During the group’s ascend up the mountain they found, Sophia came across a cave leading into it, and so everyone decided to take a break from climbing in favor of exploring the cave. Steph was a little reluctant because she was looking forward to the snowy peak, but she couldn't fight against the allure of something unknown, either.

“Woah, it’s gotten dark quite fast in here, huh?” Sophia looked around in the cave while squinting her slightly glowing eyes that were reflecting the little light left. “I can’t see more than like 50 meters ahead.”

“That’s way more than I do!” Steph looked a little envious. “It’s more like 15 at best! Also, your eyes look so cool, sis!”

“Hehe~.” She liked the compliment, and envy in her voice. “Though your eyes are also kinda glowy, so they’re definitely better than human ones in that regard. It would probably be pitch black for our old selves already.”

“True!”

“Speaking of,” The blonde then looked at Chloe. “You’re a fox, so a canine, same family as Steph and our wolves, but your eyes are more similar to the rest of us cats. They glow stronger than theirs, too. How good is your night vision?”

“I can see further than 15 meters, but it’s not 50. Though, it’s probably closer to yours than Steph’s. 35, maybe 40?” She also squinted her eyes a little. “Real cats still are a level higher in that regard, I’d say.”

“I see!” Sophia nodded a few times. “Being part animal sure is fascinating!”

“Exciting, too!” Steph agreed with her sister. “Also slightly weird when applying old-world logic, but they just don’t know what’s good!”

"It probably will only get darker, and soon no one can see anything anymore.” The blonde tried to concentrate on the deeper parts of the cave in front of them. “I think it’s time to add some light ourselves. Steph, do the honors, please!”

“Sure thing!” Nodding once, the dog-girl closed her eyes for a moment. A moment later, dim orbs of light appeared inside the cave and lightly illuminated the surrounding area. “I decided to go for a moody setting. A brightly lit cave sounds weird.”

“Good thinking!” Sophia agreed with her decision.

“I wonder where this leads to.” Now that they were able to see much further in, Maya was trying to find out what was in front of them. “Rather than a cave, it looks more like a tunnel to me, though.” With the better lighting, she noticed that the cave was the same width and height the entire way across and looked fairly even and straight shortly after the entrance. “It actually looks more like it has been made rather than having naturally formed.”

“Who or what could dig through a mountain?!” Ari didn’t like the sound of that.

“I could.”

“Me, too.”

“Me, three.” Sophia, Chloe, and Steph smiled at her.

“I made several very similar tunnels in the past. Through mountains, too.”

“Same.” The wolves even had practical experience already.

“I hate this group.” The jaguar forgot for a moment who she was traveling with.

“Also,” The blonde wasn’t done yet. “I’ll have to remind you that we did this very thing around two weeks ago when we found the underground hot springs. Sure, that wasn’t a mountain, but it was still pure stone once we got deeper."

“Ah, right…” She paused for a moment to collect herself. “Wait!” It only made her more concerned. “That means that someone else as ridiculous as this group would be nearby!”

“Only one way to find out!” Sounding very enthusiastic about it, Steph pointed further into the tunnel. “Let’s go!”

“Wait!” Ari didn’t share the sentiment. “Let’s talk this out a little more!”

“Don’t worry,” Sophia smiled at the jaguar. “I can’t sense any powerful being outside our group in my entire detection range.”

"Aww." Her little sister seemed disappointed about it.

“Thank you so much for having such a useful skill!” The black-haired girl was really happy about it, though.

“Also,” Fen approached the tunnel wall and inspected it. "I seriously doubt this cave has been created recently. While it clearly has been made by someone or something, the elements have strongly worn down the walls. For the erosion to reach the current level, many years have to go by. Way more than any of you are old.” He took a quick glance at everyone except Aura. “Who or whatever this did is long gone.”

“But why would you carve a tunnel through a mountain and just leave?” Ari was still confused.

"I did it all the time." The male wolf sounded a little smug. "I love digging, and sometimes, going through a mountain is easier than going above it.”

"Honestly, I was going to suggest tunneling through it before, as well. I really didn’t want to deal with the snow, but I just knew Steph wouldn’t let me. Also, climbing sounded fun.”

“I’m glad you know me so well, sis!” The dog-girl gave Sophia a thumbs up in response.

"Yeah, now that I think about it, it does suit the two of you, going for the most complicated and ridiculous way to solve a problem." The jaguar rolled her eyes while looking in the direction of the shorter tiger and Fen.

“Hehe.” They took it as a compliment.

“Well, all that aside, it’s very reassuring that we’re alone around here.” Ari was relieved about that part. "I guess it's very unlikely to meet anyone as ridiculous as this group out of nowhere, huh?”

“Way to jinx it.” Maya just had to make that comment.

“Ah.” A bit of color left her face.

“I can’t wait to meet new friends!” As usual, Steph got along great with the cat-girl.

“S-Stop it!” Ari only panicked more.

“It’s highly unlikely.” Fen sounded a little more serious. “It would be an outright miracle to meet someone else with our magic levels.” For some reason, he had to put extra emphasis on the miracle part.

“I hate all of you!” Having had enough of being teased by them, the jaguar walked past everyone and journeyed deeper into the cave.

“That’s the spirit!” The dog-girl ran after her because she was eager to explore.

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“Oh?” Roughly 20 minutes after the group continued walking, Sophia noticed something further down the tunnel. “I can see a light! Have we reached the other side of the mountain?”

“Really? It doesn’t really feel like a light to me.” Maya squinted her eyes to focus on what the blonde was pointing at. “It doesn’t seem overly bright, and it just looks too, uhh… white to me. We’ve also been going uphill the entire time in the tunnel. I think it’s actually…”

“SNOW!” Steph came to that conclusion first and immediately sprinted towards it. “IT IS!” There, she jumped headfirst into it with such force that only her lower legs and feet ended up being visible.

“Someone really missed the snow, huh?” The cat-girl wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Wait for me!” Chloe ran after her girlfriend because the arctic fox also was a big fan of the cold white in front of them. She opted against jumping headfirst into it and just pushed her arms up to her elbows into it, though. “I missed this fluffy coldness!”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone calling snow fluffy coldness.” Ari had conflicting feelings about that. “A nightmare, sure, but not that.” After all, she wasn’t a fan of it.

“Is it just me, or is Steph’s animal side extra strong? She's more dog than actual dogs I know!" Sophia stared at the girl, or rather where she had last been because Steph had fully dug herself into the snow and was nowhere to be seen anymore.

“It’s interesting you’re the one saying that.” Anna stared at her. “I know about 100 members of the tiger family by name, and you're more tiger than any of them. You’re way more instinct-driven, not to mention that those instincts seem way stronger in you, too.”

“You’re also more cat than any cats I know." Maya sided with the princess. “And I’d know, I am one, after all.”

“A-Ah.” The blonde turned her head away. “Stupid instincts… I really overdid it when I transformed into my tiger self. Well, it explains why Steph is the same then.”

“Yep, both sisters have no clue about the concept of holding back.” Maya nodded a few times.

"Anyway!" Sophia decided that she didn't want to be the topic any longer. "What are we going to do about this, in Ari's very fitting words, nightmare?” She then pointed at the snow.

“I’ve rekindled my passion for fire.” The cat-girl smiled at her. “That will take care of this really quick!”

“Rekindled, huh?” The jaguar lightly rolled her eyes.

“That wasn't even on purpose!”

“Sure~.” Ari didn’t believe her.

“Urgh!” She wasn’t the biggest fan of being on the receiving end of the sass. “Whatever, how about it?” The cat-girl faced Sophia again.

“Sure thing.” She nodded. “The sooner we get rid of the snow, the better!”

“Alright!”

"Don't you want to get your sister out before that?" Anna felt like they had forgotten about something when she looked at the cat-girl who had literal flames in her eyes as she was raring to go.

"She's pretty fire-resistant, it should be fine." The older sister didn't see an issue with the plan. "Also, if we pull her out first, there's a 200% chance that she'll be complaining about our plan of melting the snow.”

“B-But…” The princess wasn’t entirely convinced.

“Let’s go!” Maya rolled up her sleeves and walked closer to the snow because she had no intention of being stopped by Anna, who could just watch her clearing the path out of the cave.

A few minutes later, actual light from the outside illuminated the tunnel once again after the massive fireball had lost its power and revealed the exit.

 

 

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