Submission (#3342) Approved

The season had gotten so long that Koko felt homesick, his mother had brought him to a new place and his pomu had long since transformed into an anima crystal. He missed the dear company of his pomu and all that he could hide for him. Sprite was his name as he was just as mischievous as Koko was on occasion. Having crafted a beautiful lantern with the help of his mother Nari, that followed him wherever he went. But nothing compared to having his little companion by his side. He really did enjoy the weather of Bellmoril but sometimes the air was a bit too crisp for him. He preferred the home comfort for Ahza which was always warm. But there was something about the region here that made him feel somewhat at home. The beautiful warm sun in the sky radiated through the leaves that made it seem as if they were on fire. The air had a wet taste to it but the sun kept you warm. One of his favorite activities while he was here was sunbathing in a pile of leaves, letting the cool air brush against his fur. He wondered then as he was doing the latter if Sprite would indeed be enjoying it with him or would he rather be around creating small chaos. But none of that seemed to matter as he soon drifted into sleep. 

Ko had fallen into a deep sleep as the sun shone on his fur, keeping him warm and nestled in the leaves. His little lantern hung high in the air as the anima crystal radiated some light. He truly was illuminated. The little kittom dreamed of having his adventures in the forest of Bellmoril in the outskirts of Il'durahn with his Pomu and how he would probably be basking in the sun with him. His mother had business in the city but she often left Koko to his own devices as he tended to stay out of trouble and not too far from the cities or where she left him. His reveries brought him to adventures in the forest where his pomu was with him appearing and disappearing in the void as they played hide and seek. More often did Sprite find him then he ever found the pomu. He would offer his companion all of what he found interesting in the forest, maybe some nice rocks he found or some impeccable leaves of various coloring from red to yellow. Who knew maybe they would find some little critters to play with as well together. A toad here or a small bug hiding under a rock. Whatever the new discovery was he would always share it with Sprite. 

He could never forget the troubles his little friend also put him into. One time his pomu had hidden a frog in his little sister's bed. She was not happy and Koko had gotten scolded by his parents for him. Other times his pomu stole some fruits from merchants and offered them to Ko when he was hungry. The many times where they had been chased by brooms because of it. His dreams brought him to all those memories as he weeped silently in his sleep, the sun still radiating heat that kept him warm in his drifting slumber. 

As he dreamt, Koko was imagining new activities he would be having fun with Sprite. This one was completely new to him. His Pomu was showing him how instead of napping on a bed of leaves he could enjoy jumping up and down and hiding in the pile of leaves. In this dream his pomu would make him hide in the leaves so then he could launch himself and land and try to find where Koko was hiding in it. The two were having a blast, but reality started to set in as he felt a cold rush of air that made him curl up and clench his little body seeking heat.

Before he knew it he was awake with tears in his eyes and looking around him his mother had set up a nice warm fire for him, she had even draped a blanket on him.  That’s when he caught a whiff of it. The wonderful stew she was preparing and how it always made him feel at home. “ Did you sleep well son” she said to him. Wiping the tears that had dripped from his eyes not really knowing why he responded “Uh yes I did mum”. He looked up to see if his glowing lantern was still there and observed to make sure it didn’t have any damage as he wanted to keep his companion safe. He had chosen a beautiful red paper to craft it and adored it with some beautiful yellow and orange ribbons. As he was admiring it, it was blending in with the scenery of Bellmoril. It almost looked like a small sun was inside, always giving him light which brought him so much comfort as if his companion was indeed watching over him. He felt a little less sad looking at its radiant light, knowing his pomu wasn’t completely gone but simply dormant. He reached up for it and held it gently between his paws as he whispered to it softly making sure no one but him heard it as his words traveled through the crisp air. “ Make sure you come back soon Sprite, I miss you very much”. A tear rolled down his eye as he made a wish closing his eyes hoping that soon he would be getting himself in trouble with his pomu once more. 

His mother saw the tear and smiled at him as she approached, “why don’t you have fun with this pile of leaves while I finish making supper.” She wanted to cheer him up a little as she knew he was getting lonely all by himself on most days without his pomu, his sister or his father. The best she could think for him is letting him enjoy some fun. The little kittom did not hesitate as he took one big run and jumped in the pile of fresh leaves his mother had piled for him. Koko did it over and over again as leaves blew in every direction and he laughed as he had a blast. Every now and then she would hear him talking to his lantern as if Sprite was with him. “ Did you see that ! they all flew in the air. This is so much fun ! We need to do this more often.” The little lantern stayed attached to his tail no matter how many times he launched himself and jumped, throwing leaves in the air. Maybe the pomu was really with him after all. After running out of energy he hid in the pile of leaves hoping his mother wouldn’t see him. But she could clearly tell where he was which made her smile as the light of his lantern shone through the leaves. That simply warmed her heart knowing her son was never alone.