1Disclaimer: "The Fox and the Hound" is the property of Daniel P. Mannix and Walt Disney.

Frostbite-Obsessive Idiot: I pondered the Grandpa Versus Uncle thing for about a week before I wrote in the puppies for the storyline. I figured since Copper never called Chief "Dad", why should his kids call him "Grandpa"? And yeah, uncle just made more sense to me. Well, hope you enjoy the last chapter!

The Next Political Dynasty: Get off your knees, cuz here is the last chappie!! My Christmas ruled, except one of my presents is still on backorder (according to Momma), but I'm sure to get it next month. Errr. Ooh, hope you update soon, glad you got an idea!

SunRise19: I know, I loved this story, and I personally didn't want it to end either, but there is only so much you can do to a tormented dog and fugitive fox! Here's the last chappie!

Anonymous but Impressed: Actually, the finale in my opinion SUCKS. I couldn't quite get the words out to make it not seem so rushed to the end, but I did the best I could. So, hopefully it doesn't seem like it sucks too bad when you read it, but anyways, keep reading!

narfgirl: I always have fun writing, lol! Well, it took me a few months, but I finally finished the story before 2005 hit! Keep reading!

The Fox and the Hound 3: The Next Generation

Chapter Thirty-Five: What Are Friends For?

"Swift! Swift, are you okay? Talk to me!" Loki was screaming as she ran to Swift's side. "Oh my goodness, I thought you were going to get killed!"

"Wh-what happened?" he asked. "Where'd the cat go?"

"You're not gonna believe this, but that dog . . . that Smoky guy . . . he just flew in from out of nowhere and saved you from becoming that cat's next dinner!"

"He-he did?" Swift was in shock. Smoky had come to his rescue. Perhaps he had thought things over and finally came to his senses about the whole ordeal. "Where's he at? Where'd Smoky go?"

She looked hesitant to tell him. "Well, you see, he . . . he jumped into the river with the cat in order to drown him, but then . . . they both went over the waterfall. And personally, I don't think either of them made it."

"Oh no," Swift sighed, struggling to stand up. "He can't be dead. He just saved my life, he can't die just when he's made a turn for the better."

Swift limped towards the falls and overlooked the area below him. At first he couldn't see anything, but then he thought he saw a black dot. And the black dot was moving. It was Smoky! He was alive! Some how he had survived the falls after all.

And something about seeing him alive made his heart warm. Smoky didn't try to kill him this time. He saved him. Maybe things would be better going from here on out.

Smoky was still coughing up a bit of water when he was standing up, and he looked upwards to see just how far down he had fallen. Instead, his eyes focused in on a red smudge that he saw nearby the mouth of the falls. He knew that it was Swift, had to be. Smoky smiled. He had saved Swift from getting killed by the demon. That was all the redemption he needed.

Epilogue

Everything, fortunately, had gone back to normal for both the hound and fox families. Smoky returned home without any trouble and was welcome back graciously. His mother, Belle, naturally began to cry when she saw that she hadn't lost another pup. Beulah, his sister, even gave him a hug and told him how much she missed him. Copper gave the pup a pat on the back, as if to say that everything was going to be okay now.

Widow Tweed had nursed Tod back to health completely. As much as she wanted him to stay with her at her farm, she knew that it would only be captivity for the fox. He was used to the freedom of the forest now, and he still had a family to take care of. So she gave him a hug, and let him go back to his home. Vixey was thrilled to see that her husband was all right. Her and the cubs, including Blaze and Autumn, had been extremely worried whenever he had not returned home.

As for Swift and Loki, they gave word to Big Mama that they were going to form their own family and set a life for themselves. They would eventually come to visit the family, but as for right now, they were going to strike it out on their own. In fact, Loki was already expecting a few cubs herself!

But nobody seemed to notice two important figures that remained hidden in the background during all of this. Overlooking Copper and his family from behind the fence, two voices could be heard conversing with each other.

"You reckon they're going to be all right, Uncle Chief?"

"Ace, I don't think we have anything to worry about anymore. Everything is the way it is supposed to be."

"Phew! There was a few times that I thought Smoky was going to be joining us up in heaven."

"Nah, he's still quite a few more years to go. I'll let you teach him how to fly."

"You know, I think I'm getting the hang of these wings. I couldn't imagine not having them now."

"Yeah, I rather like floating around instead of wearing the pads off my feet." Pause. "But I sure wish you had been able to live a little longer than you did. You were just too young in my opinion."

"Aww, Uncle Chief, I don't mind! Besides, I kinda like having first-class tickets to watching everybody's lives. They are going to be all right, aren't they?"

"Of course they are. They'll be just fine."

And with that, the two angelic beings ascended back into heaven in a blur of light, where they could enjoy the rest of their days in peace and contentment . . . positively sure that things were going to be smooth-sailing for their loved ones.

The End

And that was the grand finale to the family saga! Sometime or another, I'm going to get started on my "Winter's Rising" fic for this movie, which fills in the blanksduring that segment of the film whenever Copper was starting his training as a hunting dog. Prepare yourself for encounters with wolves, a little crossover with Bambi, and possibly a look into a hidden childhood. Stay tuned!