Travelling large distances by feet has always been a pain in the ass. Humans had found ways to deal with that pain. I did not have such luxuries. All I could do is put one hoof in front of another. I looked up to the trees above to se Tatsu climbing around with the energy of a 5-year-old. "Can we stop for a break? My legs are killing me!" I yelled up at her.

I faintly saw her stop her prancing around the top of the trees and look down. She yelled back, "Alright just let me find a good spot to rest!". After she scanned the area she found a spot just a few trees away, so she dropped down and we ran over to the indicated spot.

As we had reached the clearing, I quickly rushed over to the softest moss that I could find and promptly collapsed in exhaustion.

"Jeez you weren't exaggerating." I heard her say, "I forgot how young you were for a second… I'll go get us some water."

I grunted in acknowledgement. She smiled before running off in search of water.

Staring into the blue sky my mind started to wander. Thinking back on all that has transpired since I was reborn. Out of everyone, why me? Why did I get to survive? I touched my scar. Why do I have this? I haven't been in any serious accidents since inhabiting this body. So many questions and yet so little answers.

I was startled awake when I heard a stick crack to my right. Immediately I jumped up, my earlier exhaustion forgotten, swift footfalls greeted my ears as I twisted left and right to find where the sound was coming from.

Damn, nowhere to hide. Screaming internally in frustration, I looked around for something… anything to defend myself. The only thing that might be usable is a stick whose length was longer than my entire body. I tried to heave it up from where it lay, but I could barely lift it. My only choice was either to break it, or bolt.

I heard another snap closer to my location, so I decided running away wouldn't keep whatever is closing in. Breaking it is then. I grabbed one end of the fallen branch, and I jumped up and kicked down onto it. Oh, how it creaked and groaned, and yet it did. Not. Want. To. BREAK! I slammed down again and again, hearing whatever is coming get closer and closer. Finally with one last jump I snapped the branch in half. I heaved the stick up in front of me and turned in the direction that the noises came from.

I ran to where I could get a drop on whatever comes and waited.

It took a lot longer than expected to find a suitable water source. Fashioning a few cups from the leaves has also been quite the nuisance. Especially since leaves are hard to come by in this area of Nibel. Tatsu sighed.

Returning to the clearing that she had left the young spirit, Tatsu felt that something was wrong. The clearing, from what she saw, was devoid of the one thing that she was to protect. Perhaps they are just hiding. They were when we arrived at the torch. So, she started into the clearing. But when she walked by the ring of trees outlining it, she felt the world slow down.

A massive log came swinging toward her face. Her eyes widened in surprise, as she reacted on instinct by ducking the log just milliseconds before it would have given her a massive concussion. She looked at the wielder of the makeshift club and what she saw was that same terrified gaze that she had seen but a day ago, but this time there was something different in them. They had that glint that she had seen in some of the older spirits. The generation before hers. The ones that had fought the decay. Bravery. Courage.

When they swung the stick again, she was more prepared. She dodged their clumsy swing, pulled it out of their hand, and threw it away. As they brought their fists up to continue, she said," Whoa there! It's me! It's me! Calm down!"

"Tatsu? Holy shit. I thought something was out there!" They cried as they rushed forward.

She caught them with her arms and hugged them as they cried. They sat there for a while, with the occasional sniffle. After their crying subsided, she patted them on the head before getting up from where they were sitting. Smirking she said," Come on. Let's go get that water that I said I'd find."

"…ok…"

So off they went, back to the river that she had found earlier so they could drink.

"You know, that wasn't half bad back there" Tatsu pointed out, "Even though you could have taken my head off."

"Really?" I deadpanned. I feel like more of a moron than anything.

"Yeah!" she replied, "I'll have to take you to meet with some of our specialists in that field."

I hummed in interest before frowning in concern, "Could you keep what happened afterwards between the two of us. I don't want to have to deal with all that."

"I promise."

I smiled as we continued our trek. "Ya know, having a sibling is not as bad as I thought it would be."

She looked back at me with the brightest smile that I have ever seen. It filled me with a warmth settled deep in my chest and I grinned back feeling better than ever. That warmth stuck with me for a while after that.

We had just crested another hill and I could see a massive cliff just within reach. It was truly massive in size, and its width was nothing to scoff at either. But my main concern…

"What is this?! Don't tell me that we have to go around it."

Tatsu chuckled. "No. Luckily, I have a much quicker way around it. Get on my back!"

So I climbed up onto her back, and she started to climb. "Damn, you know how to climb!" I said after she nearly reached the top of the trees in seconds. "You gotta show me how you did that!"

"Ok, but later! Just hang on!" She gritted her teeth in concentration as her muscles tensed. Looking around for something on the overhang from the other side. She seemed to have found what she was looking for because she JUST FUCKING JUMPED… "HOLY SHIT!"

She reached out her arms and snagged one of the vines that were hanging down and used our combined mass to propel us toward another vine. I hung on for dear life as she swung from vine to vine.

When she finally dropped down from the ceiling vines, I immediately jumped off of her back. I turned around to see her smirking back at me. To that all I could do was glare back at her.

"Oh lighten up! If I didn't do that our trek would have been doubled." She said.

I forced myself to stop glaring. "Whatever, just warn me next time."

"No promises!" She laughed and I struggled to keep my angry face. She looked directly into my eyes, suddenly dead serious, and leaned in. "Boop!" she said as she booped me on the tip of my nose. I couldn't hold it together as we both descended into giggles.

"Hey it's getting dark. We should find a place to sleep." I said while looking at the sun setting over the horizon.

"Ok. I know just the spot." She replied.

I followed her up and over some rocks, and at last we could finally see the tree in its full glory. It was magnificent. A truly huge tree, bigger than even the redwoods. It emanated a brilliant blue glow that blended into the sky near perfectly. Between its overarching branches was a brighter ball of blue with the trunk bending around it. Speaking of the branches, they twinkled with light between the rustling of the leaves in the slight wind.

The ground around the tree blossomed with white light. A field full of flowers. It was certainly a much better sight than in that dreary swamp that I had appeared in.

I was in awe, mouth agape. I stood there on the hill with my mouth dangling down. Judging by the snickering of Tatsu to my left, I looked like a total moron. "Wow… just wow" I finally said.

"Yeah, this is one of my favorite spots. You can see almost the entirety of Nibel from in this spot!" She replied enthusiastically. "Although usually it is a long trek from the grove."

We stood there watching the sun set below the horizon. Beautiful.

I turned back to where Tatsu was and saw her gathering sticks and stacking them to start a fire. Once she gathered enough of them, she held her hands out. I tilted my head in confusion as hers contorted in concentration. A small spark of white lightning went from her hands to the pile of sticks. As soon as the lightning hit the sticks, it erupted into flames. She sat back and sighed while rubbing her head. As if she was massaging a headache away. She gave a pat next to her, motioning me to come and sit next to her.

I went over and sat down next to her. "So, you going to tell me how you did that?"

She smiled and took my hand. "Feel the light inside and push it out through your hands. Be careful don't push it all out, just enough to make a spark."

I looked deep inside of myself for this light that she was talking about.

I sat there with my eyes closed and my legs crossed for a while until I felt that same feeling that I had during my 'episodes'. That must be what happened! I accessed this light! I tried with moderate success to move the light throughout my body. Pushing it to my hands, I tried to force it out.

"Whoa!" I heard her yelp in surprise. "You have a real talent for out-lighting!"

I opened my eyes and saw white lightning sparking in between my palms. A second later it flickered out as my concentration died down. "Out-lighting?"

"It's just some way to describe how someone's light is attuned. The other would be in-lighting. My light is the latter, I usually enhance my upper body to climb better." She smiled, "My brother, Atsu, is more attuned to out-lighting. I'll have to get him to teach you some stuff."

"Cool!" I yawned, "Jeez that must've taken a lot out of me."

"Yeah, it's really draining creating pathways for the light to flow freely. Anyways, we should be at the grove by midday tomorrow."

I grunted in affirmation as I lay down with my back facing the fire that had been steadily burning. Tatsu lay down next to me. The warmth from her body acting as a secondary heat source to protect against the harsh cold of nighttime. I had been so alone up to this point in my life, and, for the first time since my parents died, I had a family.

We woke to the chirping of birds. My ears perked up at the sound trying to subconsciously scan for where they are. After listening for the birds in silence as Tatsu doused the fire with some water, I stood up and stretched my arms into the sky.

"Good morning!" Tatsu said.

Blinking the sleep out of my eyes I replied, "mornin."

"Alright, you ready to meet the rest of our family?"

"Let's get this over with."

"Oh and by the way, did you decide?" She asked, "I only ask because it would be easier to introduce you if I knew. You still don't have to make a decision."

"No its ok. I think that I have chosen." I replied, "I want to be male."

"Awesome! Now come little brother it is time to meet everyone!"

And off we sped, eagerly awaiting, and dreading meeting my new family.