Wild Berry Meadow of vices and virtues

@Astrid 

The sun was warm, the earth cool, and wind light and balmy. Over the meadow small birds swooped and sang, and it seemed that nothing could possibly upset the perfect balance of the world. 

Then there came a rumbling, and a crashing, and a howl of glee. A moment of silence, and then, racing like a fiery comet, Ikari. 

He dashed from the trees, gold fur and even brighter gold eyes, tail flailing out behind him like a flag. His tongue lolled from his jaws, dangling over his teeth, and his breath came in ragged gasps. He was pushing himself as hard as he could, legs pumping, chest heaving. The wind rushed by his ears, and he howled again. 

The rock appeared seemingly out of nowhere. In an instant, Ikari had tripped, staggered, and crashed head-first into the earth. His legs still kicked, running on their own momentum, and the earth churned beneath his writhing paws. When the dust had settled and his body had finally stopped moving, Ikari raised his head. 

"Wow." he grunted, righting himself. He licked his nose and came away with the taste of blood. The world spun for a moment, then stilled. Ikari stood and turned to face the rock. He bared his teeth and rammed it hard with his broad head, yowling and falling back when he made impact. 

"Good job." he said, speaking to the rock, "You tripped me up this time. It won't happen again." He turned and limped off, still dizzy, nose bleeding, and now with a massive headache. 

His paws found water, and he fell into a narrow stream, scraping himself on yet another rock. Fish fled in every direction, and Ikari snapped his teeth at them. 

"Yeah. Fuck you, fish." he growled, "You too, stupid rock," he rammed his head into the latest geological offender, swore again, and sat down. A moment later he flopped to his side, letting the cold water rush over his head. A few clouds scooted above him, and he rolled over onto his back, extending his paws as though to touch them. 

There came a rustling from the stream bank, and he flipped over immediately, covering his lower half with his tail. A small rabbit emerged from the grass, and he snarled at it. 

"Screw off, ya dumb rabbit," he growled, and the rabbit fled. Ikari lay back down and stared at the sky. He was all at once very much aware of himself, what he had, and what he most certainly did not have down below. After a moment, the massive wolf stood, shook water from his fur, and exited the stream, resuming his ramble across the meadow. 

Existential crises were for people who thought about things. Ikari thought that not thinking was the best way to go, and, before he could question his own thoughts, ceased to think. 

Silence pervaded for a moment more. The birds swooped. The wind rustled. Far below them, Ikari tripped on another rock, and the swearing began anew.