Hi again! As you know, I was gone for a long period of time due to being banned. But..what did I do during that time?  I made tons of new friends and learned many new things. I had loads of fun, of course. On Christmas, I got this new book: the last book in The Lunar Chronicles series! Winter. (Very good book, but I finished it too fast!  Then, the New Year came around. My resolution was to make a lot more art than I have the prior year because I was always too distracted. I did something that I was very proud of in between that timeframe.

 

     We had to write yet another Young Author's Narrative Short Story for school. I already had so many ideas ready and couldn't wait to get to writing! (We were supposed to write only five pages, but the majority of us went way over that!) As soon as I started on the rough draft, I had no clue what to type out. I just sat there with a blank stare for a few moments before holding down on the space bar, wondering where the wonderful ideas I had had run off to! Suddenly, I knew how to start it and began typing it up. The story taught me a good lesson about letting go of what's gone even though I wrote it. I think out of all of my stories, this is the best one I've written in my student career! I wish it could have been longer and that I could have paced it better. The story is 23-24 pages long.

 

Warning: There are some references to death, weaponry, and this contains slight gore. Long read if you don't like reading that much. Viewer/reader discretion is advised! :3

 

                  A Broken Heart Mends

      The footsteps and shouting. The bullets soaring through the air. The horrid scent of gunpowder. Cedar was only a pup when it happened. Her mother carried Cedar in her mouth, frantically searching for an escape. She sprinted, dodging bullets and people who jumped out in her path. Finally, she made it back to her burrow. She placed Cedar into it and started for the mouth of the hole.

      “Mom, what’s going on? Where are you going?” she asked, her eyes wide and frightened.

      Her mother looked afraid too. She said nothing and left the burrow, leaving so quickly the last thing Cedar saw was the red flash of her mother’s tail. The footsteps faded away, and so had the memory of it all.

      The fox awoke from the nightmare with a jolt. It was a recurring dream she had night after night. That fateful day just wouldn’t leave her mind. She simply stretched and leapt from the dimly lit burrow, immediately being met by the pale sunlight and warm air. The glowing orb was still rising above the horizon.

      Rustle. Cedar spun around, watching as a bush shook. A gray and tan rabbit hopped out through the leaves of the bush. They sniffed the ground, most likely searching for something to eat. Cedar took a step back, eyes narrowing..she was getting ready to pounce. One..two…three! Just as the bunny looked up, Cedar was in midjump. They tried to make a run for it, but it was too late. Cedar landed on them and bit down on their neck like a vampire sucking the life force out of someone. The rabbit let out a last frightened squeak before they went limp in her mouth. It looks like I’m the one who got to eat in the end, she thought with a bit of cockiness.

      Just as she began to feed off of the deceased rabbit, an unfamiliar sound came from somewhere in the forest. It was a distant click-click-click sound. At first, Cedar assumed it was the sound of a gun, but this was different. Cedar glanced around just to be sure. She then left the remains of the rabbit and wandered through the very bushes they came from.

      As she headed towards the source of the sound, the trees around grew sparser. There was less foliage and the grass was sparse. Cedar walked on for a while, but she could tell she was nearing the source of the sound. It came from an abandoned cabin at a random clearing in the middle of the forest. The wood seemed to be rotting away from termites. There was mold and mildew growing over it as well. There were a few stray bricks on top of the roof–or what was left of the roof–and some on the ground. The cabin had no windows save for the remaining glass shards that weren’t scattered everywhere.

      Suddenly, the click-click-click sound came again from within the building. A thought came to mind and Cedar realized what the sound reminded her of: a woodpecker! The source of the sound could have very well been the long-beaked bird. Even with this in mind, she wanted to investigate. The sound ceased and the curious fox slinked into the doorless, dilapidated cabin.

     The inside of the run-down, abandoned abode was no better. The floors were rotted and it was absolutely bug-ridden. She inhaled and immediately started coughing. Dust particles drifted through the moist air. There were more loose bricks on the floor and at the bottom of the fireplace signifying that there used to be a chimney. An old table and two chairs were turned on their side and pushed against the dingy wall. The floorboards of the drab building were slightly mushy beneath Cedar’s paws making her snout scrunch up in disgust. The sound came again and Cedar looked up at the splintering wooden support beam. Perforations were made in a somewhat straight vertical line on the support beam. That’s when Cedar finally saw the source of the noises. A bird, just like she originally presumed. This bird wasn’t a woodpecker, though.

     “You’re not a woodpecker…” she thought aloud. This grabbed the attention of the mysterious avian making the tiny craters. The finch’s yellow head turned to face Cedar. The rest of the bird’s feathers had gray tinges everywhere. She had a short, pointy, and gray beak. Her big eyes were a deep brown.

     The finch’s mouth faintly turned up into what seemed to be a smile and said, “Oh, hello there!” Her voice was surprisingly friendly and high-pitched.

       She proceeded to use her beak to climb down the support beam, using the holes as if they were the rungs of a ladder. The little bird missed one of the holes, causing her to fall the rest of the way. She flapped her wings frantically during the drop, allowing Cedar to catch a strange characteristic about this avian. The finch’s wing feathers were cut perfectly short. When the stranger made contact with the floor, she bounced back up as if she never fell. Cedar recoiled and growled as the finch approached, her ears pinned back.

      “Don’t..don’t come any closer!” Cedar shouted in a feeble attempt to be ferocious.

      The finch jumped back, taken aback by the sudden outburst from the fox. Her feathers stood up from fear before she settled down again. 

     Holding out a clipped wing, she exclaimed, “My name is Althea!” Then she hopped forward and continued, “What’s your name, newcomer?”

      Cedar faltered, not expecting to be treated so…kindly by someone she just met. Her ears went back to their normal position and she stood straight again, just staring at Althea. Shaking this surprised daze off, she regained her stoic composure.

      Cedar started, “That’s not usually something I would just tell a random bird I just met,” she stated bluntly.

      Althea’s wing folded back in and she tilted her head as if she didn’t understand.

      “Really? So…does that mean you would tell a bear your name? Or a tortoise? Or a mink?” Althea questioned, looking very quizzical.

      Cedar frowned in a way that showed she thought this bird was dim-witted.

      “You know that’s not at all what I mean..” She trailed off, realizing she could have walked away a long time ago so that this conversation would have never started. Cedar really wanted to do that right about now. “I just–don’t trust many creatures anymore,” she explained, trying to remain vague.

     As if not hearing anything Cedar just said, Althea squeaked, “Can I call you Bobby if you really won’t tell me your name? Or maybe Rebecca? George?” she pestered.

     The red fox started to feel irritated at the bird’s incessant questions. She simply groaned and rolled her eyes as the finch rambled on and on. Cedar took the opportunity to sneak out while Althea was distracted. She walked away, returning into the forest. Time passed by and Cedar was still wandering around the forest, looking for her burrow. It was nowhere to be found. Her heart sank when she realized she might be lost. 

     Cedar found herself turning back to find that cabin again. She shuffled there very slowly, not very happy to see the obnoxious little avian again.

     “Oh, there you are! I thought you were a figment of my imagination when I turned and you were gone,” Althea admitted, her eyes showing a hint of loneliness in them.

     Of course, Cedar noticed this, but disregarded it, instead taking into mind what she just said. It was disturbing which made Cedar think Althea might be insane.

     “Right…” the fox muttered, “..Uhm, you wouldn’t happen to know where a burrow would be?” she questioned, a little louder.

     Althea perked up at this. “Well. of course I know where a burrow is!” she said with great ecstasy. “Come on, I’ll show you!”

      Cedar regretted asking in the first place but she decided to go along with it. The yellow bird hopped ahead of her and stopped at a grand tree, taller than any other. The bark was covered in moss and a few insects. The viridescent leaves of the tree swayed gently in the calming breeze. With her wing, she pointed at a gap between the tree’s roots.

     “There’s a burrow!” she squealed with excitement.

     Cedar deadpanned. I should have been more specific… Inquisitive, despite her principles, Cedar ambled towards the burrow. She craned her neck to see what was inside. It was fairly dark, her eyes needing to adjust, but she was able to make out a few sleeping figures. Baby bunnies, she realized. They were puny and had sleek, shiny, brown fur of varying tones. In an attempt to avoid disturbing their adorable slumber, she stepped away quietly, back into the light.

     “Was that the one you were looking for?”

     “No,” Cedar began, “I was looking for a different one..”

     The vixen did a swift, thorough scan of her surroundings. She was suddenly aware of the fact that she’d strayed even further from her home. Now how am I going to find my way back? I really don’t want to be stuck with..her. Cedar imagined herself as a skeleton and the bird still talking her ears–well, bones off. She shuddered at the very thought of that.

     “Thank you for..trying. I’m going to leave now,” she mumbled, not exactly grateful. She was still heartbroken about being lost.

     “May I come with you? I mean, we’re best friends, and I really want to go with you!”

     Cedar opened her mouth ready to say no, but she didn’t. She merely strolled away without answering. The sunny, dynamic bird followed her either way, hopping along the faint tracks Cedar left behind.

     “So..where’re we going, friend?” Althea asked. 

     Cedar sighed, exasperated. When is she going to give up? Finally, full on silence passed between them. Then, Althea started back up again with a barrage of questions.

     “What’s your favorite color? Flower? Food? Tree you’ve seen?” she continued with her questions that seemed to go on forever.

     The finch must have been unfazed by Cedar’s aggravated and grumpy demeanor, because when Cedar failed to respond to any of the questions, Althea moved on to yet another topic.

     “You know, I’ve been alone for a long time. You’re the first creature I’ve talked to in years,” Althea disclosed, her voice taking on a hint of a waver.

     Cedar glanced back before looking straight ahead again. “Is that so? I wonder why,” she retorted, her words dripping with sarcasm.

     “It’s fine though. At least I’ve made a new friend—you,” she added with great sincerity, yet Cedar didn’t seem to care for it. Quiet came again.

     They came upon another clearing. The warm, pale yellow sun was going down by the time they reached another part of the forest. Golden rays of sunlight shone over the horizon as if they were pieces of delicate, toasty silk strewn across the land. A green-blue pond sat to their far right. Lily pads sat on the water as well as a few water lilies of different colors. The trees’ bark had a rich brown tone to them. It all smelled of maple trees.

     “Wow!” Althea exclaimed in an unnecessarily loud voice, causing Cedar to flinch as if she were a cat that spotted a cucumber. ”It’s so pretty here! And look at that pond!”

     The provoked fox’s ears pinned flat against her head in fury. This was Cedar’s last straw. Not only was Althea infuriating her, but she found her to be too loud and “too excited” all of the time.

     She finally snapped and whirled around to face her, her snout scrunched up. “That. Is. It! I’ve had it with you! We are not friends! I do not like you! Just leave. Me. Alone!” she shouted, baring her teeth.

     Eyes going wide, Althea took a step backwards. Once Cedar’s emotions settled down again and she took a deep breath, not looking at Althea. This time, Althea seemed to get the message and sorrowfully trudged away. Just before that, Cedar got a glimpse of the little bird’s big, innocent dark chocolate eyes. They looked just a bit wetter with tears. At that moment, Cedar felt a jab at her heart. She felt bad for saying what she said. She tried to convince herself into thinking otherwise. Serves her right…if..if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be lost.

     At last, the sun had already gone down. The talkative bird left her alone hours ago. The sky was a deep purple with hints of blue, black, and lighter shades of purple. Stars speckled the entirety of space like white paint splattered haphazardly by a furious artist. Cedar was startled by the call of an owl and the imperceptible sound of leaves rustling. Her fur puffed out and she hurried into the closest place of which she could hide in. A little crevice in between two large rocks sufficed for her. Cedar scurried inside, enveloped in the darkness. It was hard to see anything, but the flapping of tiny wings let her know what creature was lurking in this fissure. A moth: a critter who she found to be a silent killer. She was always terrified by their beady eyes and how fuzzy they were. Of course, moths were harmless and quite kind. Cedar just didn’t know that.

     Sunlight seeped into the crevice of which the weary fox was sleeping in. As the light hit her eyelids, she awoke. As she blinked away the bleariness, she saw a light brown critter with six legs and brown wings and they were covered in fur on her nose…A moth! Alarms went off in her head and she got to her paws instantly. Cedar shook her head violently in order to shake off the moth. The little night insect went rocketing away, catching themself before they collided into the ground. The horrified fox watched as the moth flew away. Cedar took a long, deep breath to calm her nerves.

     She stepped outside into the new day. The wind blew. It was a tad chilly. Although it was sunny in this area, gloomy clouds loomed overhead. It might rain today, she thought. Cedar didn’t stop to hunt any creature. She simply went onward. She trekked across the land, not stopping for anything. Though, Cedar did spot something peculiar. A black bird that was just pecking at the ground mysteriously disappeared as if pulled into the ground. There was no sign of the bird taking flight or hopping away. She didn’t think too much about it and continued on with roving away.

     Finally, Cedar came to a stop when she reached another piece of the first. It felt cold here. Very cold. The towering, dark trees and their shadows were long which only added to the ominosity. This area was so different from the rest, it was like night and day. All of the greenery was much thicker and sharper and the air smelled of petrichor. A shiver ran down Cedar’s spine. Still, she meandered through the thicket.

     Thorns scraped and pricked at Cedar, threatening to entangle her in the pointy underbrush. The canopy was very thick making it nearly impossible for sunlight to penetrate the surface. She tramped on. It was awfully silent here, as if nothing was alive in these parts. Not a single caw of a bird or rustle of squirrels scampering up and down trees. Cedar was so caught up with her thoughts, she narrowly avoided an especially sharp thorn that would have pierced right through her eye. I have to be more careful…she thought. That wasn’t the only thing on her mind. She was still feeling remorseful for yelling at Althea like that. Cedar rolled her eyes, pushing the thoughts out of her mind.

     Just then, her ears perked up. They stopped a moment too late which is how she noticed in the first place. She was being followed. Cedar turned around in every direction, ready to attack if she needed to. Her tail thrashed in both anxiety and hostility in an effort to look menacing.

     “You can calm down, ya red fluff ball,” stated a hoarse, yet wise sounding voice.

     Cedar gritted her teeth at the insult and stood straight again. Her eyes narrowed in vexation. A raccoon with scraggly fur, crooked whiskers, and an egregious underbite revealing one large, yellow canine from his mandible emerged from the bushes in front of her. He already had gray fur with silver streaks, but there were more silver streaks in it than she had seen from any raccoon. The raccoon’s left eye was shut and there were claw marks on it. His other eye was the color of an edamame bean with a blue ring around the iris. He had a pointy little snout and the basic raccoon marking around his eyes that made him look like a burglar. One of his ears had a hot bite taken out of it.

    He certainly is a homely individual.

     “I mean no harm to ya. I’m just here to help ya outta this here forest,” the old raccoon said, sitting back on his haunches. “Mah name’s Rinji. What’s yours, youngin?”

     When Cedar didn’t answer, Rinji got back on all of his paws, sighing. “You sure are a stubborn little fox, aren’t ya? Not telling anybody your name.”

     It took Cedar a minute to realize what he just said. How’d he even know about that?

     “Anyhoo, we best get goin’. There’re a lotta hidden crooks and nannies and traps here, and only I know how to get through em’,” Rinji affirmed.

     As Rinji began walking ahead of her, she uttered something under her breath. “How am I supposed to believe a half-blind raccoon could possibly show me how to get through this place…”

     “I heard that!” he yelled from somewhere in front of her.

     Cedar tensed up, feeling guilty. Right after that, he added, “Naw, I’m just playin’ with ya. I ain’t heard a ding dang darn thing you said.”

     She relaxed and kept in mind not to say something like that again. She followed close behind him. Rinji decided to keep talking.

     “Ya know, you shouldn’t treat your friends as badly as you have already.”

     Cedar paused in her tracks. “Friends—I don’t have friends.”

     Rinji turned around with a look that made Cedar rethink her words.

     “You’re talking about the bird..Althea, right? I don’t even know how you know so much about me, but I’m not friends with her,” she explained.

     Rinji inspected her face before turning back around and walking again. “Okay. While that may be true, ya shouldn’t treat her like that. You would have never gotten outta that burrow if she hadn't been makin’ all that racket, right? You woulda rotted away in that hole, waitin’ fer yer mother,” he looked around for a moment. “She’s been through a lot—like you have. She’s a little like you.” He paused, then continued with a joking tone. “You know, except fer the grumpy part.”

     The fox wondered what the bird could have possibly been through that would be so bad. She didn’t even mind what he said at this point.

     “As a fledgin’, she tried to fly out of her nest while her mother was huntin’ fer food. Her siblin’s were too young to stop her. Her wings weren’t developed enough, so she fell right out. A buncha humans snatched her up, threw her in a cage, and clipped her wings. They kept her fer a few months like that, using her for entertainment.

     “She’s lucky she escaped unscathed. Unfortunately, when she finally got back to her nest, her whole family was gone. They gave up searchin’ fer her. So, she waited and waited, but they never came back,” he finished.

     All of the emotion Cedar had tried to drown out came rushing back tenfold. She felt such contrition for how she acted towards Althea, she felt her own heart shatter into a million pieces. Althea was just looking for a friend. She really had been alone for a long time. No family. No nothing. The fox felt the urge to apologize. This feeling grew stronger and she started going left—off course.

     “Hey! Where’re ya goin’? That’s the wrong way!” he called out.

     She was on a new mission now. To apologize to—ziiip! Jingle. Something was around her neck. It was rough. A branch? No. This was a nylon snare. Cedar tried to shimmy out of the trap, but it only tightened. Frantic, she pulled harder. The cord only tightened around her neck, digging into her skin. She reared on her hindlegs, pulling and pulling against the cord. As she struggled, that incessant jingle sound continued. The snare crushed her windpipe, making it hard to breathe. Her heart raced, thumping like a herd of bison stampeding the plains. She heard a clamp sound and a yelp from somewhere behind her.

     Suddenly, she heard an all too familiar sound. At first, she thought it was her own heart. Then it clicked. She froze. It was unmistakable. The way the ground indiscernibly trembled. The footsteps. The shouting. They were coming. Humans. The bell must have alerted them, somehow. They would take her just as they took her mother. Cedar knew what would happen to her. She curled up into a ball, her breathing shallow. The fox shut her amber eyes, possibly never to see the light of day again.

     The humans grew nearer and nearer to where she was. All hope was lost for Cedar. Peck-peck-peck..peck-peck-peck…Snap! Jingle. Cedar was no longer being strangled. I must be dead, she assumed. She felt little feet climb atop her body. A recognizable voice came from right on top of her.

    “Come on! You've got to get up!” the voice insisted.

     A light seared through her heart, hope returning. Her eyes flew open in hopes of seeing who she thought it was.

     She was met by yellow feathers with a gray tinge in a few places and that short, gray beak. Those wide brown eyes…Althea! It truly was Althea. The bird freed her!

     “Althea! I'm…I'm so sorry. I wish I never said all of those things about you and treated you like that..you really didn't deserve that,” she apologized, genuine and sincere in every way. Remorse and melancholy filled her voice. “Are we..” Cedar was hesitant to continue. “Are we..friends?”

     Althea looked as happy as always. This time, Cedar was not annoyed about it. She actually missed her joyful attitude. “It's okay! And, yes we're still friends, silly. Now, we have to get out of here!”

    The fox gave a quick nod, but was a bit reluctant to leave. Where was Rinji? Cedar turned back, about to make a risky decision. Althea could see it in her eyes that Cedar would do something she wouldn't want her to do. Cedar was indecisive, but she made her decision. She pranced through the brush, not having to go very far to find the ancient raccoon.

     A bear trap captured him. It was clamped around his leg. Dark red dripped on the rusty metal. Despite her fear of getting caught herself, she used her teeth to pry open the jaws of the metal trap that held Rinji.

     Now freed, Rinji whipped his head back, in the direction of the voices and back to Cedar. “Go! Go! I'll be fine. You two need to get outta here while ya still can.”

     Even though Cedar only knew him for a short amount of time, she felt deep sorrow having to leave him behind.

     “No, I can't just do that–” she mumbled.

     “Lookie here, kiddo. You two still got yer whole life ahead of ya. I'm prehistoric!” he said in a light-hearted tone and with a chuckle. Cedar only looked pensive. “If I don't make it outta here..well, don't be sad they're gone. Be happy that ya got to make memories that'll last forever with the ones ya lost.”

     This struck close to home for Cedar. She closed her eyes, in deep thought. Finally, she came to a conclusion.

     “Thank you, Rinji. For everything..”

     Rinji gave a faint smile. Cedar turned and sprinted just as the humans burst through the bushes in a crazed scramble. They all leapt onto the raccoon, possibly devouring him. Cedar clenched her teeth, not looking back.

     She stopped only for a moment to allow Althea to get on her back. The fox kept running, her lungs burning. She didn't stop. The ground was damp with recent precipitation, a few puddles left behind. A human wearing a grass patch exploded from the ground. That explains where that bird went! Still, she ran. The person rushed after her and Althea. The landscape whizzed by them as they passed the clearing with the pond, the grand tree, the cabin…

     Somewhere along the way, the person ran out of stamina, panting hard as the fox slowed to a canter, then a trot. Cedar made it into the forest where she originally lived. She collapsed at a rapid river deep in this part of the forest. It took her a while to slow her pounding heart. The fox took a long drink, in desperate need of proper hydration. She was glad she stopped at this river.

     “Wowie! You ran a loooong way! That takes like…a lot of strength! You're one strong fox,” Althea exclaimed.

     Cedar almost choked while drinking the water from laughing. Althea really wasn't so bad after all. Cedar shook her fur out after satisfying her thirst.

     “Thanks,” she responded with a chuckle.

     The laughter faded as Cedar was reminded of Rinji. She wished he was still alive. Althea picked up on this and asked:

     “What's the matter?”

     Cedar shook her head slowly. “It's..I lost a new friend. He was wise and made me rethink how I felt about some things.”

     Althea looked at the ground, then at Cedar again. “I understand. I've lost family before. But because I made a new friend—you—I’ve learned something.”

     Cedar tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. Althea started again, “What's gone is gone. Let it be that way.”

     Cedar’s lips turned up into a smile, her heart warming. The fox then glanced around at her new surroundings. The raging river was a deep blue, yet clear. The sediment from erosion settled at the bottom, and so did some flat rocks. Little fish swam with the current. Rocks with flat tops were coincidentally placed leading across the river. Paw prints were indented on the tops of the stones. Something urged her to go across to the other side, as if telling her it would be safer that way. Following her instincts, she picked the finch up and jumped across the stones. It felt natural as if she'd done it all before.

     When Cedar landed on the other side, she felt a bit lighter, like a burden that was being carried was literally lifted off of her. It felt a bit brighter here. More peaceful and serene. Turning over a new leaf, a new journey began for Althea and Cedar.

     Time flew by for them. Days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. Soon, they turned into years.

     As Cedar and Althea went through the forest looking for the butterfly they'd seen with absolutely marvelous wings, Cedar stopped, spotting something she never thought she’d see again. Althea, who was perched on the fox’s head, looked down at Cedar’s face, confused as to why she suddenly froze. After about a year being in the eden-like environment, Cedar forgot all about this place. The burrow she lived in. Ivy and foliage grew all over it, with no sign of any creature ever using it. It was darker now that the trees had even more leaves covering up the sun’s light. She went up to the hole, viewing it from different angles.

     “Is this where you used to live? Are you going to stay here instead?” Althea queried, breaking the melancholic silence.

     After a pause, Cedar turned away from it, facing the less dense greenery. There was more light there. “No,” she answered with a slight shake of her head. The head shake made Althea lose her balance and she ended up toppling onto Cedar’s back. “It’s time to let go. I don’t need it anymore, it only held me back,” Cedar continued with newfound determination.

     Althea looked to be happy about this choice, yet her expression showed she held back on expressing it too much. Cedar trotted back in the direction of the river. She paused again when she saw the falling apart cabin. It looked better than before, even though it was decaying. The way the moss and mushrooms grew gave it a bit of a charm to it—like it truly belonged in the forest. Some blooms flourished on the sides of the decomposing cabin.

     “Ohhh, Cedar! We must go inside! I want to see the nest again,” she chirruped in pure joy.

     “Of course we can,” Cedar responded, already walking in the cabin.

     The floors were as mushy as they were when she first stepped foot in the rotting dwelling. With her tail swishing behind her, Cedar walked up to the support beam that held Althea’s old home. The yellow bird clambered off of Cedar and up the beam with her beak.

     “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this old thing,” she said to herself with a little laugh. Then she sighed. “I’m going to have to leave this behind. It doesn’t serve me any purpose..I won’t miss it.”

     Althea gave the nest what looked to be a hug with her wings. She fluttered down from the rotten beam, having to flap vigorously. Some of her feathers had grown back while others were still uneven. She landed on Cedar’s head again.

    “Besides, I already feel at home with you!” Althea exclaimed, her joyful demeanor returning.

     Cedar couldn’t help but give what an animal might call a smile. She turned to the door and exited, stepping into the clearing again. She made it back to the riverbank once more. SIlent, the fox stood before the rapid river, feeling the wind blow through her fur. Althea copied her stance on her head. Then, leaving the past behind for good, she leapt across the rocks into the future.

 

     Just so you know, I am aware that Cedar never told Althea her name yet, but let's just say she told her sometime while they were running. ("By the way, my name is Cedar," she finally said through the panting, trying to get this human off their trail." "Cedar.." the little bird tested, holding on tight to her fur as to not fall off. "That fits you perfectly!" Or something like that!)

 

     There might be some errors still here and there, but I hope this story is alright to all of you! I did Rinji wrong by making him have a few seconds of spotlight. Dx Though, he isn't dead. :> Any questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave them down below! Thank you for reading!