Crystal Foxes

Prologue

Obsidian
        "No, please! Stop!" A black fox pup crouched next to his mother. Her dark red coat trembled with every breath. She stood facing another, larger fox. His fur was as black as the night sky and his eyes were a deep crimson. The black fox barely glanced at his son. With a snarl, he attacked the vixen. She hit the ground with an audible Thud!
        "Run!" The red fox cried to her cub.
        The fox pup stared at his mother with tears in his blue eyes. But he obeyed, running as fast as his legs would allow. He ran until he could run no more and the pup fell to the ground in exhaustion. A strange sensation passed over the fox. It was peaceful, but the pup pushed the feeling away. Looking up, the cub was surprised to see a piece of obsidian as dark as his fur floating above his head. He flicked his ears and sat up. It was shaped almost like a heart. Another emotion overcame the pup and he hesitantly reached out his paw and tapped the obsidian.
Amethyst
Gray eyes watched a family of arctic foxes. Laughing, the cubs threw the remains of a lemming at each other. A silver pup looked on wistfully behind a dune of snow. Silently, the pup turned to leave. She was startled by a purple crystal floating inches from her nose. It was a piece of amethyst, smooth and polished. Where did this come from? The pup wondered and reached out her paws to grab the crystal. Quickly, she pulled them back before they touched it. What am I thinking? I can't take this: it could be a trap! Strangely, the pup felt that she needed to touch the amethyst. Oh, what the heck. What do I have to lose? Once more, the pup extended her paws and grasped the crystal.
Emerald
        A pup- barely young enough to be called a pup -wandered aimlessly in a dense forest. Her soft orange and gray patched fur ruffled in the breeze. The humid air smelled of rodents and deer, something the cub hadn't sensed in a while. The scent made her mouth water. Before she could take off to track the smell, the pup had the impression to turn around. A sliver of emerald hung in the air, shining brightly in the sunlight.
What the? She thought in confusion. After carefully examining the crystal, the patched pup touched the emerald.
Diamond
        A white fox pup leapt into the snow with one great bound. She landed in a drift which sent snow flying. Her small body was hard to see in the bright wonderland of snow. Shaking to rid of the snow clumped to her fur, the pup continued to dance in the cold winter miracle. Snowflakes fell softly from the sky and created a blanket of white across the landscape. The pup stopped suddenly for a sparkling diamond had appeared in front of her. It floated in the air almost as if it was flying without wings. A wave of chills spread down the pup's spine, but she ignored it and pawed at the crystal playfully. Accidentally, she tapped the gem gently with her claw.
Ruby
A young red fox hid in the shelter of a dense bramble bush. Unripe blackberries as red as a sunset hung from the prickly branches. The cub ate some of the berries to relieve her hunger while she waited for her mother to return. The thorns on the bramble poked the pup. She knew she shouldn't move until her mother came back, but something called to her. Gingerly, the cub exited the safety of the shrubbery and was met face to face with a floating ruby. Its edges were sharp and it glistened slightly orange in the sunlight. The pup held out her paw and watched as the reflection from the crystal danced on her skin. She couldn't stop herself from reaching further to touch the crystal.
Sapphire
Tiny paws skittered on the icy plateau. A lemming raced across the tundra closely followed by a marble fox. The pup was slightly larger than a house cat, but she could run fast. Just as she came upon the lemming, a great snowy owl swooped out of the low-hanging clouds and snatched the rodent. Its squeals were cut short as the owl silently glided away. The fox pup whined in hunger. That lemming was the only food she has seen in days. She continued to wander the snowy plains, squinting her eyes in the bright landscape. Even through all the light, something caught the fox's attention. A few feet away hovered a sapphire as smooth as a pearl. Curiosity overcame the cub and she padded towards the gem. Why is it here in the middle of nowhere? Where did it come from and what will happen if I touch it? With that thought still lingering in her mind, the fox pup brought her nose forward to touch the crystal.

Sorry that the cover is super wacky with the measurements and blurriness.. took me a while and I don't have the heart to redo it.