Hmm. This is awkward. I take a step back as the two of them continue to stare at each other in silence, unsure as to what complex vortex of emotions either of them are feeling at this moment. Finally, the quiet ends as Bunny smiles up at her daughter and gently opens her arms.

“My little kitten…”

My partner gets to her knees to hug the much smaller woman, holding her so tight as tears stream from her eyes.

“Y-you big dumb bunny…! Why didn’t you ever tell me…?!”

The rabbit laughs and shakes her head, tears forming in the corners of her eyes as well as her hands comb through Cat’s hair.

“So rude you are to your old mom! Then again, you’ve always had a bit of a kick, haven’t you? Got that from your other mom, didn’t you...”

Bunny kisses Cat’s cheek as her grip around her daughter loosens, yet my partner doesn’t let up for a second, making the old rabbit sigh and smile.

“The truth is, I didn’t know either. I’d always just done what makes me happy, and it wasn’t until that bright ‘ol lady showed up that I realized, being a mom makes me happier than I could ever imagine!”

“Oh, you big dumb bimbo bunny…”

“Don’t call your mother that, young lady!”

The two of them laugh at each other before Cat finally lets go and stands up, wiping her eyes. Bunny then turns to me with a smile and a slight bow.

“And you must be…”

“Fox. Fox Vixen. Uhm. Y-your daughter’s girlfriend.”

“Oh, you’re finally out with it, are you? Aha! The romantic tension between you two was so thick you could cut it with a knife!”

The two of us blush and fidget. Was it really that obvious for that long? I shake my head and clear my throat.

“S-so! Uhh…you’re the village head, huh?”

The rabbit snorts at my question and shakes her head. “Everyone would have you think that, wouldn’t they? No, no, I was just the first one here. The only one here for quite some time, actually.”

Cat looks at Bunny sadly and crosses her arms. “Don’t tell me you were alone in this rickety old village all along, mom.”

“Ah, well, I was able to handle myself for quite some time, even alone. I’m just glad to have company now. Speaking of, how rude of me to not invite you all in! Come, come, have a seat, please!”

 

Following the old rabbit into her house, we find what almost looks like a little knick-knack shop, the shelves and cabinets lined with little trinkets. Some take the shape of fairies, others the standard bunny fare, some frogs here and there, all of it looking very whimsical, evoking the feeling of a small magical forest. Cat stops in place before we make our way into the kitchen, my partner walking over to one of the shelves and picking up a framed photo of a drawing. I walk over and take a look at it myself, finding her staring at something she must have drawn in the second or third grade. It’s a bit crude, but Cat was a pretty good artist for her age, depicting a group of four animals: A small cat, an even smaller fox, a big rabbit person, and a tall frog lady, all standing and smiling together on the beach shore. I take Cat’s hand and squeeze it, feeling her grip mine in return as she shakes her head and puts the picture back.

“I can’t tell if the past is coming back to meet the present, or if we’re running straight back into it.”

“Either way, we’re finding new and old ways to be happy, and that’s the important thing, isn’t it?” I answer, Cat looking to me and nodding with a smile, the two of us walking back to meet her mom in the kitchen.

“Ah, there you two are! Making yourselves at home?”

Cat nods with me as we each take a seat next to each other at the small dining table, Bunny pulling something out of the fridge before walking towards the stove, when Cat stops her.

“Oh, if you need something warmed up, I can handle that.”

The old rabbit tilts her head at her daughter before smiling and walking over, placing the plate of fish in front of her. I can already see her beginning to salivate at the sight, shaking her head and whipping out a burning hot glowstick, rolling it over the fish like a rolling pin, then flipping it over and doing the same to the other side. One cooked fish all ready to eat in seconds. Bunny claps her hands, genuinely impressed as Cat jokingly bows in her seat, grabbing the utensils at her sides and digging in immediately, only to find her mom holding another plate out for her. My partner rolls her eyes and smiles, taking the chicken topped plate and preparing it as she did her own, then handing it back to her mom, who gets back to work preparing a salad around it before offering it to me.

“Cooking runs in the family then, huh?”

“My hungry little kitten learnt from the best! Oh, she was so eager too, even when her first time cooking fish ended up with more ash than fish--”

“Mooom!”

Bunny and I chuckle at the huffing Cat, her mom preparing a garden salad for herself to dine on while the three of us catch up. Apparently, Yombroila’s first course of action the night after our Ascension was to find a safe place for us, and it just so happened Bunny was the perfect catalyst for that, her powers being Navigation by Heart. She’d helped to set up the small little community that flourishes and grows even now, providing food from her crops and shelter with the abandoned homes. To think, one of those will be our home soon…

The old rabbit got a good laugh out of the many stories we had to tell about our recent adventures and even before. “I can’t believe it, yet it’s so obvious. Cat burglars… I knew we should have joined the circus when they showed up!”

Eventually, we all finish our meals and the day goes on, Bunny offering to take us around town to find a place to stay.

“I’d offer a place with me, but it’s rather cramped in here as is, and I’m sure you girls would prefer some privacy away from your mom, for various reasons.”

“Ugh, gross mom.”

“She’s not wrong though.”

“UGH. GROSS, FOX.”

We all head out and scour the town for a home, passing by even more new Ascended folk along the way, such as a big white bunny in a baggy sweater playing on a game console, that white cat from before hanging out with a horned dog and a grey cat who are all… eating dirt…? And a small mouse person decorating their house with flowers made of ice. There’s so many folks around and so many different houses available, but picking the right one is tricky. What kind of house do Cat and I even want? Honestly, if I had to imagine a dream home, it’d probably be a secluded cottage in the woods, which, thankfully, there is an abundance of around here, a sea of aspen trees as far as the eye can see. Cat, on the other hand, is looking for something a bit more cozy, a small little homey space she can call her own.

“Hmm…” Bunny strokes her chin, deep in thought. “I could always have a home built for you two, if you’d like.”

“Oh, no no no, you really don’t have to do that!” I say, shaking my hands in front of me, “I’m fine to take just about anything after the sad shack we’ve been living in the past few months.”

“And the streets before that…” Cat adds, to which I nod sadly.

“All the more reason to make sure your new home is exactly to your liking! Besides, you’re the whole reason everyone here gets to live like this now, isn’t that right? I’d say you’ve more than earned it. I’ll pick out a house for you all to stay in while it’s being built, something close to the town entrance so moving won’t be too difficult, and I’ll keep you both updated on its progress.”

The two of us look at Bunny as she turns to face us, Cat and I staring at her with misty eyes before zoning in and wrapping her in a hug from both of us at once.

“H-hey, hey, don’t get all sappy on me now! Oh, you girls…”

The old rabbit returns the hug before shoving us away. “Now, go find where you want your house to be. Then come back and see me!”

We give Bunny a nod and then look at one another, taking the other’s hand as we start walking to the woodsy outskirts of town.

 

It’s a very different feel from Yombroila’s forest. There’s less of a magical glow, and more of a natural air. Not to say Yombroila’s doesn’t have a natural feeling, but it’s like the difference between a brilliant sanctuary and a whimsical haven. There’s no hidden path like in Yombroila’s either, just gaps between trees which we can walk. I’m almost reminded of that walk through the woods I made so long ago, turning at just the right time to find…

“...Here…”

Cat mutters as our walk slows. We found it. Out of the woods and into something of a clearing, small cliffs on either side of an opening leading to the lake ahead, its waters gently washing up and down the small shore of sand. Atop that sand, a stump, long abandoned by what must have been a towering tree ages ago.

The two of us had spent so much time enjoying our walk in the woods, we’d lost track of time, and the sun was already beginning to set. We both continue on, slowly stepping towards the ocean turning from blue to all the colours of the sun. The feeling of the grass slowly fading into sand between my feet feels so different, yet familiar. So, so much has changed since we’d last been here, yet it feels like a lot of that change has been a return, finding our place that was taken from us.

But it’s ours again.

Cat takes a seat on the stump, though, there’s no longer room for the both of us now that we’re adults. My partner would disagree, however, pulling me closer and tossing me into her lap, the two of us chuckling as I lean my back against her and look up. It’s a bit of an awkward angle, but looking at her like this lights a fire in my heart, just as she always does. We both look out at the lake and the setting sun before us, holding her hand on my lap.

“...To think, I used to come here alone so often,” Cat begins. “I felt so alone, like nobody understood me, that the only place I could be me was alone.”

“...Then I snuck up on you.”

“So you were trying to sneak up on me!”

I snicker and shake my head, closing my eyes and leaning my cheek against her chest.

“I promise you, I wasn’t. It was just difficult to not go slow and appreciate the beauty basking in the glow of the setting sun.”

“Oh, shut up, you big dork…”

Before I can tease her any more, the girl turns me in her lap and pulls me into a kiss, my eyes shooting open for a moment before closing gently. The feeling of the sun gently shining down on me, the sound of the water rocking so softly upon the shore, the light breeze pulling us closer together… And Cat’s lips against mine, her warmth, her softness, her love, all of her, so close to me. My heart can barely handle it, my own love threatening to burst from my chest, but Cat embraces it so gently and with such care.

It’s only as we pull away that I realize our transformations must have gotten a little antsy. It’s not even midnight, and I can see my nose at the tip of my muzzle, and Cat’s kitty nose just beyond that. I lean in against her chest once again, eyes shut as my partner holds me so tenderly.

“I love you, Cat.”

“I love you so much, Fox…”

“Please don’t stop holding me… Keep me like this forever…”

“I won’t let a second go by where you’re not in my arms…”