Fluorescent

Chapter 1

"Children! It's time to wake!" Flora's mother nudged her and Oak awake. Flora blinked once and stood up. Oak let out a huge yawn and got to his feet. "Remember, today we learn to fly!" Their mother chirped enthusiastically. The cubs' ears pricked up and they stumbled out of the den behind Luna. The sweet new-buds sun hit their back as the ran to  a clearing. Luna sat down, Oak and Flora doing the same. "Now, do what I do" Luna said as she unfolded her wings. The cubs took a moment longer to do so, but once they did they couldn't stop squealing. "Shh! Now, take a moment to stretch them out, and move them up and down slightly" Luna demonstrated. Flora focused hard and managed to lightly beat her wings, while Oak had begun to nip his own in an attempt to move them. Finally, both cubs become able to move their wings on command. "Now, move them up and down with a lot of force. Beat them as hard as you can until you are in the air" This took Flora and Oak a very long time to complete, Oak accomplishing it first. At last, Flora lifted herself off the ground. Luna spoke again "Now, we wil-" She took a second look at her cubs, panting and  struggling to stay up. "I suppose we can wait another day to learn how to actually fly" both cubs fell to the ground as soon as she finished her sentence. Flora shook her head, her wings and back aching. Luna nudged her onto her back while Oak stubbornly refused to be carried. "Oak, you're too dumb to make it from here to home" Flora snorted at her brother. He growled "Let's see you do it!" Flora prepared to leap off her mother's back, but before she could Luna snatched her and put her back in place, along with grasping Oak's scruff to carry him. Flora giggled in victory. Oak tried to twist around and swipe his sister's nose, but an already angered Luna didn't allow it. They crawled back into the den, tired. "May we eat soon Mama?" Flora asked, her belly growling. Luna sighed. "I'll go, but you. Must. Stay. Right. Here. Understood?" Flora and Oak nodded. "Alright, I'll be back soon." Luna turned around and stalked out of the den, flinching as a thorn scraped against her wounds and scars. Flora suddenly regretted her choice to let her mother go. She leaped up and started to the entrance when Oak spoke "Where are you going?" Flora stopped and turned around "To find Mama. She shouldn't be out there alone." Oak gave her a questioned look. She let out a frustrated grunt "We need to be together in case something happens!" Oak rolled his eyes. "Mama ran away here with us because she knew that it was safe. Nothing has ever happened. And if you're worried about father, he's not to find us." Flora still couldn't shake the feeling of danger. "Fine, I'll stay here. But we have to go if she isn't back by sunset." It was already Sun-high, so they had a lot of time. Too much time. "Alright, But I'm sure she'll be back before then." Oak replied. Flora's belly growled again. "I sure hope so" she muttered. "In the mean time, what if we try and practice flying?" Oak added with a more cheerful tone. Flora sighed. "Fine." They both stretched their wings, and attempted desperately to get off the ground. Finally, they faced each other in the air. "First one down is a rotten rabbit!" Oak announced. 

The two cubs stayed like that for the longest time. They had both dropped down by sunset. "Oak, mama still isn't back and it's sunset..." Flora told him nervously. "We did have a deal. Let's go." Flora followed her brother out of the den and they both put their noses to the ground. "I got her trail!" Flora piped up excitedly. Flora led the way as Oak ran behind her. They kept running till they hit a small pool. Flora started nosing around in a desperate attempt to find Luna. "F-flora, c-come over h-here" Oak whispered. Flora ran over to her brother. She nearly fell over when she saw it. Her beloved mother lay on the ground, a new would glittering in her hind leg. Luna coughed weakly and opened her eyes. "It's no longer safe here, we must go."