"Now Rio, you see this?" Kimmi asked boastingly, trying to balance the rotten stick in the flat of her palm.
"This requires skill!" her unearthly long golden hair draping and flowing with her movement.
Rio stands watching as he pours himself a drink of fresh lemonade, his skinny but long tail whisking in and out of his way. Rio was another strange creature living in the land of Ooo, a mix of a few wild dogs with a sleek black coat and fuzzy neon purple fur at the end of his paws and tail and a streak of it down his forehead. He watches as Kimmi accidentally drops the light piece of old wood onto the soft carpet of their cabin and doubles over in laughter. Rio chuckles and bounds over to pick the stick up in his jaws. He could have just easily picked it up with his paws but he felt more relaxed and happy if he did it naturally. This was the cabin they shared together, making Rio- as he is- Kimmi's pet. More like a protector rather, as Rio liked to think it.
"Close enough." Kimmi says- sprawled out along the carpet with Rio trotting back into the kitchen with the stick in his jaws.
"I'm putting the stick up on the table now. You might end up hurt." Rio says- edging out his words from under the stick. He places it tidily on the table.
"Oh come on Rio! It's a flibber-flabbing stick, how is it supposed to hurt me?"
She brushes aside one of her golden hairs and then stands firmly with her arms folded.
Rio bounds up to her and she crouches down to meet his face. He places his paws upon her knees.
"Because I swore to your father I would protect you to this very day young werewolf."
Kimmi snorts and stands up, one of her ears raised and her bushy tail flicking with annoyance.
"Well, you don't have to be so protective about everything- I just fell, that's it."
Her face turns toward the window and she gazes upon the outside with glittering eyes.
She's a beautiful girl.
A healthy ten- year-old, adventurous and spontaneous, a vivid imagination she has.
She barely knew her mother. She died of sickness before she came to travel across to the land of Ooo, though she keeps her mother's amulet hung around her neck to remind her she's there. Kimmi's mother died when she was at the age of three. She had given her the amulet while she lay in bed, her last words spoken as she handed it to her long-haired daughter, knowing nothing about what was coming their way at the time. Kimmi's mother wasn't a werewolf. She was a witch. A good witch, though she had fallen in love with Kimmi's father- a full werewolf. They had had Kimmi sooner or later and they realised she was more powerful than she seemed. She took in both powers of her mother and father. Her mother's thick golden hair and her father's bushy werewolf traits. And after a while her mother fallen ill- 2 years after Kimmi had started growing her long hair down to her waist. Her hair grew at rapid speed and it was very beautiful- like shiny bars of gold. Kimmi told Rio she hated her hair because she looked like rapunzel or something but Rio refused for her to cut it off because it reminded him of who she truly was.
A young vibrant girl.
But once her mother had died- bad things started to happen.
First was the evasion. Kimmi's father told Rio about it - but she never knew herself.
They had looked for her.
He didn't know who exactly- her father had been on the verge of death when he had told him and they had to hurry away before 'they' came.
They wanted her for her power, Rio knew that.
Kimmi didn't know how much power she contained and didn't know who and what was after her, but he knew he would have to tell her soon.
They were the reason Kimmi and her father fled from the village, starting a path over to some where far away and that's when they ran into Rio. Rio didn't come from Ooo himself. He had lived off on another island- the same island as where their village was. He was living his life, searching for some food in the trees when he had run into a troubled and wary looking man carrying his three year old daughter.
They lived with him for a while- hiding out from the world.
He had gotten used to their company and had grown quite friendly with her father and that's when he started to see trust in Rio. The trust that Rio could look after Kimmi.
And then 'they' had approached. They fled far from his home, the comfortable two years time they spent there long gone. But they followed, Rio didn't catch a proper glimpse but all he heard was animal- ripping jaws and scuttling paws, they had wanted her so badly.
They took her father down and Rio had hid behind a tree, the almost- taller- than- him Kimmi clutched at his side. The five-year-old started to bawl and he had to cup her mouth closed as tremors racked through his small cat-like body. He had succeeded and the monsters had scampered off to go try looking in other places. And that's when he had talked to her father for the last time.
"Find a boat." He had said, his breathe in short- ragged gasps. "Sail to the nearest island you can find and hide."
Rio had started to turn away but the last straggled words seemed to escape out of his friends mouth and stop him in his tracks.
Rio locked eyes with the toddler's father.
"And promise...promise me you'll protect her to the very day she dies."
Rio could only stifle one last nod, before he scampered off with Kimmi in his arms, leaving behind her very creator dead in a pool of blood.
And now here they were- five years later, after sailing across for two months, they had finally reached their destination. Ooo.
They had built the cabin they now lived in. It was an easy task. The fluffy pink carpet and candy striped walls Kimmi loved because it showed her love of candy. Rio had agreed- but had made the room he slept in a more boyish colour- with a dark blue floor and green and yellow walls. It made him comfortable- reminded him from where he came from. The nature was his home. 'Was' once his home. This was his home now, living with a ten-year-old girl who turned into a werewolf under the sight of a full moon. Not every night like her father had.
Kimmi settled her gaze back on Rio.
"It's a supposed to be full moon." She said quietly, her footsteps padding towards the door.
The sun was setting outside and a pinkish glow lay across the clouds along with a bright orange the shone over the hills.
Kimmi picked up her tattered shoulder bag that lay on the end of her bed and pulled it over her head.
She would head out for the night on nights like this- journey far out where no one lived she wouldn't cause chaos or anything else. Werewolves were dangerous when they were in form. They couldn't remember anyone or anything when they were out destroying. And when they woke up- they would have no trace of what they did the night before. A sick twisted fantasy being a werewolf was.
Kimmi stood staring out at the window again, but stood this time at the door.
"See you in the morning." She turns her head to smile at Rio before twisting the knob and walking outside. Her long golden hair following her foot steps as she passes out of the door.
She was dangerous at night.
She had to be alone.
Rio understood that.
Hours later had past and he sat with hot coca in his paws- lounging out on the sofa as he could finally hear her howls under the moon of midnight. Was it her? He didn't know. But this was who she truly was. One of the wilderness. A creature of the night.
Rio woke with a throbbing in his head and stood to get a drink. Kimmi hadn't returned yet. He knew she didn't come home this late. Had they got her last night while she was in form? Rio felt panic rise in him and he turned to look at the clock.
It was nine-thirty in the morning.
Still a bit early.
He flicked his tail in anticipation.
Should he look for her?
He brain was still half-asleep and he took the option to lazily wait for her, even though still the slightest bit concerned. He was sure she'll return.
Rio got himself some breakfast and ate peacefully while listening to the birds outside, their lovely harmonies and whistles echoing through his ears. It made him sleepy.
He didn't know how long he drifted off before there was a sharp knock at his door.
His eyes snapped open.
His fuzzy purple feet jumped from the couch and he peered through the window. It was the two friendly figures of Doug and Borris, with another slung around their arms. His heart abruptly leapt to life. It was Kimmi.
He opened the door.
"We found her asleep on the ground near our house." Borris said, scratching his elbow.
Borris and Doug where two sausage (food) like creatures who wore clothes and hats. They were a weird type of species but the two were very friendly and Rio remembered meeting them in the candy kingdom once and they had had a nice chat.
"We didn't know what to do until we thought of you; we just decided to bring her here. I hope she's ok."
Rio's tail flicked.
"Has she spoken? I think maybe she's just a bit tired." Rio said grabbing her and pulling her onto the carpet- his faced flushed from how unbelievably heavy she is. He scratches the back of his neck and stares up at Borris and Doug.
"Can you...um, help?"
They exchange looks and then turn towards Rio. Their faces then flash with realisation and help pull her onto her bed.
"Thanks you guys."
Doug smiles and Borris nods, walking toward the door.
"If you need help- just call us."
Rio nods back at the two as they close the door behind them, leaving Rio with a rather feverish-looking Kimmi. He only realises now that her amulet is glowing a bright purple.
He tries to wrap it in his thick paws but he pulls them back and yelps at how hot it is.
He then reluctantly pulls the string over her head and throws it in the kitchen sink, as though the hotness of her amulet may be keeping her asleep or sick.
Kimmi's eyes flutter open.
Her hands go immediately to her chest.
"My-my amulet... where have you put it?" She sits up to stare at Rio's awestruck face on the right side of the bed.
Rio stays silent.
Her pale face explodes with rage.
"Where have you put it!? I told you not to take it off without my permission!"
She grabs at him and pulls him off his feet.
"It was too hot! It was keeping you asleep! What" Rio screams back- clutching at his throat, surprised by the sudden attack. Kimmi seems to hold him for a few more seconds before her face darkens and she drops him onto the plush ground- Rio's lungs screaming for air.
"If there's something you haven't told me, tell me now." She says quietly now.
Rio stumbles up on his feet on rests against the wall.
"What are you talking about?!" He lies, panting softly.
Kimmi's eyes meet his and he realises how dark they have become.
"It told me that someone or something was coming for me, and that YOU knew!"She stabs a finger in Rio's direction.
"They've been searching for me for years! And YOU haven't told me anything!"
"Your father told me not to tell you!" Rio yells back at her.
"It was for your safety! If I told you, you would have panicked and hid away from me! You would have never trusted anyone!"
And then Rio saw the last thing he expected Kimmi to do. Tears started to stream down her cheeks.
He walked silently up to her as she buried her hands into her face- her golden hair draping over her shoulders.
She embraced him in a hug and they stood silently for a few minutes- Kimmi's heavy sobbing filling the rooms.
After a while she pushed back and flicked her hair back over her shoulders and rubbed her tear-stained eyes.
"I'm so sorry." She said quietly
"I'm so, so sorry."
Rio stood staring into space at the candy coloured wallpaper and only one question seemed to seep into his mind.
"Are they near?" He asked quietly, no trace of emotion painted on his face.
Kimmi hesitantly nodded.
"They are near."
Rio's heart tightened.