Long hours passed as the tar stretched lose, leaving sticky black fingers on the dead grass within the stone. The work was hard and slow, often times those dark ropes bound It to the ground again before It could pull lose. Outside a change had occured, the poppies grew taller and brighter than they had been before. Butterflies came in great clouds of shimering, billowing wings before returning to their flower patches. The grass pratically glowed in the bright sun, the picture of life itself. The magic the little creature had left behind rose from the circle of stones near the Crying Idol, flickering like oil on their surfaces. The world It had left behind was ready, the vastness had remebered the small heart that once tended these soils. While they did not truely know where it had gone they knew now that It was almost home.

The Idol Spirit paused a moment to listen awesturck to the chiming of birds so close by. Soon It knew that It would feel sunshine again. After almost a year in the darkness....finally It would step into the light. Ird sighed sadly, if only It would be able to see it. All the new sprouts, the shadows the sun cast when it passed through the leaves, moss growing on the rocks...would It ever see these things again? Would It ever be able to see any of them again? The faces of all those that had saved It. Kettu, Yara, Odu, Lilith, Akhen....and even Sen in a fashion. What It wouldn't give to be able to see them again. For all It knew Its world would forever be darkness now and that was sad. Very sad. Like being stuck in the night with no stars and moon to guide you back home.

How would It tell them that? That in Its own grief and worry It had blinded Itself? In Its own stupidity It had believed that It was better to see nothing then to see their sadness? Even heartache needed to be seen, that was the only thing that help to heal it. Left alone....that sadness would fester inside untill there was nothing left. It knew that now. It should have never forgotten that. And now, with the holes dug in Its side and a few long dead flowers matted against Its shoulders It had paid that price in full. The Twins had taken Its sight as compensation as well, weither or not they gave it back in the end was unknown.

Times passing and so It gets back to work. More tar strands break, now two legs are free, now the shoulders, the tar snaps and crackles at Its progress. More skin gives away. More holes...more scratches. But Its heart is singing. They are out there! Life is out there! And It must find them. Home.. that word echos through Its bones. Home! Life! They are there! They have always been there! It has been so blind before this! Perhaps that is why they took Its sight, now Its finaly seeing. It's at the fringe of the idol now, head pressed against the stone. It breathes deep, quieting the doubts roaring in Its head and gives one last lurch. The last leg breaks free and the Idol Spirit goes down, forhead cracking against the wall.

For awhile It lays there, gasping for the breath Its lost. Its head throbs, one antler tip is gone now. It does not know where the tip fell only that if some mirical It regains Its sight It will find that tip and string it on the necklace It wears. A reminder and a warning of what happened in the darkness. One day It will give that antler to someone who needs it more then It did. The damp, fresh smell of the forest filters through the stone, bringing the cold air of the last months. It has been gone for so long....how can such a small creature fit back into such a huge world? The prospect is daunting, terrifying but It needs to try again so that It may grow to not be scared. It needs to start.

The little being rises slowly, weak legs dumping It to the ground again. It huffs and trys again, only managing to stand for a moment before they fold under It. It is exhausted. But It must not rest, It must rise. Ird coughs, tar bubbles swelling out before popping, spraying the stone with darkness. This was not easy. Going home had never been easy. The last journey home had been before, before coming here. That journey had ended with Its body in a reservoir, water flowing around It as everything faded. Water in Its lungs...It shudders at the memory of that cold. Then the days of fading and wandering as Its spirit slowly gave out....It hopes that this journey will end better.

Eventually It just crawls, shaking limbs pushing It slowly forwards on Its belly. More soil is lost. Its head passes through the stone, It cries as warmth sweeps across Its eyeless face. There are no words for a feeling like this. Then It's toppling out, plunging into the water that had first given It this life. Its magic flows to It across the water, slipping back inside. A great amout of the tar is swept away. Sudenly It can hear everything, the thoughts of the fish, the words of a growing leaf, the hum of earthworms in the dirt below....then the sound fades away. It cries again as the water sweeps It up onto the shore, halfway down the stream. It lays there on Its side, water slipping from Its brittle body, gathering in the holes in Its flesh. Around It the grass grows lush and green, curling around the brown body of the Little Forest, forming a nest. A smile pulls Its mouth wide, body wracked with great sobs of happiness.

Home. Home. Home! Home! After a while Its conscience fades and It drifts away to the no longer distant sound of birdsong. It will lay there for a time as Its body and spirit recovers from what Its been through. The struggle still continues within It but time heals all and It will be no different. After a time the others might come, those that had guided It out of the darkness without ever knowing they were doing for It. Its lights, Its friends....Its life.

Welcome home Irdlirvirisissong"