Monday, January 28, 2013

Chapter 2

                                           Juniper's Mother                                            

Juniper's mother was a beautiful red fox. Her fur was as soft as silk and her eyes were always kind and sparkling. She was called, Eclipse. Eclipse gave birth to three fox kits, Moss, Smoke, and Juniper. She loved  them all very dearly. Moss was the strongest fox kit. He had a red pelt like his mother's, but had a small white star right between his eyes. Smoke loved to play fight with his brother and often ended up pinning him to the ground. Juniper didn't like to play with her brothers, she thought they were too rough. One day, Juniper found her mother softly weeping on a fallen tree by a river. She was alone in the forest. Juniper had called out to her mother but Eclipse didn't even flick her tail. The white fox kit ventured closer. Eclipse muttered something icily.
"Juniper, leave. This is too dangerous."
Juniper shook her head in confusion.
"What is it, mother?" She had squeaked.
"Juniper, please go like mom said, okay?" Eclipse's voice turned into low growl.
The snowy white fox kit slowly started to back away. Eclipse's eyes suddenly widened until Juniper could see white.
"Run! Run quickly!" She yowled.
Juniper tried to scramble away but she tripped over clumsy paws and smashed her nose into the dirt.
A black shape exploded out of a nearby fern and tackled Eclipse off the log.
"Mom!" Juniper screamed.
Eclipse went tumbling down the hill below with the black shape ripping out her fur.
Juniper had never seen her mother again.

_________________________________________________________________________________


"Murderer!" The White fox of Medicine snarled.
Ebony lashed her black tail.
"You should see yourself right now." She chuckled coldly. "Your eyes are blazing and your fur is all fluffed up!"
Juniper lunged forward and knocked Ebony to the ground. The black fox fell with a thud and bared her teeth.
"Do you know why I did it?" She snarled.
Juniper bit down on Ebony's tail.
Ebony's face tightened with pain.
"For revenge." She growled.
Juniper back away, her white tail lashing.
"What did Eclipse ever do to you?" She muttered.
Before Ebony could reply, Drifa launched herself out of the bushed and picked Ebony up roughly by the scruff. The black fox snarled and desperately flailed her paws around to try to scratch Drifa's eyes. The White Tiger of Ice threw Ebony at the treetops and roared.
"Leave Juniper alone or else!"
Ebony's black head poked out from in between leaves.
"Or else what, Dirtbag?" She called.
Drifa's ears flattened.
"Or else I will personally rip your fur off and use it as my bedding." She bared her teeth.
Ebony bared her teeth and perked her ears. "Just in time." She muttered.
The black falcon that had attacked Juniper circled over the tree and dived into it's branches. Seconds later, it reappeared with Ebony in it's powerful talons.
"Keep on looking over your shoulder, Juniper!" She yelled.
The white fox stared at her paws, her tail flicking back and forth.
"Who was that?" Drifa asked, her blue eyes glittering.
Juniper looked up at a single cloud in the sky.
"It was-" The White Fox of Medicine was suddenly cut off by the frantic beating of wings. Both Drifa and Juniper spun around to see Fern, The Black Robin of Care, soaring towards them.
"Come quick!" She chirped before she dived back into the bushes.
Juniper took a mouthful of cobwebs and other herbs and raced after the robin, with Drifa racing behind her.
She could hear screeches and cries as black shadows formed around the treetops. Smoke swirled around a circle of trees.
"Ash!" Juniper heard Drifa gasp.
Drifa leaped over her and ran towards the trees.
Juniper tried her hardest to keep up but her short legs kept her from running any faster. Suddenly, a snarling black dog leaped out of no where and barreled into Drifa. The White Tiger of Ice roared and stumbled, landing on her back. The red-eyed dog bared it's teeth and growled. It suddenly saw Juniper and it's eyes danced.
Juniper was it's next prey.
"Go away!" Juniper snarled, trying to make her voice as fierce as possible. The dog stalked foward, it's tongue lolling out of it's mouth.
"What a pretty white fox you are." She cooed in an icy voice. "Your pelt would make a great bed for me, all warm and soft."
The black dog leaped foward and grabbed Juniper's scruff, growling.
"Hey!" The white fox screamed, her legs flailing.
The dog shook her and let it's claws scratch her tail.
Juniper yowled as pain shot up her spine.
"Help!" She screeched.
The black dog threw her to the ground and placed a paw on her throat. "Nobody can hear your helpless cries." She snarled.
"D-Drifa!" Juniper choked out. The white fox managed to turn her head only to see the white tiger laying motionless on the ground, the only thing moving was the feeble rising and falling of her sides.
The black dog's eyes narrowed. "Now there will only be 14 animals of the Mystic Stone. You are so weak, not defending yourself or your friends. What a nuisance you are."
Juniper closed her eyes as the dog lunged right for her pure white throat.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Chapter 1

Juniper jumped as she heard a tree branch splinter. Spinning around, she saw the gray fur of Moon, slumped beneath a massive tree.
"Moon! Are you alright?" The white fox called to him, her voice shaking. The gray wolf lifted his gray head and shook away some twigs.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He winced. "I-I think I'm bleeding."
Juniper hurried from her safety of a rose bush and grabbed a wad of cobwebs from her small stock of herbs. She rushed over to Moon and sniffed his fur. A large tree branch had  made a nasty gash in his hind leg, soaking his fur with blood.
"Oh, Moon." She breathed.
The gray wolf looked at her, his eyes clouded.
"It doesn't even hurt that much. It just stings a little."
Juniper knew that he was trying to reassure her, but she couldn't keep from trembling. It worried her a great deal when an animal was hurt. Skillfully, the white fox placed the cobwebs on Moon's hind leg and tightly wrapped it around his thigh. She splashed honey on the cobweb for extra stick.
"Don't lick at it at all. It should be able to heal with in a moon."
The gray wolf dipped his head to her, thankfully.
"Thank you, Juniper. I don't know what I would do without you." The white fox stepped aside as Moon got to his paws and raced away, leaping on a black panther that was dazed by Hawk's fearsome dive.
It was a battle against The Creatures of Darkness and The Fifteen Animals of The Mystic Stone. So far, Moon had been the only that was hurt. Suddenly, a coal-black falcon swooped down at her, aiming it's sharp black talons right for her muzzle.
Juniper gasped and ducked, sweeping her snow white tail across her nose. The falcon screeched with fury and folded it's wings. It dived, beak first, right for Juniper. The white fox closed her eyes and waited for it's sharp beak to peck away her ears and it's talons scrape away her tail. But the enemy never came. A series of squawks and cries sounded right in Juniper's ears. The White Fox of Medicine opened her eyes to see Baron, with his talons locked around the black falcon's wing. The falcon struggled helplessly as Baron screeched and flung him into the forest. It barreled away until it was just a small black speck.
Baron slowly flew to the ground and poked Juniper gently.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
The white fox got to her paws.
"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little shaken but okay."
Baron nodded and unfolded his wings.
"There's a battle to win." He said before soaring into the air and over the trees.
Juniper slowly lifted a snowy white paw and made her way back to the thorn bush. She stopped dead when she saw all of her herbs torn apart and scattered everywhere. Black thorns lay next to each herb. Juniper's heart skipped a beat when she saw that the roses were not red, but a dark, evil black.
"Can't keep track of your own herbs, can you?"
Juniper spun around, fur on end, to see a pitch-black fox, her tail lashing back and forth. Her eyes were blood red and one of ears were torn.
"Ebony." Juniper snarled the name. The black fox stalked forward, her paw steps leaving behind a dark shadow.
"Nice to see you again, Juniper. It's been such a long time." She said menacingly.
"I have nothing to do with you Ebony." Juniper growled, her tail lashing.
Ebony flattened her ears.
"Once again, you are wrong, Juniper. I have a little secret for you."
Juniper snarled.
"Leave, you flea-bag."
Ebony made her red eyes wide.
"Now that wasn't very nice was it?"
Juniper spun around and started to stalk away.
"Oh, but you haven't heard my secret yet, Juniper!"
The white fox looked over her shoulder and bared her teeth.
Ebony growled.
"Remember your mother, Juniper?"
"Don't talk about my mother!" Juniper snarled.
Ebony let out a quiet chuckle.
"I killed her."

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Prologue

A white fox stood outside the gaping hole of The Cave of Dreams. A gentle breeze ruffled her fur and her tail quivered with unease.
I can do this. I am Juniper, The White Fox of Medicine. 
The white fox slowly set one snowy paw onto the dark, black stone. It sent a shiver up her leg. The shiver soon vanished and a strange fuzzy feeling clouded her mind. Feeling more confident, Juniper started to trot down the large, black hole, holding her tail high. The fourteen animals of The Mystic Stone were waiting for her, and she was running late. Dead ahead, Juniper saw a faint glowing light, as if a single firefly were dancing around in the cave. Juniper quickened her pace. Luna, The Brown Wolf of Light, sent the firefly, as if telling her to come quickly. As The White Fox of Medicine drew closer to the firefly, the glowing bug started to fly down the cave. Juniper ran faster, determined to keep up with the racing insect.
Faster! Faster! 
Juniper chanted in her head. Suddenly, a a brown head popped out from behind a rock. The white fox yelped in surprise and tripped over her paws, going nose first into the cave's damp ground. Luna, the brown wolf, leaped out from behind the rock and nosed Juniper to her feet.
"Did I frighten you?" She asked, trying to keep amusement out of her voice. Juniper shook her head back and forth, her ears burning with embarrassment.
"Nope. I just saw a bug on the ground and er- didn't want to step on it." Juniper said, trying to make her voice sound convincing.
Luna rolled her eyes and flicked her brown tail.
" Come on. The others are waiting. You know how impatient Ash is." Luna started to trot down the cave's wide hole. Juniper followed, careful not to tread on Luna's silky tail. The two animals finally came to a large clearing, where all of their friends were waiting. Drifa, The White Tiger of Ice, sat next to Ash, The Gray Cat of Smoke. Baron, The Bald Eagle of Bravery, was perched on a rock next to Duke, The Brown Hawk of Strength. Sorrel, The Black Lion of Teaching, was busily grooming one huge coal black paw, while Tanya, The White Deer of Survival, pranced around the clearing. Fern, The Black Robin of Care, was hopping around Abstract, The Blue Peacock of Nature. Moon, The Gray Wolf of Stars and Bramble, The Orange Tiger of Flame, were in a deep conversation. A huge black shape suddenly landed infront of Juniper and the white fox looked up to see Hawk, The Black Horse of Flight. He was soaring around the room, leaping off of rocks jutting out of the walls. Scarlet, The Red Fox of Mist, trotted up to Juniper and gave her a friendly lick. Juniper touched noses with her. Juniper's eyes flicked over to a white shape in the far corner of the clearing. It was Rose, The White Cat of Passion.
"Well, look who came to finally join us." Said Bramble as he got to his paws. Sorrel growled at him. "Don't pick on her, Bramble. She is the most important one out of all of us. Without Juniper, we would have no why to heal ourselves."
Bramble rolled his eyes.
"Will you shut it already, Pops? With you and your constant criticizing, I think my muzzle is turning gray."
Sorrel let out a loud snarl and leaped to his paws. He stormed over to Bramble and bared his teeth.
"How dare you speak to me that way! You should have a good cuffing over your ears!" He roared.
Bramble crouched low to the ground and flattened his orange ears.
Fear slashed like a claw through Juniper.
"Stop!" She screeched as Bramble raised a large, strong paw. Juniper rushed over to them and thrust herself infront of Bramble.
"Leave Sorrel alone, birdbrain!" She growled. Bramble's eyes darkened but he spun around and trudged away, muttering something under his breath. Sorrel flicked his black tail over Juniper's ears and muttered a "Thanks".
"Okay, now that that's been settled, whats everyone been doing for the last moon?" Drifa called from a rock jutting out of the wall. Her white fur stood out from the dark clearing.
"I've been collecting more fireflies to light up the forest!" Luna piped up. "It's looks wonderful around my den because theres thousands of fireflies flying around it!"
Drifa dipped her head.
"Duke, have you seen any Creatures of Shadows?" Drifa called to the Brown Hawk, who had flown onto Tanya's pale head.
"None spotted." Duke reported.
The Creatures of Shadows were frightening animals, their fur completely black. It is said their hearts are made of ice and their eyes were blood red. They always threatened to take over Gartson, a colossal piece of land located right under Jupiter. The fifteen animals of the Mystic Stone dwell there.
Drifa rested her eyes on Juniper.
"Have you visited the Mystic Stone at all, Juniper?"
The white fox nodded her head.
It was only a week ago. She had journeyed a long way and finally found her way to the Cave of Mysteries. It was a long winding cave where one could easily make a wrong turn. When she had found the stone, it was glowing a strange purple color, which meant urgent news. When Juniper swept her tail across the stone, a series of voices sounded in her head.
The Darkness is Coming.
All fifteen must join together.
The Darkness is coming.
Juniper shuttered and stared up at Drifa.
"The Creatures of Darkness are coming. They are bringing great tragedy to Gartson. All fifteen must join together and defeat this evil.