Chapter 2 - The rise of Balmore
As the animals had predicted, the winter that year was harsh. There was almost no food and the animals were freezing in their burrows. No matter how well they tried to stay protected from the cold. No matter how thick their wintercoats grew.
While the world up there was cold, something entirely different was stirring in the heath of the earths core. A series of seismic waves errupted from the earths magnetic center and the ground trembled. An enormous amount of heat was compressed into a void space beneath the surface. The pressure build up until it couldn't contain it any longer and with a tremendous explosion a black fox emerged. Balmore.
While he seemed to be sleeping, the fox crawled his way up to the surface. Something was calling out to him and he was just drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Something.. or someone.
The earthquake didn't go unnoticed by the animals on the surface. Everyone woke up from their hibernation, wondering where the noise and shaking came from.
Arga had also woken up from the sudden tremble beneath her. She heard the animals call out to eachother in the forests next to Felwood. But, just as quickly as it came, the earthquake faded and the noise dimmed. She yawned and decided to close her eyes for a few more hours. After that she would go stretch her legs and see if there were already any signs of spring. Contrary to the other animals, Arga didn't feel the cold. In fact, she didn't even mind if the winter had lasted forever, there was a certain calmth to it and she deeply appreciated that. But it was also lonely. Her heart sank as the thought of being alone creeped up on her.
Right before she drifted off in dreams, she noticed something strange. It seemed like the ground beneath her was warming up. She stayed still for a few minutes, but eventually had to get up because this couldn't be normal anymore. Could it have anything to do with the earthquake just now?
She stuck her nose in the snow just outside her den. That was a weird smell... Her curiosity took over and Arga started digging in the snow. The soil beneath it really was hot, like the sun had been shining on it the whole day. She dug deeper, and deeper, until her fur was all covered in brown dirt.
All of a sudden her paw touched something soft. She gasped and jumped up. What was that?? It looked like ... a black paw? She stared at it for a few seconds, unsure of what she should do. Then, ever so slightly, the paw moved. Arga couldn't believe her eyes. There was someone down there, beneath the ground. Her fear faded away and she started digging faster, hoping to save the unfortunate creature before they suffocated.
In a matter of minutes, Arga dug up the face and front paw of a black fox. She grabbed him by the neck and started pulling him out of the pit. He was heavy, but she did it. She sat next to the unconsious fox for a few minutes, panting.
Eventually the fox started moving and breathing again. He opened his eyes and the first thing he saw were lightblue eyes, staring right back at him. "Are you ok?" asked the white fox. He nodded. Was he ok? He didn't feel any pain or discomfort, so physically he was ok, yes. But where was he? What happened? Where did he come from?
Arga could see the uncertainty on his face and she asked him if he could remember his name. Again he nodded and he scraped his voice before answering "Yes I'm.. my name is Balmore."
The two talked for hours, about how they both didn't know where they came from and what would happen to them next. As the pair talked that day, the snow started melting away. Without realising it, Balmore had started that years' spring.
Finally, the winter was over.