The fighting on the front lines was very fierce, and if not for the quickness cougars are known for, the battle would have been nothing more than a skirmish. It was all the bears could do to keep up with the cougars darting close to attack then back out of reach of their claws. Occasionally a bear would successfully swipe at a cougar, leaving claw marks across their legs or torso. A few of the younger warriors met this fate, to their mothers' dismay.
"Mind their claws! You are more fleet of foot than they!" The king yelled.
Several of the jackals leapt from the bears towards the cougars. Still the cougars fought tenaciously. Several bears were slain, but not without cost.
Unbeknownst to the cougars, the hyenas had begun advancing towards the melee.———
It was late in the day when Plucky and Djim reached the end of the mountain range. By Plucky's calculations, this would be the last night of the blue moon - his chance of seeing his mother slowly fading away. Before them was a cliff, a wooden plank bridge supported by ropes, then the Silver Meadow. Plucky looked for his mother and the witch, but saw neither. His morale dropped. Djim went ahead and tested the integrity of the bridge. The wooden planks were in a single line; each plank was two hind paws wide. They were sturdy but wobbled as Djim tried them.
"Watch your step, Plucky."
Plucky walked up to the edge of the cliff and looked down. The cliff was steep, and at the bottom was a rapidly flowing river. His gaze followed the current and saw it flow into the open ocean. A bear of sweat trickled from his forehead.
"Plucky, this is the watchtower, part 2: don't look down," Djim said, catching him off guard. "You had to look down again, didn't you?" Djim sighed.
"Sorry Djim," Plucky said sheepishly.
Halfway across the bridge the wind began to pick up, and the bridge began swaying. Plucky lost his footing but caught himself. His paws began hurting from his gripping the rope on the right side with both paws.
"Hold on, Plucky!" Djim yelled, now fully turned around. "I'm coming back for you!"
Step by step, Djim inched back to Plucky's position.
"Grab onto me cougar-back style! We'll make it across together!"
Plucky understood. He removed his pack and he decided he didn't need it anymore. Upon setting it down, a gust of wind blew it off the bridge and into the river below. He leapt up onto Djim's back; Djim grabbed Plucky's legs as he hugged Djim tightly around the neck. Djim grabbed the ropes on either side of him.
Slowly but surely they made their way across the bridge.
"Plucky- agh! I - can't- breathe!" Djim yelled in a throaty voice. Plucky loosened his grip.
"Much better!"
Strangely, the wind subsided the moment Djim and Plucky reached the meadow. The sun was setting and the grass appeared a pale silver.
Plucky had a troubled look upon his face.
"Where is my mother? Why isn't she here?" Plucky pleaded to the open sky.———
The Great Lion gazed from one Lion to another, searching for any signs of possible weakness. Suddenly, he turned towards the Lion of Air. He began coughing and his legs failed him. He collapsed as the Great Lion rushed over to him. He heard a few stuttered breaths, then silence. A tear trickled down from the Great Lion's eye.
———
"This battle may yet be ours! Take heart!" A joyous cry rang out from the cougar army - the number of remaining bears was now dwindling. Their joy was short lived, for before the bears retreated, once of them wounded the king.
"Protect our king!" Various cougars shouted as a squad of them carried the king back across the river.
"Get the wounded out of harm's way," the king weakly ordered.
Back on the battlefield, the cougars scrambled to reform their ranks; they saw the surviving jackals returning with a regiment of noisy, battle-ready hyenas.———
"The witch lied to me!" Plucky yelled.
"Plucky, we can figure this out. Are you sure this is the right meadow?" Djim asked.
Plucky glared at Djim.
"Of course this is the meadow! Have you even looked at the map?"
"Now that you mention it, you never actually showed it to me." Djim tapped his chin.
Plucky wasn't expecting this response. In frustration, he picked up a small rock and threw it as hard as he could. To his surprise, the rock disappeared in mid air. Djim witnessed this oddity.
"Plucky, you're a genius!"
"What did I do?"
Djim walked over to where he last saw the rock. He stuck out his paw and slowly vanished into thin air.
"Plucky, this is magic. I imagine the witch's did this to protect herself."
With that, Djim walked through the enchantment.
Plucky looked around, shrugged his shoulders, and followed Djim. In the blink of an eye, it seemed like Plucky stepped through a door. The first thing he saw was a gnarly oak tree positioned in the center of the meadow. The grass glowed a light grey, tinged with blue from the moonlight. Suddenly, the witch appeared from behind the tree.
"Plucky! You made it in time! I knew you could do it! But who is this with you?"
"His name is Djim. I couldn't have made it here without him."
"I never intended for you to have help. You have the ruby shard. You could have arrived on your own."
"The important thing is I'm here now. Where is my mother?"
"So eager! Our agreement requires you to unite the ruby shards before I am to help you locate your mother."
"This smells of trickery to me, Plucky," Djim said.
"How inconsiderate of me!" The witch exclaimed. "I have a special gift for your companion. Perhaps then he won't interfere with matters of the ruby."
She waved her staff in a circular motion. Djim's ears perked up. From behind the tree stepped out a Lion with skin and mane the color of grey stone. His eyes widened at what he saw next. Behind the Lion of Stone appeared a second Lion. This lion had a bright red mane - it appeared it was constantly burning, but with a lack of smoke or an expression of pain on the face of the Lion. Djim immediately recognized the Lion as the one responsible for his injured ear. In all his terrible majesty stood the Lion of Fire.
Plucky cried out in dismay.
"Be careful, Djim!"
Djim heard this. He looked at Plucky and nodded once. Then he dropped down to all fours - he was more agile in this position - and his eyes darted back and forth between this new pair of threats. The witch laughed, then turned her attention back to Plucky.
"As a sign of my magnanimity, I have decided to adjust the terms of our accord, Plucky: I will show you your mother, but you must make the ruby whole. No more senseless delays. Remember, your cougar companion's life is on the line. Reform the ruby or he and your mother's life are forfeit."
Plucky could not believe his ears. He stammered. Dare he risk never seeing his mother again as a result of doing what he knew in his heart was the right thing to do?
This thought was interrupted by Olive's chanting.
Right before his eyes and to the left appeared his mother. She wore the same dress Plucky last saw her wearing. This time, her hands were bound behind her back, and she appeared to be tied to a pole. Tears streamed down Plucky's face as he ran to her. He hugged her as tightly as he could.
"Oh, Plucky I was worried to death I would never see you again! Tell me, are you hurt?"
Her gaze turned to the witch and she warned in a louder voice, "If you laid a paw on him, I vow I will..."
"What exactly will you do, I wonder? From my view you're just as helpless as the Lions I left back in the forest!"
Plucky let go of his mother and rounded the witch.
"Let my mother go, and save Djim, and I'll do whatever you ask!"
"Since you mentioned your mother, I wonder if she has told you her secret."
"What secret? Mother?"
She shook her head, then broke down.
"Plucky, your mother is over here." Plucky stood in shock and disbelief.
"I am sorry I couldn't tell you sooner, Plucky, but the bear you thought was your mother is in reality your aunt. I am your true mother."
Plucky turned back towards his mother.
"Are you really my aunt?"
"Honey I'm so sorry I never told you..."
"You could have told me! You should have!"
Plucky then spun around to face Olive.
"Why did you give me up?"
"I was banished from the forest. I couldn't take you with me - the Lions forbade it - so I entrusted your care into the paws of my sister. It was the only way; you must understand."
"Plucky, don't listen to her! She was using the ruby shard to spy on you!"
"Lies! Lies! Apparently that is the only thing that comes out of your mouth anymore!"
"Plucky, I'm so sorry I couldn't take you with me. I hope in time you can forgive me."
"Plucky, please! Listen to reason! She may be your mother, but which of us has raised you? She has not earned the right to call you mother. Look, she's even threatening you!"
Plucky looked back at Olive, his face flush with anger.
"Now I understand why you want the ruby so much. You don't care about me! All you want is your magic back!"
"Plucky, I'm your mother and even though I haven't been there for you, I still want what is best for you."
Plucky looked down at his ruby shard, and for a few tense moments did not say anything. He looked up at Olive.
"I see now I must reform the ruby."
Plucky began walking towards the oak tree.
"Plucky! No! Don't!" His mother yelled.
A sly grin spread across Olive's face.