Mukashi, Mukashi...

"Aunt Bibi! Aunt Bibi! Come look!"

The rabbit girl's black ears stood straight up as she hopped up and down at the base of the tree Hanabi lounging in.

"Again? If this is another bug, I'm going to roast it up and feed it to you."

"No you won't," Luci giggled. She wrapped her arms around Hanabi's leg when the fox woman landed on the ground and buried her face in her robe.

"H-Hey! Stop that!"

Despite her protesting, Hanabi didn't push the girl away. It'd been a little over a year since she'd helped Luci and the other southern rabbitfolk escape the empire. After surviving for hundreds of years in isolation, they became the last group of beastfolk to earn the name Exiled. Their already sparse population had been decimated during the arduous journey and in the aftermath of hundreds of deaths, Luci had been the only child to make it to Purga.

Watching Luci play was always nostalgic. Centuries had passed since Hana had been a little girl playing in the forests of Stonewood and Hanabi never imagined she'd be so attached to another child. Not that anyone would know. She tried to keep Luci at the same arms length she kept Hana. Children in Purga didn't have the luxury of being coddled.

Or at least that's what she thought. The reality was that she'd fallen in love with the little girl. Every day with Luci was like basking in the southern sun and she helped fill the gap Hanabi's own absent daughter left. So she'd lingered in Stonewood, doing her damnedest to ensure Luci had the best future possible in the harsh north.

"I'm sorry," Luci said. She looked up at Hanabi with a toothy grin before hugging her again. "I just don't want you to leave!"

"I'm not leaving yet," Hanabi said, stroking the girl's head between her ears. "Besides, if I left, who would you show all your insects to?"

"It's not a bug! I swear!"

Luci grabbed Hanabi's hand and yanked her behind her. She stomped her feet as she dragged Hanabi along and grumbled under her breath about how stupid her Aunt Bibi was.

Their quest led them behind the village to the base of the mountain where Luci jabbed her finger upward at whatever Hanabi was supposed to be looking at. As far as the woman could see, the mountain was unremarkable as ever and she couldn't sense any monsters lurking nearby.

"What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"What?!" Luci stared at Hanabi like she was blind. "How can you not see it? It's right up there!"

Hanabi squinted her eyes. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to be looking at, but she could barely make out the presence of something up there.

"There's nothing there."

"There is, there is, there is!" Luci protested. "I saw it! It looked like a person crying because they were lost."

"A person?" Hanabi had her doubts. There weren't many people who could hide from her and they had no reason to be anywhere near Stonewood.

"I still don't see anything. Should we go up the mountain and check?"

Luci shook her head. "No, I don't like how windy it is up there. And Mama will be mad if you take me up there again."

"She did lecture us for quite awhile, didn't she. Speaking of your mother, shouldn't you be getting home to help her with dinner? She'll paddle you with a spoon if you're late again."

Luci's beady eyes widened in horror. "I forgot the firewood! Stupid Bibi! You made me forget!"

She always forgot. The girl had the attention span of a rock and helping her avoid punishment had become a routine. If anyone coddled Luci, it was her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Hanabi said, holding her hands up as Luci's tiny fists battered her abdomen. "Let's go together."