New one-shot! Yay!

Shira hummed as she skipped along the path. Something about this place just felt all happy and… merry. Her mother had said today was a special day for plundering; the best to wreak havoc and caused distress. She didn't know why, but she felt festive and in a partying mood as well. This… buzzing happiness in the air was contagious. She'd passed a few other creatures, all of who were putting up weird things all around; hanging brightly colored pinecones on vines strung about, balls of clay on wooden hooks dyed with berry juices, bits of colored leaves stuck in spider webs wrapped on trees.

As she went along, still humming a meaningless tune, she didn't realize she was about to "Oof!" she suddenly slammed into something warm, and she and the mystery person were sent tumbling.

"Ow…" she sat up dizzily and rubbed her head. "Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Me?!" the orange stranger demanded, whom she was sitting on, pushing her off. "Why don't you watch where you're going?!"

They turned to glare each other in the eye, only to blink and have them widen with recognition.

"…Shira?"

"You?!"

They pounced at each other and had a brief hug on the ground. "I missed you!" she exclaimed, coming up on top.

"Me too!" he gently pushed her off. "Wow, you look… different." The eight year old said. "What're those… thingies on your ear?"

"Hmm? Oh these?" she brushed her earrings with one paw. She barely noticed them anymore, they felt natural. But while the were subtle to her anymore, they still made her feel proud and more grown up. They'd make her look very much like a pirate, her mother said, when she was full grown and a proper member of the crew. "MY uncle gave em to me! Aren't they pretty?"

"Yeah." He agreed, reaching out hesitantly to poke the blue one, so it swayed a little. "Real pretty. How'd ya gettem ta stick to your ear?"

"He had to poke a hole in them." He gasped. "Oh don't worry, it didn't hurt! He put lotus berry juice on it so I couldn't feel a thing!"

"Ok…"

"So" she began, changing the subject. "What's with all the singin and dancin and decorations?" she asked. Even here, they could hear the faint music playing far away.

Surprisingly, he fell to the ground with laughter, making her frown indignantly. "What?"

"Oh good one Shira!" he managed. "Pretending not to know about Christmas! Funny!"

"Um…" her eyes darted this way and that, as if looking for someone else to explain. But they were alone. "But I don't know what, um… what'dja call it?"

He looked immensely startled. "You're kidding…" he breathed in horrified amazement, eyes wide and dilated with disbelief. "You don't know what Christmas is?"

She shook her head. "Uh uh. Is it important?"

"Uh, yeah! Christmas and presents and Santa is all totally important!"

"Huh. Guess mom forgot to tell me. I'll ask her when I get back."

"What kind of freakshow parents don't tell th-" that was when she growled and pounced, slamming him down into the dirt.

"DON'T" she snarled. "You. Dare. Insult my family." She flicked him on the forehead, hard, for good measure, ground his face a little harder into the dirt and got off, sauntering a few feet away, fuming. This- This guy had pretended to be her friend, laughed at her simply for not knowing a word (bet he didn't know what keelhauling meant! And she didn't laugh at him!), then insulted her mother. Who does that?!

The other cub picked himself off the ground, face pounding dully. Jeez, this girl could really pack a pounce!

Hearing her shudder in pain (emotional, obviously), he padded over and nudged her shoulder apologetically. "Hey, I'm sorry." He crouched low to catch her eye and make it more sincere. He was surprised to find tears brimming in her oceanic eyes. "I- I didn't mean-"

"Shira!" a heavily accented voice called.

"…Who's that?"

"Oh, that's my mom. I gotta go."

"Kay…" he said sadly. "Well, bye." He gave her another nudged and quickly kissed her on the cheek. She giggled nervously and rubbed it, blushing bright rred under her fur. But, because of her pale coat, she wasn't sure if he could see it. She hoped not.

"Shira!" the voice was getting closer.

Not wanting a repeat of the last time she was around a boy, quickly licked him on the cheek and sprinted off, yelling a "Bye!" over her shoulder.

"Bye…!" he called dazedly, waving.

She was going so fast she nearly crashed into her mom, who put out a foot to steady her. "Eas'eh there Sheila!" she chuckled. "Wha, ye think were gonna leave ya?"

Shira giggled. "Nope." That wouldn't happen. "I know you'd never leave me."

"Ye got tha righ." Raz bent low to collect her daughter, who rubbed affectionately against her for a moment before allowing herself to be lifted and tucked into the warm, familiar pouch. She snuggled into her warm fur as she sped into motion.

"Love you mom…" she whispered, falling asleep, the familiar movement and her heartbeat and steady breathing acting like a lullaby, soothing her mind and putting it to rest.

Later, after the brief hop home, her family was gorging happily on all the new fruit, Shira padded up to them. "Mom? Guys?"

"Aye Sheila?"

"Um…" they all turned to look at her nervously, this scenario was very familiar, and not in a good way. Shira frowned a little to recall her memory. But what should she bring up first? "What's a… a Santa?"

They all whipped towards her. This was worse than the time she asked about kissing. "W-Well, um…" Squint glanced nervously at the badger near him. "Gupta, you tell her!"

"Vhat?! Me?" he exclaimed, eyes darting around nervously. "Silas, you do it!"

"No! I am not a source of ima- such information!" he looked about desperately. "Raz! She is your child! You explain to ze little one what zis term is!"

"Wha- me?" they all nodded. "Oh Ah hate th' lot a' ya fer this." She grumbled. "Evra onea'- wai. Hold up fer a sec'nd." She held up one finger and turned to her daughter curiously, who had sat down to watch the adults bicker. "Where didja hear bout tha an'ehway?"

"Oh, right!" she 'd forgotten to tell them the good news of finding her friend again. "You know that other saber I was playing with that one time?! When I got my first flower?"

"Yeh… kinda."

"Well, he tld me! Isn't it great! I met him again!"

"Thas great." Raz said, reaching down to pat her head, hoping to distract her from this Christmas topic with information about her newfound friend. "So whas 'is name?"

Her blue eyes shot wide. "DANG IT!"

Yeah, I know this is incredibly late, but better late then never, right? Eh, anyway, review please! Hope you liked it!