"Hey, w-wait!" Noelle stopped, pulling Susie along with her as she pointed forward, "I— I think I see someone!" The panels had been going in a straight line for some time now, which Susie took note of, anticipating some sort of interruption. She looked into the distance, trying to make out the odd figure that was ahead of them. In just a moment, her eyes widened in recognition, and she took off running.
Noelle's hooves quietly clacked against the floor, splashes of colorful mist being thrown off her trail, with the quiet sound of rustling paper quickly becoming clearer and clearer as the figure came into view. The tall person looked away from the two, hidden from sight by a blue, folded cloak, with dark patterns and swirls shifting through various shapes on it, vaguely resembling doodles on a page. Susie stopped before the figure, out of breath, hints of a smile pushing through her veil of surprise.
"A-ABAC?"
The 'cloak' suddenly closed shut, like the cover of a book, and began to rise into the air as the pair watched it intently. The cover began to unfold once again, flipping completely open, with a thousand pages flapping in the wind like butterfly wings, the rustling of paper coalescing into a gentle, warm melody. One by one, pages began to fly out of the book, each covered in scrambled words, unfinished drawings and various squiggles, folding in on themselves, forming various body parts. A pair of legs, a hand, then another, followed by a torso, with a hole punch mark visible through the middle of it. A long stretch of paper folded itself in half a dozen times before unfolding, manifesting as a fluttering cape that encased the body, as several pages swirled around the darkner's neck. One by one, pieces of paper folded themselves like origami, forming a smaller facsimile of the larger book, with tiny inset pages, flipping through a hundred scribbled faces before landing on two blank sheets, with their tops creased inwards, forming a set of eyebrows.
Finally, it spread its arms out in a dramatic fashion, coloring in their cape with a glistening aquamarine, and leaning down to the two lightners. "Expecting somebody else, dear?" It spoke with a deep, soothing voice, offering Susie a hand as it knelt down to her, "though I am glad to hear that you have yet to forget about me, haw haw haw!" The stepped laughter was accompanied by loud rustling, as the book on its shoulders folded in and out like an accordion.
Noelle's eyes grew wide, feeling decidedly out of place. Susie looked down at its hand, holding onto it as if it were an old friend. "Why... How are you here? I didn't even..."
ABAC folded in on itself, pages meshing in unorthodox ways, until it resembled a paper crane, the hole punch marks aligning on one of its wings. "I hopped out of your drawer the moment I sensed trouble! I simply couldn't leave my old friend alone! Remember, Susie, memories fade..." With a flap, ABAC unfolded back to its previous form, dramatically covering half of its "face" with its cape, "...but ink does not!"
With another hearty laugh, ABAC flopped onto the ground, propping its head up with its arms as it spoke: "Now, what's the matter, dear? Cramping claws? Nasty comments? Trouble getting the dang words onto the page?" It tilted its head, as Noelle leaned out from behind Susie, lost for words.
Susie scratched the back of her head, flustered as she tried to speak: "No, it's... it's nothing like that, ABAC, we're, um..." she stopped, remembering the reason for them being here, a sharp pain stopping her heart for a brief moment, "we're... trying to find Kris. I know it's a long shot but... do you have any idea where they might be?"
ABAC's head stopped moving as it began thinking, a hand moving up to idly run a finger through the pages, before muttering: "I'm... sorry, dear, but I'm afraid I can't help you."
Susie's brows furrowed. "What, nothing? Anything at all? Kris must've done something, otherwise, why could..."
ABAC put its hand to her lips, interrupting her. "Ah, there's that... word again. I am terribly embarrassed to ask this, but..." It straightened out, adjusting its cape as it looked down at Susie.
"Who is this 'Kris' you speak of? Are they a friend of yours? They seemed to have worried you quite badly if you're asking me for help. Even poor Elly is shaking!"
Susie's hands fell to her sides, as she struggled to even begin searching for something to say. Noelle stepped out from behind, raising her hand, when suddenly, a mighty eagle's screech roared from the sky.
