Greetings for Dark Angel

The weather had turned a little cool for September at the Bridge, and
No. 421 was gathering up the last of his garden. This gardening stuff
was hot work, and he was thinking about a glass of iced ferretone tea
when Oliver came trotting up the path.

"Hello there," Oliver shouted. "What cha' doin'?" he said. "I has a
new ticket here and I am on my way to the Meadow of Dreams to see if
I can find this fuzzys family."

No. 421 took the ticket. "Oh yes, I know who they are, they are in the
castle mound down by the steam," No. 421 said. "They would have nothing
less for Queen Victoria and Lady Dana. I think Jonny Cage, Grandpa
Raiden, and great grandpa Lui Kang are also there. They is Royalty,
so mind your manners, and they sort of keep to themselves."

No. 421 looked again at the ticket. "Dark Angel is coming, well, you go
alert the family and I will shower and meet you at the bridge," No. 421
said.

Oliver took a handful of raisins that No 421 had just picked and
trotted off to do his duty. No. 421 watched him go. "That boy, he is
always hungry," No. 421 said. "Seems like I just can't fill him up."

No. 421 was just slicking his hair down when he heard a coach rattling
up the hill. Six big rats, all matched in color, were pulling a gold
and purple coach up to the bridge. As the coach rumbled past, Oliver
was hanging on the back for dear life. He waved to No. 421 as they
disappeared in a mist of cloud dust.

No. 421 had to trot up to the bridge and arrived just as Lady Dana was
being helped down from the coach. The little welcoming party was
standing by the bridge when they noticed a small figure standing on
the other side.

No. 421 was in his chair and waved to the new comer. "Hello, would you
be Dark Angel," No. 421 said.

"Yes I am," the little girl ferret said. "Where am I? I was not feeling
very good and I was waiting for my Mom to hold me. I knew I'd feel
better if I was with her. I went to sleep in her arms, warm and safe,
and then I woke up here. Where am I?"

"You are at the Rainbow Bridge," No. 421 said. "Here you will feel good
every day, and we have some family members for you to meet."

Dark Angel was about to cry when she saw a big ferret looking at her.
"Dad, is that you?" she said. "Oh Dad, I've missed you so. And Grandma
and grandpa, oh great grandpa and Lady Dana, oh how I've missed you
all."

The ferrets dooked and dooked and hugged each other. Dark Angel went
over to No. 421 and thanked him for finding her family.

"Well, the thanks goes to Oliver," No. 421 said. "Oliver? Oliver, where
are you?"

Oliver was nowhere to be seen. No. 421 was looking around the area when
he saw a big puffball. It seemed to be sitting on a stump. It was gray
in color and, was that a tail? No. 421 looked again.

"Oliver, what are you doing in that "get-up" No. 421 said? "Come over
here and meet Dark Angel."

The puffball got up and began to shake. Cloud dust flew everywhere. "Do
you know how dusty it is riding on the back of the carriage?" Oliver
said. "Dook, what a ride."

Dark Angel walked over to Oliver and took his dusty paw. "Thank you for
finding my family for me," she said. "Please send a message to my Mom
that I arrived safely and found my family. I'll wait here for her till
she comes and keep grandma and grandpa company." Then, without warning,
she stood on her tiptoes and kissed Oliver on the cheek.

Oliver was glad he was dusty so she would not see him blush.

The happy family boarded the coach, and the team turned the coach
around and dashed off into the clouds. Oliver and No. 421 watched
it go.

"That's what makes the misty trail of dust you sometimes see around the
edges of the big puffy clouds," No. 421 said. "It is the Royal Coach
out for a ride. The dust kicked up by the team leaves a trail of white
in the sky. I always wondered why that happened, now I know."

Oliver was still in a state of shock; he had never been kissed before.

No. 421 took him by the paw, and the two friends went back to No. 421's
cabin where No. 421 put Oliver in the shower and the pot on to boil. He
was sure Oliver would want dinner.

While the raisin soup simmered, he wrote in his logbook, Mission
accomplished, Dark Angel is going to the castle with her family, her
Mom Debi, when she sees a misty trail in the sky by the big puffy
clouds, will know her fur family is well and just out for a ride.

He placed the book back on the shelf, turned down the guest room bed,
and set the table for supper.

[Posted in FML 6451]