Far away from the city and major parts of the state of Animalia, over the Chordata Mountains, lies the chaparral-covered scrublands of the Third Quarter. This place, while not dirt-poor, was, a poor region, but was not poverty-stricken just yet.
Deep within the Third Quarter a young, clear, angelic voice carried beautiful notes out into the dusty streets of Altiplano Village. Young Gazelle danced and twirled joyfully as she sang a (rather simplistic) song with every shred of happiness she could muster:
My house is a house of gold
Where my mama and my papa live
And I'll live there until I grow old
And I have nothing left to give
Albeit a rather simplistic children's song, the little girl gazelle was no less jubilant in her singing as she performed. With a whoop, she danced one last jump as she finished. The little group of animal children that gathered around her finished playing their own instruments as her song's lyrics ended. Her group was an eclectic one--a hare playing a jug here, a meerkat drumming on a dirty old washtub there--but no less fervent in their musical desire. They would prevail to seek every chance they could to further their musical desires.
As Gazelle's song ended, the rest of the children from her recently-released school clapped and cheered for their resident star. She giggled quietly as she accepted the applause of her adoring fans.
Dressed in a plain, drab-colored t-shirt and a patched-up denim skirt, Gazelle was quite a pretty young girl, even at the comparatively young age of six. Her warm brown eyes and curving bluish horns were like little rays of sunshine, giving forth light to all who saw her. No two parents in Altiplano had ever had a child more to be proud of than hers, Tomás and Maria. The former was an outgoing, conscientious father who was always charismatic, and the latter was a former performer with a voice her daughter had inherited, only Gazelle's was far better than any member of her family.
Speaking of her parents, Maria and Tomás now stepped from behind a large yucca tree, their shadows reaching their daughter long before they did. It was now nearing sundown, and that meant one thing: they had to get home for dinnertime.
"Gazelle!" her mother called, and, at her voice, young Gazelle turned and ran like a roadrunner up to her mother, burying her face in the folds of her mother's patchy dress. Everything Gazelle had that was dear to her heart was right at her hooftips, and she never wanted to let go of it.
Her father chuckled with a smile on his face. His little angela always was his pride, and he always enjoyed watching her grow, particularly watching her laugh. It was like joy incarnate, a light in this dusty desert town. Gazelle's parents were poor, but they were happy; contented in their existence, with unbreakable bonds of love for each other.
"Come on, pequeña," Tomás said as he gripped the young Gazelle's hoof. "The sun's going down, and you know what that means?"
Gazelle's innocent brown eyes looked hopefully up at her father. She recognized his imagery all too well. It was, after all, the third week of the month, and that meant one thing: "The fireflies?"
Santos nodded, and Gazelle soon began skipping along and singing behind her parents as they walked through the village, her little heart fluttering within her chest like a small maraca.
* * *
VOCÊ ESTÁ LENDO
Zootopia: Runaway: Gazelle's Story
Ficção GeralShe's the most beautiful, talented and wealthiest animal Zootopia has ever known. She rose from tragedy and ashes on more than one occasion to change the course of history forever. She loved once and has suffered ever since then. She became an overn...
