Turtles Forever

Moon Eyes Part One

In the snow-covered forest, not a creature stirred in the middle of the night. It was the night for one species only. A brilliant yellow full moon shined above the mountains, illuminating the starry skies. On a steep cliff a tall humanoid wolf with amber colored fur stood.

Her howl lifts up across the night, low, sweeping then rising swiftly and held aloft, held, held, carried outward on its own breeze, on its own passion and need. And then it ends...to be quickly followed by a final note, a short sharp bark beyond the human range. This is the first snow of the season, and it falls on the night of a full moon.

It is a special night, pure and holy, wild, of rare beauty with a rarer witness. Her name is Ne'sha and tonight she gives thanks to all that there is, for all that there is.

For the world.

Across a chasm, near yet far...Her call is answered. Another humanoid wolf with snow white fur, much larger and taller. The male. Her male.

The two mates howled wholesomely to each other as they celebrated the first fallen snow. Soon more howls joined them filling the night sky by more humanoid wolves as well as wolves. However, nothing lasts forever.

Blam! A gun shot echoed in the forest.

Multiple wolves scattered as they ran taking shelter in the deep woods vanishing. The alpha quickly ran to his fallen mate.

"Nei'sha!" The male shouted. He quickly scooped her up in his arms hoping for a sign of life. But she was gone. "Nei'sha! Nei'sha...no, no." The male cried as he held her close and brought his head back and let a bellow of a roar. "NNNOOOO!"

His distraught howl echoed throughout the mountain valley reaching a campground miles away. Multiple tents were set up, its occupants were inside sleeping. All except for one. Restless. Her ears perked up. Alopex's head quickly shot up as she wildly looked around.

"That...that howl. That's no ordinary wolf. That almost sounded like...myself. Familiar. But how..." Alopex murmured. "Why does it sound so sad?" Alopex heard a zipper noise and the flap of the tent opened followed by a yawn. She turned her head to see that it was Mikey. He blinked as he grumbled in his sleep and rubbed his eyes before seeing Alopex sitting on the logs that Leo had cut down for everyone to sit at the campfire.

"Ali, you, okay?" Mikey asked. Alopex turned her head, refusing to look at him.

"Yes." She answered. "No."

"Ali, what's wrong?" Mikey asked. "I know it's almost a full moon. You can be a real party animal." He chuckled, trying to cheer her up. Alopex shot Mikey a silent glare.

"Oh, sure make jokes!" She snapped. "That's all you ever do these days!" Mikey blinked in surprise and rubbed his head, thinking. Okay, that wasn't the reaction he was hoping for.

"If there's something bothering you, you know that I'm here for you. What is it? What do you need? What do you want me to do?"

"Leave me alone, Mikey. Just leave me alone." Alopex made a low growl.

"Whoa, it's totally cool. No need to bite my head off." Mikey joked, putting his hands up in defense. Alopex huffed and stormed past him, heading back inside the tent.

"Believe me, if I wanted to bite your head, it'd be gone." She growled.

Mikey blinked owlishly completely stunned. He quietly walked back inside the tent, trying not to wake up his brothers, the other girls, Yuuki, Venus and Mona, and Casey and April.

As the next morning came, everyone packed up and April drove the van, continuing down the road, heading deeper and deeper into the mountains. The snow slowly began to fall as they continued, and the wind started to pick up, blowing heavier.