From Tadpole to Toad

By Todd Fan

Disclaimer: "I think sometimes... you have to lose somebody completely before you can figure out what they really mean to you"

Chapter 6 - Parting

Hi to all my readers, here's a shameless plug to a new board I joined, a Tonda one! Oh yes. The link is in my author page, check it out, it's new and needs members :D

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I sighed from where I sat on the tree-board in our place. I hadn't seen you for days. I'd tried going to your house, but got no answer. Quite frankly, I was getting worried. I sat up, hearing some twigs crack as you padded listlessly in. I should have known then that something was wrong, you could sneak up on me like a pro, you making your presence known was a dead giveaway. But it was one I missed, I was too happy in being reunited with my best friends. I didn't know how short a time we now had together.

"There you are!", I said, hopping off the tree, "where've you been, Sid? I've been worried sick about you"

You sighed, taking the hood of your cloak off, keeping your eyes to the ground, hugging your arms around yourself.

"I...I was at my mom's friends house", you stammered, "my...my dad died on Tuseday"

I blinked, walking over to you, putting an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into a hug. The best comfort a nine year old can give.

"I'm sorry", I said gently, "I...I mean I knew he was sick, but I didn't know..."

You closed your eyes, burrying your head into the crook of my neck, trying to hide the tears dripping down your cheek. Yeah, I knew they were there, Sid, but I knew you were too strong to admit it...so I didn't point it out.

"I..I watched him die", you sobbed quietly, "he looked so small and frail, Todd. I gave him a hug, and he..he whispered 'Always follow your heart'..And then he..he just..went"

I rocked you gently, trying to let you know you had at least one person on your side. You gave a shuddery breath, looking up at me.

"That's not all, my mom says I have to leave"

I blinked.

"Leave?...like for the weekend?", I asked.

"No, leave forever", you sniffed, "she wants to take me to live in Wales, in some horrible little pokey cottage away from everyone and everything. She says Bayville holds too many hard memories for her"

Your tail began to swish from side to side, a sure sign that you were angry.

"That's not fair!", I protested.

"I told her that", you said, shaking your head, "but she wouldn't listen"

I sighed, hanging my head.

"When?", I asked quietly.

"Tomorrow", you replied equally as quiet, "that's why I'm here, Todd. I...I'm here to say goodbye"

At that moment, Sidney, my already battered heart shattered, though I didn't show it, I was in complete dispair. I was losing the one living person that mattered to me. You were my world, the one person I could rely on through anything we had such a tight bond..and now it was being severed. And my heart ached.

"Tomorrow", I repeated, sighing, "can...can we stay ehre for a little while until you have to go home?"

You nodded weakly.

"Please", you whispered.

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And so we spent our last night together up on our tree-board. We talked about everything..everything except your fathers death and the fact that this would be the last time we'd speak to each other for a logn time, if ever. I don't knwo how long we were up there, only at some point, we dozed off. I had been woken by the sound of you shifting next to me and had gone to give you a nudge...only to feel myself nudging someing much, much bigger. I jolted awake, finding not you, but a full grown leopard lying next to me. I did what anyone who had just woken up next to a leopard would do..

"ARGGGHHHHHH!"

The leopard opened it's eyes, looking at me quizically before glancing down at it's paws. It made an odd mewling sound before closing it's eyes, as if it were concentrating. Suddenly, the leopard changed, it's shape became more human...before I knew it, I was sitting next to you.

"Sid?", I asked, blinking in shock.

"Oh man, it happened again", you said, rubbing your head.

"How...how did you...", I stammered.

"I...I don't know", you admitted, "a few hours after dad died I...I changed into a cat and it's been happening all week. I can't control it"

"That is SO cool", I said.

Eventually, I would learn that though most mutancy only manifests during puberty, myself being an exception, when a mutant-to-be is subjected to alot of mental trauma, theur mutation gets a jump-start. For you, it was was watching your father's death. Of course, back then, I just though it as a coll new addiction to your furry self.

"Weird, more like", you said, pointedly, shaking your head, "as if being furry wasn't bad enough"

"You being furry doesn't bother me, Sid, you know it doesn't".

"But it bothers everyone else", you said sadly.

I snorted, waving my hand in the air.

"Eh, everyone else are just a bunch of idiots then"

You sighed, leaning on me.

"I'm going to miss you so much, Todd", you whispered, "you're the only friend I ever had. What am I going to do without you?"

"You'll survive, Sid", I said gently, giving her a hug, "it's what you do. Besides, we're friends forever, right?"

"Right", you said with a nod, "and I'll come back to Bayville someday, so you better be here when I get back"

"I will be", I said, "I promise"

There was a promise I DID keep, at least.

"Siiidneeeeyyy!"

You frowned as your mothers voice rang across the park. She had never been able to find our hiding place, though she HAD tried, and so when she wanted you, she opted to scream at the top of her lungs until you answered.

"I gotta go", you said, hugging me one last time, "I really don't want to"

"But you have to", I said, "don't worry, I'll be here when you get back. It's not really goodbye, more of a...Au revoir" 1

You chuckled.

"Okay then..Au revoir, then", you said, jumping off the tree-board and heading off, looking back only once.

That was the last time I would see you in seven years. Time would change us both, but our friendship would remain the same throughout. It wasn't until AFTER we were reunited that our relationship would change. I tried to see you leave the nest morning, but by the time I'd got out of the orphanage...you were long gone, leaving me to trudge back home alone. Alone, a word I had to get used to all over again.

1 - For those of you who read Discworld, gotta love Death. ;)

Well, I once had the lyrics of 'I Turn to You' here, but as have banned them, it is a much more boring chapter, darn..

Hope you enjoyed this chapter, the next one will be the last sniff. Do review. Until next time...