Dear Journal,

Well, another day has passed and it's time for me to write in you and tell you all of what I've seen today. The sky has been empty of clouds, there has been no rain to feed the crops in the fields, the town has been quiet of late, and that evil being has struck the barn killing most of the livestock. Just another day in the small town of Kleinste; a place of hope which is lost.

During dinner, my mother always told me that things will get better, that 'die Dunkelheit' will soon withdraw from the mountains of the town where he makes his home. She tells me and my father that all the time, and everyday die Dunkelheit always strikes the town damaging something else. First it was the fire in the fields, and then it was the freezing of the water supply, now it was the lightning which struck the barn. I fear he will never leave. The special forces in the town tried to deal with the evil being but to no avail, and I myself along with a few allies tried to get to the top of the mountains to his lair, but we only managed to get halfway and my power itself along with the others (who were only mere mortals) was not enough. I wish that someday we could figure out a way to vanquish him, but for now we could only pray for a savior.

Now I must go journal, I hate to cut this entry short but father is holding mass in the church for tonight and he insist that his family be there.

Sincerely,

Ravinia~

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As the young fox closed the bindings of her book, she lifted herself from the confines of her bed to prepare for yet another night of mass in her father's church.

Ravinia Madeline (pronounced Ma-de-lynn) Albany-Mason was no ordinary girl. The young fox/mountain lion had a long and treacherous past. As a young child she lived in a small home with her father and mother, her mother a mountain lion, her father a wolf. At the young age of 5, Ravinia lost her mother to a terrible illness so she was left with her father who took care of her through thick and thin. Three years later, Ravinia's father set out into town and left the young child by herself saying that he would only be gone for such a short time; he never returned. Day in and day out, young Ravinia waited for her father to return, but he never did and it would soon be time for Ravinia to part with her home since food and other necessities were becoming scarce. She knew how to take care of herself, her mother made sure of that, but she didn't have any money to replenish her needs; so she left.

The wolf roamed the streets of the small town, though it seemed very large to her. The townspeople thought she was just looking for adventure, but in real life, she was looking for a home. A group of thieves that lived in the outskirts of town took a liking to fresh meat and encouraged the 8 year old to join their tribe; she obliged thinking they would give her the love and care that she had lost. Many more years passed and the young girl grew to a young teen at the age of 13. During her time in the band of thieves, she befriended a young dog about her age named Ulrich who soon became her spirited brother in a way. The two teens were inseparable and always looked out for each other. One day, the two were assigned by the head of the tribe to rob the town's church of their donation box that was to be used towards the poor. The wolf and dog banded together to sneak into the halls of the church and claim their treasure. Ulrich urged Ravinia to press on and grab the prize while he stood watch, so she did. She eased her way inside making sure to not disturb the peace. She was just inches away from claiming her prize that is until the Father of the church, Father Kaspar Mason, appeared.

"Dear child, what might I ask are you doing?" The young girl was frozen in her tracks; she didn't know what to do.

"My dear, you are too young; too good for this kind of lifestyle. We have seen the way you live, and you should live a happy life with someone who will give you what you desire; a home, food, a family." That struck a nerve in the young one's heart.

"I am not forcing you to make a decision now, but if you do, my wife and I would be willing to take you in as our own. We've always wanted a child."

Ravinia gave one long glare at the father before darting off down the hall to the outside of the church, without the donation box.

When the young ones returned, the leader was disappointed but figured it wasn't their day. It soon became nightfall and the whole town fell into a peaceful slumber, all but one girl. The young fox fled the hideout of the thieves without a word, and instead left a note for her dear spirited brother to read. Since that night, Ravinia had been living with the Masons in their home near the church, and was raise on Catholic faith. It took many months for her to get accustomed to living with them, let alone addressing them as mother and father, but she was glad that she chose this life for the better.

"Ravinia, we must get going dear. You know how your father is about being on time."

'I'm coming mother!", shouted the young girl as she made her way out of the door now dressed in a champagne colored dress that her mother handmade just for her, a pair of black flats accompanied the dress. She pulled her short locks into a small ponytail in the back and made her way out of the door for mass. Ravinia held her post in one of the two seats that were perched near the podium where her adopted father stood giving another word from the 'man upstairs'. Her adopted mother sat to the right of her directing her ears to the sound of her husband's words as she nodded her head in agreement. Ravinia did not like to sit still for long and kept squirming about in the hard wooden chair throughout the service, her mother would have to swat her on the hand to get her to focus from time to time. The service was now done, Ravinia and her parents bid their fellow neighbors farewell as they filed out of the small church.

"Finally, it is over. I thought it would never have ended," Ravinia said. Her arms outstretched over head as she emitted a slight yawn while strolling down the main isle of the sanctuary. Her parents stared at her from the front of the room.

"Dear, if only you pay attention during the service, then maybe it would not be so boring," replied her mother who made her way down the aisle to place her hands on her daughter's shoulders. The young girl turned to face her mother and replied with a soft tone, "If I could move around some or at least get a comfortable chair, then maybe I would mother."

"But dear, you must act like a young lady in the house of the lord. And young ladies must sit quietly and pay attention."

"Mother, I do not want to be a young lady, I want to be Raven, I want to be me. I can't be somebody that I am not. I am not a girl who sits down and does nothing but listen, I go out there and explore. Life would be boring if I sit around all day."

Her father began to speak, "Ravinia dear, we know how you are. But promise me this, when the time calls for it, be a young lady ok?" Ravinia loved when her father understood her, it reminded her of her birth father who would always back her up on subjects like this. "I understand Father," a sweet smile spreads across her muzzle as it is directed towards her father. The small family made their way out of the church; Kaspar pulled a small ring of keys and used one of them to lock the main door of the church. After a small walk, they ended up at the door of their small home. Kaspar once again pulled the same ring of keys and used another to unlock the door to their abode.

"After you ladies," the young pastor gave a generous bow to the two young women as he offered the way in, they obliged with a few giggles coming here and there. The family settled in for the night; Ravinia once again lounged upon her small bed staring blankly at the ceiling while fishing through her thoughts. "Ugh, I wish I could just go on an adventure and see the world. The closest I get to an adventure is strolling around the crops at night when the crows are out." A small gleam could be seen from the open window of her small room, which caught the young wolf's eye. She eased her way off of the bed and made a small stroll across the room to the bay window. She perched her arms upon the seal; her right hand held her head up. "A shooting star, that is quite odd. I wonder if what Ulrich told me long ago is true.

FLASHBACK XXXX

Hey Raven, it is a shooting star. Ulrich and Raven where lying upon the roof of the old abandoned bakery that lie on the outskirts of town. The young dog raised his hand and pointed a clawed finger to the light glowing rock that shot across the blackened sky.

"A shooting star!?" replied a younger Raven who hugged her knees while pulling the ragged blanket they shared closer to her; the look upon her face was confused.

"Yeah, they are very rare. Legend says if you ever see one in the night sky, make a wish and it will come true. Ulrich then closed his eyes and balled his small hands into fists.

"What are you doing Uli!?"

"I am making a wish."

"Will you tell me what it is?"

"If I tell you that, then it will not come true."

"Oh".

END FLASHBACK XXXXX

Ravinia closed her eyes tight and closed her hands into fists. "Dear old mighty wishing star, I wish to go on the most epic adventure of my life instead of living a normal life. I'm not meant to live like this because I am not a normal person." She then opened her eyes only to see that everything was the same. "I guess it is not real, maybe Uli was just messing with my head back then." The young girl had a disappointed look upon her face as she gently closed the window and prepared to rest for the night.