Previous Part: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/300658686/ Next Part: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/300695180/ - - - I sighed and gulped. I didn’t feel like I could trust Mocha any less than Cyan, Dusty, or Flick. “I’ll think about it. It’s just that… well… it didn’t turn out with Cyan’s gang.” Mom and I had walked all the way back to our home den by now, so we went inside as she nodded thoughtfully. “It’s impossible that all your friends would abandon you, Fleur. You’ll be fine.” I nodded back and hoped she’d be right. It can’t go that badly, can it? I asked myself nervously. But before Mocha, I’d have to face someone else, and the mere thought of it intimidated me. Facing Mocha was the least of my worries now. I still had a father to confront. It was coincidental enough that Dad padded in with some prey to get us through the night, so I looked at him and he looked at me. “R-Remy? Would you… like to explain?” I blushed (although nobody could really tell, thank the berry juice) and sighed. “I’m… I’m Fleur now.” He bit his lip and frowned. “What… why? How long have you felt like this…?” I padded over to a sleeping nest and sat down. “Too long, Dad. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner.” He nodded and looked at me. “As long as you’re happy, my… um… child.” I suppressed a smile and ultimately gave up. “Daughter.” Dad smiled back. “Sure.” Then he asked the question. “What did Cyan’s gang say to you? Why did your mother have to run off and check on you?” I hung my head low as I tried to look up at him. “They… they don’t want me to change. It’s like they hate me for wanting to be… Fleur.” My father frowned. “Is there anyone left for you? You can’t be friendless for long, not in this circumstance. Your mother and I will support you unconditionally… Fleur, but you also need peers to look out for you.” I sighed and nodded, looking up again. “I mean, there’s Mocha —” Dad cut me off before I was half done. “Then talk to him!” I exhaled loudly. “That’s the problem! He might say the same things that Cyan, Dusty, and Flick did.” Mom shook her head. “That’s nonsense!” I frowned again, feeling myself tear up a little. “Yeah, right.” Dad put a paw on my shoulder and sighed. “That’s on them. Trust me, there’s going to be someone besides me and your mother who will support you to no end.” I tried to hold back the tears, but they just came. Bucketloads of them. “T-thank you so much,” I murmured softly as I tried hopelessly to stop crying. “I’ll… I’ll try to… tell Mocha this week.” That night, I lay awake in my nest for a long time, wishing that I had just been, well… a girl, from the start. It could’ve been so much easier that way. I opened my eyes to find myself stuck somewhere really dark, hearing things. Horrible, nasty things; voices. “You don’t belong here!” “You don’t belong anywhere!” “What makes you think you can just… change?!” “Haven’t you been told that you should be happy with what you have? With who you are?” I tried to shut out the voices before I realized who they belonged to: Cyan, Dusty, and Flick. And then I opened my eyes again, for real this time. I looked through the vine-covered entrance and saw that the sun was about to rise, and that maybe I should just go out and tell Mocha about everything really soon, but I didn’t care. This time, I didn’t resist the tears. I just cried and cried and cried. When I was a young child, perhaps the the worst thing my mind had conjured up was a dream I had about getting lost in the woods by accident, and panicking as a result. This was a million times worse. Several minutes later, my mother opened her eyes and looked up to notice that I was in my nest, wide awake… and crying. “Remy… no, wait, I’m sorry. Fleur! What happened, dear?” I rubbed the tears off my face and looked at her. “I had a nightmare… it should be fine…” I mumbled. She padded over close to me and gave me a lick on the forehead, as though I were a pup again. Even now, I still felt like crying. The thought of having to tell Mocha just haunted me now. I cried into my mother’s soft shoulder for the next few minutes, wondering what I should do now. I could still feel her paw caressing my own fur. “Oh, sweetie, it’s okay,” she murmured softly, clearly in hopes of calming me down. I sighed and looked up. “T-there were these… voices… it was like they were ridiculing me all over again…” I stammered, just wishing the breakdown would be over. Mom nodded and sighed. “It was just a dream. Don’t worry. You’ll be able to find another friend soon enough.” I sighed and tried to regain my courage. “I’m going to try and tell Mocha.” - - - Music: Flowers - In Love With A Ghost, Ft. Nori Animation: @Sylvie8921 Writing: @Sylvie8921 - - - Hope you enjoyed!
