[Bless] Twice Blessed [Chatter/Peep]

[Ruriska]

Chatter was collecting acorns for the winter. It was normally hard for her to focus on any one task but when it came to gathering acorns and burying them in shallow hiding spots, she was on the ball. She was quick, too. A speedy red blur, gathering only the very best (and stealing a nibble here and there) so that when Squirrel had a craving during the cold winter nights, there was always a snack ready to go.

She wasn’t expecting an interruption. Her darling Squirrel was spending time with the lovely Ruffle, probably curled up somewhere warm together, and while Chatter normally loved to join them, she’d been happy to wander off on her own for this very important task.

But there came an interruption.

A very soft ahem.

And Chatter looked up, her mouth full of acorns, to find that a rather small Acha was watching her. Chatter’s ears perked even higher, wiggling at the ends. She sniffed. The Acha was... how could she describe it? Oh, warm! Yes, warm and soft. It made Chatter feel sleepy just looking at her. Sleepy and safe. How nice it was.

Chatter deposited the acorns in their new hole and gently pushed dirt over the top with her hoof. She didn’t like that a stranger would know the location of her stash but when she looked over at the little glow-eyed Acha again, she didn’t seem like the sort to go stealing other kins acorns.

“Hiya,” Chatter finally greeted.

There was something very familiar about this kin.

As if they’d met before.

As if she’d seen those eyes before.

Staring at her with the same amount of love.

Oh.

“Blessings come twice, it seems,” the Acha said, her voice like a warm tail curling around your shoulders. “I doubt they’ll need this one either but I bless them with health and abundance. I wish your family the very best.”

And then there was the foxbun in her place, the very same who had touched Squirrel with a gentle paw.

Chatter’s eyes went wide, thoughts thundering through her mind, putting all the pieces together. “SQUIRREL,” she squeaked loudly, stamping down on her acorn spot to flatten out the soil and then taking off at a run. To share the news, the double news, the good news, oh my that had been a legendary, which meant - “SQUIRREL BABIES!”