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Demodo*

Koda watched me get up by myself, just to make sure I was actually steady. After pushing away the dizziness that arrived shortly after straightening up, I was more than capable of walking on my own, much to my relief. The bear smiled then opened the front door, letting me out first. The sunlight was bright as it hit my eyes, causing me to flinch. I raised a paw to cover my eyes as I stepped off the porch and looked around. A gravel path seemed to start at his house and lead elsewhere. Koda walked up beside me and pointed into the woods.

"I found you over that way... We can go later, if you'd like." He said softly, looking off in that direction.

"I think I'm alright for now..." I mumbled then looked at the ground. Koda looked over at me then nodded. It felt like his eyes were staring into me, and that was not something I liked. "Lead the way..." I said looking away. The bear looked down at the ground and nodded once more. He began walking down the path, the rocks beneath him giving out a quiet crunch with each step. I followed and had to walk fast to keep pace with Koda. My eyes lifted to the blue sky as a gust of wind blew, leaves dancing around in the air. It was nice out here in the woods. Much better than at home... With that thought, I looked back down at the ground, my ears falling back. Koda noticed and looked my way. He opened his mouth to speak then slowly closed it. He then looked down at the ground as well.

"Thanks again... for saving me." I said as I scratched the back of my head. Koda lifted his head then looked at me. He gave a small smile.

"You're welcome... I'm glad I was in time." He said then looked back at the path. After a few more minutes passed, the trees around the path opened up into a small little village. There were a few buildings, and every fur greeted each other by name, even the children. I suddenly felt out of place and began to mess with the tip of my tail. Koda placed his paw on my back, causing me to jump in surprise.

"Sorry... Didn't mean to scare you like that." He said then chuckled. "This place is called Olwin Village." My eyes watched furs walk by. A couple even stopped to wave at us.

"This place is so tiny..." I mumbled. Koda gave a nod and smiled wider.

"Yeah, it is. Pretty amazing, if you ask me." He began walking to one of the small stores. I kept my eyes to the ground as I followed. We were just about to enter when a lizard walked out.

"Oh, Koda, nice to see you out and about." She said in a raspy voice.

"Hey, Aria." He said then stepped to the side so I was now standing in her view. "Just out doing some shopping and showing Demodo around." Her eyes lit up when she saw me. She stepped forward and held out a hand to me. I hesitated before reaching out with my own.

"I don't think I have ever seen your face around, and I have quite the memory." She said then chuckled. "It is very nice to meet you, Demodo. Are you staying in the village?" I looked over to look at Koda for support but he had already walked into the store.

"Y-yes ma'am."

"My, what a respectful young man." She said then smiled. "I take it you're a friend of Koda?" She asked, turning to look through the window of the door at the large polar bear.

"Yes, I am." I murmured.

"Good... That's good." She said then turned to me. "I have known him a few years and this is the first time I think I have ever seen him out on his day off." I raised my brow and looked at her with confusion.

"What do you mean?" She stared at me for a few seconds then looked back at Koda, who was now at the counter.

"Look after him child... as a favor to an old woman." She said with a sigh. She sounded almost a bit relieved. Without thinking of much to say I gave a nod.

"Yes, ma'am." I said quietly. After all, he did save my life. She turned back to me and straightened her blue dress before giving me a warm smile.

"Thank you. Now you have yourself a wonderful day." She said then walked away. Koda stepped out a few seconds later.

"Oh, did she leave already?" He asked, giving a small frown. "I was gonna chat with her... Oh well. Ready to stop at the next place?" He asked looking over at me. I was still watching where Aria had walked off to, a thin frown on my muzzle. "Demodo?" I snapped my head over to Koda.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, let's go." I said then stretched. He gave a smile and began walking to another building. A few fur said hi to Koda, to which he simply waved at them. We stopped at a wooden door that had no windows in it.

"I'll be right back out. Wait here for me." He said then went in. I sighed then turned around.

"Who are you?" A young female voice demanded, making me jump. An orange cat in a blue shirt and blue jeans stood not to far off with her arms crossed and her eyes glaring at me. I looked around then pointed at myself. She responded with a roll of her eyes. "Yeah, you, who else would I be talking to?" She closed the distance between us and began walking around me, looking me over.

"M-my name is Demodo." I said as I turned around to keep her in front of me.

"Yeah, I heard that bit already. But who are you? You're no friend of Koda, he has none. He always keeps to himself. Never talks to anyone besides Aria, and I think that's only to shut her up. Now he's out walking around and actually greeting people. That's not like him. So I will ask again, who are you?" I could sense the hostility and it made my fur stand on end. Her eyes kept a steady glare on me as I looked at the ground, avoiding eye contact.

"I...I'm just a friend..." I mumbled. Her ears flicked.

"Speak up." She said in a growl. I went to open my mouth to say something when the door opened and Koda stepped out. He looked down at the cat and I in a slight state of shock.

"Oh, hey, Tanya." He said softly.

"Hey, Koda, how are you?" She asked sweetly, all sense of threat vanished into thin air. "I was just introducing myself to your friend here." She smiled, then looked down at me. I could see the devil in her eyes.

"Oh, I'm good. I'm glad you got to meet him. He's gonna be staying for a couple days."

"Oh, how lovely. I can't wait to see him around." Her voice was still nice, but I could feel the ice behind her words. Koda gave a small smile and walked beside me.

"Yeah, I hope you guys can be friends as well."

"Oh, I'm sure of it." She said then waved as she started walking away. "See you fellas later."

Koda turned and began walking away with me quickly on his heels. I could still sense her icy stare lingering on me. My body gave an involuntary shudder which caught Koda's attention."Are you cold?" He asked, a worried frown appearing on his lips.

"No, just a cold chill." I said with a fake smile. Koda believed it and smiled back.

"Ok, good." He said then let out a content sigh. The walk back to the house was quiet, my mind occupied by everything that just occurred. When the bear got up on the porch and opened the door, he noticed I had stopped a few yards back. I was looking over in the direction from where he said he found me. Deciding against going back once more, I walked up to the porch.

"You alright?" He asked as I walked passed him and into the house.

"Yeah... I'll be fine." I said then turned to smile at him. This time I don't think he accepted the grin.

"If... you need to talk... about any-" His voice was cut off by me stepping forward and hugging him tightly. I'm sure he was completely caught off guard, and to be honest, so was I. My body just moved on it's own. Slowly I felt his arms wrap around my back. "I know... how you ended up there..." My body tensed up, preparing for the ridicule for attempting to take my life. "You're safe now..." He said softly. The words were gentle, but they reached further inside my heart than any beating I have ever received. My shoulders started shuddering as tears began to burn my eyes. "Let it out..." He place a paw on top of my head and rubbed it gently. Like an on switch, everything just poured forth... the pain, the anger... the sorrow. All of those tears mixed into one as I cried into his arms. This random stranger, somehow broke through all my defenses with just a few simple lines. Now I stood there crying on his chest.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Was all I could manage to say at this point. Koda said nothing more, standing there and holding me, rubbing my back softly.

********

Koda had me lay down after my emotional break-down, letting me use his bed. He came in with a glass of water. He would come in every few minutes asking if I needed anything, constantly checking to make sure I was ok. The gesture was sweet but it was unnecessary. I knew I would have to explain myself sooner or later, and there was no time like the present. I could hear the tv going in the living room. It was a welcome distraction to what just happened. I could hear the people on it laughing at one another. Comedy. Laughs. Something that helped ease pain. I heard the floorboards creak as Koda got up and began walking towards the room. He was going to ask about me again... The big bear appeared in the doorway and despite the show he had been watching, his face showed only signs of concern. I sat up in the bed and sighed.

"Will you sit down and relax?" I asked just as he opened his mouth to speak. He lifted a brow then nodded, taking a seat on the large bed. Once he was comfortable I gave another sigh. "My mom... was a strong and beautiful wolf." I sad quietly, memories of her flashing trough my mind.

"Demodo, if you're not ready to tell-" I cut him off by raising my paw.

"She was diagnosed with cancer around the same time she discovered she was pregnant with me. The doctors said that they could get rid of the cancer due to it still being in its early stage, but at the cost of me. It came down to whether she wanted rid of her cancer, or lose the baby she was carrying. Naturally my dad said that if it arrived to the worst case scenario, they could always try to have another... but my mom wouldn't have that..." I wiped a tear from my cheek. "A few days after my birth, doctors had discovered that the cancer had already progressed past the point of them being able to fix it. My mom didn't care... as long as I was ok. We were able to go home, live normal lives... well I did for that matter. Every so often my mom would disappear, and I thought she went to stay at her mother's house, not knowing she was in the hospital. It got to the point where she was admitted into the hospital permanently. My father had the doctors trying everything they cold to save her... But... it wasn't enough... It claimed her...took her away..." I continued to wipe tears from my face. "My dad... he was so sad and enraged. He... He began beating me... saying it was my fault. He would throw everything he could at me... bottles, furniture, anything within reach...

"A few years later my grandma passed away, leaving me with no one to protect me from my dad. The thrashings... the scars... they got worse. I would skip schools some days after receiving a black eye or a bloody nose... But I kept my grades up... I didn't want to let my mom down." I sighed then began fiddling with the tip of my tail. "It got so bad... I went out one night to escape the attacks... and I thought... I thought I could join her... Be with her and see her beautiful face... So I... So... I-"

Koda leaned forwards and brought me into another bear hug. My body tensed up for a second before relaxing into the embrace. His soft fur was so warm...

"You're safe now... You can stay here..." He said then released the hug. I hadn't realized it, but he had been crying as well. "You won't ever have to go back to that pain again... I promise." He said then brought me in for another hug.

"...thank you..." I whispered.