I had just finished my tea and come out of my hidey-hole to greet today's
arrivals when I looked up into the sky and noticed one of the clouds
behaving strangely.  At first, I had thought that it had taken a life of
its own, slowly falling away from the sky to land at the Bridge.  I even
went to clean my glasses thinking that I was seeing things, and almost
poked my eye out because I had forgotten that there were no lenses in
them.
 
But what had first appeared to be a cloud was actually one of my new
arrivals; one of the whitest, fine-haired fuzzies I had ever seen.  And
he was so big!  With his size and the color and condition of his coat, he
could have easily been confused as a dancing cloud.  I checked my list,
and wouldn't you know it - there was his name -- Cloud Dancer.
 
I met him at the end of the Bridge.  He strolled towards me deliberately
and gracefully, as if he was out for his morning constitutional.  I
started to ask him if he knew where he was, but he interrupted me, asking
if my name was Sandee.  I told him that it was, and he slowly closed his
eyes and nodded, then introduced himself as Cloud Dancer.  He told me
that Danee had spoken of me.  I knew at that point that he knew where he
was.  Not all fuzzies do, mind you.  Some have never even heard of the
Bridge, and others who have heard are often confused by the speed of
which they are whisked here.
 
But not Cloud Dancer.  While he had the fur of a kit, his eyes told a
different story.  They shone of gentleness and grace.  He told me that
his fellow fuzzies back in the Hoomin world were always somewhat afraid
of him.  He thought it was because he was so big that they challenged
him, but he never took them up on it.  He had the understanding of one
who knows; he was a wise old soul.  He told me that eventually his fellow
fuzzies all took their place in the business and stopped challenging him.
He wanted no special place in the business.  All he wanted to do was
dance.
 
Ah, such a wonderful fuzzy.  My job making him feel welcome here at the
Bridge was going to be easy.  I had one other new arrival on my list, and
I hoped that she would be as easy to greet as Cloud Dancer.  But it would
not be that simple.
 
A cinnamon-colored haze formed on the Bridge, but as quickly as it had
formed, its vapors spread out and vanished.  I thought to myself that
this must be my next arrival, a very young little girl named Phoenix, but
I couldn't spot her anywhere on the Bridge.  This had been her arriving,
hadn't it?  I was thinking to myself that my eyes were not serving myself
very well this morning, when I heard the Bridge creak.  I took a closer
look and spotted Phoenix behind one of the bridge posts, peering out with
half a face to look at me looking at her.  Only seeing half her face, I
could still see that the fur on her mask was the color of fire.
 
I called out to her and asked her if her name was Phoenix.  She gave no
answer at all and continued to peer out at me with half a mask.  I told
here that she needn't be afraid, that she was in a safe place now, but
still she didn't budge.  This was not going to be easy.  I started my
way towards Phoenix, but she moved further behind the post.
 
I dare not risk making my way towards her any further.  The Bridge was
the place between the Afterworld and the Hoomin world, and one needed to
be very careful not to end up where one shouldn't be.  Having to pluck
someone back to the Afterworld from the Hoomin world is one chore that
the Boss is not fond of doing.  One could even temporarily lose their
wings.
 
So here we were, Cloud Dancer and I in the Afterworld and Phoenix stuck
on the Bridge, afraid to come across.  Once in a while she would peer out
from behind the post, but that is as far as she got.  I called to her in
my most gentle voice, but she would have none of it.  She would not budge.
 
I found out later that Phoenix had spent much of her life in a bad way
back in the Hoomin world.  Emilie had rescued her from some very bad
conditions - conditions that no kit should ever have to endure.  And even
when Emilie got her home, she never trusted the other fuzzies, or even
trusted that she would have food and water.  When food was put out for
her, Phoenix would just eat and eat as if she would never see food again.
It made me angry to think how badly hoomins sometimes treated fuzzies.
Thankfully, the hoomins who do these things never make it anywhere near
the Bridge.  The Boss sees to that.
 
Cloud Dancer stepped out from behind me and put his front paw on the edge
of the Bridge.  Oh, this was not a good thing to do.  I told him that
this was a very unwise thing he was doing, but he kept making his way
towards the post which was hiding Phoenix.  He stopped only briefly to
look back at me with those soulful eyes, as if to let me know what he
was doing, and then continued towards her.
 
Cloud Dancer disappeared behind the bridge post along with Phoenix.  For
awhile, I couldn't see either one of them, although I heard them talking
softly to each other.  I knew that Phoenix would be alright because she
hadn't crossed over yet, but I wasn't so sure about Cloud Dancer.  He had
already made his way to the Afterworld, and I wasn't sure what might
happen to him if he crossed too far back over the Bridge.
 
But my fears were unfounded.  Cloud Dancer and Phoenix walked out from
behind the bridge post and headed back towards the Afterworld.  In all
my years, I had never seen a fuzzy so self-assured as Cloud Dancer,
gracefully escorting Phoenix to her rightful place.  It was a beautiful
thing to watch, although I can't say that it didn't leave me all jittery
inside.  Just a few more steps, and all was well -- both were back on
their proper side of the Bridge.  As always, the Boss must have watched
over their steps as he watches over all reckless fuzzies.  I really
should have known...
 
Phoenix was no longer skittish, and I welcomed her to her new home.
Phoenix, who had never gotten along very well with other fuzzies in the
Hoomin world, had taken quite fondly to Cloud Dancer; no doubt to his
credit that she finally understood and accepted her own crossing.  For
all her troubles in the Hoomin world, she would indeed rise from her
ashes, as her name implied.  I thanked Cloud Dancer for his kindness and
his bravery, but he politely wanted none of my thanks -- all he wanted
was to get settled in and get to the business of teaching Phoenix how to
dance.  For the first time in her life, Phoenix was no longer at odds
with making the acquaintance of another fuzzy.  I knew that the clouds
here in the Afterworld would soon welcome their dance.
 
Sandee
[Posted in FML issue 5140]