away. She felt unwell. Imari had been creepy but he wasn't a bad creature. He'd been lonely. "Summer? Aren't you going to finish your food?" Widow asked as Summer jumped down from the table. "I'm not hungry." She mumbled. "Aren't you feeling well?" "No." And she didn't know why. "Oh sweetie, Imari will come back, you'll see." Summer wasn't sure. She and the others waited for Slash to come home but Imari wasn't with her. The next day was the same, no Imari and no idea when he'd come back. Summer was finding it harder to eat and sleep. She kept thinking about how she'd shouted at him. What if he was hurt? What if he was all alone and hungry and lost in the desert. What if the dark came for him? She was starting to have nightmares. Imari was a puppet again and the huge lumbering monster that they had thought Imari was kept coming and trying to eat him. She'd find him with legs torn or his body snapped in half and he was always crying.Imari strolled through the dunes and felt a contentment he couldn't ever recall feeling. He wasn't fond of the desert for the most part. The oasis felt more home like to him. But he'd found the city and learnt from the people there. They had told him to seek the Orecal. She'd been very kind. He'd been suprised about how little he'd wanted to ask her. He felt it would be less fun since she knew the answers for sure where as 'I don't know' meant a better conversation. She'd let him stay the night and come the next day she had told him a bit of his future. "Tell no one your name and on the third sunrise wait by the Neelia pool outside the city. There you will find what you're looking for." Imari didn't really understand it but he'd found Slash in the city and they'd had a good day walking around and chatting to each other. She'd been quiet on the subject of home but he didn't mind that. He'd gone to Shinwa for the night who had been very kind and helped him understand what he was. He felt more settled after his stay and she'd sent him out with advice to seek shelter with the Wizard. After another day of questions and wondering he'd found the wizard who had let him stay the night. He and Luna had given him much advice and things to think about as well as answering many of his questions. When he was let out for the day the Wizard had said: "Keep that thirst for knowledge young one. But you must learn to regulate it and see where you are going. Sometimes the answer will lead you into more trouble than it's worth." Imari had nodded and throught hard about it as he made his way to the pool.By day three Summer had a plan. She woke up early and hurried downstairs. as she had hoped Slash was up finishing her breakfast. Kaori was there too. "Hm? Morning Summer. What are you doing up?" She greeted. "I was hoping to go out with Slash." Summer smiled. Slash looked up. She took in Summer's slightly ruffled fur and tied eyes. "I don't think that's such a good idea. All I'm doing is the dailies. Why don't you stay here and get some sleep? I know you haven't been well lately." Slash urged. Summer shook her head so hard her ears flapped. "No! I'm just fine! Please Slash? I just want to go out for a bit!" Slash and Kaori shared a look. Summer held her breath. She couldn't loose this chance. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. But you need to stay close." Slash said finally. "I promise!" Summer agreed and hoped they hadn't seen her cross her toes.She enjoyed going out with Slash. Kaori had agreed to let her go and gone to work early instead. Summer stuck close as she had promised and tried to be as quiet as possible. The Sacred Lands were where her plan would be put in motion. Slash went there early keen to get the gift of Shinwa before her other quests. Shinwa was waiting in the temple as they entered. "Ah, good morning." She smiled at them both. "Would you wait here for us? I need to speak with your owner." Summer, running on nervous energy and worrying about her plan, didn't find this odd and merely nodded. "Stay here. I'll be back soon."Summer sat and waited. As soon as her owner had gone she counted to ten before carefully turning and running out of the door. The sand was hot under her feet but she was on a mission. She'd find Imari and bring him home. Even if she had to appologise for the rest of her life she'd do it. He needed to come home. She skidded to a stop and gazed at the landscape before her. She coudl see the city and just beyond it a lake with water. She'd start there. She ran towards the glittering water. As she had hoped it was surrounded by Neela. Huriedly she moved through them, seeking a Nostalgic version. The Neela snorted at her. Some were friendly enough but most were suprised. "Who are you?" They demanded. "I am looking for one called Imari Paradice! Have you seen him? He's clumsy and a Nostaligc Neela and always full of questions." The Neela shook their heads. "No. We do not know him. Go back to your home." The herd began to break up as they moved off to work or roam the desert. "But! But he's missing! He's alone!" "If he is here then he is fine. Neela know the desert." Replied one of the herd. Summer looked round. There must be hundreds of Neela. But she had to try. She galloped through the mass of Neela, seeking any signs of a white and blue coated one. But the commons were so close in colour and the few nostalgic she found hadn't heard of Imari. She dashed back and forth as the sun rose but the Neela wouldn't wait and she was soon panting by the water with most of the Neela gone.

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