We turn around and look back into the Twilight Forest that we had come through to reach the Dark Lands. The dense trees and dim lighting of the forest looms before us. I notice a lantern that I hadn’t noticed earlier and walk over to it, followed by Ik Nal, Lightlaugh and Seeker.

“The majority of gnomes live in this forest. They guard the other lands from the trolls.” Seeker says and I nod.

“So, how do we find them?” I ask.

“Follow the lanterns.” Seeker replies.

‘Got it. Ik Nal, you’re going to ride on my back, just in case Sunshine tries to kill you.”

Ik Nal climbs up my fur, onto my back and clings on.

“Ik Nal has never seen things from so high up.” He says as I start to walk and Seeker strides up beside me.

“Sunshine lives on a ranch, and there’s a path that leads to it. We need to follow the lanterns until we reach a small, less-travelled dirt path that diverges off the main stone path.”

“Got it.” I say as I study some hot pink, delicate evening flowers and am reminded of Trouse’s hair.

A memory hits me and I can see a younger version of Trouse with hot pink hair sitting beside me on a beach. I can hear myself speaking.

“I can’t believe you drank that potion.” I hear myself say and that brings back another memory.

The first memory is shoved to the side as the other memory comes to me. I’m in a room with the younger version of Trouse- a blonde version of Trouse. Glass bottles hang from the ceiling, each filled with glowing water, and I’m teaching Trouse how to make something in glass bottle as well.

“This should turn your hair different colors.” I hear myself say and my mind connects this to the last memory.

The potion! I helped Trouse make a potion that turned his hair hot pink.

“Gole? Gole are you okay?” I hear Lightlaugh ask and then Seeker shushes him.

“She’s having more memories return.” I hear Seeker say and then I’m aware of my surroundings again.

“I’m fine.” I say as I turn away from the flowers and stare up at the moderate-height trees surrounding us as I walk.

They have smooth grey bark and dimly shining, small white orbs hanging off them. The trees are very crowded but with enough room to allow me and my companions to pass among them. The leaves of the trees are large and dark grey in color. Then I look down and realize that I’m on a dirt path lined with white, pearl-looking flowers and sleepy, red, petite flowers.

“How did I get here?” I ask as I look around for the stone path.

Seeker smiles,

“You walked. You have very good multitasking skills.”

“Well, we must be getting close to Sunshine’s ranch by now, right?” I ask, unnerved by not recalling when I’d changed paths.

“Yes. It’s just around the bend.” Seeker says as she points down the path.

“So, what sort of animals does Sunshine have on her ranch?” Lightlaugh asks and Seeker pauses.

“Last I checked she was raising palepurrs. They’re an endangered species, you know.”

“And what are those?” I ask as we come around the bend in the path.

“Those are what palepurrs are.” Lightlaugh says as he points to a group of white, glowing, felines that are coming to greet us.

“Cats!” I exclaim in surprise before I pause,

“Except they’re glowing.”

“That’s because they take on whatever colors they eat. They eat the star fruits here, therefore they’re white and glowing.” Seeker explains and Lightlaugh frowns.

“I’ve never heard the word ‘cats’ before. What are cats on your world like?”

“They’re felines that are like me, but smaller.”  I explain slowly, unsure of how to explain what a cat is.

The word “cat” brings back another memory. I’m with the alterna that looks just like me and we’re practicing archery again. Suddenly, other alterna kittens come out of the woods behind us and we twirl around. I can hear them mocking us and calling us “kitty cats”. It’s all going by extremely fast, but I feel myself being bit by another alterna kitten and I launch myself on top of it. My foot gets caught on the string of my bow and I yank it loose. I hear a cry of pain and I stop and turn around. The alterna that looks just like me is crumpled up, an arrow sticking out of her chest.

“No!” I hear myself scream and the other alterna kittens run away in fear.

I run over to the alterna kitten that looks just like me.

“You’re going to be okay-“ The alterna’s name is muted, and I can’t make out what I say after that.

“Gole!” Lightlaugh shouts in my ear, starting me out of my memory and I see that Seeker is gone.

“What?” I snap irritably and Lightlaugh frowns.

“You were making choking noises. I was worried about you.”

“Where’s Seeker?” I ask and Lightlaugh says,

“She went to go find Sunshine. She’ll be back soon.”

I try to recall more of the memory as I wait for Seeker to return with Sunshine. I’m unable to recall anything else and I pace frustratedly. Finally, after what seems like ages, Seeker returns with a female gnome, who looks gloomy about something. Maybe it’s because she’s only two feet tall. She has white skin and long black hair with a leaf crown and a dark-colored dress.

She’s wearing boots and has green eyes.

“Greetings.” Sunshine, as I presume her to be, says dully and I look at Seeker.

“This is Sunshine. Sunshine, this is Gole, Lightlaugh and Ik Nal. You’re not allowed to kill Ik Nal. He’s going to be our guide into the Dark Lands.” Seeker says and Ik Nal slowly slides off my back.

“Ik Nal is sorry about your family, but Ik Nal did not kill them.” He says as he bows before her and she shoves him out of her way.

“Let’s go. We have some trolls to kill.” She says as she pulls a dagger out of a sheath on her hip and points off towards the Dark Lands where we came from.”