Phoenix Maplewood don’t get me wrong
nothing in life is to be feared,
it is only to be understood.
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#1
All Welcome 
suddenly, she was cold again and instinctively searching for warmth. ying slowly worked her way upright, becoming used to the pain radiating from her forelimb. could she walk? she took a few steps forward, then practiced turning, to ensure that she would be ready to move again. 

the events were still foggy. ying couldn't discern what exactly had happened, but she knew that she'd been hurt and hurt someone else in turn. traces of his scent lingered near the water's edge. she sniffed around, focusing primarily on the dried droplets of blood, then turned to begin the search.

why was she looking for him? he'd been there when it happened, so surely he knew something. his scent was weak for some time; she limped into a nearby woodland where his presence was more apparent, and sounded several yips to get his attention.

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sequoia coast · open for threads (3/5)
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#2
in the end, all he'd managed to snag was a hare. he'd been on his way back towards the river's edge where he'd last left ying when the faint, yet sharp sounds caught hold of his attention. inky ears swiveled atop his crown as he turned to face the direction the noise was coming from, pace set at a steady trot as he made his approach.

upon realizing that it was none other than his friend, his feet immediately quickened till he was just a few feet away. "what happened?", he asked as he dropped the hare to the ground, eyes scanning over her pale frame. how had she even gotten this far in her condition? "does something hurt?", came the next question, concern lacing his features.

he moved to give a gentle bump to her shoulder, though stopped just before making contact. what if she snapped again? the cut still burned, as did the memory of her teeth meeting his flesh. he took a step back, gaze retreating to the earth's floor as a cold chill shifted in the air between them.
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nothing in life is to be feared,
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#3
confusion drew itself clearly onto her expression. she watched him present the hare, listened to his words, and anticipated the hesitant touch. had he meant to harm her, it would have already been done. 

ying carefully settled onto her hindquarters, wincing as she nursed the burning paw. this, she told him, lifting the poorly wrapped appendage. most of the materials which had previously held her bones into place had been lost during the walk. 

she kept her gaze steady on his face, trying to recall their memories. he wasn't a stranger, so what was he? and my head. the blood had stopped dripping from her nose, leaving thin streaks along her chin. there was a wound at her crown as well, though it had been mostly cared for.
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sequoia coast · open for threads (3/5)
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#4
his eyes followed her movements as she lifted the injured paw. it looked as if it had been tended to, though rarely poorly. had she done that herself? but if not ying, then who? he glanced around as if her assumed nurse would reveal themselves, but sure enough, no one appeared.

she complained of her head too, and he grimaced at the thought of her hurting. "i'm sorry, i wish i could take the pain away but i don't know how." ah, if only he'd listened to his mother's insistent babbling of herbs as a child, he might have had an idea for how to relieve some of the pain.

but alas, in the end all he could offer her was the hare he'd caught. he shifted himself to push the rabbit in her direction, an apologetic gleam clear in his honeyed gaze. he didn't know how to tend for her wounds, so it was obvious they couldn't stay here. where to then? "you should eat, we've got quite a bit of distance to cover in order to get you back home." yes, she needed to go home.
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nothing in life is to be feared,
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#5
voice hushed, she asked: for me? she awaited confirmation before kneeling down to investigate the hare. while he continued speaking, she began gently plucking the hairs from its scruff. then he spoke of home, and she asked: what? they came from somewhere else, rather than the mountain as she had presumed.

ying's eyes drifted from the man's own to his chest, to the ground and onto the hare. the cramping in her abdomen hadn't yet stopped, though she figured that this was caused by growing hunger. with her useful limb steady on the meal, she took her mended paw and pressed against her stomach.
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sequoia coast · open for threads (3/5)
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he gave a nod to her first question, and a blank stare to the second. maybe she hadn't heard him clearly? his lips parted to repeat himself, though the motion of her injured paw rising to land on her stomach caused him to freeze.

her children had been nothing more than an afterthought during her initial rescue, though now that she was awake and moving, their fate was now an active concern of his as well. "does it hurt there too?", he wondered with a tilt of his head, his focus flickering between her side and the crimson stains along her chin.
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nothing in life is to be feared,
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#7
does it hurt there too? 

the sensation was uncomfortable, but not painful. no, she told him. still, ying kept her paw there, slowly rubbing her swollen abdomen in an attempt to relieve the pressure. she winced and sucked in a breath before continuing with the rabbit.

soon, there was nothing left but scraps. ying licked her lips and looked back at the stranger, silently examining his wounds. sorry, she told him, mm, you scared me.
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sequoia coast · open for threads (3/5)
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#8
no. he let out a visible sigh of relief at her response as he let his muscles relax and weight shift back to rest on his haunches. no pain there was a good thing, right? it meant her children were fine, and healthy, and everything was going to be a-ok.

her sorry was unexpected and caught him off guard. "you scared me too, you know." how had she even ended up in such a situation as that?! "i thought you were going to die." he'd thought she'd get swept away by the river. thought she'd never wake up. thought he wouldn't be able to save her. the frustration in his chest swelled again as he found himself thinking back to the image of her lying motionless atop the ice cap.

he shook his head then, not wanting to recall such an unpleasant memory.
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nothing in life is to be feared,
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#9
whatever happened, he hadn't been responsible. ying had no choice but to trust that he was being sincere, and that the narrative being told was true. sorry, she said, shaking her head, wh-

a moment of silence.

my mind is empty, she whimpered. her eyes maintained their cold stare even as they brimmed with tears. ying couldn't remember anything before the water, and her memories immediately following were still unreliable.
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sequoia coast · open for threads (3/5)
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#10
she apologized again, and in typical astaroth fashion, she was easily forgiven. it would do neither of them any good to hang on the consequences of their actions. what was done was done, all they could do now was move forward.

she said her mind was empty, and though he knew it to be true, it was still hard to digest. he was talking to a stranger in the body of his best friend, and selfishly, he wished for her back. he didn't want this version of ying, nor any other version, if it meant she'd forget him. "i know, that's why we need to get you home. maybe there...your mind won't be empty." he could only hope.
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nothing in life is to be feared,
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#11
where? she asked. the man must have known more than had already been revealed, probably including the location of her home. hopefully, it was somewhere close; ying couldn't handle any extended trips. she looked back toward the mountain and wondered if that might be it.

she tried to balance herself upright, determined to prove her strength. ying continued to weep silently, overwhelmed by both pain and circumstance, but allowed her guide to take the lead.

you wanna wrap this?
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sequoia coast · open for threads (3/5)
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#12
"the coast", he revealed as he shifted his weight to stand. her hushed cries caused him to scoot a little closer, a silent invitation for her to lean her weight on him should she wish. he knew the trip would not be an easy one, but was determined to make it. it didn't matter how long it took them to reach the island, days...weeks, he just knew they needed to get there.

and so the pair of them set off together. he did his best to distract her from the pain with lighthearted jokes and stories of his adventures, purposely avoiding mentioning any details of their time together. if she wanted to know who he was, she was either going to have to remember or figure it out on her own.

he hoped the memories would come back soon though, cause he was really starting to miss his fiery, quick-witted friend.
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