I made this for someone because they were having a bad time a few months ago, and it's pretty short, A
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Atrius, come out alreadyyyy.”
An impatient Fennekin stood in front of a den, yelling into the hole. Her voice was loose yet labored, and she yawned.
“U-uhh… I’m not sure, Elma…”
Elma sighed.
“I’m not gonna force you to come out, or listen to my doofy voice, but if you come out or talk to me I’d like that.”
Atrius, in the deep, muddled it over. Her little cradle of dirt was somewhat uncomfortable, but so did the sun, making her visible for all to see. The Zorua could usually mask herself whenever she’d like, but didn’t around friends as much. And even then, she hid herself somewhat with an illusion. But today, her illusion powers weren’t working.
“S-stay there, please.”
Atri heard the soft thump of Elma lying down by the dirt mount, and her soft breathing. She realized the contrast with her own, as Atri was breathing heavily and with some struggle.
“Uh… Elma… Do you know, uh, the culture of Zorua and Zoroarks? Some of them, at least.”
Elma’s ear twitched and she softly looked into the hole, even if it was curved in a way to where Elma got no visual on her long-time friend.
“Yeah? You’ve told me about quite a few. How Zoroark all take a haircut a week after their mating season, how the teeth are often mostly illusion to scare other species, the thing with males having their left ear nicked, and female’s their right,”
She quickly listed off most of her favorite oddities from the Zorua traditions. Memories of camping out, cuddling in the winter and watching something that a weird Keckleon called “a movie”. She stared at the blue sky and grinned in a way that only a fox-mom could love.
Atri sounded a bit close to crying.
“D-did I say something wrong?”
“... n-no… T-the last one…”
Elma was more concerned than confused. She rose a paw to the cold, earthy air. No… Give her the space.
“Elma… I have a nick on my, uh, left ear.”
Alti closed her eye and took a deep breath. The questions.
“Wait, I’ve never seen that before on you… come to think about it, I’ve never seen any cut in your ears,”
Alti recoiled and shivered, but not from the cold.
“Didn’t you say that you were abandoned as a child in the forest at birth? Seen as a runt?”
Come to think of it, how would Alti know they saw her as a runt?
“E-Elma-”
“Alti…? I’m so confused… are you even named Alti? … Can I see it? No illusion?”
Altius stared down and put her head out of the curve just enough. Elma cautiously started a small ember, giving her light, and Alti the first warmth she’d felt all night.
Yup, the left ear.
“So… was it an accident?”
“An accident, but on Arceus’ side, not the t-tribe’s,” Alti said in a mournful tone.
The Fennekin made an ‘o’ with her mouth. She kept herself still, going inaudible for a minute, now figuring out what Alt meant.
Ohhh. Arceus, I’m clueless sometimes.
“Elma… I understand if y-you’re mad at me for lying about my past… a-and,” Alti coughed, but continued, “a-about my… biological bit… But this is who I truly am…” She broke out crying. Alti got scared she’d be sent out again.
Instead, the Zorua felt a lick on her cheek and a great big warm fox cuddling around her.
“Alti… I love you, and I accept you for whoever you are.”
No longer were they tears of anxiety and grief. But of course, not all was done… but Alti, for once, felt able to be herself without fear. The two left the den when they felt comfortable, and quietly sobbed tears of all sorts, but end up curled about, happy by nightfall.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Atrius, come out alreadyyyy.”
An impatient Fennekin stood in front of a den, yelling into the hole. Her voice was loose yet labored, and she yawned.
“U-uhh… I’m not sure, Elma…”
Elma sighed.
“I’m not gonna force you to come out, or listen to my doofy voice, but if you come out or talk to me I’d like that.”
Atrius, in the deep, muddled it over. Her little cradle of dirt was somewhat uncomfortable, but so did the sun, making her visible for all to see. The Zorua could usually mask herself whenever she’d like, but didn’t around friends as much. And even then, she hid herself somewhat with an illusion. But today, her illusion powers weren’t working.
“S-stay there, please.”
Atri heard the soft thump of Elma lying down by the dirt mount, and her soft breathing. She realized the contrast with her own, as Atri was breathing heavily and with some struggle.
“Uh… Elma… Do you know, uh, the culture of Zorua and Zoroarks? Some of them, at least.”
Elma’s ear twitched and she softly looked into the hole, even if it was curved in a way to where Elma got no visual on her long-time friend.
“Yeah? You’ve told me about quite a few. How Zoroark all take a haircut a week after their mating season, how the teeth are often mostly illusion to scare other species, the thing with males having their left ear nicked, and female’s their right,”
She quickly listed off most of her favorite oddities from the Zorua traditions. Memories of camping out, cuddling in the winter and watching something that a weird Keckleon called “a movie”. She stared at the blue sky and grinned in a way that only a fox-mom could love.
Atri sounded a bit close to crying.
“D-did I say something wrong?”
“... n-no… T-the last one…”
Elma was more concerned than confused. She rose a paw to the cold, earthy air. No… Give her the space.
“Elma… I have a nick on my, uh, left ear.”
Alti closed her eye and took a deep breath. The questions.
“Wait, I’ve never seen that before on you… come to think about it, I’ve never seen any cut in your ears,”
Alti recoiled and shivered, but not from the cold.
“Didn’t you say that you were abandoned as a child in the forest at birth? Seen as a runt?”
Come to think of it, how would Alti know they saw her as a runt?
“E-Elma-”
“Alti…? I’m so confused… are you even named Alti? … Can I see it? No illusion?”
Altius stared down and put her head out of the curve just enough. Elma cautiously started a small ember, giving her light, and Alti the first warmth she’d felt all night.
Yup, the left ear.
“So… was it an accident?”
“An accident, but on Arceus’ side, not the t-tribe’s,” Alti said in a mournful tone.
The Fennekin made an ‘o’ with her mouth. She kept herself still, going inaudible for a minute, now figuring out what Alt meant.
Ohhh. Arceus, I’m clueless sometimes.
“Elma… I understand if y-you’re mad at me for lying about my past… a-and,” Alti coughed, but continued, “a-about my… biological bit… But this is who I truly am…” She broke out crying. Alti got scared she’d be sent out again.
Instead, the Zorua felt a lick on her cheek and a great big warm fox cuddling around her.
“Alti… I love you, and I accept you for whoever you are.”
No longer were they tears of anxiety and grief. But of course, not all was done… but Alti, for once, felt able to be herself without fear. The two left the den when they felt comfortable, and quietly sobbed tears of all sorts, but end up curled about, happy by nightfall.