Kitzoone's humble beginings.
Kitzoone is one of my favorite characters. Here's an old story about how he came to be.
Many years ago, a group of scientists got together, and built a lab. They shared common interests; they all believed that they could create thing- better things- with genetic enhancements. They believed that they could “play God”, as it would be. So, this group started their lab, a stark, clean, sterile looking building that rested above all other things, on a hill. Soon, they began their experimenting, starting small, and working up to bigger things.
Their first big success, that made world news, was the cloning of a babaa. Everyone heard about it, and was fascinated- the good, or the bad way. News coverage followed this scientific breakthrough, while the scientists worked on their other projects in secret. They failed at many things, but they continued on anyway, never giving in to their defeats. They created and destroyed life as if they understood its meaning. Many people detested them for that, but their protests meant nothing to the scientists within their laboratory.
After they had many successes in cloning, there was discussion of creating a new creature entirely. Something that had before then… not been considered real. The scientists researched the matter, and although there were many suggestions, one of them stuck out beyond all others, a paragraph taken from a book:
Unicorn- Quite possibly the most proud and beautiful of mythical beasts, it has been said that a unicorn may be created by the altering of a goat’s fetus. This has not been scientifically proven, but there is some speculation. Unicorns are very magical creatures, and have the power to heal with their horn.
The scientists delighted at the thought. To think, if they achieved the creation of a true unicorn! They began to work on it right away, planning what alterations must be made to a goat fetus to make it a unicorn. Once they thought they had their calculations right, they began the meticulous task of creation.
After many months of work, they had yielded one specimen, which hung suspended in a glass tube of liquid, wires and life support tubes attached to it in many places. It looked almost alien, floating there, but the scientists were very pleased with it. Things were going well so far.
That was, until, of course, the fetus grew larger, to the point where it would be born. Instead of sprouting just one horn stub, he (they had determined his gender by now…) had two. He had kept his long whip-like tail in favor of a stubbier one, but other things were going wrong as well. Instead of a lean, long-legged body, he had a stouter one. He had no mane, just a few whisps of fur that were too long over his eyes. His hooves were cloven, and he wasn’t pure white as he was intended, instead developing odd markings of white on dark grey fur.
The scientists were furious, but they didn’t give up yet, in hopes that their experiment would still right itself. They allowed their creation to grow into adulthood, until he was almost too big for his enclosure. He never woke, as they observed him, becoming more and more disappointed with their failure. It wasn’t until one fateful night, when a particularly bad storm drove in from the east, that everything changed for the creature known only by “Experiment 586”… sometimes more lovingly referred to as “Kitzoone”.
The power flickered that night, sending the scientists into a frenzy as the rain poured down, wind battered the building, and lightning streaked the sky. Normally, their back up power sufficed, but that night they ran out of luck. Their power flickered again, and went out. Chaos ensued in the lab, and while everyone was too busy to pay attention, Kitzoone’s life support flickered off.
Once this had happened, the ixi, as he now was, opened one red eye. He snorted, sucking in the liquid, as the tubes that had supported him became useless. His other eye opened, and he cast about wildly, thrashing in the glass tube, wires and tubes ripping from his body. He kicked out with his legs, drowning. His hooves met with glass, and fragile cracks spread across its surface. He kicked again and again, and within a few seconds, the glass had shattered, spilling the liquid everywhere, and washing him painfully to the tiled floor with it.
He lay there, trailing the last few wires he hadn’t pulled free of, confused, coughing up the liquid that had gotten into his lungs. Soon, he tried to instinctively get up, but it was as it is for a newborn, with wobbly legs and uncertain footing. It took him many minutes to be sure of himself, and he panicked in the dark, striking out at a run through the corridors.
The scientists were too busy with their other experiments to take notice of him as he charged down the halls, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind him. He met an end of a corridor, and, unable to stop, he crashed through a glass window, tumbling amongst the shards to the muddy ground below.
He got to his feet, wavering, fur muddied, and slicked down with the ferocious rain. He began to walk away from the lab, sliding down the steep hill, only just keeping his footing. He trudged on, and never cast a backward glance.
Once upon a time there was a sad little boy. He sat around all day and avoided company, because he always felt weird when amongst a crowd. One day, when he was in his room, contemplating his sad little boy life, a fairy came to him. The first thing she did was give him a smart rap on the nose, for being such a silly lad. Once she'd satisfied herself, she smiled upon him sweetly and told him that she was there to help. That he needn't be a sad little boy anymore. He could have friends! She would be his friend, if he let her. The boy stared on with awe, rubbing his nose from time to time, but the pain was trivial, and he was soon engulfed in the glory of his new fairy friend. She stayed with him for many days, keeping him company, giving him advice, whispering stories and sweet things into his ear at night, when he couldn't sleep. The sad little boy grew to love the fairy more than any other thing he'd ever met or seen. But still, he wouldn't mingle with other people. Only her. This frustrated the fairy a little bit. She was trying so hard to help the little boy, and he had taken her close to his heart, but he wouldn't let any one else in. There was a barrier, and she had hoped to breach it... to let him learn to love other people. Make new friends. The little boy would have none of it. He only grew more and more attached to the fairy as the days went on, and she continued to whisper her stories to him as he gently fell asleep. There came a time when a year had passed, and the little boy wasn't quite as little as he used to be... the fairy's glow had dimmed a bit, and the boy's friends had stopped coming to call. They knew that he would never come out. The fairy felt beat, like there was nothing else she could do. She could remain the boy's friend forever, but that was no way for the child to live his life. So one day, as he was falling asleep, she whispered to him the story of a caterpillar, who was disliked by all the other insects, until one day, he disappeared... and a week later, a beautiful butterfly was in his place. The butterfly was the envy of all the other insects, and everyone wanted to get to know him, and talk with him. The butterfly was very social, well-mannered, and generally loved by everyone... because he allowed himself to be near them, instead of just flitting away when the talking got too loud. She finished up her story, and the boy was sound asleep. She touched his hair lightly, leaning over to kiss his forehead, before she disappeared in a puff of glitter. The boy awoke to find that the fairy was gone, and no matter how much he called for her, she didn't answer, and didn't appear. He drew into a slump for many days, refusing to even leave his room. All he wanted was his fairy, but she never came back. Many more days passed. The boy's old friends heard about how he seemed depressed, and one by one, they began to filter towards him... a supporting group of people. The boy slowly came to realize that people were there for him, and that they cared about him. As he came to this conclusion, the barrier around his heart melted away, and he got up... left his room, and took the time to go out with people. He realized that this was the best thing that had ever happened to him. The boy smiled and laughed, forgetting all his troubles. After a long day, he returned home, and got into bed. Just as he was falling asleep, in that place right before dreams, the fairy appeared again. She touched his hand lightly, smile on her face, whispering to him "I'm proud of you,". She then left, and he never saw her again, but still he dreams of her, and he always awakes with a smile.
The End.
Many years ago, a group of scientists got together, and built a lab. They shared common interests; they all believed that they could create thing- better things- with genetic enhancements. They believed that they could “play God”, as it would be. So, this group started their lab, a stark, clean, sterile looking building that rested above all other things, on a hill. Soon, they began their experimenting, starting small, and working up to bigger things.
Their first big success, that made world news, was the cloning of a babaa. Everyone heard about it, and was fascinated- the good, or the bad way. News coverage followed this scientific breakthrough, while the scientists worked on their other projects in secret. They failed at many things, but they continued on anyway, never giving in to their defeats. They created and destroyed life as if they understood its meaning. Many people detested them for that, but their protests meant nothing to the scientists within their laboratory.
After they had many successes in cloning, there was discussion of creating a new creature entirely. Something that had before then… not been considered real. The scientists researched the matter, and although there were many suggestions, one of them stuck out beyond all others, a paragraph taken from a book:
Unicorn- Quite possibly the most proud and beautiful of mythical beasts, it has been said that a unicorn may be created by the altering of a goat’s fetus. This has not been scientifically proven, but there is some speculation. Unicorns are very magical creatures, and have the power to heal with their horn.
The scientists delighted at the thought. To think, if they achieved the creation of a true unicorn! They began to work on it right away, planning what alterations must be made to a goat fetus to make it a unicorn. Once they thought they had their calculations right, they began the meticulous task of creation.
After many months of work, they had yielded one specimen, which hung suspended in a glass tube of liquid, wires and life support tubes attached to it in many places. It looked almost alien, floating there, but the scientists were very pleased with it. Things were going well so far.
That was, until, of course, the fetus grew larger, to the point where it would be born. Instead of sprouting just one horn stub, he (they had determined his gender by now…) had two. He had kept his long whip-like tail in favor of a stubbier one, but other things were going wrong as well. Instead of a lean, long-legged body, he had a stouter one. He had no mane, just a few whisps of fur that were too long over his eyes. His hooves were cloven, and he wasn’t pure white as he was intended, instead developing odd markings of white on dark grey fur.
The scientists were furious, but they didn’t give up yet, in hopes that their experiment would still right itself. They allowed their creation to grow into adulthood, until he was almost too big for his enclosure. He never woke, as they observed him, becoming more and more disappointed with their failure. It wasn’t until one fateful night, when a particularly bad storm drove in from the east, that everything changed for the creature known only by “Experiment 586”… sometimes more lovingly referred to as “Kitzoone”.
The power flickered that night, sending the scientists into a frenzy as the rain poured down, wind battered the building, and lightning streaked the sky. Normally, their back up power sufficed, but that night they ran out of luck. Their power flickered again, and went out. Chaos ensued in the lab, and while everyone was too busy to pay attention, Kitzoone’s life support flickered off.
Once this had happened, the ixi, as he now was, opened one red eye. He snorted, sucking in the liquid, as the tubes that had supported him became useless. His other eye opened, and he cast about wildly, thrashing in the glass tube, wires and tubes ripping from his body. He kicked out with his legs, drowning. His hooves met with glass, and fragile cracks spread across its surface. He kicked again and again, and within a few seconds, the glass had shattered, spilling the liquid everywhere, and washing him painfully to the tiled floor with it.
He lay there, trailing the last few wires he hadn’t pulled free of, confused, coughing up the liquid that had gotten into his lungs. Soon, he tried to instinctively get up, but it was as it is for a newborn, with wobbly legs and uncertain footing. It took him many minutes to be sure of himself, and he panicked in the dark, striking out at a run through the corridors.
The scientists were too busy with their other experiments to take notice of him as he charged down the halls, leaving a trail of wet footprints behind him. He met an end of a corridor, and, unable to stop, he crashed through a glass window, tumbling amongst the shards to the muddy ground below.
He got to his feet, wavering, fur muddied, and slicked down with the ferocious rain. He began to walk away from the lab, sliding down the steep hill, only just keeping his footing. He trudged on, and never cast a backward glance.
Once upon a time there was a sad little boy. He sat around all day and avoided company, because he always felt weird when amongst a crowd. One day, when he was in his room, contemplating his sad little boy life, a fairy came to him. The first thing she did was give him a smart rap on the nose, for being such a silly lad. Once she'd satisfied herself, she smiled upon him sweetly and told him that she was there to help. That he needn't be a sad little boy anymore. He could have friends! She would be his friend, if he let her. The boy stared on with awe, rubbing his nose from time to time, but the pain was trivial, and he was soon engulfed in the glory of his new fairy friend. She stayed with him for many days, keeping him company, giving him advice, whispering stories and sweet things into his ear at night, when he couldn't sleep. The sad little boy grew to love the fairy more than any other thing he'd ever met or seen. But still, he wouldn't mingle with other people. Only her. This frustrated the fairy a little bit. She was trying so hard to help the little boy, and he had taken her close to his heart, but he wouldn't let any one else in. There was a barrier, and she had hoped to breach it... to let him learn to love other people. Make new friends. The little boy would have none of it. He only grew more and more attached to the fairy as the days went on, and she continued to whisper her stories to him as he gently fell asleep. There came a time when a year had passed, and the little boy wasn't quite as little as he used to be... the fairy's glow had dimmed a bit, and the boy's friends had stopped coming to call. They knew that he would never come out. The fairy felt beat, like there was nothing else she could do. She could remain the boy's friend forever, but that was no way for the child to live his life. So one day, as he was falling asleep, she whispered to him the story of a caterpillar, who was disliked by all the other insects, until one day, he disappeared... and a week later, a beautiful butterfly was in his place. The butterfly was the envy of all the other insects, and everyone wanted to get to know him, and talk with him. The butterfly was very social, well-mannered, and generally loved by everyone... because he allowed himself to be near them, instead of just flitting away when the talking got too loud. She finished up her story, and the boy was sound asleep. She touched his hair lightly, leaning over to kiss his forehead, before she disappeared in a puff of glitter. The boy awoke to find that the fairy was gone, and no matter how much he called for her, she didn't answer, and didn't appear. He drew into a slump for many days, refusing to even leave his room. All he wanted was his fairy, but she never came back. Many more days passed. The boy's old friends heard about how he seemed depressed, and one by one, they began to filter towards him... a supporting group of people. The boy slowly came to realize that people were there for him, and that they cared about him. As he came to this conclusion, the barrier around his heart melted away, and he got up... left his room, and took the time to go out with people. He realized that this was the best thing that had ever happened to him. The boy smiled and laughed, forgetting all his troubles. After a long day, he returned home, and got into bed. Just as he was falling asleep, in that place right before dreams, the fairy appeared again. She touched his hand lightly, smile on her face, whispering to him "I'm proud of you,". She then left, and he never saw her again, but still he dreams of her, and he always awakes with a smile.
The End.