CLOSED (WINNERS ANNOUNCED): UR HOLLY DOG GIVEAWAY!

[Begs]

Holly's beginning story 1 ( i'm only doing the first one the rest are to my self)

It was a late at night when a a storm started to roll in. Holly was only a pup at the time but she understood that this was no ordinary thunder storm. In fact it was only the beginning of holly's new life.

Lightning struck down hitting everything in it's path fires began to form all over holly's kingdom. The king and queen which were holly's parents were no where to be found during this devastating time. Holly cried out for her parents

" Mom! Dad! where are you!?" Holly cried.

The only thing that answered back where screams of her people and the echos of her cries. Holly sat there tears running down her cheeks, she stared out the window into the distance hoping her parents were safe where ever they are. Holly's ear twitched to a strange cracking nose. She turned around and saw a man who had the biggest grin on his face. The man was wearing a dark red cape, he must be a demon holly said to her self. Demons are animals who work a deal out with the devil so they can have longer lives but, when they do they do the devils biding.

"what are you doing here and I demand you to tell me where my parents are." Holly stood up bravely speaking to him while staring into his eyes.

"ha ha, you think I answer to you? well I don't plus your parents are dead." The demon said with a smile to his face.

"liar!!!" Holly screamed.

Holly heard the cracking sound again, the demon looked up. Holly tilted her head but just then she heard a snap. Holly looked up to a beam falling towards her but she couldn't move she was frozen in her thoughts.

Everything went black and the screams and yells of her people began to fade into darkness but the crackling laughs of the demon still rang inside her head. Holly blinked her eyes, she had awoken to the sound of silence, there were no more screams or yelling even the laughs had disappeared. Holly stood up stretching her back and legs. Had everything been a dream? Holly asked her self. She looked out her window, no it had not been a dream the fires had went down but the burnt smell of wood, fabrics, and even lost lives had filled the air. Holly had remember what the demon had said, she rushed down the stairs of her castle and out the front doors.

"MOM! DAD!where are you!? Holly screamed.

"I'm sorry my dear but the demon,:hesitation: got to them." Lela the baker had painfully said.

Holly looked to her right she saw her parents laying there she walked up to them. she stood over their bodies, people began to crowed around. Questions like what are we going to do, who did this, will we get them back? floated around the crowd in whispering voices. Holly looked at her parents though no tears fell down you could see the darkness,the grief, the hatred to who did this in her bright red eyes.

"There is no need for panic, I will now be your ruler and I will revenge my parents deaths even if it cost my own." holly stood in front of everyone and said.

Hoots,hollers, and cheers grew threw out the crowd. People cheered for holly and how brave she was for only being 13 but brave enough to stand there even after her parents deaths and still stand proud and high. Holly gave everyone a assignment to do before she left her kingdom to find the demon who had did this. Holly set off for her new adventure. Holly reached the under world door, she stood staring at it memories of her past began to flow back into her head. Hate grew more inside her, her eyes glowed red with hate and the blood of her enemy. She put her paw up to the door and it swung open.

"Hey there little pup wacha ya doing all the way out here?" a green demon asked holly.

Holly stood up her red eyes glowing and her white fur blowing in the wind. Even for a puppy holly looked older for her age.

" I'm here for the one who attacked the Howl castle. They will suffer and I will make sure of it with my own Paws."Holly said with anger.

The green demon looked up into holly's eyes. A Feared look shot into his eyes.

"It's you.... I-I- I can't believe it please please don't hurt me I'll do anything just please."

Once holly was inside she headed towards where the green demon had told her where the red demon lived. Holly placed her paw on the red door but then her head started to spin she got dizzy and fell to the ground.

"where am I?" Holly asked.

"My dear please don't be frighten i'm a angel.I'm here to give you your full power." The angel had said.

With that the angel said a sentence and holly's powers began to open up. A Bright white light shined from holly as her transformation began to show. Holly stood up and stretched out her wings. They where green with red just like Holly. Holly could feel a serge of power running threw her and she new the stories were true but she never thought she was the savor.

"My dear you know who and what you are. You must save us all form the darkness." The angel had said as she faded away.

Holly returned to where she was before the angel had appeared. Holly placed her paws on the door and slammed it open the red demon swung his head around. His eyes grew with confusion and some fear.

"Savor? what how?!" The red demon questioned.

"I owe you great pain for what you did to my castle, my people, my family." Holly stood tall and spoke loudly.

"It was you?! I'm sorry I was only doing what the devil had told me please don't hurt me." The red demon had begged.

Holly closed her eyes and wind began to flow around the room. Holly was using ancient spell called the swift change this was a powerful spell but holly was only 1 out of 4 people who could do it. The red demon screamed in pained he clawed the floor and tried to stand but the pain was to much.

Holly looked down at a pile of ashes, no he was not dead he was sent to the angel relm where he will be reduced from his since and given a second chance. Holly knew she had to go after the devil now.

To be continued..........

By: ELLYBELLY2013

[hannur]

marking!

[Black Clover]

One snowy December night, within a cave a sheewolf was giving birth to a littler of 4 pups, right away it was obvious who would be the alpha among them. The largest male pup had a slate colored coat, with a small tip of white on the tip of his nose. The second largest pup has a deep rich chocolate brown coat its a white cheek mask and a white throat, he was a wiggly little guy. The second to last pup just so happened to be another male with a generic dark grey coat hints or tans and creams along with white and silver clearly visible. Now the last pup was an odd one, the only sheewolf and had a coat as white and as pure as untouched snow, almost. On her back were clearly visible two green sprouts. As the pups grew so did the small sprouts on her back, she was excluded for hunting and other activities her pack did, not because she was different but because she gave them away, year round she had the holly leaves but when it started to get cold the holly berries themselves started to grow.
On this particularly lonely quite night she was on a walk around the lake and cliff edge on her packs territory unaware of the hunter watching her. As she walked on a sharp pain came on in her right back flank her body quickly going numb.
When the sheewolf awake she was in a stainless steel room, a muzzel on her own, while put on a collar with a chain. Being the wild animal she is as you could imagine the sheewolf panicked. a shock was sent through her body, the whole world going black once again. This time upon awakening, all she could see where the shadows of humans standing over her limp body and the bright lights beyond them. The she wold was paralyzed, unable to move, unable to escape, the humans poked and prodded at her, clearly confused by the holly that was growing out of her back. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she lashed out breaking the constraints that held her down. In fear and out of panic the scientist fled the room. Crashing through the door the sheewolf bolted down the hall looking for a spot of sunlight and the outside world, she saw a door open and close as someone came in, the sent of the outside world coming in with them, heading for the door. The screams from the humans in the building filled the halls and the room, crashing into the door with her shoulder he broke through and broke free...” Papa coughed and sat back in his chair sighing, me and Margret looked up at him,” What happened to the holly wolf Papa?” I squeaked out. Smiling down at us he opened his mouth and whispered,” She disappeared off into the forest that was beyond the lab and hasn’t been seen since, people have called to see her wondering in the lonely cold December nights and her howls can be heard but it’s never been confirmed.” Papa closed his eyes starting to doze off in his rocking chair while me and margret ran off giggling and howling.

The
End

[RainbowCharizard]

❦❧ The sun’s cold rays dance upon the surface of a gurgling creek. A light breeze chills the swaying reeds. Hidden, out of sight, a small cavity in the side of the riverbank gives shelter to a mother wolf and her pups.
The Mother, her fur grey and silky, pokes her head out of the den to feel the icy snapping of the wind at her delicate nose.
“It’s getting colder,” she remarks upon reentering the den. Of course, the pups were too young to hear her. Their ears and eyes were still closed off to the outside world. They can do little but whimper feebly. The Mother regards them with a tender gaze and curls up beside them, shielding them from the cold that frolicked at the entrance and seeped up through the ground. Before drifting into her slumber, she counts the pups: one, two, three, four… all with dark grey fur. And then there was the fifth pup, with his white coat, which practically glowed in contrast with the dark backdrop of the den.
By the time the pups are old enough to walk, a thick blanket of snow cloaks the ground as far as the eye can see.
“Take us on an adventure, Mother!” the pups chitter excitedly, as this is their first time out of the confines of the den. They recount the stories that Mother had told them: “Take us to see the cunning river that sleeps beneath its cold and shiny casings, the immortal bush whose verdant leaves and crimson berries brave the snow, the old grey bird with the melancholy song, or the tall and solemn stones that have seen all that has been and all that will be!”
“We will see all that and much more, very soon!” the Mother promises with a soft chuckle. “However, you must follow me, and stay near! For many dangers lurk in these woods…”
The pups jubilantly agree not to wander out of sight. They cross the motionless river in its tranquil hibernation, slipping and sliding with glee across its ice-coated surface. They examine the holly bush, whose colorful leaves and berries stand in defiance to the white landscape. They pass the old dead tree, their noise awakening the old owl who answers them with its eerie hymns. They observe the mountains, those vague black spears in the distance which throw themselves onto the eyes, jutting out from the otherwise white landscape.
When they return to the den, the Mother counts her pups. One, two, three, four… But where is the fifth? The Mother looks out desperately across the white landscape, but quickly realizes the futility in doing so. The fifth pup’s white coat would render it invisible in the present surroundings. She leaves the grey pups at the den entrance and trots several feet away, deciding to rely on her nose for information. But she only inhales the cold and unforgiving breath of the wind, not the sweet and familiar scent of her missing child.
She lets out a whine of frustration as she trots back to her remaining children. She cannot leave them at the mercy of the elements or worse, opportunistic predators. She will have to search tomorrow with the remaining pups at her side.
But not now. The pups trip over their own feet out of exhaustion. They drag themselves into the den and immediately sink into a sweet slumber, still unaware at the disappearance of their brother.

--

❦❧ The white pup, staring at awe at the stately mountains, had lost track of the rest of his family. When he realized he was alone, he yipped tentatively, his cry cutting through the deafening silence. But there was no one around to hear him.
“I must find my mother and siblings… they can’t be that far ahead!” So he wandered around the vast hills of snow… and found himself nowhere. The sky was growing darker, and although Mother had told him the legend of the two warring entities, the golden sun and the silver moon who forever fought for their rights to the sky, the sudden change from light to dark still frightened him. “M-mother must be looking for me by now…” he shuddered.
Strange noises galloped across the snowy hills and into his ears. He wanted nothing more but to hide, but as he looked around he saw nothing but a white featureless expanse, with no signs of a crevice in which to take refuge. The wind kicked at his feet and he ran blindly, the cold air piercing his tender lungs.
He finally hit his head on something hard, and after cowering for a bit he looked up and saw a familiar landmark—the dead tree in which the owl lived. The owl, of course, was not present, for Mother had told him that the owl went about his errands at night. The owl left in his wake a large gaping hole near the top of the tree.
“If only I could fly like the owl…” whispered the pup, gazing longingly at the hole. But he couldn’t, so he had to settle for curling up at the base of the tree. Beginning to fall asleep, he pondered whether or not the owl would try to eat him upon its return. Mother always said that owls eat small creatures, like mice. But the pup had never seen a mouse before. Was he himself any larger than a mouse…? Mother’s descriptions were always very vague and dreamlike…
The pup awoke with a start to the sensation of something flying just above him. The owl was entering his hollow just as the first sunbeams began to stretch out over the horizon.
“Perhaps the owl can tell me where the river is. I remember my home being near the river…” contemplated the pup quietly to himself. “Regardless, it is a bit of a risk… he might try to eat me.”
Finally, the pup cried out: “Owl, owl, will you tell me where the river is?”
The owl poked his head out of the hollow. The owl did not look at the wolf pup; in fact, the owl could not even see the pup, for his white coat blended in perfectly with the snow. “Who said that?” came the owl’s raspy reply.
The pup thought fast.
“I am the spirit of the winds from a faraway land,” said the pup, imitating the grandiose and imaginative stories Mother always told. “I have travelled far and wide, and I merely wish to rest at the banks of a river…”
The owl looked around suspiciously, swiveling his head around every which way, but he could not see the source of the sound. “I must be hearing things…” he grumbled. “But very well. The river may be found south of this tree. It is not very far from here; if you fly at a brisk pace, you should be there before sundown.”
“My deepest gratitude,” replied the pup.
The owl stuck his face back in, and the pup began to run down to the river. Soon, he found himself sliding across its icy surface. But the den was still nowhere to be found.
The pup looked around, and something in the river caught his eye. In the reflective surface of the river, something moved. It was another wolf pup, a white one. It seemed to follow him. When he moved his paws, the river-pup moved its paws.
“Ah! Ah… that is me!” he cried after a while. “But how can that be… I look nothing like my siblings… my coat is white, like the winter’s snow…” He sat and thought about this for a while, perplexed. “So the owl could not see me when I spoke…”
He continued to walk down the river, passing by the holly bush.
“If the owl could not see me… then perhaps Mother cannot see me!” he cried. He looked around and spotted the holly bush from before.
“Perhaps this bush, whose leaves and berries defy the white of winter, can help me…”
The pup began to tear leaves and berries from the bush using his teeth, and tied them around himself rather crudely. The clumps of holly appeared almost like little wings on his back. “Now Mother can spot me for certain…”
He continued down the river, coming to a hill. He climbed atop it to get a better view, and what did he see? The den, right there, across the river at the foot of the hill! He looked closer, and saw that his mother and siblings were just returning!
He began to run down the hill, his feet light and free, as though they had forgotten that the entire day had been spent on a long and perilous journey. He could swear that for a moment, he felt as though he was flying, just like the owl. He called out, and his mother and the siblings turned their heads. They saw him immediately, and began running towards him.
“Ah! You found us!” exclaimed Mother. “We were so worried… we’ve been searching for you all day… and look at that! You’re so clever! You even figured out that your white coat would make you hard to see against the snow… Maybe it would be a good idea to wear those holly leaves from now on, so that we never lose you again."

I thank you for the opportunity, and I hope you've enjoyed my story!
font sources | text holly decoration

[Midna]

mark~

[✧ serendipity ✧]

H O P E

Hope is a four letter word with a powerful meaning. Hope is the beam of light in a room filled with darkness. Hope is the feeling we get when we believe that everything will be okay. Hope tells you that you can survive, you can make it through. Hope is a second chance.

Everyone is fighting their own demons, some external, others internal. Our demons are a powerful force, they can weigh us down, and change who we are, but we just have to face them. We need to show them that we are capable of surviving this, and we are going to beat them. When the times comes for us to defeat the bad in ourselves, we come out stronger. Stronger than we've ever been before, strong enough to survive. But you can't fight them without hope.

You see, hope can be many things. It can be a friend, an object, a memory. In Luna's case, it was her only surviving pup in her first litter. Luna was a big, strong, and powerful German Shepherd, with a sleek black coat that glowed under the moonlight. She had given birth to a litter of three pups, two that were as dark and powerful as she was, and the other was delicate, with a snow-white pelt. She didn't have high hopes for the little white runt, after all, the pup appeared a bit sickly compared to the other two.

All of that changed when a big snow storm wiped out the black pups. Luna's desperate attempt to keep the pups warm in the only shelter there was - a holly bush - had failed. Luna's heart shattered, and she was taken aback that the delicate white pup managed to pull through, against all odds. The small, fragile dog gave Luna a flicker of hope, a warmth in her chest. She wouldn't let anyone touch this one, and while it wasn't physically strong, she could tell this one would end up being the strongest of them all. Perhaps that's why Luna gave her this name; Hope. After all, the white pup would be the hope in Luna's crumbling world.

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Hope let out a deep breath, as the quiet gurgling of the creek by the holly bush calmed her. The sound was music to her ears. It brought peace and serenity, after a long day if foraging for food. The days grew shorter and colder, the sun was always hiding away, for it was the winter season. The season where everything was cold, lifeless, and empty. The caribou that would fill the mountains in the summer time had vanished, along with most other prey. Her and her mother had to make do with whatever they could find. Hunger was always gnawing at their bellies.

"Hope!" a small, black male German Shepherd barked. Snapping her head back, Hope perked her ears. "Mother says we're going hunting again, she needs you to go."

"Again, Kodiak? We're going hunting again?" Hope asked her younger brother in disbelief. They had just returned!

"Angel's sick, and mother insists on us to get some food for her. She doesn't think she'll make it through the night," Kodiak trails off, his head hangs low and his tail droops. Angel is Hope's younger sister, born the same time as Kodiak. She was mainly white, like Hope, but very frail. Kodiak and her share a tight bond, she means everything to him.

"Has she gotten worse?" Hope persisted, her heart starting to pound. Kodiak doesn't reply, but simply gives her a look that says it all. "But there's no food anywhere! We've been searching for days!"

"We'll just have to look harder," Kodiak replied determinedly. Hope nodded.

"Alright, let's go."

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Tree, snow, bush, stick, wood, but still no prey... Hope thought. They had been searching for a good while, and still hadn't gotten the slightest whiff of life.

"Any luck?" the white female called to her brother, once he came into view. Kodiak shook his head.

"Nothing," he replied, disappointment thick in his bark. Where did everything go? "Wait," Kodiak yelped, his tail starting to wag. "I smell something alive! We can track it, and bring it home to Angel! Then she'll be better!" He was bouncing from excitement.

"I don't smell any-" Hope's response was cut off my a long, low, bone-chilling howl. Her heart skipped a beat. No, not wolves! Wolves killed father! "Kodiak, don't make a sound. We have to get back to Angel and Mother," she warned. No sooner than she did, fierce growling and frantic barking could be heard in the distance. The siblings looked at each other, with the same horrified expression, and thought the same thing. Mother, and Angel!

Hope didn't wait for her brother to follow. Her paws pounded into the snow, clumsily traveling in the direction of the commotion. Please don't let us be too late, please don't let us be too late! she silently prayed.

It took no time at all for Kodiak's muscular figure to surpass her own, his paws letting him gallop through the snow. She skidded to a halt once she cam upon the horrifying scene. There were three large wolves surrounding her mother, each one taking turns attacking, and Angel was no where to be seen. Her brother didn't hesitate to join the fight, but all Hope could do was stare. The snow around them was red. The sounds of her mother's cries filled her ears, blocking out all sounds, and echoing, repeating themselves over, and over, and over. Her paws were glued to the ground, a whimper hung in her throat. Hope couldn't move, she was paralyzed with fear.

Bark. Teeth. Claws. Thud. More red to dye the snow. Whimpers. Blurs of moving pelts. It was all too fast, it was too much!

Bang! All at once, the fight ended. One of the wolves collapsed, leaving the other two to scamper off, tails in between their legs. Hope blinked a few times, just to be sure her eyes didn't deceive her. Once the wolves left, there was no movement, whatsoever. It can't be true! It just can't! But it was. She trudged over to the remains of the fight, with tears brimming her eyes, and gasped. Two black shepherds lay in the pool of red beneath them, motionless. Hope nudged them a few times, pleading them to wake up because the loves were gone, but it was no use.

Kodiak and her mother were dead.

Hope let out a long, hollow cry of sorrow, pain, fury. Anger boiled in her stomach. All she did was watch! She didn't lend a paw to help them! And because of her, her family was dead. It's all my fault... Hope whined, standing over her family like a guardian angel, when a small, meek sound caught her attention. It wasn't a loud sound, but more like a faint whimper. Angel! Hope swelled in her chest. Could it be? Please, oh please let her be alive! Hope bounded in the direction of the noise, and stopped at a holly bush. It was the same holly bush she was once in, way back when she was just a pup.

Sticking her muzzle inside, she was soon greeted by a warm, fluffy object. Angel! Hope dived into that holly bush, and licked the small body repeatedly.

"You're alright! I can't believe your okay! Thank the heavens!" Hope cried with relief. She brought Angel closer to her, trying to transfer as much heat to the pup as possible. "I'll keep you safe, I won't let any of those wolves touch you," Hope promised. But what if I freeze, just like I did with Kodiak and mother?

The traumatic event replayed in her mind. She let out a whimper. It's my fault, I killed my family... Finally, she could take no more. The dam in her eyes burst, and tears poured down her face, dripping off her muzzle. Hope lost count of the time she spent in that bush with Angel, promising that she wouldn't let any harm come to the pup, but consumed with guilt for letting the wolves take away her family. "I'm sorry," she whispered over and over.

Suddenly, a paw prodded her shoulder. Hope ignored it for a reason she didn't know. It could've been the wolves again, but she didn't bother to look up. The tapping came again, this time followed by a voice.

"Hey, are you okay?" a kind-sounding male voice asked. It took all of her strength to look up. Standing before her, was a large, muscular, black and white Siberian husky.

"Am I okay? Do I look like I'm okay?" Hope snapped. Instantly, she regretted it. This dog didn't know what happened, it wasn't his fault, he had nothing to do with it. But it's your fault... "Sorry," she mumbled. "I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"Do you know the black dogs over there?" the husky persisted.

"They're my..." Hope's voice cracked. "...family," she managed to spit out, her bark filled with pain.

"I'm so sorry. My owner killed one of the wolves, because he doesn't like to see dogs get hurt. I searched for any signs that a dog survived and I found you."

"Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault, it was mine," Hope told him.

"How so?" This dog just wouldn't give up.

"I don't wanna talk about it," she replied stubbornly. "Look, my life is falling apart right now, so I'd like some time alone, thank you very much." The husky chuckled. "What's so funny?!" Hope barked. He was really starting to get on her nerves.

"Nothing," he replied. "But my mother once told me something, and I think it relates to you right now. Your life, isn't falling apart. It's falling into place. Things happen for a reason, and you may not see it yet, but you will in the future. Trust me, things will get better, I promise."

"Why should I trust you? We just met!" Hope growled.

"Why don't you come back to my house, with my owner and I. He's really nice, and would surely take you in! There's plenty of food, water, and warmth! Best of all, there's no wolves! He also knows how to take care of that pup in your paws," the husky offered.

"He can help Angel get better?" Hope asked excitedly. She may just be able to keep her promise to Angel after all!

"Of course! My names Shasta, but the way!" Shasta wagged his tail, giving her a goofy grin.

"Hope," she replied. "So where is your home?"

"Come on, I'll show you!" Shasta bounded through the snow, leading Hope and Angel to a sturdy man. The man gently reached for Angel, and Hope was reluctant to let him take her, but Shasta convinced her it was alright.

Eventually, they came to a stop at a log cabin, where Shasta led them inside, and for once in her life, Hope thought that things could get better, and everything would work out.

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Hope grinned as she watched Angel play with her pups. It had been a year since Shasta took them in, and she was ever so thankful. Angel was much better, she was just as strong as any other dog, and had twice the energy! Shasta and Hope became mates, and had a litter of two pups, Faith, and Kodiak, named after her brother. Both of them were very promising, rambunctious pups, taking after Shasta of course.

"I think I need to go outside for a moment," Hope announced. Shasta nodded.

"You know where to go," he said, his head pointing in the direction of the doggy door.

Hope stepped outside, instantly greeted with the winter chill. She inhaled the sweet smell of her surroundings. This is home... She carelessly padded through the mountains, going wherever her paws took her. A familiar sound caught her attention, a sound she hadn't heard in a very long time. It was the creek! The creek by the holly bush, the creek that had always given her comfort!

She bounded in that direction, and came to realize that it was exactly the same, except for one thing. The holly bush was missing. Curious, Hope headed closer to the water, where the holly bush should've been. It had simply vanished without a trace! Sniffing around to try and find it, Hope caught scent of something she never thought she would've again. Is it even possible? Could it really be? A warm bark sounded from behind her. Hope whipped her head around, her eyes gleaming with happiness.

"Mother! Kodiak! Is it really you?" she asked in disbelief. Bright as day, her mother and brother were standing a few feet behind her, their sleek pelts radiating in the winter light. Hope bounded over to greet them. "I thought you died!" she whimpered, pressing her muzzle into her mother's. Hope yelped in surprise when she couldn't feel anything. Her mother was smiling, in pride and sadness. "So you did die," she whispered, disappointed.

"Hope, it's okay," her mother responded, her voice filled with warmth. "I'm so proud of you." Hope tilted her head.

"Why?" she asked, confused.

"You haven't noticed yet?" Kodiak chuckled.

"Noticed what?"

"Go look at your reflection, silly!" her brother teased. Hope obeyed, heading back to the creek to see what they were talking about. She looked perfectly normal, except for one thing.

"I have wings?!" Hope gasped. "Can I use them to fly?" followed the first question. Luna giggled.

"You haven't lost your spirit," she smiled. "Those wings you cannot use to fly, unfortunately. You've had them ever since the day we died."

"Then how come no one's ever noticed? Don't you think it's a bit strange to see a dog with holly wings?" Hope replied.

"Honey, it doesn't work like that. Only you can see these wings."

"Why?"

"Well, you see, every dog gets their wings eventually. A dog's wings are based on a specific object in their life that was important. Yours are holly wings, from that holly bush. A dog gets their wings from going through their hardest time in their life, and surviving. Your wings are a symbol that you are a warrior, a fighter, a survivor. They will symbolize that you can get through anything. You will be okay in the end. Remember what Shasta told you; "Your life isn't falling apart, it's falling into place." Remember these words when you feel like giving up, because no matter what, you'll come out stronger than before. As long, as you have hope."


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Oh shoot this was a lot longer than I anticipated. Good luck to everyone! This was so fun to write!

[Azphen]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Little Miracle

A small pup hid in the witch’s cauldron, pressed up against the side and out of view, listening to the brewing of potions and click-clacking of glass. Suddenly, there were footsteps and a bright green liquid started pouring out of a bottle into the cauldron. The pup pressed herself against the wall further, gazing at the glowing fluid almost touching her tiny paws. Then, the snow-white pup looked up to see a wrinkled hand deposit three fluorescent red berries dropped into the pool of green, causing it to bubble and continue rising. Her ears and tail lowered in fear.

The witch seemed to back away and let the concoction simmer, leaving the fear-stricken pup alone. She had never meant to get trapped like this- her only intent was to explore an old house, maybe find some food, meet a nice human- but instead she stumbled upon a scary woman and ran to hide inside what had looked like, in a puppy’s eyes, a safe, warm place to hide.
As soon as the bubbling mixture wet the tips of her paws, the little pup let out a horrified yelp and attempted to leap out of the cauldron only to hit her head and fall backwards into the mysterious goop, slowly fading in and out of consciousness until the darkness took over.



There was a bright light, causing the pup to yelp and shield her eyes. It was the early morning sun, its shine intense on the . Had she been thrown out of the house? At the thought, a sharp pain cut through her head and shoulders. Perhaps that thought was accurate, then- it seemed like it had been a couple hours since she went into that strange lady’s home. She attempted to get off the paved stone sidewalk, but the agony was too great. Practically belly-flopping on the snow-sprinkled ground, the little dog turned her tiny throbbing head to examine the wound on her shoulders.

The discovery was quite anticlimactic. There were small green leaves on her shoulders, with what seemed to be blood dotting the bottom. Tilting her head, she shook her body gently as to remove the leaves, but not recreate the horrible agony she had experiences only moments ago. They only swayed, sticking straight up. The blood, now viewed from a different angle, looked like tiny red… berries? She shook her back again and after a second failure of not removing the leaves, she bit at them.

Big mistake.

She howled in pain and immediately began to cleanse the new wound with her tongue, a way of accepting that these… things were now somehow a part of her.

In youthful curiosity, she then attempted to move them by simply thinking- almost as if she were moving her tail or ears.

The leaves twitched. She tried again.

The leaves twitched another time. She tried once more.

The leaves spread out as much as they could in their small size, quite similar to a bird preparing to soar.

Now this was interesting. So very interesting to the little puppy, in fact, that the bases of her obnoxiously floppy ears, which would soon begin to perk up with age, lifted a bit.

These looked like wings. They must’ve been wings. Besides, what else would they be? The main parts of each wing looked familiar, too, like something she might’ve seen on a house covered in green leafy bushes and bright, shiny berries with every color of the rainbow around a tree near a fireplace.

Holly, she remembered. These wings looked like the famous holly, from the Holly and the Ivy song she loved listening to at that cute little people-restaurant down the block! Her tail wagged in happy remembrance, but then another question prodded at her mind.
Why was holly attached to her body?

It was an easy question, really. The three red dots in the cauldron, that sticky, glowing green fluid along with the holly wings that coincidentally had three red berries and bright green leaves was enough to get the gears in her head turning and connect the dots. The strange wings were a result of her falling backwards into what the witch had been brewing after hitting her head in a failed escape attempt. She couldn’t decide how to react to the strange surprise on her shoulders, but her breathing was still a bit ragged from her recent pain and shock.

She proceeded to trot down the sidewalk over to a shaded street corner with potted young maple saplings set along the edge, their leaves overhanging part of the road. The puppy then promptly sat down in her favorite spot near the base of the smallest sapling and huffed through her nose, successfully calming herself down. Glancing over to the familiar people-restaurant across the street, she gently flapped her wings, content. Finally, after the sun rose farther up in the sky, she dozed off.



The little dog had slept through the busy hours of the town, waking up to the sound of a familiar child’s voice calling from afar.

“Look, Stan! It’s that puppy from the restaurant again,” a faint gasp, “and someone put cute little wings on her!” the young girl’s footsteps echoed across the sidewalk, followed by slightly heavier ones not far behind. She drowsily lifted her head and happily wagged her tail thump, thump, thump against the tree. Once the two children reached her, they lovingly ran their fingers through her fur as their father struggled to keep track of them.

“See? I told you Holly was a fitting name for her! Someone agreed so much that they put wings on her!” the girl smugly exclaimed to the brother, Stan, before flipping her wavy light brown hair for added effect.

Quirking an eyebrow in response, the black-haired boy looked down at Holly. After a moment, he experimentally tugged a wing only to get a yelp of pain and witness the wings folding in on themselves. Both of the young humans gasped in pleased surprise.

“Woah,” he began, “Katie… I think those are real.” Stan apologetically pet Holly’s head. “Sorry, girl. I didn’t mean to hurt ya.”
Katie, the sister, stroked the puppy’s cheek and softly murmured, “Daddy told us to that we could finally adopt you. You’re the most special doggy in the world, and Mama said that once we found you, you could come home with us.”

Stan nodded, and leaned in to look in Holly’s beautiful ruby-amber eyes, which were now shining with delight. “We know this is your favorite spot, and you shouldn’t have to be a stray, especially during the holidays. You’re gonna be our Christmas p-” he was cut off by happy yipping from Holly, who was hopping all over the two siblings and peppering their faces with puppy kisses.

The green collar being carefully put on her neck and running home with them was a complete blur- even a week later on Christmas day, while she lay by the fireplace, that memory drew a blank besides for the sound of gleeful laughing and cold air whipping onto the their faces as they sprinted towards Holly’s new home. The entire family took a while to accept the fact that they indeed had a dog with wings in their house, but as soon as Katie called it a christmas miracle and Stan said it was because Holly had hung around that restaurant so much, even the parents spent hours just admiring the pup’s beautiful wings that continued to grow as she did.

Holly was one of a kind, that was no doubt. Maybe it was a Christmas miracle, maybe the witch’s brew caused the wings to appear. Maybe that restaurant really did have something to do with it. Regardless of the reason, a certain family’s holiday season was made significantly brighter on that fateful day when those two kids walked through the front door, a new member of the family right by their side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey there! Sorry for the lengthy story, I always get carried away, heh. ^^;
Regardless, thank you so much for this chance to win some adorable pets, and a unique prompt so I could try and sharpen my rusty writing skills! I won't go on much longer, since you've already put up with enough of what I've had to say.
I really hope you enjoyed it- I spent a lot of hours brainstorming, writing, editing, and doing everything I possibly could to make this lil' short story the best it could be. Thanks again, and I hope you had a wonderful holiday season <3

Good luck to everyone else entering! I've read some of the stories, and they're wonderful! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

[AuraDragoness]

The Survivor

The tiaga village of Mavi was a festive place during the holidays as residents decorated their homes, streets, and a giant pine tree within the center of the village.

But, even though it never snowed in the winter it never stopped them from enjoying the festivities that came with it.

When snow finally did come the village was overjoyed about it, spending many days enjoying the white fluffy landscape they'd only ever seen at the top of a nearby mountain...

...their joy didn't last very long.

The light snowfalls soon became blizzards that froze everything and everyone in their path as they piled snow in front of houses and decimated crops.

A phoenix had set out to help the village but he had arrived too late, the blizzards had wiped the population of thirty individuals...to zero.

As he turned to leave the fire bird heard whimpers to his left and walked towards the sound, finding that a single grey dog was shivering as she curled around a small, white body within a tangle of dead branches and holly.

He made his way over to the she-wolf, the flames flickering around his body warming her enough to where she opened her eyes, revealing that they were cloudy and glazed.

"Protect my son..." she said before closing them again, body falling still as the cold weather caught up to her.

With silent remorse for the mother the phoenix bent down and grabbed the pup in question by the scruff, taking notice of the little leaves that grew from his shoulders.

Much like the bed the child had been born in the small leaves grew to be beautiful wings of holly that matched his resilience to the storms that had wiped out those in his village.

From that day forward the phoenix traveled the land with his adopted son to various towns and villages in order to help them during the winter.

The End

[ScaryFoxChild]

How the Holly Dog got the holly wings.

"Huh?" Sammie awoke to the sound of something falling on the hard wood floors of her quiet home. She was frightened, but got up out of bed to investigate, and had the strength to open her bedroom door. Sammie slowly tip-toed, her small body making the the old wood creak. She peeped around the narrow corner, only to be met with the warm light of her Christmas tree. Sammie approached the tree, eased that there wasn't a spooky monster out to get her. As she walked closer, Sammie, devastated, saw her favorite Christmas tree ornament broken. A cute little white dog with reddish eyes. She rushed to her room, grabbing some stuff on the way. She frantically glued the ornament together, but she quickly noticed that something was missing. As she stared in the mirror of the desk that she was working on, she saw the holly attached to a bobby pin that she had on her desk. "Perfect!!!" she whispered joyfully. Sammie carelessly snipped off the holly attachment and glued it onto the back of the ornament. "I'm gonna call it... Holly Dog!". Feeling satisfied, Sammie placed the now better ornament on her tree. She smiled at the ornament, and to this day, Sammie could've sworn it smiled back.

[kee;]

They always say that everyone gets their wings eventually. So, of course, everyone believed it. After all, that’s what they were told from the start. That’s what they said, what they would have them believe. What they didn’t tell them, was that not everyone does.
The deception isn’t all that difficult, seeing as those who fall short of their wings are removed from society, and with it the minds of those who still occupy it. Ask anyone about one of those who disappeared. It’s a guarantee that they could tell nothing, because there will be no trace left of them, not in any fabric of the lives of those left behind.
So, to say the least, she had no doubt that she would, evidently, eventually receive her wings. She didn’t know how she would, no one did until it actually happened, but she had no doubt that it would occur. Seemingly enough, this worried her. She, and everyone, had spent her whole life hearing about the day she would finally receive her wings. The day when she would truly discover herself and her place. Yet, that’s it. No one can say how or why it will happen. Everyone is different. So, of course, she was scared. She didn’t know what to expect, no one did. Then there was the problem of never getting her wings, though of course this concern was not known to her through the careful deception of others.
Every individual’s wings were different. In a completely literal sense, no two were alike. Some were in the image of a butterfly’s wings, others like that of a bird. Several could have been plucked right from the back of a bee, or taken from a great bird of prey. Others though, weren’t what you would call a ‘traditional’ wing. You could find those of a skeleton, an ivy plant, or even the waves of the ocean. They came in all shapes and sizes, and each was unique in its own way. This made getting your wings all the more exciting. You could never know what your’s would be. Needless to say, she was more than excited, and nervous, to discover what her’s would be.
She wanted to know what her wings were, who she was meant to be, how she would fit in with her people. At that moment, there was nothing in the world she could have wished for more. She was sure her life had a purpose, and all she wanted was to know what it was. Her mother’s: to heal, her brother’s: to fight honorably and defend others and the wellbeing of their society, her’s: yet to be determined.

It was a mere coincidence that this day began the way that it did. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary, a day like any other, yet, it wasn’t. She woke up and had breakfast, after having emerged from her bedroom. She gathered her things to leave for her studies, and opened her front door to go. The best part was that she didn’t mind having to go, she loved learning.
She walked there every day, so of course, that was what she did. She set off down the road to her place of study. Still, nothing seemed different about today. She looked around at her surroundings as she walked; the many houses of varying colors and shapes, the trees and other plants in gardens out front, and birds of all kinds flying around overhead. It was one of her favorite parts of the day. She loved seeing everything around her while on her walk.
That’s when she noticed it. She didn’t at first. She had been looking in the opposite direction at her absolute favorite thing in the whole town: a little wildflower field with a single, large oak tree in the middle. In the winter, holly bushes grew around it. Every year she would cut some off to put in her home as decoration. She loved how they looked around the holidays. She went there, to the tree, every day when she got home to do her work and read whatever book she was in the process of. It was the most beautiful and peaceful place in the world to her. After she passed what she called “her tree”, she turned her head in the other direction. Then it was there, right in front of her.
A fire, as big as a house. No, it was a house, or maybe, had been. She stopped dead in her tracks and just looked at it. Though it was an awful thing to happen, it was oddly beautiful. The lights from the flames were shining and sparkling in the front yard, and on everything around as well. It was so lovely that she was completely mesmerized and couldn’t do anything but stare. She was totally entranced.
That was, of course, until she heard someone screaming. She snapped out of her daze and turned to the agonizing sounds of the screeches. They came from a young mother, who yelled of her three children still stuck in the house. Without a word, she took off in the direction of the house, leaving behind the mother urging her not to go in. It was dangerous and she could be easily hurt. She didn’t care. If there was something she could do to help those poor kids trapped in the house, she was going to do it.
She managed to avoid the flames and make it into the house. She looked around trying to figure out where the children could be, but all she saw was a sea of orange in every direction. The fire was everywhere, honestly it was a miracle the entire house hadn’t collapsed yet. But she was determined. She was going to save those little children. They were altogether innocent, and she couldn’t imagine something so pure being harmed from something completely out of its control. It just wasn’t fair.
So she called out, hoping that they would hear her and say something, even just make a small noise, so she would know where they were. Then she heard it, a little yelp coming from the front parlor. She headed in that direction, following the quiet sounds she heard coming from that particular room of the house. She had almost made it, she just had to cross the archway from the living room to the parlor, when a flaming board collapsed right next to her. It had fallen dangerously close to, near enough to shed bright sparks and singe the tips of her fur. It had caused her unspeakable pain, and she yelped out in distress. She wasn’t afraid though, she was so close, and she knew she could save those kids.
She stepped around the board, and made her way into the parlor. She tried to look around the room, but again, she couldn’t see much of anything, but fire in every direction. She listened as hard as she could, trying to once again hear the cries of the children. She could now just barely hear them coming from the corner of the room. She guessed that they had taken in a lot of smoke since she had first entered the house, and it was probably becoming difficult for them to make any sort of noise. She crossed the room over to the corner they were huddled in, and picked them up, holding them close to her. She turned back towards the front door of the house where she originally entered, while reassuring the pups that everything was going to be absolutely fine. They were going to be safe soon and in the arms of their mother waiting for them outside.
The flames were higher, brighter, and hotter now as she began tracing her steps back to the exit. In reality she didn’t have far to go, but in the burning, collapsing house amid all of the smoke and heat, it seemed like miles. She took one cautious step after another, inching closer and closer to the door. There wasn’t much of an open path back around the fires, but she managed to find one, and was getting closer to the exit with each passing second. Thankfully enough, she made it back in one piece with the children still safely in her arms. Not one of them was harmed on the way from the parlor to the front door. She hadn’t thought she could do it, but somehow she had managed. They were all going to be safe. Just before leaving, she turned back to the parlor, just in time to see its ceiling begin to collapse.
She didn’t need another sign to know it was their time to leave, and pushed open the door. She made her way outside, and across the front yard to where the kids’ mother way waiting, in tears from her worry. She exclaimed in joy when she saw her children safe in her arms, and reached out her own. She put the three down, and they ran over to their mother. She smiled in joy over their safety, then turned back to the house. It was even brighter now than before, but still as beautiful.
At that exact moment, it collapsed. The bottom boards gave out first, walls and ceilings. The bottom floors fell down to the earth, taking the top with it. Once again, she was in awe. She loved the beauty of the world, and this burning house was full of unbelievable allure. She still felt guilty admiring such devastation as this one event had completely uprooted a kind family, but it was fascinating.
The house’s collapse shot sparks up in every direction, like a group of fireflies flying up together. As the sparks began to settle and the ashes from the burnt boards rained down around her, she started to glow. It started in the feet, then moved all across her body. She looked from one foot to another, behind her at her back, and down to her tail. Every inch of her was shining. It was the most peculiar thing she had ever seen, and she hadn’t the slightest idea as to what was happening to her. But it was gorgeous, like the rising sun shimmering off of the ocean at dawn.
Suddenly, just as soon as it had begun, it stopped. The glow was gone, and she looked entirely ordinary again. From her feet down to her head, the shine was gone. It was a mystery to her, in that moment. That was until she turned around to look back at the family she had just played a part in saving. It was then that she saw them, only out of the corner of her eye at first. They were there, finally.
She adjusted her head so she could see them better, ensure that her eyes weren’t just playing tricks on her. But, sure enough, there they were: her wings. They were sprouted up from her white coat. One at a time she moved her shoulders, watching her wings move with them. They were a bright and beautiful green, shaped like two large holly leaves.
It seemed fitting to her that they were leaves. She loved all of the nature she saw daily, from the trees and flowers to the mountains, rivers, and countless animals all across the globe. Now, she would always have a piece of the natural world with her at all times, for the rest of her life. She had always wondered and worried over what her wings would be, and she realized now that she couldn’t be happier. They were perfect, and she loved every inch of them.
With a huge grin on her face, she turned around to the mother and her three children. She moved over to them, smiled at the mother who thanked her endlessly for what she had done for her kids, then gave each of the three a pat on the head. They were going to be alright, reassured by the first responders who had finally arrived to put out the remaining fires. Quickly, she went to those who had just arrived, the fire department mainly, and told them what had happened. Of course, thy told her she had made a stupid decision by entering a burning a collapsing house, but thanked her for her bravery as it had saved the three children. They wouldn’t have made it out of the house if she hadn’t risked her own life by going into the house to save them.
After finishing her recount of her part in the events of the morning and giving her final goodbyes and words of welcome to the mother and the three children, she took off in a sprint back in the direction of her own home. She knew she was supposed to be going to her studies, but she had just gotten her wings. She had to go see her own mother and tell her the news. She had also been waiting for this day for years. It was only right that she would experience this time with her. After all, when she had dreamed of this day, her mother was there with her.
As she ran back, past her tree, the many houses, and birds flying overhead, she finally realized what it all meant: her purpose, the meaning behind her wings. She was meant to help others, to be a light in the moments when darkness takes over.

- - -

Hello there! I hope you enjoyed my story! It was a lot of fun to write. It’s oke of my favorite things to do but I always have trouble finding ideas of what to write about, so this was perfect!
I also thought I would tell you, in case you were interested, that I got my idea for what I wrote in my short story from the song “All the Little Lights” by Passenger. It’s nit really based off of the song, I was just listening to it and the sorry just coming to me in my head.
Thnak you so much for hosting this giveaway! It was so much fun to participate in! It’s difficult to find to find wiring g contests around, so I was really happy to see this one. 💕

-kee