Chapter 4: Playground

Azura and Lillie were playing on the swings at the playground. They were accompanied by their mother, Mizuchi. She was sitting on the bench watching them with her sketchbook in hand. Outdoors were a good place for some inspiration and a way for her to spend some time with her daughters.

Just then, another child came to the park with a ball in her mouth. It was a white she-wolf with short ears that resembled a rabbit's and a stumpy tail that was fluffy like a cotton ball. Her eyes were dark brown, almost black that made her look adorable.

Lillie was the first to noticed her and went down the slide to greet the little wolf. "Hello! Do you want to play with us?"

The white wolf's ears were pinned back. She only looked down at her feet and won't meet the tortoiseshell hybrid's eye. Feeling disappointed, Azura stepped in to approach the shy wolf and looked down at her clawed-like feet. "Sorry, my sister loves to make new friends. Do you play here too?"

Although she had not said a word, her tail was wagging. Both the sisters knew that the wolf wanted to play but was just shy to say so. Azura gently took her paw in her wing and guided her to the slides. That was when the white wolf began to look up with curiosity.

"We're playing explorers!"Lillie announced, puffing her chest. "I am looking for the van mass leaf."

"Don't you mean 'venomous' leaf?" Azura corrected her, making Lillie stuck out her tongue at her sister. "I'm the explorer and YOU are the doctor, sis! As for you, would you like to be my helper?"

The wolf nodded and then smiled a toothy smile. It reminded the sisters of how their father does whenever there was something fun. "O-okay!" her quiet voice confirmed the sisters. Sensing the wolf's nervousness, Azura bowed in greeting.

"I'm Azura and this is my baby sister, Lillie."

"Hey! I'm not a baby! I'm four years old!"

Despite their little squabbles, it does not deter them from having fun with their new friend. In fact, Lillie was surprised to see the little wolf wagged her tail and pointing at a flowered bush. The younger hybrid beamed. "Good work, helper. Now let's see what kind of flowers did you find?"

Plucking a pink flower, Lillie took a sniff and then sneezed. This caused the young wolf to laugh, followed by her sister. "Didn't think you would be sneezy, Lillie."

Lillie only stuck out her tongue as a response. She gently tugged the she-wolf's arm. "So, do you have a name, assistant? All assistants have names."

Although her voice was barely audible, both Lillie and Azura could hear the word, "Leano..."

Despite being shy, the two sisters accepted their new friend as they continued their game. They were so busy playing, they have not noticed that their mother was watching them with a white dwarf rabbit beside her.

...

"I'm telling you, she just wanders off without telling me!" the dwarf rabbit complained, taking a sip of the offered bottle of water. Mizuchi watched her old friend fuming but was grateful for the drink. If she was in her shoes, she would be worried to if either one of her daughters would wander off.

"I'm just glad my girls found her," Mizuchi pointed out to the three children playing. No hatred, discrimination or anything that would outcast the hybrids in this day and age. If that were to happen, the harlequin was not afraid to clawed them to pieces.

The reason why she kept her nails to be slightly long but not too long to harm her family. It reminded her of how she had treated her husband during their first encounter...it still haunted her to this day.

"So, how are you and Legosi doing, Haru?"

The dwarf rabbit pulled her ears out of frustration. "We're doing well- I mean really well! It's just that Legosi gets worried about Leano because everyone's giving her weird stares. I mean a she-wolf with slightly longer ears like mine and those big brown eyes that are adorable. Well, her tail's a bit short for a wolf's but she's still sweet."

There was something strained in her tone. Mizuchi placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Haru, there' definitely something wrong back home. Is this about your lovesick puppy?"

So many expressions melted into one on Haru's face but she reluctantly nodded. "Yeah. I love Legosi. I really do but sometimes he gets overprotective over me and Leano. I wished he would just relax and not have to walk on glass every time he's with us."

Mizuchi wondered the same thing about Arthur but something dawned on her that made her love her blind bat husband. "Haru, I know he's doing it out of love but have you talked to him about how that made you feel?"

Haru only sighed and kicked her feet. "Legosi' got all of the books to read about how to talk to small animals like me and a stack on interspecies marriage. I wished he would just relax but knowing him, he's full of surprises. I just want him to trust me and know that he doesn't have to be the only one to handle everything alone. That's what a marriage is about for god's sake!"

As much as Mizuchi wanted to find a solution, the best she could do was listen to her friend's worries. They haven't seen each other since graduation from Cherryton but Haru was just the same rabbit as before. Both rabbit does watched their children playing a made up game that was made by Azura.

If anything, Azura will always take charge while Lillie would follow her.

"Whatever it is, you can always talk to me about it," said Mizuchi with a smile. "We may have our own lives now but you're family's welcome to our home. I'll let Arthur know that I met you and Leano."

Haru's ears perked up at the offer. "Thanks, Mizuchi. Never thought we would go this far."

Mizuchi giggled and then their little time was cut short with three little ones bounding to them. Leano was a perfect mix of Legosi and Haru. Mizuchi mentally noted to sketch a design based on wolf-rabbit hybrids.

"Mom! Mom!" Lillie bounced up on her lap. "Can Leano come to our house to play?"

"Pleeease?!" Azura gave her best impression with those heterochromatic eyes. Mizuchi ruffled her daughter's fur. Of course she would allowed Leano to come over for a play date, with her parents' permission of course.

Looks like all of those tensions between the two rabbits in the past have become something new in the present future.


Well, although it's stated in the manga of how Legosi and Haru's kid would look like based on a Chimera, I think this would be a refreshing idea

Then again, many people write Legosi and Haru's kid differently