Summary: Gabriel had waited his entire life for his spirit animal, the physical reorientation of his soul. Even after working for the local zoo for ten years with no connection to those they brought in he had all but lost hope. With a new arrival, will his long wait finally be over?
Author's Note: Hello ^^ This is my second submission (and probably my last for this month) to the Gabriel Monthly Challenge. I did however sign up for the Gabriel Bingo… so you will be seeing some (what will appear to be random) one-shots from me ^_^ I will still be taking time to work on my original story (I'm going to miss sleep) so I expect those one-shots will probably be short (like this one) but who knows?
This has been edited by QueenOfHearts
Baloo
Finding one's spirit animal wasn't as easy as everyone made it out to be. Sure, Gabriel knew for some people that it was as simple as walking in a zoo and connecting with one of the creatures there. All it would take was one look at the animal that was the representation to your soul and you could form a bond. For him, however, it was never that stress-free. He had tried, even signing up to work at one of the many zoos in his city so that he would have first viewing of the exotic animals that came in. To help those find the bond they needed, each zoo would rotate what animals they could based on who could travel easily. Those who couldn't travel were set up for holographic appearances that -while not as potent as seeing the actual creature- helped some locate their animal.
After ten years of working at the zoo and watching hundreds if not thousands of people connect with their spirit animal, Gabriel figured that it wasn't written in the stars for him. There were a few cases where people couldn't find the specific species, or the connection wasn't strong enough to make a genuine connection. But Gabriel had always hoped that by the end of his life, he would be able to feel the call, to find nature's reflection of his soul. In some religions it was a curse not to discover your spirit animal, proving that you were rejected by Mother Nature and should be cast aside.
Thankfully, he lived in a more modern society which didn't abandon him as he passed thirty with no spiritual tug. It still hurt, thinking that he wasn't good enough to have a connection to one of the creatures which roamed the Earth. With a sigh, Gabriel shook his head, carrying his bucket of food to the next pen. Inside was a polar bear, the female having moved into her new home several months before, though none had connected with her. With a grin, Gabriel tossed the large animal it's dinner, a couple of steaks, before checking to make sure the area was maintained and leaving.
From one enclosure to the next he would feel the animals, checking their areas while they were eating to make sure nothing had gotten in that could harm them. Once he was done, he would then say his goodbye and continue to the next. It wasn't until he reached the final area of the bear paddocks that Gabriel realized someone new had arrived. It wasn't uncommon to find out that they had a new arrival while he was away during the weekend; but it was typically the smaller animals, not the larger ones, which were passed around.
Carefully opening the gate, Gabriel made sure he had his stun gun at his hip in case the new bear was violent. Being taken from your home and placed in a new area could do that to anyone, and while Gabriel had yet to be attacked by one of the larger animals, he still took precautions. Looking at his dietary plan for the animal, Gabriel smiled and picked up the package of bamboo and sugarcane. Closing the door carefully behind him, Gabriel clicked his tongue on the roof of his mouth, looking for the giant panda.
Holding the food in his hand so that the animal would see the offering, Gabriel turned to the side and dropped the leaves as his eyes linked with that of the black and white creature. There laying on his back was the panda; his head swiveled around to watch Gabriel who was gaping at the bear. With shaking hands, Gabriel pulled out a new string of leaves, taking a tentative step closer. The giant panda didn't so much as twitch at the new arrival. Once he was close enough, the zookeeper reached out and offered the treat of sugarcane to his spirit animal.
Their eyes connected, the panda taking the treat between his paws and happily munching on the natural sugar. Finally feeling the connection snap into place, Gabriel let loose a laugh, his eyes tearing at the sensation of no longer being alone. Fearlessly, Gabriel laid down beside the animal, offering the bear more treats until the bag was empty. It would figure that his spirit animal would be a panda, one of the few bears addicted to sugar.
"I think I'm going to call you Baloo, how does that sound?"
The panda -Baloo- rolled over, placing one of his massive paws on Gabriel's chest while closing his eyes for a nap. Letting his bond settle, Gabriel relaxed. He would deal with his coworkers when they found him. Having waited over thirty years for this moment, he was going to enjoy relaxing with Nature's reflection of his soul. He earned it.
P.S. If you want to keep up to date on my writing add me to Facebook, Tumbler, Twitter or Instagram as CrowNoYami ;-) Also, if you want to see what I'm reading (I always review so you know what you're getting into) I'm on Goodreads as well, the same name as always.