Though it grew anxious, despondent, and impatient, seeing the candy the human child had given it renewed Xi's spirits.
It was all right.
It still had plenty of time.
Just as it always told itself, it only needed to take things slowly.
The restless air around Xi gradually settled.
If it gave up now, what would all that waiting and searching have been for?
Would it all have been for nothing?
It wasn't willing to accept that.
It would definitely find the human child.
Xiao Xiao bent one knee and propped his chin on one hand.
"Xi, if you don't want to give up, then don't."
"If you keep looking, you'll find him eventually."
"Though that sounds like a pretty irresponsible thing to say."
Xiao Xiao smiled. "Just think of it as my blessing for you."
"I hope that someday, you'll find your human friend."
"Moo moo~"
Xi nodded its head emphatically.
It would.
After all, it wanted so badly to find the human child.
For that, it was willing to keep looking.
Xiao Xiao stayed with Xi for a while before taking his leave.
"Goodbye, Xi."
"Moo moo moo~ moo moo~"
Xi rose to its feet. Its bluish-black hide seemed to have absorbed all the sunset's afterglow, gleaming with a dusky sheen.
It kept watching Xiao Xiao's retreating figure.
Only after he had disappeared from its view did it look away.
Then it lay back down on the grass.
The setting sun reflected in its eyes, glimmering faintly.
It remembered that there had been only one time when the human child had stayed with it to watch the sunset.
Vast swaths of red clouds stretched wantonly across the sky.
Even more beautiful was the red sun, as if it were burning through its final glimmer of