Chapter 5.5
In an overwhelmingly historic realm, thousands of islands are scattered and most of those are not yet fully discovered by the Kemis. Truly, UniPaws proved that it's the Center Realm in the Cosmos, allowing all realms to be connected through the Ruins. Oftentimes a Kemi feels small and insignificant to this vast cosmos, like a speck of sand on an endless shore. However, that is not the case for Lulu and Darli. Despite being the smallest among the group, these two defy the narrative. No one can belittle them, mainly because they are the ones who control the largest species in the UniPaws. Now it's time for them to explore on their own.
… And for the 6th time, the group once again activated the Ruin, opening the gate towards another realm. Kita, Hana, Yuna, FeLinE, and Raven entered the portal while the rest of the team wished them luck from the camp.
"GANBARE!" Darli and Lulu shouted.
"So which one do nyu prefer, going through realms or staying at the base?" Rubi asked Celeste.
"I prefer here at the camp. The realms are indeed mindblowing, but there are still some left to discover here in the UniPaws. I'm actually recreating the world map based on our expeditions!" Celeste answered.
"That would be a huge accomplishment if the society adapts your modern map," Mae commented.
"Let's celebrate when that happens!" Mittsy added.
"Speaking of discovering the UniPaws, let's start our journey!" Lulu told Darli.
"Hai!" Darli excitedly responded.
With that said, Lulu and Darli hopped on Gili and flew towards the Island of the Beast Mimis. The island is quite near them, therefore it didn't take them long to move between the islands. Not to mention, flying is faster than voyaging through the ocean.
"Welcome to the Island of the Beast Mimis!" Lulu said as they got down from Gili.
"This is a lot bigger than I imagined," Dali responded.
"But there's no beating the scenery in the Terrains in the Clouds," Lulu replied.
"I couldn't agree more!" Darli commented as they started to wander around the forest.
The daylight almost settles but it looks like there's no stopping these two cute Kemis. The Beast Mimis know exactly who Lulu is, plus a Dragon is just right behind them, no one would dare to touch these two. Lulu and Darli headed straight to the King's lair, and after a couple more steps, they finally reached their destination. Lulu grabs a long branch and then Darli breathes fire on the edge, creating an improvised torch.
"This is where my friend Badi lives, the King of the Land!" Lulu said.
"That's a huge cave," Darli commented.
"Well, he dug it himself," Lulu replied and entered the cave.
"HONTO? THAT'S AMAZING." Darli reacted as she followed Lulu.
Later on, Darli thought that they were facing a dead-end because of the boulder-like texture in front of them, but she was entirely wrong on this one. "Looks like your friend is not here, let's check if he's outside," Darli said as she turned around, ready to leave.
Lulu stopped Darli from walking further and pointed in front of them, "Hold on, that's him," she said. Darli tried to look closely, thinking maybe it was somewhere beneath the rocks. But in that instant, the boulder-like texture moved, turning to face the Kemis and waking up from his slumber, it was Badi's back that looked like a boulder wall. Darli finally meets the King of the Land, and she is certainly astounded.
The mood drastically changed when Badi realized that it was Lulu. The King of the Land was ecstatic, he immediately lifted Lulu and Darli as they went outside the cave. Walking through the forest was their favorite pastime when Lulu first came to the island, and it was the first thing they did this time.
"THIS IS AMAZING!" Darli shouted, mesmerized by the scenery. The awing night sky plus the height they are in is something that gives them a different point of view compared to their usual adventure. They spent the next few hours roaming around the island. Badi knows every corner of the place, and they went through all of it, exploring all sorts of Beast and nature's wonders.
Eventually, they head to the mountains where Lulu previously stayed. With Lulu's instructions, Badi helped them build a comfy shelter. "Goodnight Badi, thanks for touring us around!" Lulu told Badi, finally calling it a day.
The next morning rises, and more adventure awaits. Lulu and Darli wake up early, ready to continue where they left off. They have a long list to accomplish, that's why they should pick up the pace. In that instant, Badi assisted Lulu and Darli toward the shore. Since Badi can swim, he carried Lulu and Darli across the shallow part of the ocean. In this way, they can summon Thirdy and move to their next agenda.
"THIRDY!" Lulu shouted at the top of her lungs. After a few silent minutes of waiting in the vast ocean, Thirdy appeared in front of them. He also brought the same yacht they used before, it looks like Thirdy is ready this time.
"Is that the one that the expensive yacht from… Nyu know what, never mind. It's probably ours by now." Lulu said.
"Looking at the two Kings, both at the same time is really cool, I hope Padra is here too," Darli commented.
"That might be a problem, Thirdy said that they are not on good terms with King of the Sky," Lulu replied. Thirdy and Badi nodded their heads, agreeing with Lulu.
"But why? Padra isn't that bad. He has friends in the Tree Tribe." Darli questioned.
"Badi said that it was because of what happened centuries ago," Lulu answered.
"Centuries ago? Can they like… Fix it now? I mean, it's been a long time, maybe things have changed." Darli argued.
"Thirdy said it's not that simple." Lulu translated.
This gave Lulu and Darli an idea of what they should prioritize in their journey. Their minds synced up with a simple look at each other, thinking they should solve the issue between the Kings. At that moment, Lulu started to ask more questions. She also translates the dialogue so Darli can catch up on the conversation, thus the side of the two Kings unfolds.
A few centuries ago, the Giant Beasts battled it out to be crowned as the King of a certain race. There were only 2 thrones before, the King of the Land and the Sea. Badi and Thirdy were the victorious ones, earning the respect of every living species in the UniPaws. But then, the Dragons from Nesuto entered the UniPaws. The Celestial Dragon immediately grasped the hierarchy in the UniPaws, but instead of obeying the Kings, he proclaimed himself as the King of the Sky, disrespecting the tradition that the Beast Mimis highly valued. The prideful Dragons supported the self-proclaimed King, willing to fight those who would oppose them. The Dragons then set their habitat on the farthest north called the Terrains in the Clouds.
Lulu and Darli took some moments to absorb the story, it was indeed a lot to uncover and the length of time letting the issue linger only made it worse.
"So it looks like Padra is truly the wrong one here," Darli sadly said.
"We still cannot say that for now because we haven't heard his story yet. Yuna taught me to always look at all angles, we should ask Padra too!" Lulu suggested.
Darli regained her faith in Padra and replied, "Yeah, maybe he can explain himself!"
Listening to the Kemis, Thirdy and Badi are actually curious about what Padra has to say after all this time. There hasn't been any clear communication between them, and the Dragons' arrival were also too sudden back then, something must have forced them.
The two small Kemis thanked Badi for taking care of them as they waved their hands, and then Gili transferred Lulu and Darli toward the yacht. Thirdy swims through the ocean, from east to the farthest north, heading to Darli's hometown. Speeding through the waves isn't a problem this time, the yacht alongside Thirdy's scale keeps Lulu and Darli safe, it acts as the wind barrier.
In a short while, they reached their destination. Lulu promised Thirdy that they would spend more time with him just like with Badi after they fixed the problem between the Kings. Thirdy wishes for their safety and is looking forward to Lulu's promise. Eventually, Gili took Lulu and Darli to Padra's lair, reuniting the King of the Sky and the Dragonkin.
Padra was surprised to see Darli again, "Nyu are finally back after long years." He said.
"It's not even a year yet, we were just dropping by to ask nyu something. But I also do miss nyu!" Darli responded.
"Oh, I see… So what brings you here?" Padra asked.
"We want to know the reason why our Kind migrated here without explaining it to the other Kings," Darli answered.
"That was a long time ago. We are already living peacefully here, no need to bring that up." Padra responded as he turned his back, avoiding the conversation.
"I knew this would happen, nyu see, Padra is a bit stubborn, that's why I came prepared," Darli told Lulu while Padra curiously eavesdropped.
"Oh, are nyu going to trade for the info?" Lulu replied, she immediately caught on to Darli's plan.
"Exactly, in a simple history tale, Padra can witness what talent I unlocked recently," Darli replied.
"YOU HAVE A TALENT NOW!" Padra reacted in surprise, returning his attention to the Kemis.
"That's a good idea! Your talent is amazing." Lulu responded to Darli.
"I know right, it was mindblowing!" Darli said as they both ignored the King of Sky.
"Darli answer me, what's your new talent?" Padra reiterated his request.
"Gili already knew about it, I bet the other Dragons would be happy to know it as well." Darli loudly said.
"I SHOULD KNOW IT FIRST!" Padra shouted.
"That depends on your next words~" Darli told Padra.
"Fine! I'll tell the story! But you have to show me your talent afterward!" Padra madly said.
"NYATTA!" Darli and Lulu celebrated.
Even though he is filled with anger, Padra ends up agreeing with Darli. He began telling their side of the story.
Dragons are prideful species, but most notably, they are territorial. When they spawned at Nesuto, the Dragons built the area as their nests. But just like every other realm, Kemis also appeared after the Mimis. Everything was fine at first, but it all changed due to the innovative nature of the Kemis. They started to intrude on the Dragons' nest to worship them, and it was getting out of control.
After some years, the UniPaws was created, it was the last realm to be ever built. Padra saw a group of Sentient Kemis and overheard about the Center Realm plan, and that's when he got the idea of migrating toward the so-called Center Realm. No one knew what there was, but the Dragons believed that if it was newly created, then the Kemis were not yet there. It will allow them to set a habitat far from the Kemis before they arrive again. With that decision, Padra mimicked how the Sentient Kemis crossed the Ruin, thus the Dragons migrated to the UniPaws.
When the Dragons set foot in the UniPaws for the first time, the other Beast Mimis spotted them and instantly informed the two Kings. It didn't take long before the Kings confronted the Dragons on the island where Nesuto is connected, and that's when the problem started. As the leader of the Dragons, Padra tried to talk to Thidy and Badi, explaining that they only wanted a place to hide, far away from the Kemis. The two Kings accept the proposal but on one condition, their kind must bow down to the King of the Land since they will live on the Land. The Dragons' pride cannot bow down to any other race, only the Celestial Dragon has that authority over them, and obviously, the rest of the Dragons didn't like the Kings' proposal. The situation worsened when the Dragons crowned their leader as the King of Sky, not offering any other negotiation, and then the prideful Dragons flew toward the farthest north. A decision that scarred the relationship between the Beast Mimis.
The story ends and the Kemis finally understand the situation. Now it's up to Lulu and Darli to mend the century-long problem. "I guess it's really a hard one…" Lulu commented.
"Let's just give up," Darli suggested.
"We can't do that," Lulu argued.
"I'm just kidding. What I'm thinking is, you talk to the other Kings then I'll handle the Dragons. We will meet by the entrance with the Giant Beasts in front of the Dragons!" Darli optimistically said.
"Let's do it!" Lulu agreed.
"Ah… Darli, you might be forgetting something." Padra reminded.
"Oh, right," Darli responded. She then showed off her talent by breathing fire in front of them. Padra had never been this proud in his entire existence.
"I KNEW IT! YOU ARE THE ONE AND ONLY DRAGONKIN!" Padra shouted as he joined Darli in breathing fire. A monumental scene that caught the attention of every Dragon in the place.
Afterwards, Darli told Gili to help Lulu gather the Giant Beast Mimis' side while she used this opportunity to talk to the Dragons.
Lulu and Darli spent the next couple of hours convincing their assigned audience, explaining each side to the opposing one. They are aware that it was a pretty big deal for both sides, but their sheer determination plus genuineness is something that no one can resist, not even the most enormous creatures in the UniPaws. Eventually, the Giant Beast Mimis with Thirdy and Badi swam at the entrance, while the Dragons and Padra stood their ground on the island. Lulu and Darli are in the middle of them, and the pressure is definitely overwhelming.
"How was it on your end?" Lulu asked Darli.
"Hmm… I am not that sure, how about nyu?" Darli said.
"The same as yours…" Lulu responded.
"They are glaring at each other," Darli mentioned.
"They really don't like each other… But on a positive note, they are all here, maybe they are willing to patch things up," Lulu added.
"Or an all-out brawl happens which will be entirely our fault," Darli replied.
Judging from the circumstances, no amount of reasoning will convince both sides. It was already heavily anchored to them, and even though the problem was cleared, the hatred still lingers.
"Anooo, attention everyone!" Lulu shouted while Darli echoed it for the Dragons. Lulu and Darli are aware that these creatures can no longer mend their relationship, but they also know that these Beast Mimis will follow the both of them. With that said, there's only one way to achieve what they want.
"I know that it will be hard for everyone here to accept the situation. So… If nyu can't coexist peacefully, then… Then do it for us!" Lulu firmly said. "Yeah! Do it for us! We are the representation of peace!" Darli seconded the motion. Their words silence the whole place, making the Beast Mimis think deeply about it.
It was a long period of silence, Lulu and Darli felt like it was the slowest minutes of their lives. Moments later, Thirdy finally expressed his thoughts, "I suppose we can do that, I mean their lives aren't that long…" He said while Badi nodded.
"If it is for Darli, then I also agree… A couple of decades of peace wouldn't be so bad." Padra responded as the other Dragons agreed.
"Sooo… Once we die, the treaty will be over. Is that what we meant?" Darli whispered to Lulu.
"No… But I guess a lot may change over the years. At least they will be given a chance to take time and accept each other. I suppose, let's just try to live longer?" Lulu whispered back.
"That's fine for me," Darli replied as she laughed. "FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, THE BEASTS ARE UNITED!" Darli shouted as all of the Beasts roared in celebration. Giant Beasts follow Lulu, while Dragons bow down to Darli, an arrangement that works for both sides without stepping the principles of each other.
With that, Lulu and Darli created a friendly competition. Lulu rides on Thirdy while Darli is with Padra, it will be a race around the UniPaws. The rules are simple, the first one to get back on the Terrains of the Clouds without hurting the rider wins. The Race between the King of the Sea versus the King of the Sky, and the King of the Land will be the judge of it. This will be a yearly celebration to commemorate this occasion.
End of the Special Chapter