Akaiiko grinned and sighed, breathing in deeply the fragrance of the clean, forest air. Once again, they were unsuccessfully trying to navigate through the impossible labyrinth of Mystery Island's meadow. Their target was the marketplace, but neither of them minded much the never-ending journey. "Yeah right! You're not exactly the one to be talking! Remember that long detour we took back at that huge elk tree? I bet we would've been there but for that mistake, Missy".

."Uh-huh. Sure. Everyone makes mistakes. Keep in mind though that if I weren't here, you'd be lost and swimming around in the deepest depths of Maraqua by now." She winked and brushed a stray piece of fiery hair off of her face.

."Oh, but that's good! I'm a fast swimmer, so I'd still make it to the marketplace at least a day before you!".

."Nah... You would have thought you made it there before me, but in reality I would probably have already done the shopping and left before you arrived. I'll make sure to save you a lollypop or something, no worries".

Akaiiko snorted and ruffled Pixi's hair. They were an unusual pair; although they were both kyriis, they still looked very different. Akaiiko was a tall, Christmas kyrii, with strange markings scattered against his glistening white fur. He was a little scrawny, but there were definitely some modest muscles hiding underneath the fur. His snout was angular and his eyes were dark. Pixiru, on the other hand, had a soft, innocent face. Her eyes shined a brilliant yellow, and her jet-black fur lay even among her curves in contrast to the fiery hair sprawled haphazardly across her face, back, and tail.

They continued to banter through the thick maze of trees and moss, pausing here and there only to decide a new route to take. The kyriis were only faking ignorance now; they finally knew where the marketplace was but both had no intention of ending their pleasant stroll through the forest.

Crack. The sound echoed in the tiny grove that Akaiiko and Pixi just entered. Pixi stiffened and Akaiiko lifted his head, suddenly alert. He put a firm hand on Pixiru's shoulder and clenched his jaw. They were not alone.

Slowly turning around, Akaiiko peered toward the source of the noise. He stepped protectively in front of Pixi and narrowed his eyes, waiting. All was silent but for his heart pounding in his ears.

So quick that they couldn't be sure they imagined it, a shadow flickered around the base of a tall oak. Akaiiko wasn't one for taking risks, though. He whirled around and - cursing under his breath - grabbed Pixiru's hand, dragging her in the opposite direction. There had been rumors of sightings of the Shadow Usul, but not till this moment did they fully put in prospective the danger of the situation. Warnings written on posters were everywhere, stressing the need to flee at any hint of the nasty villain's presence.

Akaiiko raced through the forest, Pixi right as his heels. Her eyes were wide with fright as she tried to concentrate on the messy forest floor strewn with rocks, plants, and roots. Now was not the time to be klutzy.

But it appeared that Pixiru wasn't the one who needed to worry about tripping. Before he could take in what had happened, Akaiiko's long tail snagged in the crevice of a thick branch, sending him off balance and tumbling down to the ground. Disoriented, something rammed into his head and after a few seconds he sank into unconsciousness. The last thing he heard was a distant scream ringing in his ears.