-In The Blink of an Eye-

-Seytu: 6-

Where Tigress, Seytu and Dai Lin lived, it was normal for the darkness outside in the mornings to last a couple hours more than it should. It was often very peaceful with being so dark. Dai Lin like visiting the town nearby that early. He quietly exited out of his bedroom, making sure Tigress and Seytu wouldn't wake up. He headed for the kitchen to prepare tea.

He sat down in a chair and silently drank his tea. The only sounds to be heard was the howling wind outside, which was pretty strong.

Dai Lin's ears perked up to the creaking of a surface behind him. He smiled and shook his head.

"You're going to have to try harder than that, Seytu." Dai Lin said without looking. Seytu growled disappointed, and jumped down from the shelf perched on the wall. "But you do this all the time, why do I have to get caught every time?" Seytu groaned. "What are you doing up so early in the morning anyways, Seytu?"

"I know you're going to town, and I want to go." Seytu replied with a smile in his voice.

"Seytu, no, it's too early. You should be sleeping. You won't have enough energy." Dai Lin hushed himself, for he knew what question would come next.

Seytu thought for a second, and then snapped his small fingers. "I know what will keep me awake for hours-"
"Seytu, no it's out of the question." Dai Lin said sternly to Seytu's upcoming request.

"D, please! Sugar milk is good for you!"

"No, you know you're mother wouldn't approve."

"Who's going to tell her?" Seytu challenged.

"Um, me?" Dai Lin chuckled. "Oh come on, don't do that!" He begged.

"You shouldn't even be awake." Dai Lin pointed out. "Dai Lin, please! Please, please, please!"
Seytu threw his hands together and jumped around. "PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE-"

"OKAY, FINE!" Dai Lin gave into Seytu's big green and silver eyes. "But if you tell your mother you left with me so early in the morning, I'll pretend I didn't have a thing to do with it." Dai Lin poured him his small cup of sugar milk. Seytu threw his paws up in victory. He held his cup up in the air. "Cheers!" Seytu said with a wide smile. Dai Lin rolled his eyes but tapped his tea to Seytu's milk. They drank the rest of their drinks as Dai Lin tried to get his back.

Seytu grabbed it instead and threw it around his shoulders. Dai Lin knew what he was thinking and turned around. Seytu crouched and jumped on Dai Lin's back, yet Dai Lin barely moved.

"Moocher." Dai Lin called Seytu and he laughed.

After a few minutes, they reached the outskirts of the peaceful town. From the scents of meat cooking, sounds of a light crowd talking, the town was only a little awake. Almost everyone knew everyone. Almost.

Dai Lin went up to Dien Bi's soup shop that was, in a way a stand. Since the only thing to separating it from the outside, was a bar and a case that displayed many different bowls of soup.

"Dai Lin!" said Dien Bi happily. "What can I get for you?" Dai Lin sat at the stool of the bar. Seytu began to wander in Ms. Fey's thread shop. Dai Lin began to order as Seytu looked for Ms. Fey.

"Seytu! What are you doing up so early? More importantly, what are you doing in town so early?" Seytu smiled at the duck's words. "I'm on a mission." Seytu said sneakily.

The duck smiled. "Ooh, sounds exciting. What would you like to pick up deary? And I promise not to tell any of your enemies." The duck jokingly whispered.

"I want a warrior's robe. Like a spy's, Ms. Fey. One that has a hood like mother's but it's a robe." Ms. Fey laughed at his description. "Okay Seytu, that'd be just fifteen Meiyuan." Seytu smiled and pulled out the money of his small pouch.

(A/n: I didn't know exactly how to type Meiyuan, but I'm glad I remember what it's called :O)

"I'll get it from the back Seytu, I remember it's the same order from last week, remember?" Seytu looked at her confused, but remembered ordering the same thing from the week before.

She walked in the back and Seytu began pacing around the store. The bell near the door rang again. He went around a shelf to see who it was. It was a young girl, about the same age as he was. She was a brown feline, white surrounded her muzzle and blended in with the brown on her face. Her eyes rang a midnight purple. Cool, Seytu thought.

"You're a strange-colored panther." Seytu said.

"That's because I'm a puma. Just a darker shade of brown in different places. And you're one to talk!" She said annoyed.

"I-I didn't mean to insult you!" Seytu held his paws up defensively. The black traced around her eyes made the purple stand out even more. "I-it's fine. But I can't talk to you anyways. I'm not allowed to talk to strangers." She said and wrapped her small paws around the strap of her bag, wanting to head out of the door.

"My name's Seytu. And yours?" He said, holding his small paw out. She pondered at the thought. Then said, "Valia. Valia Dairtene." She stated. And slowly shook his warm paw. "Well, Valia, we're not strangers anymore." If Seytu would have put anymore thought to it, he would've admitted she was very pretty. But as young as he was, he didn't bother to think about it. "Do you want to play with me, Valia?" He asked warm-heartedly. She shook her head. "I'm spoken for. Well, I'm promised to another man."

He questioned how that was even possible. "But you are so young. You're six aren't you?" He said. She nodded.

"You see, my family is quite poor. After meeting this man's family, they were determined to marry me off to him. He's only seventeen too. Not as little as me. But little. He said yes. So I'll soon be married off to him."

Seytu didn't really know how to feel about her words. Was this how it went? The way it was supposed to go? He didn't know. But he went against it. "It sounds pretty wrong to marry someone for their money. Don't you fall in love with someone and marry them?" He asked her.

She thought about it and snapped her head up to him. "What… what is love anyways?" She asked as if it were a hopeless question. She had to be pretty thoughtful for her age to even bother asking the question. He stood there for a moment, closed his eyes, and gently smiled. "No one would know what love is, until they feel it. You would love your parent, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or grandparent. But that's love. I think what you're really asking, is what being in love is. Truthfully... I don't know. But I would believe it would have something to do with… caring for them intensely. Not wanting to leave their side. Wanting to hold them… or whatever people do when they're in love. It's more like a gut-feeling. Or… a heart-feeling." Seytu opened his eyes to see an interested puma.

"Well, has your mom or dad ever showed that they were in love?" She asked, sort of tilting her head to the left.

Seytu looked at her in sadness. She didn't understand. "I never really knew my dad. My mom told me he died a hero. But I don't know if she's lying or what. I just don't know who he is." She was scared of hurting his feelings. "I'm sorry… I-I didn't know…" She said looking down in sorrow. She looked back up to him. "So you had no father whatsoever?" Seytu looked at her proud.

"Actually, my mother has an old friend who came around when I was about three. He helps look after this town. Him and mom are a team looking after everyone here. But the town barely needs anyone, cause it's so peaceful. That's why the town only needs those two. No one else except for three others who run night-shift." She nodded in understanding. Ms. Fey walked out and handed in a light box. "I think you'll find you like it very much." She said. He looked at her excitedly. "Thank you, Ms. Fey!"

Ms. Fey smiled at him, then looked at the young puma. "And who might your friend be?"

Valia looked at Ms. Fey and held out her paw. Ms. Fey shook it. "I'm Valia," She stated. "I'm just looking to buy some clothes." Ms. Fey smiled. Don't worry, I'll help you out.

Dai Lin walked in the store, and greeted Ms. Fey. "Hey Seytu, I'm done. We should probably get home before you're mother wakes up. We'll be back later today anyways." Dai Lin gently waved at Valia and she waved back. Seytu looked at his new friend. "How long are you planning to stay here? I know you don't live here." He said to her. "Two weeks."

Seytu nodded and promised to see her later. He ran up to Dai Lin and they began to walk to their house, through the dark morning.

Okay thanks for reading this chap. Guys. I know not many of you read these, before and after chapter side author notes, but I want to point something out.

Whatever the case may be, under any circumstances, do not leave a story unfinished. If you do, you have no idea what kind of mind-boggling thing you do to your readers. No idea. If you all of a sudden decide, writing this story is just not you, then okay. Don't write after the story. But FINISH YOUR STORY. Don't let others suffer. Take a short break. My readers know I've done that sometimes. I thought about not finishing the story, I thought it wasn't worth it. But I realize that was a huge mistake, and I won't make it with this story. You don't know how much a story means to one of your readers, until they can't read it anymore.

Don't do drugs, stay in school, finish your story.

Thank you for your time.