Prologue: The Lost Bunny

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*Sierra*

I flip around and kick the one who touched my shoulder, but an arm blocks my leg. Standing in front of me is a girl with bright green hair.

"Ivonne!" I say. "D-don't scare me like that! I thought it was some creep!"

Ivonne snickers. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.

"Hmph. What are you doing here, though? You're usually tagging along with Kaede."

Her emerald eyes scan the crowd. "I was, but I can't find him."

"Let's see if we have any more luck locating him in another area," Mama says as she descends back to the ground. "I can't find my husband either. Hopefully, he can manage with the rest of the kids."

"I'm sure he'll be fine. He is a knight after all!" Ivonne says.

Mama laughs. "Yeah."

"Speaking of knights, Mama was telling me the story of the Five Knights!"

"Oh, I want to hear it! My Mama and Papa mentioned it to me too, so I think I can keep up."

"You sure?" Mama asks.

Ivonne nods.

"Alright, here goes..."

*Ashi*

Tears and snot run down my face as I follow the mysterious boy in the fox mask.

"Don't worry, we'll find your parents," he says as we come to a stop. I glance up and see he had taken me to an empty pagoda. It was odd that no one was around.

"Y-you aren't a spirit, are you?" I ask, sniffing.

"Didn't I already say that I'm not?" he says. "I've already had someone send out a missing kid message. Your parents should be here soon."

"R-really? Wait, when did you find time to do that?"

He takes out a phone. "I used this to send out the alert."

"Woah, is that a smartphone?" I ask, staring at the red, thin, black-screen device in his hands.

"Yeah. Want to use it? You can play some games while we wait."

"U-uh... I might break it," I say, averting my gaze. "I've never used one before."

"Hmm, I know. How about I show you something really amazing?"

My ears twitch. "Amazing? Like what?"

He steps forward and moves his hands in an arc. Suddenly, a purple bunny made up of fire appears in the sky, accompanied by a red one.

"Woah, bunnies!" I say, my eyes glistening. "And they're twins!"

The boy chuckled. "That ain't nothing. Watch this!" He claps his hands in the sky, a purple dragon appears, its fangs bared at us.

"Woah, scary!" I say, softly chuckling. Though, it reminded me a little of Tetsu... and a bit of Papa.

"Now, for the best one yet!" the boy yells. He snaps his fingers, causing a giant lotus flower in the colors of the rainbow to appear.

"Woah! How are you doing that?" I ask. "Teach me!"

He snickers. "It's a secret. Only experts like me can know."

"So, you're an expert?"

He scratches his head. "Uh, no. But I am training to be one. Maybe one day, I'll tell you my secret. If we ever meet again that is."

"That would be awesome! Oh, right my name is Ashi!" I say, extending my hand out to him.

He reaches out and shakes it. "Nice to meet you, Ashi. I'm K-"

"Ashi!" a voice calls out. I turn around and see both my parents running toward me.

"Mommy, daddy!" I yell, letting go of the strange boy's hand. "I'm safe! It's actually all thanks to h-" When I turned, the boy was nowhere to be seen.

"Did someone help my Ashi?" Mama asks, kneeling next to me.

"Y-yeah... but they're gone." I frown. I didn't even get to learn his name...

"I'm just glad that he helped ya," Papa says, hugging me. "I'm not sure what I would've done if I lost ya too!"

"Papa?" I ask. My shirt felt wet as if it were raining, but the sky was clear. "Pa are... you crying?" I'd never seen my Pa cry before.

I bury my head in his chest. Ma hugs me from behind, followed by my three siblings who hug me on the sides. "Let him cry. We're all glad that our Ashi is safe!" Ma says as she snuggles me.

My lips curve into a smile. "I'm fine, everyone. Your Ashi is safe!"

"Ashi!" Keiko yells, running up hill. "You okay?"

"I'm fine!" I say, waving at her.

Papa's golden eyes look me over. "You seem to have come out of it without a scratch, but to be sure, we should take you to a clinic."

"I'm fine, Pa. Don't worry too much. Plus, Ma can tend any wounds I might have!"

"O-okay..." he says, closing his eyes.

My grayish-purple eyes glance up at my giant of a father. "Uh, Pa. Could we stay here? You can continue telling us the story here."

He nods his head. "Okay, whatever you want," he says, smiling past the tears still flowing down his golden half-mask and the uncovered part of his face.

Papa... would I ever learn his story? Maybe one day he'll be willing to share it...

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed this partand are excited for more Lot5K! Look forward to Episode 1 later today!**

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