Chapter Four: In Which, a Great and Exciting Journey Begins
They were up even before the sun, racing each other towards the brook so that they could catch enough spoils to see them through the day.
Before long, they almost walked straight into a terrified Marill, and killed it instantly, digging up a cache of Rattata meat from two nights ago and pawing down some Oran and Leppa from a nearby berry bush. They were going to need as much strength as they possibly could handle for the journey they were about to embark on.
Lying comfortably as they ate, little stomachs bulging as they gulped down yet more and more of the fresh and delicious food, they murred quite happily together, finding companionship strangely enjoyable despite having been alone for most of their young lives.
Licking their lips free from any missed scraps, the two got to their paws and set off at any easy pace along the scent trail they had left earlier to make their return easier than the original visit. A Taillow let out a soft cry and swooped overhead, possibly searching for prey of its own, such as Wurmple and young Surskit. As long as it didn't bother the two foxes, they would leave it alone in return.
There it was, once again, perhaps even more impressive now that the sunlight was playing with the waves of the great lake, as well as the tall, silvery, square trees all growing in the most unusual places in the tall-no-tail clearing.
It took them a little while to make their way down the hill, as the only paths they could find were made by Stantler and therefore very steep and near-impossible for creatures of their small size to use safely, but somehow they did, their reflexes in top shape after their energizing meal.
As soon as they got to the bottom of the cliff they rested a while, sniffing out a Leppa berry bush and gulping down one or two of the small, tasty berries. As they were hard it took a little chewing to break them down into manageable pulp, but the refreshing juices that were soon sliding down their throats were just the reward they needed, especially because of the energy rush they soon felt afterwards.
Happy and ready to go on, the pair padded away from the trees they had lived with all of their lives and towards the different trees, the trees that glowed and sparkled and gave this world its name… the shining place.
The scents hit them first, a great explosion of different smells ranging from fish to salt and to tall-no-tails, followed quickly by the sounds of great, strange barks and booming murring and then the sights of the great shining place itself. The path underneath their paws felt cold, colder than the ice they had once seen as kits, creeping through the forest. The air tasted strange too… salt, salt everywhere.
They huddled together by the edge of one of the silvery trees, watching the tall-no-tails go past with looks of wonder on their faces and sparkle clearly in their eyes. What amazed them more than the strange tall ones, however, was the appearance of predator and prey species walking together and with the no-tails, as though they were the two foxes, pairs, companions, friends. It confused them almost to a point of despair.
Just then, a great-nine-tail, one of the Vulpix species' closest relatives, padded past, and he was alone. Yapping excitedly, Eldora leapt up and padded out in front of him, beginning to talk quickly and excitedly in their shared tongue. It made Kalikow realise just how little they were able to fully talk with one-another.
After a few minutes of yipping and snuffling, the Ninetails left, but he kept looking back at Eldora strangely as she raced back to the Eevee, nibbling on his ear as though enticing him to come out of hiding, something he was very reluctant to do.
Eventually, however, he relented and gingerly stepped from the shadows and into the gleaming light. The vixen ran around him, yipping loudly and nuzzling his flank with her nose before dashing off again, straight towards a pack of tall-no-tails! He whimpered and picked up the pace, closing his mouth over one of her tails and gently pulling, causing her to stop and look back at him bizarrely, ears flicking back as she uttered a low growl that made him back off. Top lip still drawn back she raced straight into the middle of the crowd, leaving him alone and devastated, sitting upon the cold path.
He waited for her to come back for a long time, sitting where she had left him in the middle of the path while the tall ones walked past without so much as a glancing look. It tore his little heart up into pieces as he realised that everyone was ignoring him. Nobody wanted to talk to him or make him feel safe and loved. The pain he felt was so great that he bowed his head and let out a rumbling growl that sounded so mournful and tear-jerking that many turned to look at him with puzzlement.
Uttering a series of low grunts, a small-no-tail came over and extended a flat, furless paw to him. With a shock, he growled and leapt away, fur bristling, hackles rising as his mane fluffed out hugely. The small-no-tail made noises of distress, moving towards him once more, that paw still outstretched. But Kalikow was having none of it and soon danced away from the no-tail infant, tail thrashing as his ears flicked back against his head.
By now he had reasoned that his beloved red-six-tail would not be coming back. And he was not happy about it.
He steered clear of the packs of tall-no-tails, skittering around the outskirts of their large, noisy groups, hackles rising as he feigned vicious growling. They left him alone, which was exactly what he wanted.
Every-so-often, he caught the scentsmell of Eldora, but it was everywhere, mixed in with the scents of others, prey, predator, tall-no-tail… it was so confusing that he did not know what to do, did not know which trail to follow, if any at all. He whined and he called out for her, but, even if she did hear him, she refused to respond.
Hunger drew him away from the shining place and towards a group of bedraggled trees, where he quickly found and ate a dozy Shroomish, being careful to gulp down a couple of Pecha berries to counter-act the poisonous spores. Just remembering that she had taught him that not too many moontimes ago made his heart lurch and he uttered a despairing cry once more, flicking his ears but, once more, hearing no response.
Burying the remains of his prey he padded towards the shining place again, realising with a jolt that, as it grew darker, the trees were beginning to glow brighter and brighter.
He walked up to one and touched his nose to it, but the cold shock that ran through his body made him jerk away again and run back into the centre of the shining tall-no-tail place, howling with fear. Those trees were like nothing he had ever seen, scented or touched before.
She could hear his cries very easily, as he had called out for her so often during their short time together that his voice had practically imprinted on her mind.
She did not know why she didn't want to go back to him, as every time he called her she lowered her nose to the floor with a pitiful whine, ears flattened against her head. All she knew was that she wanted to be with him again, but couldn't, and that the excitement she had felt while talking to the great-nine-tail had been very different to the one she had felt around Kalikow.