Hello, welcome to the rewritten version of Chapter 1! I hope you like this new/revised edition! You might see some old details still in there that I decided to keep in, but most are revised.

Also: I should have said this long ago, but this story was inspired by the story Home by ShellShockedNinjaTurtleGal on Fanfiction.net

The story mentioned above is incomplete, and will most likely stay that way, but it is very enjoyable to read! I highly recommend it if you love stories like these. I highly praise the author that created it, so go check it out!

That being said, some minor ideas from the story Home can be seen in this story. For instance, this chapter includes things like the word "kit" will be used to describe young Lombaxes. Also, the idea of a "memory recorder" or such device was also inspired by the story Home. I thought the concept was unique, and fitting in this situation. However, please remember that these ideas are inspired by the author, so credit goes to them for these ideas, since that is where I got the inspiration from. (However, I have been seeing more and more people use this term to describe Lombax young)

BEFORE YOU READ, I want to warn you that this chapter goes a bit slower, as I go into plenty of detail (in my opinion, at least). You can skip parts if you wish, but I recommend you read through most of it. Because it might have valuable information, I wish for some feedback on if you like chapters like this or not so I know for the future. Thank you!

Anyway, on with the chapter! Enjoy!

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It was a chilly autumn morning, the sun dying the sky a soft pastel yellow and baby blue. The air was crisp and refreshing. All this and more was what made up a perfect day for those that lived in the city. A city that held a notoriously secretive race. A race that was thought to be long gone since they seemed to disappear out of thin air years ago. This city held the Lombaxian race.

General Alister Azimuth was a well-respected man among his fellow Lombaxes. Known for his various triumphs while he was training for the guard. Commended for his work in bringing the Lombaxes across dimensions with his friend, the Keeper of the Dimensionator, Kaden Callisto. Together they helped those who survived to where they are now, away from the dangers that once plagued their kind.

Now, the Lombaxes all lived normal lives. They may have lost many years ago, but that did not stop them from moving on and becoming strong once again.

Although, today was not going to be a perfect day, for Alister that is.

He walked along the city's walls, having been up for hours looking for any dangers that could potentially be hazardous to those that resided within the walls, then again, he has done this enough times to assume that nothing would be amiss.

However, that was about to change.

He sensed an odd disturbance in the air, his white and red-colored earshot up in alarm, looking left and right to search for what could have caused this disturbance. Only to see nothing. He clenched his Omniwrench, perhaps he was getting tired from being up all night? His shoulders slumped, shaking off the odd feeling and raced down his spine as he started to walk forward slowly, as if he was apprehensive to walk on.

It wasn't until he turned the corner outside the city walls that he saw exactly what caused his unease. His body froze in shock, it couldn't be! He couldn't believe what he saw before him.

A young Lombax, no older than a teen, laid flat on their right side, left arm laid limply against their chest while their right arm stretched out in front of them. A spatter of blood painted the dirty ground beneath their head, their shirt seemed to be burnt, exposing burnt patches of fur and cuts that seemed to have stopped bleeding. Their legs seemed to be in no better shape than the rest of their body, lying limply on the ground, left knee bloody and bent forwards, not broken, but obviously injured. Their golden, brown-striped fur was dusty and bloodied in some spots, more injuries laying hidden beneath their fur. Alister dropped his Omniwrench in shock, getting down on his knees, hands hovering above the kit's body, afraid to touch just in case there were any injuries he could not see. He immediately grabbed his communicator strapped against his left shoulder, pressing the button and speaking into it.

"This is General Alister Azimuth. We have an emergency! I need a team of medics outside the city walls immediately! I just found an injured kit outside the city wounded and bleeding. This is an emergency, respond immediately!" Many voices shouted through the comms, questions upon questions were directed towards him, but he ignored them, before a louder voice replied, "On it, General! How injured is the kit?" They questioned. Alister listed off the injuries that he could see. The voice once again responded, "Affirmative, medic team will be there soon, they will meet you by the entrance!" and Alister was once again met with static. He growled lowly, hesitantly laying his right hand upon the teen's left shoulder, slowly turning their body on their back to get a better look at them.

By the looks of it, they seemed to be a male Lombax, a very small one at that. Breathing labored and eyes shut tensely. Alister grimaced, gently sliding his left arm under his neck, lifting him up slightly, praying that the teen didn't have a broken neck or anything.

"Hello? Can you hear me?" He asked, only to be met with silence, "You're gonna be okay kid, just hang in there."

He scooped the kit up, holding him against his chest. Walking away as quickly as he could to the city entrance, trying not to jostle the kit in his arms too much. He growled, anger seeping through him. Whoever did this would pay. It was a big problem if anyone dared to hurt a kit these days, however, it was not like any did before today. Many would surely be angry at whoever did it. They would surely meet the wrath of the General, The Council, and the whole Lombaxian race, that was a given.

In record time, he was by the city entrance, already spotting the team of medics that waited there, all of them gasping once they saw the body in his arms. The few guards that stood beside the city entrance also looked on in shock. This was worse than they thought.

"Oh my goodness!" A female medic exclaimed, rushing up to the general, beckoning her team over to her, "Lay him on the stretcher, gently!" She said worriedly. Alister complied, leaning down to lay the boy in his arms as gently as he could onto the stretcher. He grimaced as he saw more blood leak off the kit's head onto his armor and hands. However, this didn't bother him. It made him feel more resentment toward those who committed this crime.

"I shall follow your team to the Medcenter." He said, "I must monitor and report the situation to The Council after I see the kit is taken care of." The lead female medic nodded, picking up one end of the stretcher with her team. They rushed forward, a bit relieved that it was still early morning, and many were not out at this hour. However, the few that were awake and on the streets stopped in shock, looking on as the team rushed by in distress.

Alister paid them no mind as he followed the medics into the Medcenter, the head doctor rushing over immediately. He gasped in shock, quickly gesturing for the team to follow him into one of the rooms down the hall. "What happened?" He asked Alister.

"Found the kit outside the city, injured. No one was near him at the time."

The doctor nodded, quickly entering the room as the medics left, shutting the door behind him to get to work on the kit. Alister leaned against the wall, glaring at the door. It was going to be a long wait, but this gave him time to think about his next course of action.

He gripped his communicator tightly, pressing the button, "This is General Alister Azimuth. I am requesting any information any of you may have on those who exited the city at any time. Lock the walls."

And he was only met with words of affirmation, communicator nothing but static as those listened to what he said, closing the walls in record time. Alister sighed in relief. It wasn't until a few seconds later that he realized he left his wrench outside the city walls....No. It didn't matter now. He would retrieve that later. With a heavy heart, he stood there in silence.

It was going to be a long wait.

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[5 hours later]

Now sitting in a chair, Alister perked up as the head doctor left the room with his many assistants. He sighed as he removed his medical gloves, speaking shakily,

"The kit is stable, but his injuries are...bizarre. Burn injuries on his shoulder, sprained wrists. Severe concussion. A dislocated shoulder, and bruised ribs. None of his injuries needed to be stitched, but his head is tightly wrapped. He is on oxygen and has an IV at the moment, since he was dehydrated." He sighed tiredly, "It is a miracle that this kid is still alive."

Alister shook his head in disbelief, looking up at the doctor, "Any idea when the kit would wake up?" The doctor shook his head sadly, "No, we have to monitor his brain activity, but other than that, we must give it time." He paused for a bit, collecting his thoughts, "While he is stable for now, we will be keeping a close eye on him. You can report to The Council, General. I will inform you of any developments."

Alister nodded silently, watching the doctor rush off down the hall. He stood up, making his way to the exit. Thinking about how long the day has been and why it went so, so wrong.

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It wasn't until the early afternoon that Alister received a call over the comms, requesting his presence back at the Medcenter. He grimaced at the thought of it, heart-clenching, hoping the kit he saved was all right. He rushed quickly through the crowds, many talking about the incident, quiet mutterings could be heard about the injured kit and who could have done it. Alister sighed, word gets around quickly, that's for sure.

He arrived at the Medcenter as quick as he could, heading to the very door where the injured kit resided. He waited silently until the head doctor turned the corner,

"Afternoon, General Azimuth. You were called here on request of The Council." He said, a small frown on his face. "They requested a memory decoder to be put on the kit so they could see who did this to the kit, but no one here knows how to work it and no one could get in touch with Kaden Callisto. Could you perhaps contact him and let him know to meet us here? The Council said you would report back to them after it is over."

Alister sighed, but sent a message over his holo-phone to Kaden. His best friend was the best engineer of this generation. He was probably the only one that knew how to correctly use any sort of memory device, or any device entirely. He was always amazing at mechanical engineering, going so far as to even help with creating the Dimensionator. He did so well that he was given the title of Keeper of the Dimensionator. Kaden was definitely the most qualified to handle these problems than anyone here. He looked down as he felt his holo-phone vibrate, a message from Kaden flashing on the screen,

"He will be here as soon as possible. Are you sure the kit is stable enough for it?" He asked, concerned for the kit's health.

"As good as he can be at the moment. It helps that he is currently sleeping, as it should make it a bit easier for Callisto to do his job. I doubt that the kit would want to talk about what happened when he wakes, he will most likely be very shaken up."

Alister grimaced at the thought, looking down at the time floor beneath him. He heard the doctor sigh, "You can wait for Callisto in the kit's room if you wish. I assure you the kit won't wake up. But don't worry, he is still stable. Let me know if there are any complications." Alister nodded as he watched the doctor leave, stepping towards the door and turning the handle quietly. He opened it fully, shutting it behind him as he stepped in. The sight before him made him feel sick.

The kit's head was covered in bandages, as were his shoulders. His exposed stomach was covered by soft blankets. His left arm was sprawled above the blanket, and over his stomach, wrist carefully bandaged to compress the strained wrist. His right arm, by his side, was in the same condition. Small breaths escaped his mouth, strained and quick, while a breathing mask was secured tightly around his face. The kit looked so very small on the bed, and Alister grimaced at the sight.

He took a seat in a chair over the wall. However, he didn't have to wait long before Kaden entered the room in a rush. He had a hard, black case in his hand, holding all the equipment he needed. He looked over at his friend,

"I came as soon as you messaged me. Where's the kit?" He asked worriedly. Alister sighed, gesturing over the white curtains that shield the boy from any prying eyes. Alister couldn't sit and stare at the wounded kit for longer than necessary, which is why the curtains were drawn. Kaden stepped forward, hesitantly, slowly pulling the curtain back, gasping at the sight before him. Alister stood up to place a hand on his friend's shoulder after a full minute of silence. Kaden looked toward him,

"Ready to start?" Alister questioned him tensely. Kaden nodded silently, moving over to the left side of the hospital bed, opening the bag, and getting the device ready.

"Everyone has been talking about the kit. I wonder why no one stepped forward yet." Kaden said absentmindedly. Alister muttered, "Perhaps it's because they are afraid of the consequences they will face when we find out." Kaden only sighed, "I meant the parents. What parents don't even look for their kid? They have to be in the city somewhere." He held up the device, "Are you ready to get this over with, pal?"

Alister smiled, although it was very strained, "Go ahead."

Taking the device (that kind of looked like a dark metal circlet) and gently placed it around the boy's head, being mindful of the bandages. He clipped it on and attached the needed wires to it. He looked back down at the other device in his hand.

"All set, now we wait for a bit." He said, sitting down on a nearby chair, crossing his arms, and looking at the scene before him. It seemed like he had nothing to say, which unnerved Alister. His friend was usually so talkative. He looked back down at the floor,

He realized that all they could do was wait and give it time.

He wondered what resided within the kit's head. He frowned, getting lost in thought once more.

After about an hour of hushed conversations and shared looks towards the teen, the handheld device connected to the recorder ringed. Kaden stood up, leaning over to remove the circlet from the teen's head as gently as he possibly could, sighing in relief as it popped off without any issue. He then glanced at the attached device.

"Everything went smoothly, you can take this to The Council and tell them to notify me of any problems." He smirked, "Though I doubt there would be any problems, to begin with." Alister chuckled at that. He stood up, smiling at his friend. "Will do. Thank you, Kaden." His friend nodded, packing up the equipment. Before he left, he laid a hand on Alister's shoulder, "And Al-?" He asked, making his friend turn to him curiously, "Keep me updated on him, please?" Alister nodded, "Of course."

And with that, Kaden was off. Oblivious to the fact that something was very, very wrong with what was stored on the device.

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[ Early evening ]

Phoebe Callisto sat across from her husband at their dinner table. Bright blue eyes stared forward as she chewed idly. She had silver fur, with cream-colored stripes scattered about her ears and arms. She had very light, curly blonde hair that reached her shoulders, tail swishing slowly behind her. She looked up at Kaden suddenly, "What's wrong? Usually, you would be talking my ear off by now." She said, jokingly. However, Kaden only shook his head, leaning forward to lean on his elbows, "You know that kit that was found outside the city?" Phoebe nodded, "Of course, everyone has been talking about it. Are they okay?"

Kaden sighed, "He is doing fine. Stable, at least. But he got so many injuries, Pho. I couldn't help but feel-" his voice faded, and he shook his head. "I just can't believe that anyone would do that to a kit."

Phoebe nodded in understanding. Kit's were always a tough thing for the two to talk about, considering what happened to their own, years ago. So it is no surprise as to why Kaden was so shaken up and affected by the situation. She frowned, "Did they find out who did it yet?" But she was met with a tired sigh, "No. Not yet. But you know how they asked us to perform a recorder test on him. We will find out whoever did this, and they will pay for their crimes." He said seriously. Phoebe nodded her head in agreement. They sat in silence for a few more moments, before loud knocking rapped against their front door, Kaden bolting up in worry, Phoebe right after him.

Kaden unlocked the door and swung it open, revealing a very out of breath and unkept Alister Azimuth. Upon seeing Kaden, he straightened up. "Emergency at The Council. It's about the memories."

Phoebe gasped lowly before Kaden pulled his boots on in record time, turning around and kissing her on the cheek, "I'll be back as soon as possible, okay?" And Phoebe laughed quietly, "Got it." With a strained smile, Kaden rushed after Alister, heading to the headquarters as quickly as possible. They approached the doors, and the guards parted quickly for them, letting them pass. "They didn't even tell me what was wrong, only told me to bring you as well." he muttered, "It doesn't sound good, Kaden."

"No, it doesn't" Kaden replied, matching his stride with Alister's own.

Seconds later, they entered the main room, only a few Council Members turned toward them in a panic. One approached them,

"General, Keeper, we have a problem." The male Council Member stated. He pushed up his glasses, his frazzled expression was there for all those to see. "The kit...has no memories."

There was a moment of silence.

"W-what?" Kaden spoke up. I made sure it was working! Perhaps it was broken, or-or malfunctioning-" but the Council Member held up a hand, silencing him. "The recorder was in working condition, but the few memories we do have are...not able to tell us what happened at all."

Alister, in all his disbelief, said, "Then what memories does he have?"

At this, The Council member looked down at the clipboard in his hand. "His name...a few flashes here and there that were happening during the injury. Perhaps he fell, resulting in his head injury." They shook their head, "That's it. But The Council was thinking..." they trailed off, almost knowing what their reaction would be. "Having the kit be awake and performing the test once more."

Another moment of silence,

"Are you crazy?" Both Kaden and Alister shouted at the same time, Kaden stepped forward, "You want us to force the boy awake just to get your information? He needs to heal!"

"And we need to figure out who did this and confirm the information that the kit has no memories." The Council Member said, "This is just a precaution, Callisto."

Alister and Kaden sighed in defeat, they couldn't argue with The Council, not now at least. But that didn't mean they liked what they were about to do." The Council member stepped forward, handing Alister a datapad, "This is all the information we request from head Doctor Yuin as well. Please give this to him when you arrive." He said, turning around and joining the other Council Members behind him, starting a heated discussion.

The two friends looked at one another, sighing once more, before taking their leave.

At the Medcenter, a tired Doctor Yuin met them at the entrance, silently gesturing them down the hall. "The Council informed me beforehand and handed me the datapad. I will be in the room with you to wake him up." He frowned, "However, I hope you know that I am against this decision."

Kaden and Alister nodded their heads, "We are too." Alister replied bitterly, "But you know how The Council is." Yuin chuckled lowly at this, "Oh, I sure do..."

They entered the dimly lit room, Yuin going over to the side and turning the lights up a bit. "I don't want to blind him when he wakes, try not to be too loud either. I have him on strong painkillers, but I don't know how extensive the damage to his head is at the moment. Better to be cautious."

Kaden sighed, walking over to the left side of the bed, once again getting the device ready for use, he looked towards Yuin, "Should I put this on him before you wake him?"

"Yes, because we don't know how he is going to react. You can put it on now, and turn it on when he wakes. "Kaden nodded, fitting the device around the kit's head. Attached the wires, and readied himself to turn on the device. Yuin looked at both Kaden and Alister, "Ready?"

"Yes,'' they both replied, watching as Yuin fiddled with the IV bag. When he was done, he straightened up, waiting for a few moments.

The kit seemed to be unresponsive, and Kaden was about to call it quits before he saw the kit's hand twitch, then his arm, and finally his face. His eyes opened blearily, a sharp emerald green, just like Kaden's own. Kaden gasped, this kit...looked just like him (now that he thinks about it), except smaller. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. Regardless, he turned the device on, watching the teen's eyes open wider, yet his eyes were still clouded with confusion. Alister piped up, moving to the end of the bed, "I don't know if you can understand me right now, but if you do, please listen. I am General Alister Azimuth, do you remember what happened to you?"

The kit didn't seem to respond, looking around the room in confusion. Kaden whispered, "Probably the concussion. However, since he is conscious, the device will read it...hopefully."

A few minutes passed by until the kit's right arm came up to take the oxygen mask off of his face. Yuin moved it away, "Sorry bud, that isn't coming off."

He was met with a black stare, before the kid's hands shot up again, pulling the mask down before the doctor could stop him. He breathed in deeply, sucking in a hard breath, voice horse and broken,

"W-where-where am I?" He said as best as he could. He tried to sit up, but he failed. Yuin butted in, "Want the bed up?" He leaned down, not waiting for a response, and pressed a button, the bed moving up enough for the kid to sit up but still be supported. With this, the kid looked down at himself, staring blankly. He watched as the handheld device beside the bed blinked on and off, but besides that, his head felt like it was stuffed with cotton. He thought to himself,

"Why can't I remember anything?" He thought, "Why is everything so empty? Why am I so confused? What is there to remember?"

In all honesty, his mind was completely blank, and he found that he didn't like the feeling. He looked to his left, eyes staring into ones exactly like his own. The man sitting in a chair, watching the device, smiled slightly. Was he supposed to know these people? He hoped not, that would be pretty sad if he did and he did not remember them.

He stared down numbly, going over what he did know. His name was Ratchet, he was 19 years old. He...grew up on a very dusty planet...he had blonde fur with brown stripes. And...

And what?

He had flashes of memory, of the pain. Of the ground feeling like it was shaking beneath him. He felt the despair creeping upon him. Leaving him feeling vulnerable. He did not like that feeling. He looked back to the Doctor, who chuckled at him lowly, "You okay there?" He asked softly, he nodded. Yet his ears went down in apprehension. Alarming the adults in the room, Kaden piped up,

"Hey now, it's okay. You're not in any danger, alright? No need to be scared." He smiled down, sighing in relief when the kit's ears perked up slightly. However, he didn't speak anymore, practically going back to sleep. The device in Kaden's hand beeped, and by the time it was over the kit was once again asleep.

Hopefully, they got some answers this time.

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Hope you liked the rewrite! Remember, the gist of the story is still the same, just added more detail and changed the original events into more realistic/detailed events rather than the fast-paced "unrealistic" events. I want to try and make it easier for readers to picture the actions and placement of the characters, so I hope I am succeeding in that regard. Otherwise, sorry if this chapter seems like a drag, it will get faster as the story progresses.

If any of you have any questions or ideas, I am happy to hear them. Feel free to comment or PM me at any time!

Sorry for any spelling or grammar errors (I will come back to fix them eventually!), and, as always, see you next chapter!