[center][h1][u][b]The Undergrounders[/b][/u][/h1][/center]

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	“Oops, sorry, coming through! Out of the way! Watch out, running through here! Wide load, out of the way!” Xie Tuzi of the Bu Lineage barreled through the warrens as fast as she could, a leaf pouch packed full of chalked tucked closely to her chest. She ran at full pelt, paws thrumming against the hard earth in what would’ve been a decently pleasant rhythm, had the heavy beats not been rendered inconsistent by her wild jumping, off walls and occasionally other people. Xie received a great many nasty looks, but it was okay. This was Low Warren, home to the dregs of society; the dirt-sweepers, mine-pickers, and of course, runners like Xie. Sure, she might start a fight if she jumped off the wrong ‘pite here, but it was still less risky than sprinting through High Warren. That was a death wish.

	The Lapite girl continued running, bouncing off the various shops and residences of Low Warren, which were packed so tightly together that they rattled when someone rolled over in their nest, three dens down. The urban tunnels made for fun running, but they were crowded and stinky, and the dim mana lanterns were older than old. Heck, they were so old, the sparks from the mines were a more reliable light source! Xie clucked to herself at the thought and kept running. 

	The closer she got to the Shaft, the wider Low Warren’s tunnels became. Here were the artisans, skilled enough to earn a living, but not enough to live in a higher warren. The lanterns were better maintained, the paths were actually swept properly, and the ceiling reached up higher than her ears. The walls weren’t smooth because of the constant wear and tear on the stone, but because someone had taken the time to properly smooth it out, with tools. Granted, it was still Low Warren, meaning the air itself was practically magnetic from all the hematite hanging about in the dang air, but it was an improvement! She liked it here the most. If only her family could afford it.

	Her breakneck pace slowed to a patter, and Xie hesitantly hopped up to the Shaftguard. On good lightcycles, it was Jianyu, the portly and humorous guard that rarely bothered to inspect how much chalk she was delivering. But this time, it was a new face, and new faces usually meant trouble. Just to be safe, she thumped over as lightly as she could, ears flopping down in a sign of submission. 

	“State your business, lightfur.” Lightfur! Better than halffur. He clearly thought she was solid white, without any patches or markings at all. This could be easier than she anticipated.

	“Important chalk delivery to High Warren, on orders of Archbishop Jingjiao. I have an identification cord right here.” She set the packet of chalk atop her head, securing it snugly with her ears, and used a paw to pat around her thick chest fur, combing through the strands until she found what she was looking for- a simple grass cord, strung through with three beads: iron, on the bottom, to represent her; see-through zircon in the middle, to represent her transparency; and finally, a mana-infused pebble on top, to represent the clergy. She thrust it at the guard, hoping he would hurry up. Jingjiao was nice enough to employ her, but nice enough to tolerate tardiness. The longer the guard looked it over, the harder it became to keep her bare paw from tapping nervously in the smooth, compact dirt.

	“Anyone could’ve made this,” growled the guard, glaring at her from beneath a copper helmet. “All it would take for a criminal to fake identification is a piece of grass, a piece of glass, and a good paintbrush.”

	“Take it up with the administration, not me,” scowled Xie, no longer submissive now that she was sure she’d be tardy. “I’m sure they’d love it if a newbie called them down to handle a girl with a now VERY LATE and VERY IMPORTANT shipment of chalk, whose credentials are completely valid! Do you want the gods to be angry? Huh? HUH? DO YA? Because if I don’t get to High Warren, right now, they are going to rain down a storm of fire and fury upon us! The ground will shake! The mines will bubble and burst with floods of acid and magma! Blood, death, everywhere! Pleaaaaase!” She got down on her knees and begged, hamming it up to the best of her ability, pouring all her irritation into the theatrics. “Think of the does! Think of the kittens! Have you no lapititiy?!”

	He threw the cord back at her with contempt and jerked his head at the gaping hole in the wall behind him. “Make it quick. I’ll be listening for your pawsteps.”

	“Please, nobody’s ears are THAT good!”

	“Try. Me.” He bared his teeth and she got the hint. Xie Tuzi, fastest “lightfur” in the Warrens, jumped into the dark shaft and vanished.

[hider=Summary]
Bunny society exists now! Well, one version of it. The Lapites that went underground underwent a lot of changes in two thousand years, and now we get our first glimpse into some of them through the eyes of Xie Tuzi, descendant of Lu Bu! Will she ever make it to High Warren? What is the purpose of the mysterious chalk? Find out next time on Total! Drama! Island!

I mean, find out next post, maybe.
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