The Last Arctic Fox

Chapter 1 - The Storm

There once was an arctic fox family of three: Crystal, the mother; Zoe, the older sister; and Alpine, the younger sister. Their father, Tundra, had abandoned the girls. Crystal sometimes told tales of adventures with him, but only on a rare occasion.

Zoe was the bold one, the rebellious young fox that Tundra would've liked. She was brave, agile, and vital. Zoe wouldn't know fear if it went up to her face and introduced itself.

Alpine, on the other paw, knew fear very well, as if they were neighbors. She was shy and meek, the complete opposite of Zoe. Yet, opposites attract, and that was the case with Zoe and Alpine. They could've won the award for best siblings.

On a quite sunny day, Zoe and Alpine were talking about the weather. Not just your casual conversation, "What a beautiful day!" or "It looks a bit cloudy today!"—this was some serious arctic fox business. Both of the girls—and the whole remaining rest of the arctic—knew about humans, those monsters who were using machines to melt the world. They'd caused global warming and climate change and all that stuff. The two sisters had been trying to prevent the Great Melting ever since they'd heard of it.

The Great Melting was the very accurate prediction of the whole arctic melting into the Arctic Ocean, becoming lost. No, not lost; gone. Gone forever. Even now, the weather was drastically changing. It was all because of the humans and their fossil fuels. Crystal had cursed the humans and vowed never to associate with one. She told her daughters to do the same.

"Maybe we should collect some ice and throw it out of a snow catapult at the humans to make them stop?" Alpine suggested in vain. "Okay, never mind. Too unrealistic." Zoe nodded.

"I just don't see how two arctic foxes can stop something as big as the Great Melting," Alpine said.

"Yeah," agreed Zoe. "But even if it seems hopeless now, Pine, we have to keep on believing. Who knows? We might just make a change someday."

Alpine (or Pine, as Zoe abbreviated) smiled. "You're right. And if there's any fox who's going to keep on encouraging me and working with me, I'm glad that fox is you."

Zoe grinned. "Thanks, sis. Now let's keep on brainstorming!"

The girls were so busy talking that they didn't even notice that their mother had been listening until Zoe glanced in her direction. "Mother, why were you eavesdropping?"

"Oh, I was just going to tell you girls I think there's going to be a tempestuous storm today," Crystal said. "But I heard you talking and brainstorming, and you made me so proud I just had to listen!"

Ignoring the compliment, Zoe said, "How could there be a storm? It's so sunny!"

"I still sense something coming, and it's not something good," Crystal said. "How about you check, Alpine? You have extraordinary talents with nature."

"Okay," Pine said. She stuck her head out of the den and paused for a moment. "Yes. There's a storm coming in about, well, about half an hour." She shuddered. "Oh, no. What if the den succumbs to the storm? It's going to be a big one. I'm scared!"

Zoe wrapped her foreleg around Pine, and Crystal did the same. "It's going to be fine, Pine," Zoe said. "Our den has stood perpetually, making it through all the challenges the arctic threw at it. Why would it be any different now?"

Pine smiled slightly. "You're...you're right. I really need to learn how to be brave like you! Thank you, Zoe." Zoe gave a big smile, and the two sisters embraced.

Suddenly, thunder boomed in the distance. It wasn't a loud noise, but enough to make Pine shoot out of Zoe's paws and squeak in fear. Then she shook her head and said in a whisper, "No, I can't be afraid like that!"