Locke walked into the play area where Sophie was sitting eating fruits. She noticed him walking towards him, he had a smile on his face.

What does he want now?

"Sophie how you doing on this fine-"

She cut him off. "What do you need?" Locke frowned, his charm was not going to help him. "Look, I need your help with something. Pitch needs-"

She narrowed her brow. "That's an odd change of pace for you. It's nice to know you not completely stuck up. What exactly do you need my help for with Pitch?" She gobbled a grape from her pile.

"To be honest I haven't got the clearest idea, but the Mike needs you." "Mike who?' Scratched her head with her trunk. "He's a mouse. All I know is he wanted you there, could you please get your butt over there?"

She smiled sinisterly at the cub. He did not like where this was going. "What are your demands then? It's obvious you wont go unless I do something to please you."

"I want you to apologize" She stated flatly,"What?" His mouth twisted into a pout.

"You heard me, or was that word to complicated for you?" She titled her head.

Locke sneered threatened. "The only thing complicated is your fat mou-" He stopped mid sentence as she was giving him a death glare. "What I meant to say was there has to be another option…"

She looked at him then to her fruit, it was a small watermelon, she grinned as she slammed he foot down on the fruit leaving a small half of the fruit left. "Wear that on your butt for the whole day and we're even." Locked growled annoyed.

The things we do for others.

Moments later...

Pitch started swinging at a cushion Sophie was holding with her trunk. He would alternate his punches as Mike told him: "Left. Right. Jab. Dodge."

Sophie swung at his head. He bobbed his head down and dodged the blow. Mike nodded in approval. His training consisted on building up his strength, endurance, movement and his stance. Each had a respective program; Lifting weights, (which for some reason consisted of lifting a couch twice his size.) dragging a tire for endurance, running through an obstacle course for movement with Locke there to be an obstacle, even standing in front of a mirror to work on his stance.

Pitch's schedule would be occupied with this retinue daily. But something felt off to Mike as he noticed him reading a book while Sophie was helping him pack up in the tent. But unbeknownst to them Django was watching them. He peered into tent, he scowled as he saw the two. He slowly crept out away from tent. Why does he, a failure deserve such a luxury? Fine, they all know what happens if they try to start something, we're all trapped here. No one deserves relief. At least I get to perform.

"Soph just place the stuff in the bushes near the play area, I'll be there shortly."

"What am I your slave?" She walked out the tent with the supplies reluctantly.

"No, but you make a lovely pack mule!" He grinned smugly.

"You know your playing with fire right?" Pitch looked down at him as he placed his book to the side. He knew but just wanted test how far he could get. However that wasn't important something was bothering him and he needed to talk. "Just look at Locke" Locke scowled as he held the Mellon up with his butt.

Mike laughed wholeheartedly. "Gahahaha. She gave puss a bubble butt!" "That's it, I'm out." Locke shuffled out the room, while having the Mellon sway from side to side with him.

Couldn't ask a for a better moment than this. Mike thought. "Pitch, let me be straight with you for a moment," The bear looked at him intently his yellow eyes lit up. "The reason why I wanted to help you wasn't because of your shabby fighting skills."

Pitch rose an eyebrow. "Really? And I thought it was my wonderful personality." He smiled coyly.

Mike ignored the comment and stared at the ground. "You remind me of… me. When I was just a wee mouse I had a great family, she...was possibly the sweetest when she was with us, but if you pissed her off, you were in for it., she's the reason I know how to box."

"How?" He tilted his head dubiously, he was curious.

"Before she met my dad she lived in the city, in this human gym and watched them from the a crack in the wall. Surprisingly she learned a lot from watching them. But she taught it to me because she wanted to give me confidence...grow. Pa was against it though, but he came around, my father was a stern fella didn't want me hurting my siblings." He grew silent and closed his eyes. Pitch grew more intrigued at his pensive silence.

"I'm not one for sob stories, so I'll keep it brief. Both of them...died." He gave Pitch a hard determined look. "I ran, fell into the deepest hole and cried my eyes out, but it wouldn't bring her back. I knew that. You can't run from your problems forever...they'll just come back bite you." Pitch rubbed his eyes as they began to water.

"I'm…"

Mike raised his paw. "Don't. Say sorry. What's done is done. I've heard that too much." He narrowed his brow and looked to the ground. "I wanted to do this to help you to gain confidence. So when life pushes you around, you can fight back,' He smiled solemnly. "Your innocence can't be used as ignorance, kid."

Pitch sighed and closed his eyes. "I know." Mike whipped up his head quickly and stared at in shock. "I've...noticed, no. I know that the animals here have pushed me around and I haven't batted and eye to it," he rubbed his left ear.

"I thought I could please everyone, I thought maybe I could just please both my parents. But that went nowhere. I thought maybe that keeping my thoughts to myself wouldn't complicate things and I could just...fit where ever. That lead me even worse territory with my parents."

Mike nodded. "Both of them really want the best for you. And you know you can't please em both right? My siblings are the same."

"I tried sharing the same interest for the forest and the wild my dad loved, while at the same time doing what my mom wanted too."

"Being safe and pampered?

"No. she wanted me to be a circus performer, honestly that's the only occupation here. Not like I have a choice"

"So, yes then?" He smiled.

Pitch rolled his eyes. "She wanted me to be like Django...an acrobat on the tight ropes, being loved by the audience at every show...But she realized how dangerous that could be one day."

Mike looked at the cut in his left ear. "I assume that's why?" He pointed to the ear.

Pitch nodded. "I was left to my own thoughts and despite that...experience," he shivered. The last thing he remembered was seeing knifes fly toward him as he closed his eyes and shifted his head as heard the blades sink into the wood. After that he was trying to calm down his mother. "I didn't lose my fascination with humans because of it. Which was why I wanted this book to begin with."

He rose the book up, it was a history book. "I just loved learning about them, their will, what drives them..." He stared away for a moment. "Those who don't learn from their past, are doomed to repeat it. I think that speaks volumes for us don't you think?"

"I don't know about volumes, but I get what your saying. If we can't learn from our mistakes we can't progress. We stand still."

Pitch nodded. I can't talk to them, but for now I need time to think. Mike watched the bear walk out of the tent, he was finally alone. He clutched his paws into a fists as his tail as his tail wrapped around him. Why didn't I cry when He died first, it was so sudden...Is there something wrong with me? Damn it... He stood there motionless as he pondered.

Pitch looked at the trailers with Locke as he stood at his friend's home. Locke took one look at him and sighed, "Pitch your not ready yet. Let me handle this you can sleep at my house for now, k?" Pitch smiled as he nodded. A little distraction would help him, right?

In the Bear's Trailer.

"Honey you need to relax, he's fine." Mono leaned on the wall of the trailer while his mate paced around in circles.

"Hate to say it but if you keep that up you 'll make hole in this thing." She didn't respond as she kept walking around in circles. "How many times are gonna do this? Hell, how much times have you done it I've lost count."

She stopped, "Ten. This helps me think and it keeps my mind of our child leaving?!" She scowled at him. "It's like you don't care-Or you know something I don't." she stared at him intently.

"Whoa, the only time you give me that look is if you realized something or...you want something from me." he smiled lecherously.

She rolled her eyes. "Why are you so calm about this? you know something don't you?" He stared at her she looked adamant there was no way she was going to drop this conversation. "He's going to be staying with Locke. his mother told me before we got back." She sighed relieved to know that her son was in good hands. "Don't know for how long, though." It didn't matter to her at this moment it's not like they were going anywhere anytime soon, she could wait...

Years ago In the forest...

"How long do we have till the humans figure out we're gone?" Mono asked Leonard as they trekked through the forest.

"He's a performer, he told me as long he could. I'm sure it wont take long." Varuna ran forward her child behind her as she listened, there was still something bothering her, slowed her paced and continued walking.

"Don't you think this is a little to easy? You don't think they planned for this?" she stated as continued to walked stepping over bushes.

"Dear, the humans aren't that smart what are the odds-"

Snap

He stepped on something, he looked down to see a bear trap. He growled in pain, but had enough strength to shout out: "Varuna Stop!"She Felt something sharp as she stepped forward. The others didn't want to go further they were scared of other things the humans had planned for them along the forest. She remembered the pain vividly other than that, nothing. She wanted nothing to do with leaving after that...much to her annoyance he still continued planning with the rodents... A pity.