A/N: This chapter contains the last chapter and the epilogue. Enjoy!
I trace Phoenix's steps through the deep ash. The water and food is helping tremendously and the going is easier. I watch his ash-covered body prance through the rocks gracefully. I'm so glad that I found him because it makes everything seem better than it is.
"Bandit," Phoenix exclaims. I peer at him curiously.
"Yes," I say, confused. I trot up to his side.
"Are you having an easier time going through the ash?" What was he, a psychic? "Or is it just me," he adds.
"Well, yeah it's easier, but I thought it was just—" I cut off my sentence as Phoeinx motions to the ground. It's only up to the middle of my legs now, unlike a few hours ago when it was up to my chest.
"See? The amount of ash is declining. Bandit, I think we're getting out of this mess." My eyes widen as I look around. We are. Adrenaline once again courses though my body.
"C'mon," I bark to him excitedly, already bounding ahead. Phoenix pants as he catches up.
The ash flies into waves as we leap through it, desperately trying to reach the lighter, friendlier sky ahead. Of course. I couldn't believe it. The wind carries the ash cloud east. If we had gone north from the start… Shadow may still be alive. It doesn't matter! Yes it does, he's now dead. But I need to focus on the fact that Phoenix and I are alive. And quite healthy. I get dragged out of my thoughts as I run into a pole. I look up. The sign on it says, "Can da."
"What's Can da?" I ask Phoenix. I squint, trying to figure it out. I grope around my brain furiously, but I can't find anything. I watch Phoenix swipe his paw over the sign, clearing the ash. Now it makes sense. "Oh, Canada," I say. God, I'm stupid.
"That's worth more than an 'oh'," Phoenix yaps excitedly. "Look ahead! The cloud ends just a mile away!" And so we continue once more. For the last time ever. For an eternity. Never again shall we be threatened by ash. I begin to pick up into a run and Phoenix joins in. Before I know it, it's a race. Our heads bob back and forth. I go from first to second, but it honestly doesn't matter. As long as we reach blue skies. I never realized how much I could miss it. I stop thinking about such-and-such as Phoenix darts ahead. No you don't, I think inwardly. I stretch my stride to the longest I can. Before long, I catch up. Phoenix chuckles as I pass him.
Now the ash is only up to the top of my paws. I lift my head up into a long howl as I pull to a stop, Phoenix next to me. He too raises his head to the sky and howls. I can see the rim of the ash cloud just a little ways away. Then blue sky. It's clear and crisp. Just like I remember. I sprint forwards through the ash, sending it into a flurry as my paws kick it up behind me. Phoenix dodges it and comes up beside me. We both screech to a sudden halt as the texture changes. A thin layer of ash is on the grass, but not enough to make it feel different. The hard, painful stabs of the ash is gone as we walk a few more steps, and the soft fluff of grass meets our paws. We're free, and we're out of here! My dance with fate is over. Now my fate lies in my paws. Not natures. Yes, I will never be dancing with fate again. Ever. I'll make sure of it.
Epilogue
Phoenix and I found a den on a small, flattened hill half-circled with mountains, the rest forest. It is way beyond beautiful. We also have three precious pups. Their names are Everest, Orbit, and Raven. Everest is white, Orbit takes after Phoenix with a reddish pelt, and Raven is fawn-colored.
And there is one more thing I must tell you. I found my dad. Yep. Alive and well. I found out his name is Langundo, which means peaceful. I like that, because that's what we all need in this crazy world. Peace.
And so that is how it is, now. The eight of us living on the ridge. Together. Forever. Fate is gone. All we have ahead of us is the open road of choices.
Or so I thought.
A/N: Shortest chapter, I know. I might redo it one of these days, but it will have the same basic plot to it anyways. But length doesn't mean everything. And I think although short, this is a nice ending to Bandit's journey. I hope you enjoyed this story!