On the shore of the lake in the middle of Jade Creek, an olive-green lynx sits on the sand, the water gently lapping at her bare feet. The day isn't particularly sunny; there's considerable cloud cover, and the sun is struggling to pierce through the veil. But the gentle breeze is warm, and the faint rustle of the leaves in the trees serves as the backing for a musical medley of songbirds. The lynx is unable to resist singing along with the birds; her joyous ditty is a little out of tune, but otherwise pleasant to listen to. As she sings, she whittles a thick section of a fallen branch with her tanto, carving an increasingly intricate design into the wood.
It's been four weeks since Maria and her four friends triumphed over Captain Aquila Kawaguchi; as she replays the experience in her mind, her song diminishes, and she slows her whittling. Analysing the incomplete carving, she sighs deeply, discarding the wood to one side, tanto to the other; with a deep breath, she flops onto her back, staring at the drifting clouds.
"Maria?" a voice calls from the nearby house. "You out there?"
"Yeah," Maria responds, her tone melancholic.
"You OK?"
"Yeah." Maria's ears twitch as she hears footsteps approach; an ochre badger sits alongside the lynx.
"Thinking about them again?" Danny asks.
"No," Maria lies. "Yes," she corrects quietly a moment later.
"You know you can never go back, right?"
"Yeah, I know," Maria sighs again. "But seeing how happy Hanna was when she was reunited with her parents…"
"Her situation is very different to yours."
"I know."
"But it doesn't stop you wondering…"
"Yeah…"
The pair shares a few moments of silent reflection.
"I'm hungry," Maria declares suddenly.
"Well, it is lunchtime," Danny muses. "That's why I was coming to find you actually."
Maria sits bolt upright. "Is Xander making it?"
"His cooking's not that bad, is it?" Danny chuckles. "Anyway, not to worry; it's just sandwiches."
"Ah good!"
The pair stands, Maria reclaiming her tanto and her shoes; they make their way back to the house.
"Not keeping your carving?" Danny asks.
"Huh? Oh!" Maria dashes back to the shore to reclaim the carving; as she rejoins Danny, she sees someone approaching in the distance. "Who's that?" she asks, pointing towards the newcomer.
"Who's who?" Danny asks, turning to look where Maria is pointing; he sees the panicked hedgehog sprinting towards them at top speed. "What on Avalice…"
The hedgehog almost sprints right past the duo; at the last moment, she slides to a halt so quickly she tumbles to the ground. Danny and Maria dash to the hedgehog's aid, Maria dropping everything she's carrying.
"Hide me!" the hedgehog pleads, desperation in her eyes, as the duo pick her up. "Please!"