by Crysa's departing words, and A.J had been too badly shaken. Miliko had promptly confiden the four to the room where they slept. Kisha and Breezie were laying on a blanket nerby. A.J was still shaking a little, curled up on a pillow. April loomed over him, her blue eyes blazing. "Your little 'welcoming gift' could have blinded Crysa!" she told him. "Now she hat.es us!"

A.J looked up at her, his brown eyes wide. "I-i-t wasn't suppose to go like that." he stamerd. "Well it did!" His sister said crossly. "You heard what Crysa called us!" she sighed and her eyes filled with sorrow. "Dad had been trying so hard to get his pups back from Aunt Margret." her eyes flashed and she glared at her brother. "Now, thanks to us, he'll probaley never get Crysa back! She'll avoide us forever!" Breezie whimperd and wrapped her tail around her. "We've ruined dad's family." Kisha cried. 

A.J suddenly stopped shaking and his eyes brightened. "Mabey we haven't." he said slowly. "Oh no. Your not leading us on another cat-brained scheam of yours." April said sharply. "Yeah, look where the last one got us." Breezie mutterd. "A miserable dad and a enraged sister." Kisha said quietly. "No, just listen." A.J lept to his feet, his eyes sparkling, but not with mischef. "I heard theres diamonds in the mountains." he said excidetly. April rolled her eyes, but Breezie looked curious.

"Diamonds?" she asked. "You know, shiny rocks that are worth alot." A.J exsplained. "Whats your point A.J?" Kisha asked. A.J hurried on. "We can go up and find a diamond, then bring it back here as a aopolgy gift for Crysa!" he told them. April looked doubtful. "Why would she want a diamond?" she asked. A.J sighed in exzasperation. "Her name is Crysa. Crysa. Crystal. A diamond is a crystal!" he exclaimed. Kisha and Breezie looked at eachother. April look thoughtful. "Are you sure this would work?" she asked. A.J nodded eagrly. Finnaly, April sighed. "All right. Lets go find a diamond and fix this mess."  

Crysa rolled onto her stomach, the straw crunched benethe her. Ussualy being here calmed her, but not today. Her eyes stilled felt a little sore and her head was spinning. She felt confused and lost. "Whats wrong with me?" she asked herself. Suddenly, she felt tired. Her eyelids drooped and her head felt heavy. I can't be tired, she thought. I just got here. But sleepiness consumed her.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by tall grass, the wind rippling it like water. "How-? Where am I?" she said aloud, confused. Then, a soft voice drifted over the wind. "Crysa." It called. Crysa's ears pricked. That voice. It sounded, strangley familur. As if she'd heard it long ago, but had forgotten who it belonged to. The voice called again, but not her name this time. "Tom." Crysa's tail twitched. Tom? The soft voice called again. "Crysa. Tom."

Crysa scrambled to her feet, mind realing. After a moments thought, she took off through the tall grass toward the voice. "Crysa, Tom." It called again. Crysa jumped, trying to see over the grass. She saw nothing but the greeness rippling with the wind. How she wished she were as tall as Toner! The voice called again, but it was louder. Crysa gatherd herself, then lept foreward. Her paw caught on something at the last minute and she stumbled, finding herself rolling downhill. Something whipped across her face, then she stopped. Shaking the grass out of her fur, Crysa stood and looked around. She blinked. She was standing in a small circular clearing. The grass in the clearing was soft and short, while the tall grass circled it like a fence. 

"Crysa." the soft voice said gently. Crysa turned and gasped. She couldn't belive her eyes, yet she hoped they weren't playing tricks on her. There, across the clearing, was her mother! The brown female stood, the picture of gracefullness that Margret had been trying to copy for years. Wind brushed her soft brown fur gently, as if it was afraid of disturbing it. "Crysa." she said softly. "Mom?" Crysa whisperd. June nodded. "Come to me, my child." Crysa, suddenly feeling like a pup again, bounded over to her. June wrapped herself around her, and Crysa breathed in her conferting scent, one that she hadn't smelled in so long. Crysa rubbed her face in the brown fur. "Oh mom." she felt tears brimming her eyes as June pulled back and looked her over with a smile. "My darling daughter." she said, her voice reminding Crysa of a singing bird. June looked over to the tall grass. "Your brothers late as ussual." her voice was amussed, not angry. Crysa tilted her head to the side. "Toner? Whys he here?" she asked. June laughed softly. "Oh no, not Toner. Your other brother, Tom."

Crysa starred wide eyed at her. A rustling in the grass behind her made her turn and she felt her breath catch in her throat. A tall black male was standing there, his red ears alert, and brown eyes sparkling. Crysa felt stiff. "Tom?" she breathed. The black male smiled warmly and nodded. Crysa didn't hesitate, she dashed over to him and burried her face in his sleek black fur. "Oh Tom! I've missed you so much!" The black male swept his tounge over her head gently. "I've missed you to." Crysa stepped back and gazed up at him. He'd grown so tall! He was probley taller then Toner by half a head, at least. A thought then struck her. "Wait. You two are de.ad. How did you grow? You were just a pup when you di.ed!" Crysa looked from her brother to her mother. June laughed softly. "Just because he di.ed, doesn't mean he can't grow. He's grown along with you, Toner, and Junie." Tom smiled down at her, his brown eyes shining with warmth.

"Now, whats troubling dear?" June trotted over, her paws barely touching the ground. Crysa sighed as her mother pressed agasint her. She haden't felt so safe and warm in such a long time. Tom was gazing at her, his brown eyes searching. "Your confused about dad, aren't you?" he asked quietly. Crysa stiffened. She felt June's blue gaze burning through her fur. "Yes." she sighed. "I mean, he had you! Sure, you di.ed, but why did he have to go find someone else? What about me, Toner, and Junie! We'er still alive!" her words tumbled out of her in a rush. June licked her forehead gently. Crysa felt herself relax at her touch. "Ah my sweet, sweet child." she said softly. "Your father and I were very happy together. It broke both our hearts when I was sold. I lived a misrable life after that." the female gazed down at Crysa, blue eyes reflected agasint hers. "I took the oprutunity to save the young pup they put agasint me. It cost me the last of my health and streangth, but I know she's safe. I've been watching her as well as you and your brother and sister."

"Your father found me shortly after I freed the young one." the female smiled, as if recalling the moment. "We were so glad to see eachother again. But I knew my time was ending. Miliko tried to get me to the vet, but I knew I wouldn't make it." June's eyes glazed over, and Crysa felt as if she was intruding on something very special. "He stayed with me and told me how my sister took you all way after Tom had passed." Her blue eyes flickerd to her son. "Margret had never aproved of me having your fathers pups. It still puzzles me as why she took you in instead of giving you away." she looked thoughtful before continuing. "After I passed, I kept watch over your father and you." June waved her tail at Tom. "Tom did to, of course." Tom grinned at Crysa. "It pained me so to see how depressed your father was." Crysa blinked. "Really?" she asked. June nodded. "He stopped eating and drinking, and rarely went outside anymore." the brown female turned her gaze on Crysa again.

"It wasn't until May came along that he started feeling like himself again. And over time, he began to fall in love with her, but he still felt loyal to me." June pointed out. "He didn't propose to May until I told him myself that I understood." June leaned closer and nuzzled Crysa. "Dad didn't betray mom by falling in love with someone else Crysy." Tom added. A smile flickerd across Crysa's face for a moment. No one had called her 'Crysy' except Tom. Then her face clouded. "But, what about us?" she asked. June knew she was referring to Toner and Junie as well. "Your Aunt Margret did everything in her power to keep you three from Miliko. There was nothing he could have done." she said quietly.

Crysa sighed and welcomed the conferting warmth as Tom and June leaned on eaither side of her. "Toner and Junie have accepted May and the pups. Now it's your turn." Crysa's eyes shot open as Tom and June pulled away. "Wait! Where are you going?" she asked. She didn't want them to leave, not yet! Tom smiled at her. "Hey, we'er not leaving you. We never did." he said. "But, but-!" Crysa stammerd. June padded foreward and gently licked her forehead, where her small diamond marking was. She smiled gently as she backed away. "My sweet Crysa. We'er never far. You just have to look." her voice echoed as she vannished in the tall grass. "Wait!" Crysa cried and lept after them.

Her head collided with something solid and she stumbled back. Shaking her head, she saw she was back in the barn. Crysa looked around. There was no sign that she had ever left. Was it really just a dream? she thought. A soft breeze blew in through the window, casting a faint, but familur scent. Crysa's heart leapt. June and Tom! A smile spread across her face. Her mind was no longer buzzing angrly. She knew what she had to do.

As soon as Crysa was near the cabin, she knew something was wrong. No laughing, no voices, nothing was echoing around like last time. She winced. Had she really done that much damege? Cautiously, she walked up the steps. Her front paw had barely touched the wooden porch when the door burst open