Muldoone's alarm clock went off waking him from a sound sleep. Not wanting to get out of his hammy, but knowing if he didn't he would be in trouble with Nanna and no ferret in his right mind wanted to ever be in trouble with Nanna; she was one rather L A R G E ferret with a temper. Indulging in another long delicious stretch, Mully climbed out of his hammy, made his way to his "necessary corner" and began to get himself ready to head to the Bridge to greet the new ferret due to arrive. Mully felt the pain of the one on earth who was leaving her body behind and embarking on a new journey. For the wee-one, she was leaving a sickly body and making her way to a better place; a place free of all pain and illness but sadly it was also to a place that would separate her from those she loved so much. Frisky felt the warmth and love in the Ferret Promise Song being sung for her by SodaFerret. The sad sweet melody of the Ferret Promise song seemed to swirl all around her and she felt she was being cradled in love and protection. She heard a beautiful soft voice whisper to her "Come home wee-one we are waiting for you." The melody was now awash in her heart and she no longer feared letting go. Her thoughts were centered on those she loved most and her heart whispered a message to her familee, I be sorry but I no can stay, pwease forgives me." In the bright sky over the Rainbow Bridge the Ferret Promise Song filled the air with its bittersweet refrain. Muldoone had heard the melody many many times but it still caused him pangs in his heart missing his own familee back on earth. The song sang of hope and promise, of sorrow and loss, all tied together in the cycle of life. It sang of pain fading away, of limbs being made strong again, and eyes once more clear and bright, it told of the sorrow of passing and the joy waiting in the promise. At the moment of each ferret's passing the Creator gently took each one into His thundering velvet right hand and whispered to their hearts "I knew you before you were ever a ferret, I knew you while you were on earth, and now you have returned to Me. Rest now wee-one, you are home, come and start your new journey that begins at the Bridge." The flash of light subsided and then Mully heard the unmistakable sound of ferrety feets coming across the time-worn planks of the Rainbow Bridge; the Moonbeam Molly Express having delivered another ferret whose time on earth had been cut short. Watching the newcomer taking cautious steps coming across the Bridge, Muldoone recognized the uncertainties the newcomer must be feeling. So many ferrets arrived at the Bridge afraid, sad to be away from their familees, even a few had arrived and were angry about coming to the Bridge, and they felt they had not had nearly enough time on earth with their hoomans. Stepping out to greet the her "Hello, I be Mr. Muldoone, officialist Wainbow Bwidge Gweeter" he told the little girl ferret, "welcomes to the Bwidge. Your name be Fwisky?" Mully asked her. For a long time Frisky said nothing, she just stared at all the new sights before her. "Hey kid, you be okay?" Muldoone asked her. "You knos where you be? You be at da Wainbow Bwidge, you not bees sick no mores" Mully explained to her. "Yes I knos where I be" the little ferret told Muldoone "my mommy says dat I has a fwiend here and I sees her when I gets here." "Dat be right, yur mom sends a messagus dat your fwiend Cwamity bees here so we finds her for you" Mully told her. A loud commotion was heard from behind and a furry streak went blazing past Muldoone nearly knocking him off his feet in the process. The two ferrets were laughing and kissing, arms and legs so entangled you couldn't tell where one started and the other one ended. It was clear these two ferrets loved one another and were overjoyed to be reunited. Finally the moment of the great reunion was spent and the two ferrets helped one another up. "Misser Muldoone, may I shows Fwisky awound at da Bwidge? Pwease? We misses each odder very much and we has a wott to talks about" Calamity stated. "I guesses it bees okay" Mully told her. "It bees my job to shows fewets awound but you gots a fwiend to shows you everting and I can goes and catches up on my sweep." Off the two ferrets went paw-in-paw, stopping every little bit to give one another tender loving kisses all about their faces. Frisky was mesmerized by of the beauty of the Rainbow Bridge and she was astonished at how good she felt. She felt so young all over again; no aches or pains, eyes sharp and clear, she had the energy of a kit. Stopping in a beautiful meadow, Calamity told Frisky she had a special place she was taking her to and something she wanted to show her. "Fwisky, I goin to shows you how to peeks in on our mommy. SodaFewet shows me how and he shows me how to sneaks back when da mommy be sweeping and gives her whiskery kisses." "We can goes back home?" Frisky asked excitedly. "Well not zactly" Calamity told her "but we can peeks in on does we wove and we sneaks back when dey be asweep but we not goes back to stays." Arriving at the edge of the Rainbow, Calamity showed Frisky how to climb up the rings of color to reach the top. Looking around all Frisky saw was sky and the villages that made up the Rainbow Bridge. "Cawamity, I no sees our mommy" Frisky told her friend. "Dooes it dis way" Clamity told her as she reached to take the paw of her best friend, "cwosses yur eyes and tink about da mommy, sees her in yur heart firstist and den you sees her in your soul." Closing her eyes tight, more than anything Frisky wanted to see their mom and then finally a picture began to take form. She could see their mom, she could see the day their mom brought them home. Days sped by, days of love and laughter, days not so fun when her best friend Calamity got sick, and many days of tears by the mom when Calamity left for the Bridge. Frisky watched herself with their mom, the mommy trying so hard to make her happy after her best friend went away but her little was broken and she felt lost. Such a battle the little girl ferret faught inside, she loved her mom but she longed to snuggle with her sister and finally the day came when her heart broke completely and she could no longer bear the pain of being without her best friend. She made the decision to embark on a journey that would take her to the Rainbow Bridge to find Calamity once again. Both watched the mom now as the tears flowed freely; tears for Frisky, tears for Calamity, tears for the loss of both ferrets, tears as she looked at pictures of the two of them. "Mommy, pwease no cwy, I hads to come, I misted Cawamity. I woved you too mommy, but I need to be wiff my my sistur. And mommy tank you for woving us, tank you for everyting" Frisky said to the imagine in her soul. "Mommy, I pwomise I takes gud care of Fwisky" Calamity stated "she not bees awone anymores. We woves you mommy and we waits for you. Mommy we want to be back togedder. We sworry we made you sads, we sworry we mades you cwy. You takes care of us and now we waits for you" Calamity whispered to her mom. Both ferrets lifted their hearts and their eyes to the heavens and said a prayer for their mom to be watched over until the day came they would all be reunited. ~~Muldoone~~ Caring for your ferrets at the Rainbow Bridge. http://mrmuldoone.bravehost.com/index.html [Posted in FML issue 5147]