A Lucky Encounter

Far into the deepest jungles of the Jurupa Forest, miles away from civilization, in a cozy secluded grove near a river, a small home once sat nestled among vines and twisting branches. In this home lived an old grey Xero. He had enjoyed a simple life here for many years. In the morning he tended to his crops, in the afternoon he fished and panned for rare stones in the river, and in the evening he settled by the fireplace for a well-earned dinner and rest. This uncomplicated cycle had repeated for decades.

Until one particular sunny afternoon. 

The old Xero made his way upriver along the well-trodden trail he had walked countless times, bag of supplies in tow. Pleasantly warm sunlight filtered through the high canopy above. He settled on a sandy bank and got straight to work, scooping up the riverbed and sifting out the sand, depositing anything shiny or potentially useful into a bucket beside him. He smiled widely when the sand revealed a sizable gold nugget. He admired it for a moment, rolling it between his claws before turning to drop it in the bucket. 

His blood went cold. 

Someone was standing there, staring at him.

The old Xero jolted and yelped in panic at the sudden intrusion. He hadn’t heard any footsteps approaching. His heart thumped wildly but he managed to regain composure once he got a good look at the Xero standing so quietly before him. 

They were a peculiar-looking young Xero. Blue and purple splotches covered their fur and their giant black pupils had an odd shape. Long, sharp horns adorned their head. They stood there motionless and expressionless… It was almost a little bit creepy.

“Jeez, kid, ya almost gave me a heart attack,” the old Xero said with a deep ragged breath, clutching his chest. 

The young Xero said nothing.

The old Xero was perplexed. It was rare for him to interact with anyone at all, let alone weird kids by themselves. Where did this kid come from? How long had they been out here alone? He wasn’t sure what to do.

“Uh… Shouldn’t ya be at, uh… an ARC facility or something?” the old Xero asked.

The kid just tilted their head to the side with unbreaking eye contact. 

“Got any parents? Caretakers?”

Their head tilted to the other side. 

The old Xero sighed. “Look, kid, I don’t know what’s going on with ya, but you should probably get back to ARC. There’s a campsite downriver from here. Someone there could probably shuttle ya back to the city. It’s far, so I can walk you there if ya-”

The kid’s attention abruptly shifted to the bucket on the sand. They peered inside and their eyes lit up like gleaming gemstones. For a moment they seemed almost enraptured by the bucket’s contents. Before the old Xero could stammer a word out, the kid squatted down and plunged their paws into the water with conviction. 

“W-woah, hey, uh-” 

Seconds later the kid whirled around with their arms outstretched, splashing water all over the old Xero. He coughed and sputtered as he rubbed his face and shook water out of his fur. A frustrated growl rumbled in his throat.

“Now ya listen here, kid-” The old Xero went silent, his mouth agape. He finally noticed what the kid was so enthusiastically holding up to him. 

A small comet cluster. Vibrant blue shards speckled around a rock that had hurtled through space for millions of years, only to land on this planet. A cosmic stroke of luck. 

“Remarkable…” the old Xero gently held the cluster in his claws. “I don’t see many of these nowadays. How’d ya find it so fast?”

The kid just stared up at the old Xero with a hopeful smile. They had that sparkle in their eye, one that the old Xero recognized right away. The spark of passion. Curiosity. The old Xero smiled back.

They spent the rest of the afternoon together panning in the river. The old Xero gave the kid pointers, taught them what to look for, what to keep and what to leave behind. The kid never broke their stride. The bucket quickly filled with copper, silver, gold nuggets, and a few rare gemstones. The kid even found another comet cluster. The old Xero had never seen anything like it. This kid was some kind of gem hunting prodigy. 

After a few hours the sun began to set, and darkness was slowly falling over the forest. The old Xero packed up his supplies and hoisted up the heavy bucket. He looked down at the strange young Xero standing there unblinking, unmoving. 

“You don’t have anywhere to go, do ya?” the old Xero asked softly. 

The kid shook their head. It was so quick and small it was almost unnoticeable. For once, an actual reply. 

“Well then,” the old Xero said. “It’s getting dark, and it’s not safe to be out here alone. Why don’t ya stay in my home for the night? I have some spare space.”

The young Xero’s expression brightened and they gave a small nod. The old Xero motioned to follow, and the two made their way downriver. 

“It seems you might not be able to talk, but,” the old Xero pondered. “What should I call ya? Got a name?”

The kid shook their head. 

The old Xero glanced down at his bucket full of gleaming stones, and the two comet clusters tucked safely in a pouch on his waist. 

“I think I’ll call ya Lucky.”