Twinkle's Story: Chapter 3

I didn't know how long I've been asleep. When I woke up and opened my eyes, I saw I was laying down in a bed. In an unfamiliar place. In Kimbara Outback's Medical Center. Did someone take me here? What happened? I saw a light blue blanket on the bed, and I tried to knock it off me.

 As I tried to put the blue blanket off me, I yowled in pain. But how? My tail hurt very badly. I swished my tail around to see why. There was no light blue blanket. I yanked my tail. My tail is light blue. I finally went out of my bed to see if I was blue anywhere else. When I saw parts of my paws were blue, I ran to the sink to see if the blueness would just wash off. Nope.

 I ran to the bathroom which was out of my room, just down the hall. I looked in a mirror, then another, then another. Instead of a light orange topcoat, I now have a light blue topcoat. Instead of a white underbelly, I now have an ice blue underbelly. I'm a blue fox.

 I started thinking of questions and explanations, but none came. Is this permanent? Were the purple and black things near Zios' grave, phantoms? Did they do this to me? I was terrified; I couldn't answer any of them. I started to freak out. I punched the mirror I was currently staring at; it left a dent. As I left the bathroom to go back into my hospital bedroom, tears started coming. There's always something that makes me different than other foxes. Now that 'something' is more obvious than ever. Why did this have to happen to me!?

I sighed as I pushed open the door to my temporary (I hoped) room.

 Instead of me being the only one there before, there were other foxes. One of them was Duke.  I growled under my breath at him. "Why are you here? To laugh at me because I got injured on a class field trip? To make me feel even more miserable than I already am?" Was I even injured? Was blue fur considered an injury? A rare type of disease? I couldn't even begin wondering what blue fur is. Duke didn't show any signs of me being correct. He just stared at me; not in a way of mockery, but of a serious expression. This was unlike the Duke I knew- or thought I knew.

 I sighed, "Seriously, Duke, why are you here? In my room? Did you want to see me?"

Duke finally answered me. "Yes, I came to see you, Twinkle. On the field trip, I looked back and saw you weren't with us. Then I saw you lying down next to Zios' grave. Twinkle, you barely looked conscious." He moved his head to the side, so he no longer looked straight at me. Duke continued. "I screamed to you to run for your life. I thought you would be a goner Twinkle, and... and I don't think I can live with you gone. I can't live without you, Twinkle."

I didn't fall for whatever jokes Duke could be playing at. However, I sensed none from the popular fox in front of me. Being frustrated at him, at myself, I yelled back at him. "What are you doing, Duke? Seriously, I mean it. I'm obviously not dead, and I obviously know you didn't think that about me. You might of been the one who screamed at me to run, but that's it. Pretending that you love me all of a sudden? Duke, I'm not that stupid! You love Sparkle- not me! What, did you guys break up or something? So pathetic that you wanted me to be your new date?"

Duke looked hurt when I said that. "Oh my Zios, Twinkle! Sparkle and I would never date. Ever. She's my cousin! I don't know how we were put in the same class. She comes close to me just to talk- she knows me the best. I'll admit, Sparkle can be bossy at times..." 'Ya think!' I thought. "... but she can be very shy at times, too.

 If I were to date any girl fox in the class, it would be you, Twinkle. The world even. This isn't because you're suddenly injured and... uh... blue. It's because you're different somehow- in a good way. To me, it's like you can take on anything."

 Wait, was Duke referring to the fox and arctic wolf battle at the Temple of Zios where my sister, Fauna died?

 "I really mean it, Twinkle. I really did worry about you. All of what I said is true. Twinkle, I called 911 to send you to the hospital. I had to. You looked very sick, and I was the closest one nearby.

 Miss Fox came a little later- she also saw you there. She had to cancel the rest of the field trip and dismiss everybody. You must of been mystified or something because we walked away from the grave due to phantoms floating out of it. I don't know why we didn't drag you away from there.

Well when Miss Fox arrived, she also called your parents. She told me they were so worried, that your parents sprinted to the hospital and were finally relieved when they saw you in a hospital bed- sleeping, alive." I then realized on the opposite side of the room were Miss Fox and my parents. They couldn't hear our conversation because a wall curtain cut us off from them. Duke added, "Oh yeah. Twinkle, the reason you didn't see us when you woke up seeing yourself blue is because we thought you would continue to be sleeping. Your parents, Miss Fox, and I left your room to go have a snack at the hospital cafeteria.

 Then we obviously returned seeing you weren't here. Miss Fox was talking to your parents, and told them you were probably in the bathroom or something- and you were. Besides us going to get a snack, we stayed with you in this room. Silently seeing if you're okay or not."

Duke can never lie as far as this. I believe him, every word he said. I say, "Whoa, Duke. You did all of this, and... for me? Aww thank you. Thanks for possibly saving my life." I giggle quietly, then rush over and hug Duke.