Hazel was happy. She looked good, she felt good, and she was with her best friend; Grace. At the moment, Hazel was trying to get Grace to be happy too. As per the usual.

"Ace, watch this!" Hazel said, with a grin on her beautiful freckled face. "Ace" was the nickname Hazel had so fondly given Grace.

They were looking for something, though Grace refused to tell Hazel where they were going and what they were doing. Despite her asking over one-hundred times. They had been trekking through some forest for hours. Hazel didn't know if she could take much longer because she got bored fairly easily.

Grace was looking forwards, but she glanced back at Hazel. "Caio, Hazel. You haven't said much in quite some time." 

"I know, that's why I need you to watch this. Also, 'caio' is a word in the Italian language that can be used both as 'hello' and 'goodbye'." That was Hazel, always spewing facts like a sprinkler. "And Italian is a language that is used by the Humans. But cats call them 'No-Claws'. Why do we call them that? I don't get it." 

Grace tried to hide her smile, but failed, so she kept looking forwards so the hazel-eyed interestingly patterned cat couldn't see it. "You're right. And they are called 'No-Claws' because they are recognized for their lack of claw, and their lack of using what 'claws' they have." 

"Oh. Now I know, cool." Hazel said, actually trotting like a horse to her friend's side. "I still want to show you something."

"Carry on," Grace muttered looking off to the land that was still covered in trees, but not enough to make it a dark forest. To be honest, Grace had stopped listening, and was now focusing on her surroundings with intensity just as she always did.

She rolled her eyes, with her normal sass that you couldn't help but like. "Ace. You're not even looking." In this case, she actually wasn't even looking. "Very interesting, Hazel." 

"Just look-this is pointless. Hey Ace, one time I killed a wolf." She was testing if Grace was even listening. Hazel wouldn't kill a fly. She wouldn't, but that doesn't mean she couldn't. She was exceptionally strong for a cat-adolescent.

"Wow, that's very good, Hazel." 

"Ace. You're doing that thing that Mother-Cats do when they are preoccupied with something else and their kitten is trying to show them something, but they're just saying 'oh, very interesting sweetie'. I could say anything. Ace, did you see that pig that just sprouted wings, and flew overhead?" 

"Yes, yes, intriguing."

"I know, if you really wanted to, you could actually act like you cared."

Grace suddenly stopped, and Hazel stopped at a rather precipitous step that almost made her fall back as Grace turned around to face her. She almost towered over her. "Listen to me when I say this because I know you can listen. I can see your ears and you are not deaf. I care, but I am looking for someone who can kill so many, making so many others suffering because of their losses. If I don't find this person, I will be held responsible for more evil deeds that this person is doing under my name. It's not that I don't care, Hazel, it's the fact that I need my senses to keep track what is going on around us so we aren't ambushed or worse. What we're doing, it's very dangerous"-Grace almost beamed at that word-"and I can't afford to lose again. So I have a deal to cut with you. You show me whatever you were going to show me, and after that we can play 'Read My Lips' while I take note of the ambiance of the environs. But the catch is if I tell you to be silent, you must listen to me or things could blow up in our faces, and we'll be completely and utterly doomed." 

Hazel always admired the way Grace spoke. She could capture the attention of a bear trying to take honey from a bee's nest. Grace had even told Hazel herself how attention is like prey. And you are starving. You really want that food that is acting so cocky, as if it is taunting you. That's how hungry you would be, but you mustn't lose your composure. If you've lost your composure, you might as well yell; "Hey buddy, just scamper off, I was going to eat you but nah." You need to be clever enough to catch it, and have the persistence to continue to chase the prey. Sometimes, the prey can outrun you. That doesn't mean to keep chasing it. But one day you'll catch it. Some people's attention isn't worth catching, but others' attention is worth chasing forever, no matter the price depending on your views. Grace often used metaphors to express how she was feeling for some reasons. Hazel always suspected that she was afraid to express her feelings because she felt like she needed to be emotionless to be great. That's why Grace was more clever than wise.

"I understand," Hazel said, because she did understand. And for the part where she would have the immediate opportunity to show Grace her mad skills, and then play one of Hazel's favorite games. Read My Lips.

"Thank you," she half-smiled which was quite interesting to see. But not unusual to see from Hazel's friend. Grace sat down, awaiting whatever Hazel dearly needed to show her. The axiom of the situation was Hazel just wanted to impress Grace. She was a very hard person impress which was strangely desirable for Hazel to an extreme sometimes. The thing with people who were detached and hard to impress was when you could impress that particular person, you would probably be at your very very best, unless they were just acting to manipulate you. Hazel reasoned if she could wow Grace, she would be at her very best. People like that can build you up just because of their expectations and standards. But they can also break you down just as easily. 

"Ahem," Hazel meowed, clearing her throat as one often does before a performance. Especially when nervous or anxious. She then positioned her hind-legs and hind-paws father behind her than what they normally were. Hazel backed up as to not injure or harm Grace. Hazel's features broke into her mischievous looks. Chiefly, her almost adventurous grin. She looked as if she were about to do some sort of jumping stunt.

Hazel jumped as high as she could, just as she was about to hit the top of her jumping heights, she started to force herself forwards. It was rather impressive, from a cat. Or any species, really. She was attempting a front-flip. She succeeded, of course. Her body swirled like the flames of a fire swirling. Just like that, in fact. Blazing through the air, when it was soon ended by Hazel hitting the ground with a soft crunch it was elegant, yet so dangerous in a way.

The first thing Hazel did once she was back to the ground beneath her paws was look to Grace's face to see if she had gotten the reaction she really wanted. The reaction she practically craved.  

Honestly, Grace looked different from her normal composure. Hazel wouldn't say completely jaw-dropping "Bravo! Bravo! Encore! Encore!" impressed, more like a "slow clap but secretly interested" impressed. Despite her reaction-or perhaps lack of reaction-Hazel was pretty much wholly proud of herself and her 'mad skills'.

Grace's half-smile was now about a three-quarters-smile. This made Hazel smile, of course. A full smile. "Shall we walk on, Ace?" 

"Yes, yes we shall, Hazel The Trapeze Master." Hazel gave her sassy-face as they both began walking once more. "Okay," began Grace. "Let's play Read My Lips." 

"Read My Lips" was a game that Grace and Hazel had made up together. It is a game where you can learn words, but first you must guess what the word means originally. It has to be a word that the other person probably won't know in the first place. To make it a little bit more challenging, you have to literally read the other player's lips. So you have to figure out a word that you probably don't even know. It's easier to understand once you see someone else play. It usually is that way with games. 

As Grace trekked on, Hazel tried to guess what she was saying. After a few moments, Hazel figured out she had been saying "aloof", with no audio, obviously.

She slowly picked the word apart, using that beautiful mind of hers to solve the word's meaning or meanings.

The game went on for hours after that.

They went from aloof-detached, to snekdraw-someone sly, cunning, and usually rude, but they can hide that rudeness, to phonetic-how someone sounds, or how someone writes something, to nyctophobia-the phobia of what could happen to one when in the dark. Many more, but it would take hours to take into account of all of the words Hazel tried to define that Grace had provided.

After what seemed to be endless hours of Read My Lips, Grace abruptly stopped, and Hazel quickly followed suit, following Grace's earlier instructions.

They had both fallen silent. It was an unspoken thing. Get it? Ha.

Hazel was tempted to ask "Ace" what they were completely stopped for, but she thought better of it. For the moment.

Hazel thought she heard a soft, almost soothing crackling noise. Her ears involuntarily tried to locate where the noise was coming from like satellites. She finally seemed to locate the sound, just after Grace had turned her head to where the sound seemed to be coming. "Hazel," she whispered briskly, and in a way that gave Hazel chills for some reason. "Listen. Listen closely. Not to the crackling, but listen to your other strong senses." She did as she was told, closing her eyes, and focusing on what her nose was trying to tell her.

"What do you smell, Hazel?" For some reason, whenever Grace used her name, it gave her some anxiety because she only used her name when they were in a serious situation.

The young She-Cat took long deep smells from her nose. "Don't forget to use your whiskers," Grace commented.

Hazel doubted that the black cat with aqua-teal eyes was looking at her, but she nodded nonetheless.

She used a trick that is very well known among cats. Using the power of your whiskers and nose and connect them. Use them as one powerful weapon. Or maybe not a weapon, Hazel thought. Ace doesn't like unnatural weapons. Like Swift-Claws. Maybe I can use my whiskers and nose together as a pack. A strong pack.

Hazel regained her focus. Compose yourself. Make Ace proud.

Once Haze thought she was composed enough, she let her senses take over, sending coded messages to her mind for her to decipher. There was some sort of acrid smell that was jamming up her senses. It was like smoke and mirrors in her head. That's it! She thought, Smoke!

"Ace... Is that smoke?"

Grace was silent, while Hazel opened her hazel eyes.

If Hazel didn't know better, she would say Grace looked like a statue. She didn't move, and she'd dare say she didn't even blink. There was only a very slight flick of her tail. She was staring off into the trees, when there was suddenly a wretched creaking noise that made Hazel want to scratch her ears off of her head.

Luckily, the creaking noise was very short-lived, But was then followed by a loud crash, that sent a few flakes of ash flying towards the two females. The wind very gently rippled through Grace's fur, and it gave Hazel even more chills for it lightly ruffled her own striped and spotted fur as well.

"Ace," Hazel said, finding her voice becoming quieter. "Isn't there fire with smoke?" 

Grace still didn't respond, but the younger cat could see her breaths becoming quicker and more panicked.

She finally turned to Hazel, her eyes blank, obviously trying to hide something. "We need to go. Right now." When Hazel cocked her head to the side, reading to ask a question, Grace's voice thundered with panic. "Run!! Now!" 

Hazel flinched at her tone, and skidded backwards, then turned around, obeying Grace's words, practically tripping over her own paws.

The young She-Cat could hear Grace at her heels, and sooner than later she could only sense it because all she could hear was her heart pounding on like a maniac with drums and her own sharp breathes. 

There were two thoughts running through her mind like crazed cheetahs. Run, run, run, run! And; Am I going to die?

She couldn't answer her question, but she supposed she would be able to soon enough.

Eventually, she heard another creak that made her fur stand on end, and she could've sworn once the tree crashed into the ground in a mess of ash and flames she could feel every single drop of blood rushing through her body and her bones shivering against her skin.

Grace was by her side, but she kept looking forward.

Hazel watched Grace as intensely as she could muster. Then she thought as hard as she could; Why are we running, Ace? As if they were connected telepathically. 

Her aqua-teal eyes only met with her hazel ones for a second, then they flickered back to the terrain up ahead of them.

Hazel resisted the almost irresistible urge to call out to Grace, begging to know what this unfortunate turn of events was about. Grace always gave her a feeling that she knew more than she would let on. Like a magician in the dark in front of an audience. Hazel realized in this moment that Grace scared her. In fact, Hazel was terrified of the black cat. She couldn't exactly pinpoint where these feelings were coming from, but it was on the tip of her tongue. It was a peculiar feeling, like deja vu. Deja vu, she thought. French for already seen.

She panted as they dashed through the forest that seemed to be growing ever darker. Hazel soon recalled the name of this forest; The Forest Of Blaze. Grace still wouldn't tell her the story behind The Forest Of Blaze, so she concluded it had something to do with fire, perhaps.

Speaking of fire... she thought, feeling dizzy with sickness from the acrid scent coming up behind them.

Hazel felt like she couldn't breathe anymore. The smells and the panic that had already been ripping apart her insides already seeping to the outside.

There was suddenly the same creaking and crashing that had been coming from the trees behind them. But this time, it was in front of them, and Hazel suspected what Grace already knew. In addition to the fire and smoke behind them and in front of them, it was now to their sides, and they were essentially  trapped. Essentially, she thought hopefully. There is still a wild shot in the dark we'll make it out alive. A great escape! Classic Ace!

Grace stopped abruptly, which made Hazel come to a skidding stop.

"Ace," Hazel said, trying to get her attention.

All that came from Grace was a subtle shhhh.

Grace's whiskers twitched with anticipation, while Hazel's head throbbed with foggy pain.

"Fire..." said a voice as slick as a smooth rock in the rain. "It's quite... delightful, isn't it?""The apparent male voice was coming from behind them.

Both She-Cats turned around, Hazel finding her frightened tail trying to tuck itself between her hind legs. Her legs shook in a thrilling feeling of creeping suspense.

The male turned out to be a fox. He looked like any ordinary red fox, orange fur, black paws, and a white undercoat. He had a smirk on his face as they both met eyes with him. But his hazel eyes seems to be trained on Grace. Except... There was something... Off about him.

"Bonjour," Grace started. "I don't believe we've met." 

"I haven't actually met you, but I've heard quite the earful about you. Call me Saeva," Saeva introduced.

"Interesting, your name isn't two words put into one, in fact, I think that's Latin. Google Translate would really come in handy right now." 

"Saeva means cruel," he explained.

"Well that's ironic. It sounds like 'save', well the first part does at least. Something factual is only foxes in Kingdoms get to have a double name. What I mean is something like Redfox. Or Stormtail. But your name is just one word, and you obviously have a lot of knowledge on different languages since your name is Latin," she deducted.

"Good job, Sherlock Holmes. Got anymore deductions for me?" 

"Yes, actually. But first; who started the fire?" 

"It depends on how deep your question is." 

"You know what I mean." 

"Don't be so simple... Grace? It's Grace now, correct?" 

"Yes-" he interrupted her before she could continue. "And you think my name is ironic. You're clever, right? Clever people love irony." 

"Only the cleverest. I'm waiting for something a bit more ironic. So are we done with these 'pleasantries'? I'd like to live another day." 

The scent of fire and smoke was becoming too overwhelming for Hazel to handle. "Hey, Grace, you're little friend isn't lookin' so hot. Get it?" She ignored his quip, but finally looked over at Hazel.

Hazel thought she might pass out if she was here much longer. The fire was closing in on all of them. They were completely and utterly trapped. Her vision was as fogged as her thoughts and mind. "Ace... Can we hurry... This one up...?" 

Grace nodded in understanding, looking back to the fox who had hopped on up to a branch on a tree. "Good luck. I really mean that. I wouldn't want to intrude further on your deaths." Saeva scampered from branch to branch, finally on the top branch.

"Saeva!" Grace called.

He only looked at her, with a victorious grin.

"Please, don't let Hazel die because of my own stupidity!" Hazel started to wonder if Grace was scared she wouldn't be able to escape.

"You're frightened," he said, his tone as smooth as before. "What a shame. Just kidding! But I almost pity your little hazel-eyed friend. Or should I say 'ally', since you don't have any friends. She wasn't apart of the plan. But we did factor her in. It's a shame you put your nose where it's not supposed to be." 

"Who are 'we'?!" She asked, but when there was no response from Saeva, she yelled; "At least I have a normal tail!" 

That was when Hazel realized what was so off about this fox. His tail had missing bits of fur, while being all crooked, and it twitched uncontrollably. He showed his fangs. "you will never be a grace, you will always be a disgrace. A frightened idiot that people see as a monster. You're a monster, and you'll have to live with that forever. If you escape." 

Grace opened her mouth to speak, but didn't say more for a few seconds, then she pinned her ears back. "Just let me do something right for once in my life! She doesn't deserve to die because of me! Please!" She had desperateness laced into her voice.

"No. She will die here, and so will you. You die whether you escape or not. You know why? You're worthless and you know it. You're just another card in the deck. You've died a long time ago, even though your heart continues to beat, and your lungs continue to take in air and release air, you are dead and you know it. You are unfixable. Once upon a time, there was a Wildfire, and she never stopped blazing. I'd love to see the ending of that story, but I've got to go. Au revoir." And in the blink of an eye, the crooked-tailed fox had disappeared.

Grace growled and Hazel would've bet she almost swore under her breath. Hazel dazedly blinked, as she looked up at Grace's increasingly towering figure. It felt as if Hazel's own patterned paws were melting like snow beneath her.

Grey smoke was splotched throughout the terrain, and sharp blades of fire spiked through the once clear sky. For once in her life, Hazel truly knew what trapped truly meant.

"Come on," Grace urged, nudging her shoulder urgently.

"Okay..." Hazel said, pushing her paws against the ground.

"Hey Ace..." she slurred once she was on all fours as non-wobbly as possible at the blurry moment. "Are we gonna escape...?"

"Yes. Yes of course," she answered a little bit too quick.

"Okay..." she replied, not wanting to argue at the moment, giving Grace the benefit of the doubt. "Let's just escape then... I hope you've got a plan, Ace."

"Of course," Grace said smoothly to hide the panic in her seemingly endless aqua-teal eyes.

Hazel walked on her own, close to Grace who was walking too, their paw-steps in a slow sync. They walked over to a tree that still had all of its' leaves.

"Can you climb?" Grace asked.

"Erm... Yeah..." 

"Good," she replied with a smile that was faker than those plastic toys that are shaped like food for children to play with. 

"Yeah.."  Hazel replied, jumping up to the trunk of the tree, sinking her claws into the bark like she would when sinking her claws into the flesh of a hare.

Grace leapt onto the tree, right behind Hazel. "Okay, take your time, but at the same time hurry up." 

"Who taught you that?" She asked, climbing up the tree as fast as she could without falling.

"Someone I knew a long time ago." This was one of the very rare moments when Grace talked about her past.

"What was their name?"

"Keep climbing." Was the only answer she would give so Hazel decided to change the subject.

"What was Saeva talking about when he mentioned a story about a Wildfire?" 

"Well, that particular story is a really long one." 

"I love stories." 

"And I love storytellers." 

"Why?" 

Grace smirked, sighing happily almost. "A storyteller can create worlds, and destroy them. Storytelling is a very powerful weapon, once you've put a story out there, you can never get rid of it, and you can never know how it will affect each person who hears it. Maybe one day you'll be a storyteller." 

"I don't need to be, I've got your stories," she tried to reason. 

"Trust me, Hazel. You'll always be telling stories."

"If we make it out of here."

"When we make it out of here," she corrected.

"It's a matter of if and you know it." 

Grace only sighed. They were both silent until they got to the very top of the tree without breaking any branches and falling to certain doom.

"What is the plan?" Hazel asked.

"Well, I had time to work out the kinks on the climb up." 

"Okay, spill it." 

"Very well," Grace said, already starting her 'I-have-a-plan-voice'. "We are going to jump from tree to tree. Tree-hopping, if you will. I will jump after you do to ensure your safety. And I'm assuming even if we come across a fire, the tips of the trees will be okay, or some of the trees will be fine." 

"Wait, wait, wait. Wait a minute. So you're saying we have to jump across this tree to the next, then keep doing that again and again until we're away from the fire?" 

"Pretty much, yeah."

Hazel managed to scoff. "But aren't we surrounded by fire? Like a ring." 

"A ring of fire," she corrects on a technicality. "Got any better ideas?" 

"Well..." she trailed off. Hazel didn't have any better ideas.

"Thought so. So jump!" 

Hazel obeyed, jumping to the next tree shakily. She was shaky, as was the branch after she jumped off of it. Then Grace followed her. They kept doing this over and over again until the two She-Cats were running out of trees to jump onto. Or should I say 'jumping out of trees to jump onto'? Get it?

The flames surrounded the trees they found themselves on, in fact, the very tree they sat on was bursting into flames at its bottom. The flames were like blades reflecting the colors of autumn (LeafFall) even though it was summer (LightRibbon). There seemed to be a metal tint to it, which was why it felt like the red orange and yellow was reflecting off of a silver blade. Or maybe the red was blood at the tip of the blade.

Hazel could literally feel the heat, not just beneath her paws, but in her blood. She could feel adrenaline rushing through her system as the two paused a bit too long for Hazel's liking. All she could sense in her system besides the thrilling adrenaline was smoke. It felt as if it wanted to possess her. 

Her heart felt as if it were a group of buffaloes running wild, their 'paws' pounding against the 'ground'. Beating up the ground. Smooshing any grass. Basically clearing a path, and Hazel didn't know what path she was going down at this point in time in her life. 

What disturbed her was the creeping feeling of suspicion in her spine towards Grace, because it felt like she knew what path they were going down and was too stubborn to accept it. Obstinate. 

"Constellations in the sky!!" Grace growled, towering over the edge. Though, it was like an edge all around them.

She was looking down first, then looked forwards at a tree that was too far for comfort.

"Okay, part two of plan," she said as the smoke started to make Hazel woozy again. "I am going to jump across first this time, then you are going to follow suit." 

"Why...?" Hazel asked, able to control the faint slur in her tone.

"Good question, Hazel, as the usual. I am not very sure you can make the jump, but I can. Let's just say I'm more... genetically advanced. Once I'm on the other tree, you'll jump, and I'll make sure you make it unto the branch. So, it is basically a life-or-death trust-test." 

"Great," she replied sarcastically.

"Oi, sarcasm is my thing."

Hazel half-rolled her eyes. "Are you going to jump, or keep stalling?" Honestly, the spotted and striped cat was scared out of her wits, but she tried to act like she was the bravest of all so she might actually believe it, and so Grace might believe it as well.

"Very well," she said, getting in a position for a leap.

Her black tail reminded Hazel of the smoke that was currently climbing the trees to the starry skies, and to the two cats.

She looked up at the sky, thinking it might be the last time she would ever see the glowing sparks in the sky. Might... she thought hopefully. It might be the last time I see the stars. They illuminated, making Hazel feel like they were in her hazel eyes. It was comforting, considering the fact they might die.

Finally, Grace leapt with outstanding force, making the branch they were on shake, while Hazel's claws dug into the bark.

Grace's body was in an agile arch, like an arrow from a bow. Fortunately, the arrow landed right on the target; she had made it over with no complications.

Now it was Hazel's turn. She waited patiently for Grace to turn around in order to help her make the jump.

Hazel closed her eyes, letting her mind feel everything that was going on inside and outside of her. Her heart was racing like a horse, her tail swayed back and forth gently, her ears twitched with anticipation, and her breath kept getting caught in her throat. On the outside, she could sense the deep smell of the smoke, and some of the smokey pine. She could feel the wind carrying the smoke against her fur, feeling as though it was passing through her, chilling her bones, but at the same time she could literally feel the heat beneath her paws. It was terrifying, exhilarating, strangely amusing, and most of all; surreal.

Hazel took a deep shaky breath in, then back out.

In less than a minute, she leapt for the branch Grace was sitting on, her aqua-teal eyes trained on her.

While Hazel arched through the air just like Grace did, except with a little less force, it felt as though time itself slowed down. As if the ticks and tocks on the clocks had all of the time in the world.

Even the tiny wisps of grey smoke slowed down considerably.

Hazel kept her head forwards, not taking her hazel eyes off of Grace's almost blue-like ones. She could've sworn she heard only her own breathing.

At the end of her arch was Grace, who was looking less worried, but still in that terrifying suspense.

Hazel unsheathed her claws involuntarily as she reached the end, her claws brushed against the branch, making her heart skip a beat, then she finally got a grip.

She yelped victoriously, even though the only thing holding her up from falling into a pit of flames was her own two paws.

Grace moved to grab Hazel by the scruff, but her powerful jaws clasped nothing but air after a loud snap came from the branch they were both on.

Fortunately, only the end of the branch snapped, so Grace was safe.

Unfortunately, Hazel was on the end of the branch so she was not safe and was falling with no escape.

The wind whooshed through her as the last thing she ever saw was Grace's panicked eyes, soon surrounded by the blades of the wildfire and smoke that fogged the stars and anything else in the world. There was absolutely nothing. 

All except for the endless wildfire.