49 The Escape Part 5

Cupid stroked Puff's head and nodded solemnly.

" I am sure you got my message on your Lubu Lubu device. However it is worse than I had originally imagined" Cupid replied.

" How so?" I said confused.

" I can't tell you all of the details but I want you to remember that there is nothing that you can do to stop what has already happened. The future however will always be in your hands." Cupid replied.

Cupid took Puff under his arm.

" Kibbles you are coming with me. " Cupid said as he stood up.

" Meowster? Where are we going?" Kibbles replied excitedly.

" Going to wake you up of course. This little thing will also need a memory wipe from the sounds of what happened. Even if you trust Puff, I don't want it asking too many questions when he wakes up. " Cupid said.

" What about me?" I responded while Cupid spoke as if I was not in the room.

" Don't you have to get your magic avatar? Kibbles will see you when you wake up. Try not to miss me too much. I wish our time together was longer but I have some errands to run." Cupid said.

" Oh and Yuki, I'm sorry." Cupid said after a moment of silence.

He walked up to me in large strides, with Puff still under his arm he hugged me. He was at least an arm span taller than me, so I was caught on his chest. I felt drawn to his warmth as my mind went blank.

As I took in his manly fragrance my cheeks flushed.

" What are you sorry for?" I mumbled into his clothes, my arms at my side unsure of what to do.

" For not being able to be with you more." Cupid responded in a deep tone. I felt a tinge of sadness well up inside of me.

His voice had sounded out of character from his usual flirty tone.

" Till we meet again Yuki" Cupid's voice trailed off and the warmth from his chest was replaced by a biting cold.

I looked around me and the cottage was gone, All I could see around me was frost and white flowers.

I wrapped my arms around me as my breath came out in a thick cloud.

" Till we meet again Cupid…" My voice trailed off and was carried by the frozen wind.

I suddenly realised how lonely it was. Even Kibbles complaining would have been a comfort for me as I made my way to the pulse from my magic avatar.

My heart began to beat to the sound of the thrum that was trembling under my feet. I walked in the snow in my torn clothes and sandals until I reached a frozen forest.

The leaves were all white on each tree and the trunks were an incandescent blue. My dark clothes and red hair stuck out like a sore thumb in the midst of the frozen world around me. In front of me were a few sets of eyes. They belonged to some furry white forest critters as they bounced away in different directions.

Covering the beast's massive horns were were red, black and green vines that wrapped around the bone like accessories in the hair of a rich woman. They were pale in colour and did not distract the eye at all from the majestic beasts full form.

I forgot to breath as a noticed it had no eyes. It's hooves gave off a pale green glow and its entire body was covered in pastel green runes.

The stag was breathtakingly beautiful in the pure white world.

[ This must be it! My magic avatar! ]

There was no mistaking the connection I felt to the beast. It looked up at me noticing my presence. Although it had no eyes the pressure I felt was immense.

I could barely hold my myself together as it stood proudly.

It flicked its ears listening to the sounds of the world around it. The colours on its body faded and its body steadily seemed to disappear into the backdrop.

[ Trying to run away!? ]

I had spent way too much time trying to find my avatar that I was overcome with panic, I started to charge at the beast, so as to not let it escape.

The stag had realised that I was chasing it and started to run in the opposite direction of me. It expertly dodged all the trees and pitfalls as I clumsily followed behind.

No matter how much I ran with purpose, my goal continued to evade me.

[ I am never going to tame this stag at this rate! ]

I whined internally as I slowed my steps to a complete stop.

The stag too had stopped running and layed down on a nearby patch of white flowers. The snow had been continually hitting my body making me sleepy.

[ What do I do to tame it? I should have asked Cupid! Ahhh I can be really dumb sometimes. If he didn't confuse me with that hug!! ]

I grumpily thought about my next step when Puff's words had entered my mind.

"This stag is a representation of the feelings I have when I use my magic right?" I mumbled to myself as my hand rested on my chin.

I sat on the ground and cleared my mind.

I took some deep breaths and focused on a nearby white flower.

My hand had flashed with a green hue as it entered the petals and the leaves of the plant I had looked at.

[ How do I feel exactly? ]

I focused on my emotions until one word had stood out for me.

[ That's it! ]

Serene!

I felt serene.

A calm feeling had washed over my body like a flood as the green coloured magic washed over the plant.

The white had become more pure and the blue stem had become deeper. The flower that I had focused on had become very fragrant.

I quietly stood up and took a step forward, remembering to stay perfectly calm in front of the stag in front of me.

It didn't seem to notice my presence as I took another step.

I became excited thinking about how my plan was really the correct action.

However just as my mood had changed the stag stood up and ran off again. This pattern began to emerge again and again as I pursued it.

Frustration had filled my body and I knew that catching it had become impossible.

I found a tree to sit near as I huffed a little in annoyance before closing my eyes to meditate on what I had learned.

[ I must be patient ]

Snow started to cover me in a thin blanket, I ignored the cold as I tried my best to re- experience what it was like to be a tree.

Finally when the thin blanket had become a hand full thick, I stood back up. My bones ached, my fingers couldn't move but I pressed on anyway.

The deer looked in my direction again before it put its head down.

I calmly walked toward it ignoring everything but each step I had to take ahead of me.

Finally I had reached the stag. It's thick coat of white hair was extremely inviting to my now frostbitten fingers.

I stroked it's fur with my purple fingers and closed my eyes. Green mist had covered my hands as I injected some magic into the stag.

It was startled at first but warmly accepted it after a few moments.

I had finally run out of magic and leaned on the beast, unsure of what to do next. I leaned again the beast as it put it's head on my lap.

Next to me the beast was massive. The sheer size ment that only it's chin could use my legs as a pillow.

It's horns as it tilted it's head were at least my size if I stood.

Although it had no eyes, I felt that it could see me somehow. I guessed it sensed me that same way I did when I closed my eyes to sense it.

I knew in my heart that I had finally completed my task, a bitter sweet sensation washed over me.

" You know what, I have chased you halfway around my soul scape that I was trapped in, found memories I had never wanted to dig up again and nearly lost Kibbles to packs of angry monkeys and wolves. I have had quite an adventure." I sighed as I brushed the Stag's head.

" I can't just call you Stag can I?" I said out loud again as I thought.

" Hmm I shall name you Irenic!" I said still patting the beast.

The world around me suddenly brightened to the shine of a star. I was no longer able to keep my eyes open as I felt like my eyes were about to explode.

It was the last thing I remembered before waking up in a scaly embrace to Kibbles licking my face before rubbing his face against mine.

" Kibbles" I croaked.

" Welcome back Yuki!" Kibbles said excited.

" Young Master you're awake!" said the familiar voices of Ki and Ren.

" Mm I am finally back!" I replied as I dusted the sleep from my eyes.