I hadn't said much about our sister, Pixie.
She was the second youngest in our litter, the "Miss Perfect" of us.
Well today, her, Lemon, and our mother Blaze showed up. I looked tiredly up at the Flareon that was my mother and my other two siblings. I was about to speak when our little brother Lemon began coughing.
"Get him out of here" Mud Tail growled unsympathetically, "He'll get the patients sick".
"Get well soon" My mother said as she wrapped her tail around my sick brother and proceeded to lead him out.
"Wait" I whispered, "Where's Thunder?".
"Getting bedding for our elders, Smoky and Bone" Blaze replied, "He's doing that every day for two weeks as punishment, along with picking out fleas from the elders".
I winced. Smoky was a one-eyed Rapidash while Bone was a female Chatot with a cripple wing. They both lived in an old burrow that needed constant cleaning and were very talkative to visitors.
"Don't be like that" Blaze whispered, "Smoky's my father, and your grandfather, Riptide".
Darn. Blaze lead Lemon out of Mud Tail's burrow and Pixie sat in front of me.
"Well, well, well..." Pixie looked at me with disapproving eyes.
"Shut up" I muttered, "I don't have time for your lecture today, I feel beat".
"What did you, Thunder, Dew, and your mate do anyway?" Pixie asked.
"Felis is not my mate" I hissed.
"She will be" Pixie retorted, "So what happened?".
"Bandits" I replied, "Shark and Toad. All four of us were fighting after they knocked out Mira, they saw our Dad and ran off".
"Typical cowards" Pixie sighed, "Which one of them slashed you on your cheek?".
"Does it really matter? Shark" I snapped. I felt a poultice wrapped in cobweb on my cheek and my muscles ached as I tried to get up.
"Sit down" Mud Tail barked, "You need to let the poultice take effect. And your chatty little sister is dismissed. Get out of here".
"You're nice" Pixie growled sarcastically, "Fine, fine. Bye, brother".
"Bye Pixie" I replied as she left, "Mud Tail? How's Mira and her daughter?".
"Well, Mira got up and left early this morning and took Felis with her as soon as I wrapped the poultice around her" Mud Tail explained.
"How come I'm still here then?" I snapped.
"Because you have a more caring mother than Felis does" Mud Tail said bluntly, "She wishes for you to stay for a few more days till you can get out".
"Dang it" I muttered. I touched the wrapped poultice on my cheek and relaxed my muscles till I was sprawled out in the burrow.
It was three days later, and I was finally aloud to leave. But Blaze carried me to our underground home.
The entrance was a deep hole in the earth. When you came inside, there were three different paths. The left one was all for Lemon to make it harder for us to catch his sickness. The middle one was for Pine Nose and Blaze, and the right one was for me, Thunder, and Pixie.
Blaze walked into the right burrow and placed me in the corner.
"Thunder and Pixie will sleep at the other side of the burrow till your cheek's healed" Blaze explained, "I'm going on a border patrol. Your father won't be back till midnight, but Thunder and Pixie will be back before the sun falls".
I was restless till I saw my brother and sister emerge into the burrow.
"What up brother?" Thunder purred, "I missed ya".
"You didn't even visit me" I growled, "Was it because of this? Don't think I didn't see you flinch!".
I shoved my poultice-covered cheek in Thunder's face and bared my teeth at Pixie.
"Arceus! I didn't know three days in Mud Tail's burrow would make you such a grump!" Pixie snapped before leaving.
"Well?" I snarled at my older brother, "This is why you didn't visit huh?".
"You're right. I should've helped you against Shark, I'm sorry" Thunder muttered, "But at least you don't have to listen to Smoky and Bone chatter for hours everyday".
"Whatever" I whispered, "I just wanna be back on hunting and bordering".
"You and me both" Thunder said as he sat down beside me, "Lemon must feel like that. But he never talks to us".
I looked down sorrowfully, Lemon never matured as fast as us. He was always sick and he never talked. He had to be carried around cause he would break a muscle just trying to walk.
I almost wanted to ask how long Thunder thought our little brother had left, but at the time it seemed like an offensive question.
"Hey, Riptide!" Pixie called, "Your mate came to visit you!".
I face-pawed and looked up to see a smiling Felis. Her belly was covered in cobwebs, but she looked like an optimistic angel in a time of darkness.
"Hello 'tide" Felis purred, "Mira took me back to our den and I got to speak to Dew! I'm really sorry you had to stay with Mud Tail for three days".
"Yeah" I sighed, "How's healing going?".
"Great!" Felis purred, "Although I still have this on me, I'm doing alright. Although I had to hear how much 'fun' Dew had learning how to fish from Lumber".
"That's no fun" I chucked, "Well, see ya soon Felis".
Felis touched my nose with her's and left the burrow.
"You totally like her!" Thunder laughed.
"No I don't!" I protested, pushing my brother away from me.
"Yea, you do" Pixie purred as she sat beside me, "I wonder what you and her kids will be named..."
"Don't you dare" I muttered, "Just let me sleep already".
I ignored the gossip of my brother and sister and fell asleep in the corner.