A Zusi's Path

Chapter 7: Everything Changes

(Art of Re3x0 and E4r1c by me (c) )

It was a dark and cloudy day. Dread filled the air as wind blew the leaves from the trees. The grass whistling slightly as it is moved by the breeze. A few Zusi were gathered behind the house, a hole in the ground that had recently been covered by the disturbed soil. D6a50 was standing on a crate in front of the buried hole. His two sons standing next to him, and a few friends of Ar10L were there too. They were all sharing their memories on her, complimenting her.

"Ar10L was an excellent mother to our two sons. She gave them all of her love and attention, I could not have asked for a better mate. I was lucky to have her in my life, she will be missed by all those who knew her", D5a50 said to the small group of people who have gathered. The two boys fighting their tears as they heard their father's words. "Would you like to say something?", he asked them, looking at them. Re3x0 standing there shaking his head unable to get any words out of his mouth.

E4r1c nodded, "I want to say something..", he spoke up before taking his father's place on the crate, tears in his eyes and his voice shaky. "Mum was a great person. She was always there for us and never let us down. I never really understood some of the things that she meant, but I do now. I just wish I would have understood sooner and...", he trailed off as he lost the fight with his tears and they began to stream down his face.

Their father put his paw on his son's shoulder and walked him back to his brother. "If that is it, then we will all grieve and give a moment of silence.." He said and the moment he did so, everyone put a paw over their chest and lowered their head.

Re3x0 had his head down until a small ray of sunlight hit his face and he opened his eyes. Seeing the single ray of sunshine in the cloudy skies. "Mama is up there now isn't she?", He asked looking at his father. He gave a sorrowful nod, "Yes she is my son.. Yes she is..". As the funeral ended, everyone returned to their homes. The three boys went back into their house to dry the rain off their bodies. "Things are going to be very different now boys, I hope you understand that.. I will try everything I can to make your lives as good as they possibly can be", he said kneeling in front of the two and scooped them both into a hug. "I promise I will try".

Six Seasons Later

"Hey dad, let's go do something! Come on let's go have some fun!", Re3x0 said running up to his father who was sitting in his chair. "Not now son.. I am reading the paper..", he muttered. "You don't do anything fun anymore! You leave us for weeks at a time and when you get back you just sit and do nothing!", he soon complained. "Son! Just, I am exhausted, so I am relaxing on my days off. Is that so much to ask for?", he retorted, flicking his ear in annoyance.

"Go bother your brother or play with that girl down the road. Just let me rest", he muttered. Rolling his eyes he gave a groan before walking down the hall and just about to enter his room he opened his brother's room. "Hey! E4r1c! Come on let's go do something, let's go on some kind of adventure!", He asked, almost tackling his brother. "Re3x0! Get out of my room!", he growled, flattening his ears.

"Oh come on bro! Let's go have some fun!", he exclaimed, wagging his tail slightly. "Listen, any other time I would do something with you, but I don't want to do anything right now. Maybe tomorrow we can find something to do", He suggested. "Oh alright", He sighed before leaving his brother's room.

"That kid needs some friends...", Er41c muttered as his brother left his room.

Going outside of the house, and ran across the front yard. Scanning the area for anything for him to do. "Ugh! Why does no one want to hang out!", He groaned before he falls on his back in the grass and began to look up at the clouds and sighed.

On the verge of about to fall asleep in the grass, he heard something that brought him back to consciousness. Sitting up he pricked his ears up, wondering what he hear. Looking around not seeing anything he laid himself back down onto the grass. Before hearing this time what seems to be glass breaking.

Jumping up to his feet, he then listened carefully. Hearing the sound again he then went on all fours and began to to walk towards the source of the sound. His tail brushing against the ground as he walked, making a slight swishing sound as he continued on. Getting closer to the sounds. Now he could hear laughter and voices from others. Looking over his shoulder he saw that he was getting a bit too far from home. "It's alright, they won't even notice I was gone", He encouraged himself before continuing, his curiosity making him continue.

He soon approached a house that had previously been thought to be abandoned. Hearing the sources of the glass breaking and voiced coming from inside, he decided to lift his head slightly to see what it was. Inside he saw three other Zusi, the shortest one was of a teal color pallet, the middle one was of a light purple color pallet, and the tallest one was a Zusi of a dark grey color pallet.

"Hey, short stuff! Continue to break these windows will ya! We need to trash this place before it is good enough for us!", the grey Zushi commanded. For a moment Re3x0 thought he was being talked to, but when the teal Zusi headbutted another window he felt a bit better. Knowing he hasn't been seen.

"Stop! It's perfect now!", the leader of the three spoke up again. "Now! Bring out the paint", he said to the purple Zusi. Without hesitation he grabbed a glass bottle full of red paint and handed it over to the grey.

Without a warning, the leader threw the bottle against one of the walls of the building, leaving a large splattered mess of red paint on the wall, dripping onto the floor. The three having some stuck in their fur. "Hah! Yeah that's what I am talking about", The leader said and the other two started to stomp their feet in excitement. "Yeah! We claim this place in honor of the Rejects!", the middle one cheered.

Without control, his tail started to wag. Standing back up on two legs he then began to walk away from the three, when he didn't watch his step and. Snap! Looking down at his feet, he saw that he had stepped on a dry stick. Looking over his shoulder he saw the three Zusi looking over at him. "Get this little snoop boys!", the leader commanded. "Alright!", they both said at the same time before beginning to chase Re3x0.

Feeling fear flood his being he suddenly ran on all fours as fast as he could, though. He wasn't fast enough, he was quickly captured by the bigger and older Zusi chasing him. The teal one tackled him and pinned him down to the ground. "Where do you think you're going runt!", He snickered in his ear.

"Help! Please!", Re3x0 exclaimed, hoping someone would hear him. When the purple one shoved a rag in his mouth. "Shut it runt!", He said and the teal one picked Re3x0 up, and began to take Re3x0 back to the house in ruins they were vandalizing earlier.