Emirie has never been a very spiritual individual, and has always trusted her
own power and ability rather than the powers of some powerful entity far away
from her life. But right now, she is praying out to every power in the world
from pure frustrated despair. Her mind screams to her body that she has to
move, that she has to get away, but her lungs are burning for air and her
feet have no strength remaining. Small tears drip from her eyes as her lead
on the pursuers become smaller and smaller. She closes her eyes when she
hears the creatures right behind her and hopes that it won't hurt. To her
surprise, nothing happens. The steps come close to her, but after that they
suddenly stop, and no sound can be heard but the rustling of the wind through
the trees. She timidly opens her eyes and glance down on a round face with
two big black eyes. The face is on a strange little creature that looks like
a strange cross between rabbit, squirrel and mouse, and with a tail that has
to be at least three times as long as the creature itself. It has a round
head, with long pointy ears that point directly away from the face, an oval
shaped body covered in whitish fur with short limbs unsuitable for item
manipulation, and with it's long tail wrapped around it's waist. The creature
is sitting on it's back-paws and her front-paws wave in the air before
Emirie. Emirie tilts her head backwards slightly, and the creature stops
waving her paws and emit a sound that sounds almost like a squeal, before it
unwraps the tail from it's waist and waves it wildly in the air. Several
bigger, though still rather small, creatures like the first appear and sit
down in a circle. The young Furrikin glances at the bizarre creatures
surrounding her and timidly raises her paw. "Uh... hi." Her voice yields
immediate response in what seems to be giggling. The smallest of them bend
down on all four and move a little closer, sniffing her cautiously, while the
larger take a step backwards to watch. Suddenly the small creatures start to
jump and run around Emirie, and she can't help but feel comforted by their
strange dance. One of the bigger "children" move to stand directly beneath
Emirie's face and grins widely up at her. With it's small paws it makes a few
strange gestures across it's face, and Emirie chuckles softly. "Okay, okay.
I'll smile." She flashes her brightest smile and struggles up on her feet.
The adults, or at least that is what Emirie assumes them to be, join in on
the dance around the Furrikin. For several minutes, the young girl watches
the animals dance around her, and as she waits she finds herself in far
better shape than what she thought when she was being chased. Just then, the
sound of someone else approaching can be heard, and Emirie's happiness is
washed away and replaced with worry. She gazes towards the source of the
sound, tenses her muscles and crouches down to get ready to sprint.

"Are you certain it is here?" A female voice asks loudly. Emirie eases her
guard slightly in puzzlement. "I cannot see anything. Okay, okay. I'll keep
looking, but I wish you could tell me what you want to show me." From behind
a nearby tree, another of the "star-folk" appear, although this one has a far
more appealing appearance. She doesn't carry a weapon, but is instead covered
in tattered clothing in dull browns and grays. Her secondary color is green,
and there is a far greater variety of colors in the stars in her "hair". When
she sees Emirie, she gasps loudly and rushes forward, taking Emirie off-
guard. "Oh, you poor child. You look miserable." She pulls some twigs away
from Emirie's face. "Dirty and bruised. What happened to you dear?"

"Uh..." Emirie begins, unsure on how to respond. "I... I... who are you?"

"Oh, excuse me. I am Saria Starlet, and who might you be?"

Emirie grins slightly at the name. She more a full grown star than a starlet.
She opens her mouth to respond, but halts for a second. "I am... eh, I am...
Emirie. And I've... eh... I have been running."

Saria nods. "I see. Please, come with me dear. You look like you could need a
rest."

"Thank you..." Emirie isn't quite put at ease by the gentle Starlet. After
all, she looks almost like those who just chased her. But then again, she
couldn't stay out here. Plenty of worse creatures could find her, and the
whatever-they-ares seem to like her. In fact, the small creatures seem to
dance and jump around her in a playful and happy manner, and somehow Emirie
can't help but feel soothed, comforted and safe. Probably for the first time
since she joined this nightmare of a trip. Emirie's mind begins to drift back
to these past days. She snuck aboard the aethership her mother works on, she
got caught and ended up working as a cleaner until the ship was assaulted,
her mother nearly killed... in fact everyone were nearly killed, and now
she's stranded on some strange aetherbubble and her newest friend has been
kidnapped by somethings. There really has been many happenings... and somehow
she's been in the center of them all. It really is strange when she thinks
about it. What are the chances that the one time she would join in would end
up like... this!? Seemingly impossibly small... unless she was somehow the
one to blame.

"We're here!" Emirie blinks and tears herself from her thoughts. Before her
is a small stone cottage with white walls, a roof overgrowing with grass and
wildflowers, an unpainted wooden door, square windows and a path of white
gravel leading to the entrance. The garden in front of the house is covered
in several flowers, herbs and bushes with juicy berries. Behind the cottage
are several tall trees, branches heavy with fruits, and even further behind
that is a tall building. It looks like two tall towers standing side by side,
but from a little above the middle, the visible middle that is, metallic arcs
flow out from between the towers, almost touching each other but never quite.
Emirie stares at the tower for a few moments, only to realize that the towers
are mirrors of one another. Her head spins slightly at the height of the
building, but she is quickly brought back to the ground when more of the
small creatures brush against her legs. She gazes through the garden, and
finds that these aren't dancing but rather harvesting ripe fruits and plants
and putting them in baskets that when full are carried into a larger
building, probably for storage. She is so lost in the sight that when Starlet
says "Welcome to my humble abode." she jumps in surprise.

"Humble? This place is incredible. It's... beautiful."

A slight red color brushes across Starlet. "Thank you. But will you not
please come in?" She walks ahead towards the door and opens it.

Emirie fidgets for a moment. She glances around, and it seems as though
everyone is looking at her, waiting for her answer. She feels quite
uncertain. On one hand, this could be a very elaborate trap, but on the other
hand, why go through so much trouble to capture a child? She weights her
thoughts up against each other, before she finally decides that it is worth
the risk. "Yes please, I'd love too."

"Wonderful. Do come in." Starlet enters the building but leaves the door open
for Emirie.

The small furrikin takes a deep breath and walks across the gravel path and
into the house. She enters a cozy hall with sparse furniture. Her eyes dance
across the simple walls and doors, taking in the sight and enjoying it. It
felt very comfortable, almost like visiting her aunt and uncle in Estelbar.
Upon entering what must be both the kitchen and living room, Emirie finds
Starlet standing by a counter, slicing up bread and putting the cut slices
into a basket. Emirie watches as the woman carries the basket to a table. On
the table are two plates, two cups and a teapot and everything else necessary
to make a good breakfast. Emirie takes a seat next to the table. "Wow, this
place is very homely... but why are there two plates on the table?"

"Oh?" Starlet smiles. "Well, I always try to be prepared. You never know when
a guest might arrive."

"Ah, so you get guests often then?"

Starlet's smile weakens slightly. "No... you're the first in a long time. But
it is always better to be prepared. A guest shouldn't have to wait. Please,
eat. You must be hungry."

"Well..." Emirie gazes at the food presented to her. She is hungry, but it
could be poisonous, but Saria has been kind so far. "I... am a little hungry
I guess."

"Help yourself. I know it isn't grand, but I am sure you'll like it." Emirie
reaches out to pick up a slice of bread. She ponders it for a few moments,
before she puts it on her plate and smears some jam over it. She bites into
it, and a sweet taste spreads through her mouth. In a matter of seconds, she
has wolfed down the food and begun on her second slice. Starlet smiles softly
as she watches Emirie eat with hearty appetite. "I'm glad you liked it. Now
while you eat why don't you tell me what you were doing out in the forest all
on your own."

"Well..." Emirie begins. "I... come from quite far away. The ship I was on
got in trouble and we were sent far off course when we stumbled upon this
place. None of us has ever been here before, so the captain of the ship sent
me and a friend of mine, his name is Toi and he's a Loboshigaru, to
investigate."

"Loboshigaru?" Starlet interrupts, with a confused voice. "What is that? Is
that what you are?"

Emirie blinks. "Me? No, I'm a Furrikin. See? Small size and bunny ears.
Loboshigaru are much bigger, with fangs and claws and smaller ears. They look
more like canines." Starlet keeps her confused look plastered to her face.
"Canine? You know, Dogs and Jackals and... Wolves? Surely you must've heard
of those creatures before."

Starlet gives a friendly smile and shakes her head sadly. "I am afraid I have
no idea what you are talking about. I do not know what a "canine" is, nor
what a Dog, Jackal, Wolf or Bunny is. I have never even heard of "Furrikin"
or "Loboshigaru"and can only guess what they mean."

Emirie blinks for a moment, astonished. "Hmm do you... hmm, what about
Bollikin or Loboshi or Volkh? Do those names ring a bell?"

Starlet opens her mouth to respond, then halts a second and shakes her head.
"I... No I can't say I do. I'm sorry."

Emirie can't believe her own ears. To not have even heard of the divine that
splintered... well Volkh didn't exactly splinter so knowledge about him
wasn't to be expected but... "Well... hmm. Okay, a Furrikin is a creature
that looks like me. Sort of." Emirie sighs loudly. "We are a kind that take
our looks from the smaller creatures of the world. So me, I have looks
similar to a creature known as a bunny. Like these floppy ears and large
feet. But some look like rockeaters, and some look like foxes, and a few even
look like small bears and wolves." Emirie notices that Starlet has no idea
what those animals are and quickly adds "I'll describe them later." She nods
quickly and starts to gather her thoughts. "Now a Loboshigaru... they are
pretty tall. More than twice as tall as I am. They have fur, usually longer
than what I have, and the color of the fur can vary, but usually it is
something between black and white or brown. They have claws and fangs, as I
already said, and they have a muzzle so their face is elongated." Emirie
ponders. "That helps you I hope?"

Starlet nods. "Yes, but oh I shouldn't have spoken so soon. You were telling
me the story of how you came here. Please continue, you can explain these
strange creatures to me afterwards."

"Ah yes. Where was I... oh yeah. Me and Toi. The two of us spent some time
investigating this place, when we came upon some creatures that looked like
you."

"Oh, me?" Starlet asks in surprise.

"Yeah, except that they were more red and yellowish, and they carried weapons
and they weren't nearly as friendly as you." Starlet blushes slightly.
"Anyway, they asked me if we sympathize with... blue or yellow? And we had no
idea what they were talking about since we just came, so when Toi said that
we are neutral, they became incredibly mad and started to chase us in hopes
of capturing us, saying something about "since we're not with them we're
against them"." Emirie sighs. "They got Toi, and I just ran and ran until I
couldn't run anymore and I collapsed on the ground. And then you and the
strange dancing creatures came." Emirie sighs. "I should have done something
to save him. I shouldn't have fled like a coward."

Starlet places a hand on Emirie's shoulder, and the young Furrikin feels a
loving warmth spread through her. "Child, do not blame yourself. You getting
captured would have done nobody any good."

"Yeah? Well... at least I would be with him. Do you think they'll hurt him?
And what's this about Yellow and Blue and whatever color you might want?"

Starlet sighs. "I doubt that they would. They may have looked warlike, but I
can't possibly think that they would hurt someone whose only crime was
justified ignorance."

"So you think he'll be fine?"

"I don't know child. I don't know. The war between "Yellow" and "Blue" has
been going on for a long time. Since before I was born. Not far from here
stands the "Tower of Unity". An ancient structure that has existed as long as
anyone can remember. Long ago, the bells in the Tower of Unity would play
beautiful songs, and these songs would soothe the mind and heart of those who
listened, and allow them to better understand the other part in a conflict.
But one day the bells stopped ringing. The reason why is unknown, but the
bells no longer play their songs of unity. At first, things seemed to go on
as normal. There may not have been any song, but we could go on without it...
for a while. But eventually the lack of the music caused depressions,
frustrations and hostilities. When the tower still played, it had two
caretakers known now only as Yellow and Blue. With the lack of music, blame
for why the tower stopped playing was put on the caretakers, and a cleft
would be created between those who blamed Blue and those who blamed Yellow."

"It sounds almost as if the tower had an addictive effect."

"Maybe it had, but that wouldn't explain why the conflict is still raging.
No, I believe that because of the music, our ancestors never learned how to
handle conflict on their own ability. The music had done all the work for
them, and without it they were helpless, just like we are helpless now.
Despite their names being lost, there is still fighting over who is to blame,
and not a single thought on how to restore peace to this meaningless battle."

"So you're saying that your kind can't stop fighting because they don't know
how to do so?" Starlet nods slowly in response. "That isn't good...
regardless I can't let that stop me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I have to save Toi somehow but..." She snaps her fingers. "Perhaps..." She
looks around and steps out onto the floor. "This space looks big enough."

"What are you going to do?"

"I may be young, but I'm actually pretty skilled in Planar studies. I know
how to survive on various planes, how to travel through planar pathways
and... even more important, I know how to Teleport and Summon."

Comprehension flashes across Starlet's features. "So you are going to try and
summon your friend?"

Emirie nods. "Yes, I have to try." She sighs and clenches her fists. "I just
hope I can do it." She lifts her hands and swings them around, as if holding
an imaginary rope, before she suddenly throws it out into nothingness. Her
face distorts in concentration for a few moments before it falls into
frustration. "Monolith... or something with the same ability to prevent
planar travel."

"I see." Starlet moves over to Emirie. "I'm sure you'll save him somehow."
She says in a soothing voice. "I'm sure you'll find a way." Starlet glances
out a nearby window. "The sun is setting. I'll make the bed in the guest
room. You can sleep there tonight."

"Thank you." Emirie whispers and moves over to the window. She can hear
Starlet leave, and when alone, she lets out a loud, longing sigh. "Don't
worry Toi." She says out into the air while rubbing the tears from her eyes.
"I'll save you somehow." Emirie stands staring out for a few moments before
she turns and trudges up the stairs after Starlet. She quickly finds the room
where her host is and walks in on her just as she pushes a painting up on a
nearby cupboard. "Hey, need any help?"

Starlet almost drops the painting, startled by Emirie's sudden appearance.
"Oh, no. I'm almost done, I just need to get this old painting away."

"What for?" Emirie asks and moves to stand beside the Starlet. "That's a nice
painting. Who is it?"

"Well..." Starlet looks away for a moment, and Emirie takes the chance to get
a better look of the canvas depicting a young starcreature, strangely similar
to Starlet despite looking almost like any other of her kind that Emirie has
seen, though that could be from the fact that his color is a soft green like
that of grass. "He is... was an old friend of mine." Starlet says, still
looking away. "No one important though." She pushes the picture up onto the
cupboard and away from view. "Why don't I show you around the gardens?"
Emirie glances up at the picture, but decides against pursuing the subject
any further and nods approvingly, though on the way out she can't help but
wonder why miss Starlet refused to speak about the person on the picture. Out
in the garden, Starlet shows Emirie the various plants and explains the
properties of each one. "This berry is very tangy and juicy. You have to be
careful when picking them because of the thorns. This fruit is incredibly
hard, and inedible unless you boil it first. You have to watch out for this
plant. The leaves corrode most metals that touch them. Here, try these. I'm
sure you'll like them."

Emirie tries to take a note of all she is told, carefully watching each and
every plant and what they do. Slowly a plan begins to form in her mind. "Hmm,
so you say that these plants when burned make you drowsy?"

Starlet nods. "Yeah. When you mix these herbs and burn them, the smoke
becomes an effective cure against insomnia. Makes you fall asleep right away.
Why do you ask? Do you have trouble sleeping?"

"Not me no..." Emirie smiles inwardly. "But I might know someone who do." Her
hidden smile widens as a plan forms in the back of her mind. "Maybe I
actually can save Toi." She says out into the air as she gathers up some of
the herbs and put them in her pockets.