Chapter 3
7.
Things get way more interesting as their primary tool for their adventure is currently missing. There are no other clues or signs of someone entering the hut. The skateboards are still in the same position as when they left. The first speculation is someone stole it, but the scenario begs to differ due to lack of evidence. The story continues.
"WHAT SHOULD WE DOOOO?" Kita loudly said as she kept on panicking.
"Wait, I'll be right back. I'll call Lulu and Hana for help." Yuna replied as she immediately skated towards the village.
"HAAAII…" Kita responded as she sobbed.
Minutes later, the rest of them arrived.
"GOMENASAIII!" Kita apologized while crying.
"It's alright, we can still find it. Just calm down for now." Hana told Kita.
The Kemis started to investigate thoroughly. At every angle, every spot, they are looking for even the slightest detail that might help them. After some minutes, Lulu found a pink fluffy fur on the grass. The texture is quite different and it almost has the same feature as cotton.
"Anooo… I found something." Lulu said as she called everyone's attention.
Yuna picked up the fur and assessed it. "Is this fur? It looks more like cotton," She said.
"So it's not from a Kemi?" Hana asked.
"Well yes but this still proves that someone was here. Let's trace it for now." Yuna suggested.
Trying to conceal their identity, Kita's group follows the trail quietly. They have to be careful in order to catch the thief off guard. As they venture through the forest, a lot of clues lead from one to another. Like broken branches and half-eaten fruits, it suggests that the thief is quite a playful one.
Later that moment, the group found a nest of creatures they had never seen in their lives. The nest of the Tameable Mimis, these small creatures are evidently harmless, they just hop around. Small, round, pointy ears, different colors as well as facial features, and most importantly, they are extremely fluffy. Truly, the group reached the heart of the forest.
"Woaaahhh, what are they?" Kita asked.
"This is actually the first time I've seen such a thing…" Hana added.
"They look fluffy, I want to hug them," Lulu mentioned.
"I think we are on the right track. Their fur looks like this one." Yuna said as she referred to the pink fluffy fur that she was holding.
"All we need to do is to find the one with the same feature," Hana commented.
Carefully, they enter the premises. "Haloo!" "Halooo~" Some of the small creatures greet them along the way. Their voices are too high-pitched for small beings.
"THEY CAN TALK?" Kita reacted, definitely surprised.
"Anooo... Do nyu know someone with pink fur?" Lulu asked a blue Mimi.
"Hai, maybe in the corner over there." The blue Mimi answered as it used its left pointy ear to point in the direction.
"WE CAN TALK WITH THEM!" The Catgirls all reacted.
"Hai, we can communicate with everyone. We are Tameable Mimis after all." The blue Mimi responded as it hopped away.
Kita, Hana, Yuna, and Lulu are currently shocked at the moment. They are surrounded by fluffy talking creatures that hop. A stunning experience indeed. Even though they are completely mind shattered, the group tries their best to keep themselves together. They must achieve their goal before the star settles.
The group decided to scatter as each of them tried to check the Tameable Mimis one after the other. The task is quite difficult, there are times that even though they saw a pink one, the Mimi does not possess the Runecrystal. As they keep on looking, eventually Lulu is approached by an orange Mimi.
"Halooo." The orange Mimi greeted.
"Oh… Haloooo." Lulu responded as she imitated the Mimi.
"Are you looking for a pink odd one?" The orange Mimi asked.
"I don't know what nyu mean, but we are looking for a pink one~" Lulu answered.
"Follow me then." The orange Mimi said as it hopped away.
"Guuuys! Follow meee~" Lulu loudly said to get Kita, Hana, and Yuna's attention.
As Lulu and the orange Mimi cross a bush, they see the pink Mimi playing with the Runecrystal.
"There it is!" Lulu said as she instantly saw the culprit. "Thank nyu Orange-san," Lulu added as she randomly gave the Mimi a nickname.
"No problemo~" The orange Mimi answered as it hopped away once again.
"Annooo… Halooo." Lulu greeted the pink Mimi.
"Chuu… Halooo~" The pink Mimi replied as it continued playing with the Runecrystal.
Lulu slowly walked towards the pink Mimi. As she got closer, the Runecrystal suddenly glowed. It is slightly brighter compared to the first time Lulu saw it glow.
"It's pretty!" Lulu said.
The pink Mimi was also surprised at what they were seeing. After a couple of seconds, the light fades. The pink Mimi strongly believed that it was Lulu who triggered the Runecrystal, because of that, the Mimi gave the Runecrystal to Lulu.
Moments later, Kita, Hana, and Yuna appeared. "Do nyu find anything?" Kita asked.
Lulu turned around and showed the Runecrystal that she was holding. "Tadaaa~" She said.
"Nyu finally found it!" Hana gladly said.
"THANK NYU!" Kita added as she hugged Lulu.
"How did nyu find it?" Yuna curiously asked.
"Ettoooo… That Mimi gave it to me." Lulu answered as she pointed to the pink Mimi.
"Oh, so that was the culprit." Hana reacted.
"The important thing is it gave it back," Kita said.
"Nyu are right. By the way, it's getting dark already. Let's head back." Yuna responded as she led the way.
"Thank nyu, bye now~" Lulu said to the pink Mimi as they left the premises.
The quest is already accomplished but something is not right. As the group made their way towards the village, the pink Mimi is currently following them, hopping behind their track.
"Does it want it back?" Kita whispered as they were curious why the pink Mimi was following them.
"I doubt that, it already gave the Runecrystal back," Yuna argued.
"Let's just ask the Mimi. They can respond right?" Hana suggested.
The group stopped walking as they turned around.
"Do nyu want something?" Hana softly asked.
"Chuu~ Must follow her." The pink Mimi answered.
"Follow her?" Kita reiterated.
"Follow who?" Yuna questioned.
"Her~" The pink Mimi answered as it pointed at Lulu using its ears.
"Lulu?" Kita, Hana, and Yuna reacted.
"Meee?" Lulu added.
"Haiii!" The pink Mimi replied.
8.
A lot of questions are knocking on their heads. But due to the state that they are in, the group decided to head home and let the pink Mimi follow. It will be a bad idea for them to be stuck in the middle of the forest at night.
Eventually, they reached Yuna's residence. As expected, the pink Mimi followed them all the way to the house. The group decided to ask questions while they were resting in the dining hall.
"Nyu did follow us," Kita mentioned.
"I guess it has a strong reason to follow Lulu," Hana added.
"So why are nyu following Lulu?" Yuna directly questioned the pink Mimi.
"Chuu~ Lulu has talent, must follow her." The pink Mimi answered.
"Talent?" They all reacted.
"Hai, Lulu has talent. Chuu~" The pink Mimi reiterated.
"If she does, why is it the Runecrystal not fusing to Lulu?" Kita questioned.
"Lulu is not yet ready, must follow and help her grow." The pink Mimi said.
"So that explains why it slightly glowed when Lulu held it..." Hana mentioned.
"I guess that means our job here is done?" Kita said.
"Noooo. Not yeeeet~" The pink Mimi replied.
"What do nyu mean not yet? We already delivered the Runecrystal to the recipient." Kita questioned.
The pink Mimi reached inside of its fur and all of a sudden, it brought out another Runecrystal.
"NYU HAVE RUNECRYSTAL AS WELL!?" Hana and Kita reacted.
"This one glowed for a short period of time when I saw you skating. Though I don't know if it's for the blonde or the silver-haired Catgirl." The pink Mimi said as it put the Runecrystal on top of the table.
"This is getting way more complicated," Yuna commented as she was exhausted from analyzing the scenario.
"I guess we should take a break for now?" Hana suggested.
"Let's eat dinner first~" Lulu suggested.
"Haiii~" Yuna responded as she stood up to prepare the food.
The group decided to take things easy for now. Maybe a nice dinner will ease their mind for a moment. Kita and Hana helped Yuna in preparing while Lulu kept the pink Mimi accompanied.
"We should give nyu a name," Lulu said to the pink Mimi.
"Chuu~ If you want to call me something, you should tame me first." The Pink Mimi said.
"Okay." Lulu immediately responded even though she was clueless about the idea.
"First put your hand on top of my head. If we are compatible, my ears will glow and then you can name me. Afterwards, I'll be your pet." The pink Mimi instructed.
Without any other questions, Lulu does exactly what the Mimi said. The Mimi's ear glimmer showcases their compatibility. "Etoooo…. Pily!" Lulu said.
Kita, Hana, and Yuna rushed toward the dining area when they noticed a light emitted from that place.
"Chuuuu… Our contract is complete, I'm your pet now. I'll stay by your side at all times~" Pily said.
"What just happened?" Yuna questioned.
"Anooo... I gave Pily its name?" Lulu safely answered.
"She tamed me, we are bound now," Pily added.
"I guess nyu will live with us from this point onwards…" Yuna responded as she accepted the fact that she could not do anything about it.
Shortly after, dinner is ready. Everyone started to eat, and they enjoyed the fried fish cooked by Yuna.
After their wonderful meal, their conversation once again began.
"Quick recap, so nyu said that the Runecrystal glowed when Kita and I were skating right?" Yuna clarified as she started the conversation.
"Hai~" Pily answered.
"I just want to ask, why did nyu steal the Runecrystal that we hid earlier?" Kita asked.
"Hmmm… I just love collecting Runecrystal. I was excited when I saw a second one." Pily answered.
"Then why did nyu give it back? Not to mention, nyu also showed the one that nyu were collecting?" Yuna questioned.
"Because you guys are looking for it. It means you are interested with Runecrystals as well! I can find more if I follow you~" Pily added.
"I guess that makes sense," Hana commented.
"Sooo to be clear, nyu just want to collect Runecrystal, not fulfill its mission?" Yuna questioned.
"Chuu~ More or less, the glowing part is nice too," Pily answered.
"Now that nyu mention that. Would nyu like to join us?" Kita asked both Yuna and Lulu.
"Join nyu?" Yuna and Lulu asked.
"Hai, I mean we are still not sure who is the one that triggered this second Runecrystal. Lulu needs to grow so that the Runecrystal will unlock her potential. Pily wants to find more Runecrystal and won't be leaving Lulu's side. In short, there are a lot of things that we can discover if we travel together!" Kita explained.
"That sounds like a great idea. There must be a reason why Kita and I keep on having an encounter with Runecrystals. It will be nice to look for the answer as we see the world." Hana added.
"See the world…" Yuna reiterated.
"We are not forcing nyu tho, nyu can take your time and weigh things," Kita said.
"To tell nyu guys honestly, Lulu and I never truly fit in this tribe. Some Kemi called Lulu a lazy cat because she loves sleeping. Others call me a weird cat because of the way that I am. It's not like we hate living here, it just feels like we do not belong here..." Yuna emotionally explained.
"Then come with us. Maybe nyu can find your place elsewhere as Hana and I fulfill our mission." Kita replied.
"Let me think about it for now." Yuna said.
"I understand, we will respect your decision regardless of what nyu choose," Hana responded.
"Nyu can spend the night hereee~" Lulu offered.
"Thank nyu, we'll sure do~" Kita responded.
The conversation led to an open-ended one. As they all settle in for the night, everyone seems to be in a state of curiosity. Kita and Hana were both thinking about why they kept on discovering new Runecrystals, while Yuna and Lulu weighed the situation.
"Explore the UniPaws…" Yuna said to herself. The long night enters the field as Yuna and Lulu are thinking of something.
9.
After the long tiring night, the bright morning rises. The Kemis are all awake, ready to stand firm with their decisions. The group held their meeting after their breakfast.
"We have now decided… We are coming with nyu." Yuna said.
"NYATTA!" Kita and Hana gladly reacted.
"Lulu and I talked last night. The only reason why we are staying here is that; this place is our comfort zone. We are trying our best to fit in just to be accepted in this village. Going out there sounds scary but if it will set us free, I guess it's worth a shot." Yuna explained.
"I will… do my best!" Lulu added as half of her sentence was cut by her yawn.
"I'm glad to hear that, let me help nyu pack your things," Hana replied as she offered help.
"Oh, we already packed our things last night. Lulu and I were kinda excited, we ended up packing our bags immediately." Yuna responded.
"Then what are we waiting for? LET'S GO!" Kita said as she grabbed their things and pushed everyone outside. As soon as they were all settled, Kita started to run.
"OY, MATTEEE!" Hana shouted as she followed Kita.
"Do we really have to ruuuun?" Lulu complained while carrying Pily.
"LET'S GOOO!" Yuna said as she trailed behind.
Each one of them looked happy and excited about their adventure. Kita actually looked the most hyped about the journey. Running away is definitely a waste of energy but they seem to be happier this way.
Later that moment, the group started to slow down as the adrenaline wore off.
"So where are we heading?" Yuna asked.
Clearly, Hana does not want to answer because she already asked the same question before. She's literally been in the same position. Hana stayed quiet this time.
"Yeah… about that, I haven't thought of it," Kita answered as she nervously chuckled.
"So nyu just ran off without a certain plan of where we are heading?" Yuna disappointedly questioned.
Hana tapped Yuna on her shoulder and said "Welcome to my point of view…"
"Good thing Lulu packed a map last night. Let's stop for now and assess our direction." Yuna suggested as she brought out their map.
"NICE IDEA!" Kita said.
As Kita opened the map, it was the first time that they saw how big the world was. "Woaaahh, I never thought that the world would be this big. Where are we right now?" Kita asked.
Yuna walked closer as she pointed at the lower left side, near the middle. "We are currently here, in this huge chunk of the continent," Yuna explained.
"The upper part is the Kemitopia… while the one on the right side is Zenshin…" Lulu slowly added.
"That's impressive, what are those small islands at the edge surrounding the map?" Hana curiously asked.
"Oh, those are Deserted Isles. There are a lot of rumors about them but no one has proven any of them." Yuna answered.
"Rumors?" Kita questioned.
"There are some who claim that there are ruins in some of those islands, others say that it is connected to elsewhere, there could also be an unknown Kemi that we never knew about, but all of those are just rumors… At least for now." Yuna responded.
"I guess there are still a lot of things to unfold then," Hana commented.
"Aaaand that is why we should keep on moving, let's go that way!" Kita said as she led the charge.
"Hai~" everyone else answered as they all followed Kita.
The adventure continues as the Kemis explore the world. Lots of nature's treasures can be harvested to fight hunger. As the star almost settles, Kita and Hana decide to hunt some fish in the river while Yuna and Lulu build a temporary shelter nearby.
It is the first time that they are going to spend the night outside. Luckily, Yuna knows at least the basics of building a hut. Though it's not quite sturdy, but it's perfect for a temporary shelter, better than none. At first, they were struggling to build a fire, using flint and steel is quite harder to use than it looks. Eventually, the group manages to ignite the dry husk inside multiple branches, setting a campfire that will keep them warm and will also cook their freshly caught fish. The scenario is a genuine experience for them to remember as they all watch the stars in the night sky.
The night was a slightly uncomfortable one because they are not used to it. The group rises early since they need to continue their journey. Kita once again leads the charge as everyone follows, it looks like Lulu is sleepwalking while carrying Pily at this point.
After a series of walking through the forest, Kita's group reached the next tribe. As they enter the village, the houses are designed with wide-opened windows, perfect for displaying products. It seems like there are a lot of traders in this place. For instance, a stall asking for 3 fish in exchange for winter clothing, is perfect for the next village. Others are looking for fruits in exchange for different tools and gears like pickaxes and such. The place is called the Merch Tribe, wherein a lot of Kemi merchants reside. It is also the best place for adventurers.
"This place is amazing," Kita commented.
"And quite busy," Hana added.
"And quite noisy," Lulu added as well.
"Let's look around, maybe we can find something that will be useful for our journey," Yuna suggested.
Walking across the stalls truly entertained Kita's group. Each one of them wants to immediately gather the said item so that they can trade. Later that moment, a certain conversation between a merchant and a trader caught their interest.
"So is it true?" The Merchant asked. He is a Pandaman Kemi trading wooden baskets for bamboo.
"Yes it is, I saw it with my own eyes. She tamed a Beast." The Rabbitgirl Kemi answered while carrying cut bamboo.
"What is a Beast?" Kita asked Pily.
"Chuuu… They are the second category of Mimis. All of them are big, way bigger than Kemi. The Beast Mimis cannot talk like us, but our kind, Tameable Mimis, can communicate with the Beasts mentally." Pily answered.
"Are they friendly?" Hana asked.
"Apparently no, they are our opposite. In fact, they can eat Kemis if they have to. The only creature that they don't eat is us, the Tameable Mimi. I actually don't know why." Pily answered.
"Well that sounds scary, we should definitely avoid them," Yuna suggested.
"I don't want to see a Beast…" Lulu added as the conversation scares her.
"I guess the legend about the Beast tamer is true." The Merchant said.
"Legend of the Beast tamer?" Kita, Hana, Yuna, and Lulu reacted.
"Indeed, she is living in the Snowy Tribe, in the middle of the mountains." The trader replied.
"It's tempting to go there but the place is filled with Beasts, and the journey will be dangerous…" The Merchant replied.
"But I think it's worth it if you can make it there. Anyway, thanks for the trade!" The trader replied as she left with the wooden basket.
After a short while, it looks like Kita is on to something. "LET'S GO TO THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS!" Kita energetically said.
"HUH?" Hana, Yuna, and Lulu reacted.
End of Chapter 3