“THE GLOWY ONE?” THE SMALL ELKHI CRAWLED out from the dark room. Her eyes were like large pink pearls filled with an endless supply of curiosity. She hopped to her feet as Kou caught a quick glimpse of tiny bat-like wings sticking out from her back. She walked up to Kou, who would appear as if they were the adult by comparing heights alone. “Are you here to take Fia home?” She stared up at them. Her magenta hair was messy and somewhat long, while her outfit consisted of an oversized pink sweater with a unicorn on it and a skirt.

Kou nodded and kneeled.

Her jaw dropped and a fang could be seen. Fia was in shock. She ran in circles around them and complained, “Fia doesn’t wanna go home! Fia wants to play! Ah!” She stopped in her tracks and turned toward Kou. “It’s all Ehno’s fault! He’s too much of a wuss to come here!” She stumbled side-to-side as dizziness overcame her.

Kou quickly caught the small Elkhi before she could fall. They heard Fia’s breathing grow heavy. The child removed their blue neckerchief and wrapped it around her. Kou picked her up and carried her as if she was a newborn. With the little Elkhi in her arms, Kou walked back through the entrance and saw heavy rainfall that made the swampland fog much denser than before.

The rain seemed as if it was trying to drown the land into the deepest depths of the world, while thunder and lightning throughout the cloudy, night sky tried to split it into two. With each passing second, the rainfall grew heavier and heavier.

The child couldn’t wait with Fia in their arms. Kou sprinted out of the gray building with all the energy they could muster. They kept her as close as they could while the downpour of millions of raindrops came crashing down with as much force the clouds could let out. Even the light that Kou left behind with each step faded faster than before.

“Fia! Glowy one!” Ehno’s voice was faintly in the distance and the child knew they couldn’t stop to take a break.

A brother was out there worrying about his little sister and the glowing child agreed to help. The thought of Kou’s mind, knowing with each step, they slowly were closer to safety and shelter from the harsh tears of the world.

“The Glowy one!” Ehno called out, seeing Kou’s glowing eyes through the thick fog. “Were you able to find Fia?” He saw the pink Elkhi wrapped up in Kou’s arms as they emerged from the dense swampland’s fog. Ehno rushed inside a tent, only to come out with a massive leaf. He flew toward them as fast as he could and held it up to shield them from the rain. “This way, this way!”

Relieved, Kou followed the blue Elkhi into the tent and carefully placed Fia down in what appeared to be a crib made from twigs and iridescent petals.

The heavy rainfall was soon followed by a strong wind, tossing and turning many things within the home of the Elkhi siblings as Kou’s vision grew hazy and blurred. The child stumbled over to a soft bed on the side and slowly lost consciousness while Ehno repeatedly called out to them.

                                       ***

Embraced by the warmth of the sun beneath a bright blue, cloud-filled sky. The small child once again found themselves sitting on a log at a place they once called home and helped themselves up. They rubbed their eyes and saw not just one blurry figure like before but three. Watching the distant trio, Kou couldn’t see their faces with any clarity. The tall individual tossed a small disc and the two much smaller figures chased after it.

Sounds of distant laughter and indistinguishable voices seemed both familiar and unfamiliar to the small child again. Kou reached out to them but there was not a single response. The arm of the small child dropped to their side as their gaze shifted down to the ground with saddened eyes and sat down, leaning back against a wall of the home.

A fourth strange figure walked up to them and tapped their shoulder, catching Kou’s attention. The small child immediately stood up, carefully looking the stranger’s appearance. Their outfit was like Kou’s; instead of a coat that was as white as snow, theirs was as black as a cloudless night could be. They wore a red scarf and skirt as well, opposite to Kou’s blue neckerchief and shorts.

Pitch-black scribbles almost like a small child’s drawings covered the face of the mysterious figure, who had a strange aura of familiarity around them. Kou slowly peeked around them and saw a trail of darkened ground leading up to the figure like themselves.

The stranger held out their hand and slowly reached out to them. As their fingers touched, an intense wind swirled around them with thousands of iridescent leaves, blowing away the pleasantness of their surroundings until they were left on an empty, grassy field.

The sky was split into two as a fine line was drawn between them. Kou gazed up at the sky and both celestial bodies of the sun and moon were high above them. Behind the stranger, the world was in an eternal starry night, while the complete opposite was behind Kou. The small child’s eyes widened as they finally realized the person before them was none other than the Black Rabbit.

Day and night. Black and white. Yin and yang. Two opposing forces of the natural order stood before one another as the iridescent leaves glowed in the moonlight but reflected the sunlight as they swirled around them.

The Black Rabbit turned and walked away with their sleeved hands behind their back. Kou tried to run out to them but was knocked back as if an invisible wall stood between the two sides of night and day.

                                       ***

Tossing and turning in the bed, Kou’s eyes snapped open as they sat up, causing both Ehno and Fia to fall back in surprise.

“Geez, Glowy one.” Ehno floated up from the floor, his little wings making a flapping sound. “Suddenly scaring these ones.”

“Fia thought Glowy one wouldn’t wake up again,” said the pink Elkhi as she fluttered her wings upward. She held the blue neckerchief in her hands and gave it back to Kou. “Thanks, Glowy one for helping Fia.”

The child tied the blue cloth back around their neck as Ehno handed a mug of chocolate milk to them. He held up three fingers and Fia nodded with delight. With a small countdown, the two siblings took a deep breath and blew out a small scarlet flame onto the bottom of the mug. The flames themselves weren’t terribly hot but rather close to the warmth of a candle. The siblings slowly landed on the bed, feeling exhausted from their little task.

“Hot cocoa warms the soul! At least that’s what mama used to say,” Fia said with an adorable smile.

A small picture frame toppled off the shelf above them and bumped against the top of Kou’s head as they took a sip from the mug. The frame landed face up on Kou’s lap and they picked it up, giving the mug to Fia to put on the side.

“Ah! That picture—” Ehno crawled up to them as Fia did the same.

In the picture, a family of four was smiling happily. A younger Ehno and a toddler Fia were held up by two larger individuals that which the siblings resemble. A man with some black scales but seemed more human than Elkhi with his proud smile while the woman with some scarlet scales was happily carrying the much smaller Fia.

“Mama, papa…” Fia’s eyes welled up with tears as her voice cracked.

Kou patted the pink Elkhi’s head as she clung to their arm. Moving their gaze to Ehno, Kou saw the blue Elkhi trying their best not to shed any tears.

“Glowy one,” Ehno’s voice also cracked with sorrow. “Did the Old one ever tell you that Oasia is cruel?”

Surprised, Kou thought back to the words of Abraham, but the child shook their head.

“Elkhi never help each other unless they’re related.” Ehno covered his eyes with his arm. “These ones always listened,” he said trying to hold back his emotions. “These ones went to bed when told to and always helped out.” Ehno’s arm dropped to his side as he could no longer hold back the tears from flowing. “Why would Oasia take them away? Were these ones never good enough?”

Kou picked up Fia and placed down the sobbing Elkhi on their lap. They reached out to Ehno who landed next to her. Gazing down at the orphans, Kou felt sorry for them both.

From the thunderous roar of the heavy storm outside, the sorrow-filled siblings latched onto the White Rabbit out of fear. Kou felt they were both trembling.

The small child did what any person would do and hugged them both. A ring of light pulsed outward from the trio. It swept out of the tent and across the entirety of the Elkhi swampland. Kou hugged them tightly, causing several more pulses to light up the once darkened land.

A swirl of warm sunlight surrounded them as the shed tears slowly came to a halt. Fia peeked up and around Kou’s sleeve. In what appeared to be familiar distant figures smiling at them, Fia poked her brother with her tail, making him look up and see them as well. The sorrow that once filled them vanished into nothing as a newfound happiness took its place.

The light around them faded as the duo felt droplets of water plop onto the top of their heads. They both looked up and saw tears flowing from the eyes of the White Rabbit. Kou let them go and wiped the tears away.

“Does Glowy one have parents too?” Fia asked.

Kou quietly nodded.

“Thanks, Glowy one.” Ehno wiped away his tears with his sleeve. “Why did the Glowy one come to the swampland in the first place?” He sniffed.

Kou pulled out the map from the inside pocket of their coat and opened it. They pointed at the forest next to the swamp.

Ehno fluttered his wings. “Glowy one is going to meet the flying ones?”

Kou nodded again and placed the map back in their pocket.

“Then Glowy one must go through the building where Fia was playing,” said the pink Elkhi as she rubbed her eyes. “It has a tunnel that goes whoosh! But it’s sort of scary to Fia.”

Kou hopped off the bed and rushed up to the entrance of the tent. Upon moving a curtain aside, a bright light shined through the entryway, causing the child to shield their eyes as they moved outside. As their eyesight adjusted to the sudden brightness, the swampland of the Elkhi appeared as if daylight broke through the shadows of Oasia’s eternal night.

Ehno and Fia peeked out from inside. The siblings were in awe of what they saw. Fia rushed out and ran around as her big brother slowly stepped out.

With the storm gone, luminescent butterflies and fireflies came out of hiding. The fluorescent mushrooms appeared as though they grew. Although, despite the bright swampland, the starry night sky remained above as a constant reminder the day itself has yet to truly come.

Time felt like it was at a standstill; unknowing where to begin or where to end. Kou walked up to the entrance of the gray building and glanced over their shoulder. The siblings, even at the edge of the swampland fog, they waved and cheered the White Rabbit on. Kou waved back to them and entered the building, leaving Elkhi sight.