I hum softly to myself as I zoom over Bemidji, feeling pretty good. I just spent the day sending flurries all over the Northern Hemisphere. I even had it snow in some of the southern parts. Nothing too horrible. A few centimeters here and there. Just enough to shut down the entire states.
I giggle to myself and twist in the air. Now to return home and get some R&R.
I glance down at the trees as I zoom by. Quite a few of the tree branches still have their leaves. Twisting, I fly on my back and tilt my head back as I move. Maybe tomorrow Wind and I can just race around and knock all of them off. My lips quirk up. Now that would be fun. I gave Wind the option to join me today, but they decided to check out further north today.
"Oh! Why don't I grab some berries to bring home? And then I can finish dusting the top floor so that Wind can relax when they get back."
I angle toward the ground, pleased with myself. And I have to admit, Cato was right. Having Mother Nature heal my head really was a good idea. I don't think I would have been able to handle all of the flurries today if I had to deal with that headache all day.
Leaves and snow crunch under my feet as I land.
Stretching my back, I start walking at a leisurely pace, brushing my fingers against the barks of the trees, leaving behind strands and large patches of frost. My eyes scan the remaining bushes that are scattered across the forest floor. I whistle as I float over a fallen log when I spot a bush with small blue spots. A wide smile forms on my face.
"Blueberries!"
I float over and clap my hands. It certainly has been quite a few months since I have had any blueberries. I quickly scan the bush, making sure that there is enough for me to take and enough for the animals that do not hibernate during my main months.
A robin lands near me as I pick a plump blueberry and pop it into my mouth. I grimace as I bite down and instead of the sweetness that I was expecting, a zing of sourness fills my mouth. Forcing myself to swallow, I sigh as I glance at the robin.
"I don't think you'll want these. They're a little past their prime." I grab another and pop it into my mouth. This blueberry is a little less bitter, so I shrug and grab three more and another two for my new robin friend. "Here ya go, bud. I promise to not quite freeze everything for a while so that you and your friends can get the proper food before full-blown winter."
The robin hops back and forth, eyeing the food before pecking at it once, then twice, then just going to town on the two berries. A giggle bubbles from my chest as I pop another berry into my mouth.
RUSTLE. RUSTLE.
My head snaps up and I glance around at the trees. Father Time's warning rings in my ears. Tensing, I push myself to my feet as I spot the bush that is shaking between two large pine trees. Biting my bottom lip, I cautiously move toward the bush, my footsteps light and barely audible as I move. My heart pounds as the bush shakes more and more. I pause just an arm's length away and swallow thickly as I reach a trembling hand toward the bush. Grasping the branches, I push them aside.
My shoulders sag.
There, on the other side of the bush, sits a small white arctic fox. The fox turns and stares up at me, her ears standing tall and her head tilting to the left. A smile graces my lips as a relieved laugh escapes me.
"Well, hey there, little buddy. You certainly gave me quite the fright." I reach out and scratch the fox's ear. "You're kinda far from where you should be. Are you lost?"
The fox remains silent, her large ears twitch with each word I say. Her large brown eyes stare at me, unblinking, and my stomach clenches uneasily.
I tickle under the fox's chin, hoping to get a little chuckle or cackle from the small creature. Nothing. Gnawing on my bottom lip, I reach out and pick up the small fox. I grunt at the surprising weight behind the small frame.
"Hey, little one, is everything okay?" I ask, the fox practically limp in my hold. "Are you sick?" I press two of my fingers back near the fox's ears, hoping to see if I can feel a difference in temperature that I know most living creatures that are hot-blooded run at. Actually, if anything, this little fox feels a little cooler than usual. Even by my standards. I tilt my head. Well, that can't be right.
"Have you been out here for very long? You may have all this fur, but you're still pretty young, little buddy, you need to make sure you have a place to stay warm."
The fox merely tilts her head, ears twitching some more. Frowning, I tuck the fox a little closer, hoping that I'm not the reason why she's feeling so much colder than she should.
"You know what? Why don't I bring ya home? I can set you up with some blankets and I can keep my sliding door open so that you can slip out when you're all warmed up."
Stuffing the rest of my berries into my mouth, I float myself up, holding the fox close, just in case she freaks out at the sudden change in altitude. She doesn't seem to mind and remains quite limp in my hold.
Concern bubbles in my chest.
Maybe she hasn't eaten in a while? Or maybe she is just tired? She really shouldn't be this far south from the Arctic Circle.
My lips purse as I urge myself faster through the air.
Maybe I should contact Mother Nature? She's much better with animals than anyone else. I quickly start scanning the trees, hoping to spot my dark grey rooftop. About a mile to my left, I finally spot my house and I quickly angle myself in that direction and rush further.
"Don't worry, little one, almost there," I say, causing the little fox's ears to twitch again. Landing softly, my footsteps barely dent the dusting of snow that I left before leaving earlier this morning. Waving my hand, my key forms between my fingers and I quickly unlock my front door. Wind is still out, feeling the stillness of the house tells me that.
Flicking on the lights, I gently place the little fox down, my arms slightly tired from holding the surprisingly heavy little body so high in the air. It has been a very long time since I last carried a person, well, a living being, while I was flying. I can't even remember when I last flew with someone.
Shaking my head, I frantically start searching through all the rooms for extra blankets, and even grabbing a few from my pile in my room. Instead of taking the stairs, I float down and rush over to the still sitting fox. Her wide brown eyes tracking my every move as I create a small burrow for the fox close to the sliding door, which I quickly crack open so that the fox can leave whenever she likes.
"There!" I say, clapping my hands together. "So, what do you think? Is it to your liking?"
I stare hopefully at the little fox, but she merely sits there, staring at me. My hands twitch and I twist my fingers.
"O-Okay, um," I nibble on the corner of my thumb. I snap. "You must be hungry, right? I'm sure you haven't eaten much since you traveled so far. You'll have to tell me all about your journey, little one. And then, after getting some rest, I can bring you back up to the Arctic Circle so that you can go home."
Standing, I dust off my knees and hurry toward my fridge before pausing. What am I doing? I haven't stocked up on any food yet! I need to go out and find something.
My stomach twists. Maybe I can find something in town? See if I can get some meat from the store? But I don't have any money. I wince. And I'm not going to steal meat. Did I happen to see any roadkill on my way back home?
My stomach rolls uneasily and I tug on my sweatshirt. Crap. Okay. Just breathe, Frost, you can do this.
Dragging in a deep breath, I release it slowly, the air coming out in a white cloud. I start for the door when my feet refuse to move. Glancing down, I groan. I literally just froze my feet to the floor. I glance over my shoulder toward the fox.
The white fox merely stares at me and barely even moves as her ears twitch. I don't even think she's blinked since I picked her up from the forest floor.
It's a little unnerving.
Frowning, I wave my hands at my feet, destroying the ice that formed there. Uncertainty twitches in my chest as I slowly approach the little fox. Her head tracks my every move, the only piece of her that has moved beside her ears. Kneeling down in front of the little fox, I keep my hands on my knees as I frown down at her.
"Hey, little buddy, you gotta work with me, okay? I promise to bring you back home tomorrow, I just can't make the trek tonight without Wind. So, please, tell me what you need. Food? Water? Warmth? Entertainment?"
When the fox still merely stares up at me, I sigh.
"Why are you being so quiet? Did I scare you? I didn't mean to. I know that I'm a little weird looking, but I promise that I'm here to help."
Reaching out, I scratch her ears as I study her closely. My eyes drift down to her chest as I move one hand to scratch her neck. Something just doesn't feel right. I run a finger down her back only to stop when I feel a slight lump.
I blink.
So she IS injured.
"I'm so sorry, little one," I say, panic twisting in my gut. "I had no idea that you were injured. Here, will you let me look at it?"
The fox remains silent, her eyes staring up at my face, unflinching as her ears twitch with each word. I glance around, suddenly wishing for another being to help provide me with some advice.
"I-I'll be really gentle okay? If it's too bad, I'll bring you to Mother Nature. Sound good?"
The fox's ears twitch some more and I sigh. Why is this so hard? With trembling hands, I lift the fox as gently as I can. Turning her in my hands, I scan her back as I run my free hand down the fur, searching for the lump.
My fingers stop in the center of her back and I breathe out shakingly.
"Okay, so this might hurt, so just try to stay as still as possible and it'll be over as quickly as possible. All right?"
I swallow thickly as the fox still remains silent. Using my fingers, I part the arctic fox's bright snow-white fur. My eyebrows furrow as the lump appears. But there is something different about it. The lump is no bigger than my thumb but is quite square, not round like most lumps are. And up through the center of the lump, is a tiny piece of silver string sticking up.
Gently, I run my pointer finger over the lump, but where I expect some heat from the injury, it is actually quite cool. The pads of my fingers brush the strange silver string when I'm suddenly slammed into from the side.
I barely catch my breath when I'm lifted into the air and spun around.
"Wind! Wind, stop!" I yelp frantically as I'm bounced up and down. A cold pit forms in my stomach as I realize my hands are empty. Wind tosses me up, whistling happily.
"WIND!" I shout. "Please! Put me down!"
Wind startles and I land ungracefully upon the ground, my shoulder slamming into the floorboards.
Ignoring the stab of pain, I scramble to my feet, heart-clenching as I spot the bundle of white fur tossed near the kitchen table.
"Oh, oh no," I whisper with a gasp and fall to my knees next to the fox's small, still form.
"No, nono nono nono."
Heat prickles behind my eyes as my trembling hands slowly reach out for the fox. A hiccup escapes me as the fox's head lolls as I lift her up. Biting my lip, I press my ear against her side, listening for a heartbeat.
My vision blurs as no familiar 'thump bump' of a beating heart reaches my ears. Wind whines to my left, gently caressing my cheek as they question what happened.
"I-I didn't mean to throw her," I hiccup, as my lips tremble. "I was startled! I didn't... I just wanted... She was so far from home! I promised to bring her home to the Arctic Circle tomorrow morning. And she had this weird lump on her back that I was looking at. I just... I'm sorry..."
I bite my bottom lip as another hiccup escapes me, pressing my forehead against the fox's still side. Warmth trickles down my cheeks, burning my skin as my chest shutters with each breath I drag in.
Wind drapes themselves across my back as I breathe out and just start to cry. I didn't mean to throw her so hard. Why wasn't I more careful with how I was holding her? She was injured!
"Hey, Snowfla—Whoa! What happened?"
I jump at the sound of Ake's voice and look up at the moon entity as he rushes to my side. I hold the fox closer to my chest, dropping my gaze as Ake falls to his knees next to me. He reaches out and brushes at my cheeks, his face twisting with concern.
"Snowflake? Frost? Jackie?" Ake asks softly, his eyes flickering down to the fox in my hands. "What happened? Who's this?"
I swallow thickly as I gently rub my thumb on the fox's back.
"She—I found her in the forest. Arctic foxes aren't supposed to be this far south and I was going to bring her back up to the Arctic Circle tomorrow morning. But I—I got startled while checking this lump on her back and I threw her. I didn't mean to!" I say, hiccuping as Ake's eyes widen, his eyes never leaving the fox in my hands. "But-But she must have been more injured than I thought. S-She barely moved since I found her, she wouldn't blink, make any noise. Nothing I did seemed to phase her. I was going to bring her to Mother Nature if the injury was bad enough but then I-I—"
A sob escapes me as I hold up the fox's still form for Ake to see. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying hard to keep the hot tears back, each tear burning as they roll down and gather at my chin.
A gentle hand cups my chin, lifting my face up to face Ake. I squeeze my eyes harder as Ake's thumb brushes right under my left eye.
"Snowflake, look at me, okay?"
Biting my lip, I force my eyes open and stare at the Man in the Moon as my chest stutters with another deep breath. Ake's eyebrows are furrowed as he brushes my white bangs away from my face, a tiny smile forming when he notices my gaze on him.
"There we go, Snowflake, just take a few deep breathes and try to calm down, all right? And while you do that, would you mind if I take a look at your little friend here?"
Another hiccup bursts past my lips as I nod, even though a small part of me really wants to say 'no', to just let me bury her now that she is no longer in pain. Ake smiles at me, unaware of my inner turmoil, holding his hands out. I gently pass the fox's still form into the moon entity's hold.
Ake's face contorts with surprise when he feels the weight of the tiny form. I chuckle wetly, wiping my burning cheeks with the back of my hands. I don't need my tears freezing to my face.
"Yeah, she-she's a little hefty for her size."
Ake's eyes flicker up to my face before quickly returning to the fox in his hands. A small frown tugs at his lips.
"You said that she was injured when you found her? Where is the wound?"
Rubbing my nose, I nod my head.
"Yeah, she had it right here on her back." I gently caress the fox's back, my eyes starting to water once more.
"It'll be okay, Snowflake," Ake says quietly, shooting me a reassuring smile. "I'll see what I can do for your little friend."
My heart skips a beat and I look up at the older being.
"You-You think you can save her?"
Ake doesn't answer as he refocuses on the still form in his hands. A few different expressions cross the moon entity's face. Confusion, sadness, more confusion, uncertainty, anger, and then back to confusion.
"Snowflake," Ake says, slowly, his eyes never leaving the fox's prone form. "When did you say you found your little friend?"
Confused, I blink up at the taller entity.
"Um, about twenty minutes ago? Why?"
Ake nods, his lips forming a thin line as he studies the Arctic fox in his hands. After a beat, Ake looks up to me and leans back onto his heels.
"Jack. Frost. Snowflake. I-I don't know how to tell you this but, uh," Ake starts, fumbling over his words slightly. I frown at the moon entity.
"Tell me what?"
Ake sighs, his shoulders sagging.
"Snowflake, your little friend here hasn't been among the living for at least thirty days."
My mouth falls open and a chill, one that isn't at all comforting like all my other chills, courses through my body. I quickly shake my head.
"No. No, that can't be right. I was just petting her. Her ears twitched! Her head would follow my movements. The dead don't move after thirty days!"
Ake shuffles closer, his gaze flickering between the fox in his hands and my face. "Snowflake, I know that it doesn't sound possible, but trust me when I say that she was dead long before you even found her."
My hand covers my mouth and I stare down at the small fox. What? Why? How? Was I really carrying around a dead fox? But she was moving! My mouth waters unpleasantly and I press my fist to my lips as I swallow.
Ake flips the fox over in his hands, gently, and starts running his fingers over the fox's back. I reach out and guide Ake's finger to the lump.
"The lump is right here. It was really strange. It's shaped like a square and there is something sticking out of it."
Ake nods as he feels the lump and parts the fur. The skin tightens around his eyes as he stares down at the lump.
"Snowflake. Go get me something small and sharp please."
My stomach squeezes as I nod and shakily stand up. Wind follows after me as I enter the kitchen and start opening drawers, searching for a knife of some sort. My lips purse as each drawer turns up empty. Shaking my head, I sigh and twist my wrist, forming a sharp icicle in my hands. I stare at it for a moment before shaking my head and hurrying back to Ake. I hold the icicle out for him.
"This was all I could come up with, I'm sorry," I say, hoarsely as I wipe at my face as a stray tear slips from my left eye. "What do you need it for?"
Ake remains silent as he takes the icicle into his hands. He twists it so that the point is facing the fox and starts digging into the fox's back. A gasp escapes me and I just barely hold myself back from grabbing his wrists, my hands hovering near his shoulders.
"What are you doing?! Ake! Stop! What are you doing?"
But Ake continues on as if he doesn't hear me. Shaking my head, I drop my gaze and wrap my arms around my torso, hugging myself tightly as I rock back and forth.
"Snowflake."
I shake my head at Ake's voice, pursing my lips. He said that he could help her! Not that he was going to dig around in her skin with my icicle! My mouth waters and my stomach rolls. What have I done?
"Snowflake. Frost. Look at me."
I flinch at the commanding tone in Ake's voice and I force myself to look at him.
"What?" I ask bitterly, voice wet as I try not to start crying again. "I thought you were going to try and help her! Not dig around in her skin!"
Ake shakes his hand and holds his hand out.
"That lump you thought was an injury? It wasn't apart of her body."
My eyes widen. Leaning forward, I glance down at the moon entity's hand. He opens his hand with his palm up and in the center of his palm is a small black computer chip.
"What-What is that?"
Ake frowns.
"And that's not all. Look here." Ake points down at the fox's still form. Shakily, I follow the Man in the Moon's finger look at where he placed the fox's body.
A sick pit forms in my stomach as dread courses through my body. Wires are sticking out from within the skin, mixing in with the muscle and meat underneath. A bodily shiver courses through me as I press my knuckles against my mouth. I swallow harshly as my stomach tries to rebel.
That would explain why the fox felt so much cooler than normal. She really wasn't alive to begin with.
"Humans were controlling her? But how? How were they making her move?" I ask, willing away the queasy squeeze of my gut. Ake glares down at the mess of wires and fur.
"Honestly? I think they were using this chip to send electrical pulses up through her spine into her brain, allowing her to have movement while still dead."
I curl into myself as Ake speaks. "But I thought living things like foxes and humans go all rigid when they die."
The moon entity shrugs.
"I'm not an expert, we'd have to talk to Mortem about that, but I think it's only for a short period of time and then they can move the body around."
My eyebrows furrow as I nod.
"All right." I pause. "Wait. Mortem and Vita weren't at the meeting yesterday. Why not?"
"Zaman and Cato already spoke to them about what they found, but unlike us, life and death is happening almost constantly around us, so they really don't have too much time to sit down and discuss crazy humans. And their..." Ake sneers down at the fox's dead form. "Weird habits."
Guilt shoots up through my chest.
"You...You don't think they purposely killed her just for this, do you?" The mere thought of that happening brings the prickle of tears back to my eyes. Ake rests his free hand upon my head and I look up at him.
"It's hard to say, Snowflake. Humans are very unpredictable about what they will and won't do to achieve their end means. I wouldn't put it pass them. But it is quite possible, with how small she is even for her young age, she could have merely died of natural causes and they found her and decided to use her body."
That thought twists my stomach but I merely nod, not trusting my voice. Wind nudges my shoulder, having been quiet this entire time, sad that they upset me. A wet chuckle escapes me as I nudge them back.
"It's all right, Wind, apparently we didn't harm her after all. But that leaves me with another question." I stand on shaky legs and glance toward the woods through my glass sliding doors. "Why did they bring her all the way down here? And what were they hoping to gain through using her like this?"
Ake stands too, lifting the fox's limp form as he does.
"I don't know, but I don't like it. At all. We need to go show the others this and maybe Cato might have more of an idea of what the humans were using her for. They are much better at technology than most of us are."
A small smile tugs on my lips.
It's true.
Cato, out of all of us, is so fascinated by all the little gadgets that the humans create and is always pulling one of us along to that World's Fair that they hold every year just to see what else the humans have created. I have heard humans joke immensely about how the elderly just can never seem to get the hang of the ever-changing tech, but Cato, who is older than the earth itself, has no problems with it. They have even gotten to teaching Vita and Mortem about the tech when they stop by to check on their younger sibling. I am pretty sure that fancy device that Father Time used last night was one of the many gadgets that Cato has created over the years.
I snap from my thoughts when Ake holds out the fox for me to take. My heartbeat spikes as my chest constrict. His face softens as I glance from him to the fox and back to his face.
"It'll only be for a minute, Snowflake. Promise. I don't want to get any moon dust on her. Then I'll take her right back, okay?"
Swallowing thickly, I give the much older being a stiff nod.
As gently as possible, I take the fox from the moon entity. Wind whines next to me as I stand stiffly with the fox in my grasp. I fight back against the heat threatening to prickle at my eyes. How did I not know she was dead? I hope she can forgive me for disturbing her form so much and throwing her like I did when Wind knocked into me. I would have buried her if I would have known.
The rustling of clothes tells me that Ake is digging around in his pockets for some moon sand. After a beat, Ake drags in a deep breath and blows it out, sending sand flying through the air. I look up and watch as a portal identical to the one that Ake created yesterday forms in my living room. Wind twirls around me, disgruntled at the sand once more building upon the floor.
"I-It's okay, Wind, I'll deal with it when I get back, okay? A little sand never hurt anyone, anyways, right?"
Wind whistles and blows in my direction, tussling my hair about as they disagree. My lips quirk and merely nod.
"All right, if it would make you feel better cleaning it up when I leave, I won't say no. But you do know that if Ake brings me back, sand is just going to appear on the floor again, right?"
Wind blows in my face, causing me to actually chuckle.
"All right, all right. If you say so then I won't deny you this."
I jump when a hand lands on my shoulder. Glancing up, I stare up at Ake as he keeps his word and cautiously takes the fox from my hold.
"All right, Snowflake, let's go talk with Zaman and Cato about this. And see if either of them know anything about any other humans doing this kind of thing."
Swallowing, I nod and timidly approach the portal as Ake nods for me to go first.