FicWad

Flonne's POV

I opened my eyes slowly as I began to feel someone sleeping near me and it turns out, I was right, it was none other than Alex. He was sleeping right near me. I didn't realize sooner or later because I lead out a terrible scream.

"GAAAAH!" Alex woke up in a jolt and notice me in panic.

"W-what? What's wrong?" I immediately calm down from my sudden panic.

"A-Alex, what in the world were you doing sleeping near me?" I exclaimed. Alex widen his eyes in shock like he didn't know he was sleeping in here.

"I-I'm sorry Flonne, it just that an intruder came into your home and so I stopped him and stood guard next to you so that no one else can break in and harm you." Okay, well, at least that story's cover, and I guess he accidentally slept while watching me.

"Wait, an intruder?" I asked him. He nodded his head and said that he'll explain everything to me at breakfast.

So I got up and took some nuts from the food stock and gave some to me and Alex. Alex explained everything what happened last night.

"After you went to sleep, I heard someone knocking and saw it was Andie, a new friend I made yesterday, and she wanted to thank me for helping me find some nuts for her." Andie? Why does that name sounds familiar to me?

"Andie?"

"Yeah, she's this red squirrel who helps the park and stuff." Andie.....oh now I remember.

"Oh you must that Andie." Alex became confused of what I was talking about.

"You know her?" He asked. I nodded my head and explained.

"Remember when I told you when my parents died and I was taken care of a human until she died and I was lost around Oakton until I came to Liberty Park?" He nodded his head seriously. "Well, Raccoon was so nice and made me a new member of the park and Andie and I became friends and we hang out sometimes, animals here mistakes us as sisters sometimes." Alex seemed to understood what I meant.

"I see..well then, about what I said...apparently, after Andie left, some purple squirrel and a blue rat came and threaten me to not go near that nut cart." Purple squirrel? Wait, he doesn't mean..

"Wait..a purple squirrel? Tell me, is this squirrel's name is Surly?" Alex became shocked to hear me know him.

"Wait, do you know him or something?" I nodded my head and made a serious expression.

"Yeah, everybody here knows him, apparently, he's a thief and he always steal people's nuts and doesn't care what happens to anyone." I noticed Alex looking pretty down and clenching his fist in anger.

"Is there something wrong? You can tell me Alex." Alex widen his eyes in shock and looked away. "Nothing, I'm fine." Oh Alex..I wished I could've done something to help you. I know he was a human back then just like he said, but there's something inside me that make me feel so..happy.

"Well anyway, I'm just glad that you're alright Alex, and thanks for keeping a good watch over me." I noticed Alex started to blush and look away, trying to not let me see. I started to blush as well, I just can't help it, I-I feel like..no, no, I'm sure that can't be it. Alex then got out of his seat and proceeded to leave.

"Hey where you going?" I asked him in confusion.

"Oh, you see, I was planning on searching for more food around here." He told me with an emotionless expression. I'm guessing he wants to help this park survive winter, including me. I smiled warmly and allow him to go.

"Alright then, I'll see you later." Alex nodded his head and left my home. I then finished eating my breakfast and headed back to my room. Once I did, I picked up the golden bracelet and smiled warmly. "I just wonder..maybe I can tell him now..." I want to tell Alex so badly..but I just wondered if he even remembers me..I guess I should still wait when the time is right.

Alex's POV

I proceeded to head to the Grand Oak Tree to go meet up with Andie and Grayson. Once I arrived, I saw many animals putting in..garbage into the tree. Jeez, these guys are hopeless when it comes to finding food. I ran to the top of the tree and met up with Raccoon who was grabbing the animals food and stuffing it up in the tree.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? We're storing food for winter." Raccoon said. "What? Haven't you stored food for winter?" He asked me. I began to grew worried if I told them who I really was, so I decided to lie.

"Y-yeah I do, but I was just asking, seeing everyone putting their food into the tree, it's just that I never anyone working together to do that." I said.

"Well, even so, we don't have enough food to survive for winter." I became confused but I didn't show it.

"Really? It can't be that bad." I told him.

"If you don't believe me, ask me, he's counting the food." He pointed to the hole in the tree. I poked my head into the tree, it was dark, and all I could see was the inside of the tree and the bottom to where Mole was.

"Hey Mole, what's the food shortage level now?"

"Pickings are slim this year." Mole replied. I widened my eyes in shock to hear that. Their food storage is that bad?!

"Really? Maybe you miscounted." I told him.

"Nope we're all at starvation levels!" Mole shouted back so that everyone can hear, making them gasp in horror.

"We're all gonna DIE!" A mouse shrieked in terror. Raccoon tried to calm them down.

"Now now, calm down everyone, I'm sure we can find some food." Just then, the red bird came back flying on Raccoon's right arm, having something in his mouth. Raccoon took it out of his mouth.

"Here we are! Food!" Everyone gasped in joy thinking they found something, but as I took a closer look, it turns out it was just a nut bolt. Raccoon realized what it was. "I'm afraid this is the wrong kind of nut." Everyone's hopes then began to fade. I mean, how the heck does that bird mistake it as a nut, I mean they're different.

"Hmm..shiny." I noticed Raccoon stuffing that nut bolt into his fur. I became confused of why he would do that. I then remembered something back at school, apparently that Raccoons can't resist shiny things, no matter what it is. Even if he's the Park's leader, he just can't break his habits. I noticed everyone was looking sad, I then began to feel empty inside as well, but I didn't show it. I need to get these guys some food to eat to survive the winter. I then remembered the nut cart from yesterday, if we can manage to get it and bring it back here, then everyone will be able to survive the winter.

"Wait, what about the nut cart?" I told him. Raccoon eyes widened when I mention about the nut cart.

"A nut cart?" What? Did these guys forgot about it already?

"A nut cart?" The same mouse who shrieked in terror repeated what I said and the others became happy once I mention about the nut cart.

"A nut car- MY EYES!" Mole appeared out of the hole of the tree but he fell back down as his eyes were blinded by the sun.

"This could be our salvation for winter." Everyone agreed with the idea. Raccoon then called out to Andie.

"Andie!" Andie was busy helping a chipmunk with something. She soon heard Raccoon call for her and was about to leave.

"I'm on my way, you won't regret it!" She was about to leave until Raccoon stopped her. "Grayson and Alex are coming with you!" I walked towards to Andie and stood right next to her, but it seemed didn't wanted to be partnered up with Grayson because he's a total idiot.

"We do all respect sir, I can take care of myself and-"

"Grayson!" Raccoon called out. Grayson appeared out of nowhere and stood in a pose. All the female animals sigh happily to see him.

"Chicks dig the tail." Grayson winked at Andie, but she ignore it.

"Help Andie and Alex retrieve as many nuts as possible from that nut cart." Raccoon told us before he raised his hand in the air and said. "For the park!"

"For the park!" The animals shouted.

"For the park!" Andie cheered as well. Grayson didn't pay attention as he didn't say it.

"Oh what she said." I was confuse of what does that mean.

"What does that mean?" I asked Andie.

"Don't worry I'll explain later." Andie said promise to explain it to me. We were about to leave until Raccoon stopped us.

"And above all.." We turned to him as he made a serious expression.

"Keep a very watchful eye out for..." He bent down and spoke in a quiet voice. "..You-know who."

"NO! Not him!" The mouse cried out. Raccoon rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Yes, him." I'm guessing they're talking about Surly and Buddy. They must really hate him that much.

And with that we left and headed to the nut cart. Halfway there, I asked the same question ago. "So what was all that 'for the park' thing?"

"Oh, we always do that whenever our leader finishes a speech or assigns someone to some kind of task that has to be done." Andie said.

"You know, for a squirrel, you really don't know very much about the park." Grayson said. I became quite annoyed by this idiot.

"That's because I'm new here, so I don't know you moron." I told him being a little ticked off by him. "Hey I'm no moron,I'm the park hero." Park hero? What's that suppose to mean?

"Park hero?" I asked.

"A Park hero is someone who helps and protects the citizens of the park." And so this guy became a hero? Oh please, this idiot doesn't look like he can even fight off against a rat.

"Oh..I see." We already arrived, we looked at the cart with determination, except for me, I still remained in my emotionless expression.

"There it is, enough food to feed the park for the whole winter. That dog would be a challenge though." Yeah, she has a point, I don't think that dog won't fall for the same trick again from yesterday.

Grayson them climbed atop of the wall and began to sniff out for something. "What the heck are you doing?" I asked him sternly.

"I'm smelling for any sign for that rascal, Surly Squirrel." Man, and this idiot is called the park hero..I just wondered how to people see him that I don't. While he was too busy sniffing, me and Andie notice a child's pail being lowered down from a tree branch above the nut cart. I took a closer look and saw a familiar blue rat on the pail. I finally realized that it was that blue rat from last night, which means...that purple squirrel from last night also might be here as well. Andie must've noticed as she became angry.

"I knew it!" Andie said full of anger, she then looked at me.

"Alex, you stay here with Grayson, I'll take care of this." Andie then hopped onto the tree were the pail bucket was being lowered down.

"Honestly woman." Grayson exclaimed in annoyance. "I am still the park hero...which reminds me, why haven't you asked me out on a date?" However, all he saw was just me before he saw Andie climbed up the tree. "Sorry man, but she doesn't like you that much." I told him sternly.

"Oh she's just shy, that's all." Grayson said "I have that effect in some ladies believe me." Then he sniffed the air again and said "I smell a rat." Seriously, he's just noticing that. I face-palmed and left.

"Ugh! Why am I here with this idiot?!" I left and proceeded to do this on my own. I had to make sure that dog didn't notice me, but while I was hiding from his sight, a girl scout appeared asking for nuts from the vendor, but he refused. The girl became angry and asked for nuts angrily but the man shoved some nuts into her mouth, shutting her up. She walked away angrily and five minutes later, she comes back with a police officer and which lead both the nut vendor and some guy wearing a fancy blue suit talking with the police officer.

While they were distracted, I notice Surly coming out of the nut vendor, he must've come down while I was hiding from that dog. Surly came out with a big full of nuts strapped around his back. He brought out a match and it seems he was about to burn it down. I called out to him and stopped this.

"What are you doing?" Surly panicked and drop the match.

"GAH! It wasn't me!...oh it's only you." Surly realized that it was me and pretend that I wasn't around.

"Surly, what are you doing?" I told sternly. "Oh please, why should you care about what I'm doing, you never live in this place before, and I known this place and everyone there are jerks." Yep, he sure definitely went through the same thing as me.

"Look Surly, I know you don't...work along with others, but maybe if you gave them a chance-" Surly interrupted me with an angry look.

"Look you, I don't need your help, besides everyone hates me, and I never done anything in this park back when I was a kid, besides, they say they like you, but in actuality, they hate you." I widened my eyes in shock for him to say. I clenched my fist in anger, I know I was betrayed many times before, but I know that Flonne would never betray, we may have met a few days ago, but I know she's sweet innocent girl.

"Surly please listen, not everybody is a jerk..not even Buddy and, he always hangs out with you..so come on, at least, I'll be your friend?" I asked him politely but showed no emotion.

"Just shut up alright, just leave me alone and this nut cart, I don't need anyone, I don't even need Athena as well." Wait what?

"Athena? Athena?" I asked him in confusion. Surly made a shock expression as he realize what he just said.

"I-I met you, Alex...I don't need you!" Okay, there's no way I'm backing down from this.

"Is Athena a human or an animal?" I kept asking him.

"Look you idiot just leave me alone." I have to know who the heck is Athena.

"Did this Athena person did something wrong to you?"

"I said shut up you..." Surly froze in fear as he was looking at something. "...dog." I thought he meant me, and I became angry of that. "You idiot! I'm a squirrel, not a dog!" Surly pointed something behind me.

"Dog! Dog!" I turned around only to face the dog's angry face. The dog notice Surly with the match and growling at him. Surly realized what the dog was looking at as he pushed into my hands and pointed at me. "His idea!" Okay, now I see why people hate him so much.

The pug lunged forward at us, but luckily we dove under the cart for cover. Me and Surly tried to escape by going through another side of the cart past it's wheels but the dog was blocking the way. Thinking quickly Surly grabbed the tube for the propane tank and held it out, causing the dog to bite into it and made holes in it as the gas spewed out and made the pug back away.

The pug was about to attack but then he was looking at something, I couldn't know what but something caused her to jump up and caused the nut cart to move on its own. Me and Surly climbed to the top of the cart and became surprised to see that were moving.

"Oh boy..this can't be good!" Surly said as we realize that we're doomed. Luckily, Andie came down from the tree and jumped onto the nut cart.

"Andie, we need to find a way to stop this thing and fast!" I exclaimed. Andie was about to respond until she noticed a greedy Surly eating all of the nuts. This caused us to glared at him until we saw another entrance to the park.

With quick thinking, Andie use the bucket and rope and tied one end of the cart and threw the bucket at the fence before managing to use it to make the cart turn into the park and it rolled on, hitting bumps everywhere and causing Buddy to nearly fall off before Surly grabbed him and pulled him back saying "That just coast you ten percent!"

We saw a cliff nearby and thought that we were about to fall into it..but thankfully, it stopped at the end of the cliff, we all let out a sigh of relief..until Grayson appeared. He jumped onto the cart and said "Did I save the day?" Thanks to the added weight, the cart fell down over the edge with a hard thud on the ground. We got up and proceed to grab the nuts before Surly tries to steal them.

"Alright guys, let's hurry and grab as many nuts as possible." I told Andie and Grayson while I stuffed some nuts into my scarf. While we were doing that, Andie started to sniff something out of the air. "Hey, you guys smell something?" Now that you mention that, why does it smells like..smoke?

"That's my cologne," Grayson said "Made from tree sap and falcon tears." I rolled my eyes at this guy.

"You idiot, she meant the smoke coming out of the cart." I told him.

"Get back!" Surly exclaimed holding a stick of fire in front of us.

"Hey watch the tail, it's flammable here!" Grayson hid behind Andie, and he calls himself the park's hero.

"These nuts are ours!" Surly exclaimed, before knocking out Buddy off the cart. Surly turned around and notice that he hit Buddy before corrected himself. "These nuts are mine!"

"Okay Surly, we can negotiate." Andie said.

"We can share with the park." Grayson nodded his head in agreement. I grabbed my bamboo stick and was ready to fight him.

"Yeah that sounds fair..how about one hundred me, zero for you!" Surly accidentally swung his flaming weapon on the broken tube with flames and before any of us knew that.

KABOOM!

The cart rocketed out of the riverbed like a torpedo and went blasting all the way through the park like a fireball with me, Surly, Andie, and Grayson hanging onto dear life.

We kept holding onto the nut cart to not let go and fall off it. This was bad because I was motion sickness, so I tried not to barf as hard as I can.

"We have to stop this cart!" Andie exclaimed.

"I know what to do!" Grayson jumped onto the side of the cart and tried to turn the knob of the tank it off, but he troubled with it.

"Surly! Come help me man!" Grayson called out to Surly and ask him for help. But instead of helping him, Surly grabbed the bag of nuts and jumped off the cart and landed onto a nearby bridge.

"Curse you Surly!" Grayson exclaimed. Andie turned back and made an angry look on her face.

"Surly, you coward!" Andie shouted angrily

"Lucky...bastard..." My face turned green as I tried holding in my puke. Please don't puke! Please don't puke! Please don't puke!

"Alex! Help me!" Grayson called out for me.

"I wish I could...but I can't..." I muttered, as I kept holding in my puke.

"Guys! The Grand Oak Tree!" We looked and became shocked to see get blasted in front of the oak tree. I saw everyone else who was at the Oak Tree panicked and got out of the way. The Nut Cart overturn and ran into the Mill's wheeler, it overturn it again and launched into the air. Luckily me and Andie got off safely as we jumped onto the rood of the Mill. I sat down trying to hold me stomach so that I won't throw up again. Phew, it seems to have calm down.

"Glad we're out of that ride." I said trying to catch my breath. Andie noticed that we're missing someone. "Wait, where's Grayson?"

"Now that you mention that...I haven't seen him jumped with us." We realized that he was still in the nut cart as the nut cart hit the Oak Tree, at first, it seemed it was okay until suddenly, it burst into flames and all the nuts inside turn into popcorn.

"Oh no...." Andie muttered looking at the destruction of the Grand Oak Tree. We jumped off the mill and headed to the site to see that the Grand Oak Tree was no more. I saw Mole running to see this calling out Grayson's name.

"Grayson? Grayson! Where are you?!" I also noticed Raccoon sneering angrily as he saw this.

"Who is responsible for this?!" Raccoon yelled out. Just then, we heard a familiar voice.

"Let go of me you clowns! You're making a big mistake!" We turned around and saw that it was none other than Surly, he was being carried by two groundhogs, one with a Mohawk, another with no Mohawk, I even saw a small female Groundhog and Jacob, I'm guessing they're Jake's brothers and sisters. The two brothers threw Surly into the front of the crowd, falling on his stomach.

"Found him hiding in one of our holes, just like a snake." Everyone became angry to hear that. Surly got up and tried to slip out of this one.

"I was recovering berry and nuts that I was doing-" Surly started to sniff something out of the air. "Hey you guys smell something? It smells like burn nuts. What's going on-" Surly turned around and finally realizing of what he done to the Grand Oak Tree, but instead of feeling bad, he started to laugh. Okay, this guy is really ticking me off.

"Look at that!" Everyone looked at him with angry looks. "You guys are mass for winter man, I mean wow, just look at that bond fire, you guys didn't see that coming now did you." Surly stood there smirking at them, but then suddenly we started to hear some screaming, when suddenly Grayson landed on Surly. Wow, you's lucky to survive the crash. Everyone make shocking looks to see their hero badly hurt.

"Never fear this sweet bod is a-okay." Grayson said getting up from the ground, but instead he falls back down. Jeez, and thought my day couldn't get any worse.

"Alex?" I heard some calling my name and I turned around and saw Flonne running towards me.

"Flonne, what are you doing here?" I asked her.

"I went back to the marketplace to go and see if they have any food on stock today but I heard a big explosion and came all the way here and..." Flonne looked at the burning oak tree, she began to feel depressed of the oak tree being destroyed.

"After all that hard work..it went to a crisp." Flonne said sadly. I..this is too much to take. I then noticed Andie talking to Raccoon and heard what she was saying.

"Raccoon, let me organize the trial, just give the order." Andie said.

"Another trial?!" We turned to a pigeon with an angry look. "He's never learned."

"He's need something more severe!" The groundhog with a Mohawk said.

"Yeah, a punishment he will never forget!" Jake added.

"He's a clear and vile danger to this place!"The young groundhog added. Everyone started to agreed to this.

"No, we do things by the rule of law, let justice take care of him." Andie said. Is she..trying to defend Surly? Even after what he done, he's defending Surly..but why? Raccoon walked towards and made a serious expression.

"They want justice Andie and justice they will receive. " Raccoon said sternly. What does he mean like that?

"All in favor of banishment, raise your paw!" I widened my eyes in shock to hear him say that. '

"Banishment?!" Surly got up with widened eyes of shock.

"Banishment?!" Andie repeated.

"Banishment?" Me and Flonne said in unison.

"Bandages?" Grayson didn't hear what we said as fell down, still injured from the fall. "Yes, please." Everyone froze in shock to hear that Raccoon would say that. I'm guessing they never did a banishment before as well.

"Why are you all hesitating? He's refuse to join us, ridicule our hard work." Raccoon said angrily. "Stolen, cheated, lied..." Everyone started to grew angry as they're remembering what ever Surly did to them.

"And now destroy our food for winter." Surly looked around in a state of shock. "Let's say all!" He raised his paw in the air, and everyone joined him.

"And stick them up.." Grayson said as he got up and raised his paw. "Why is the ground moving towards my face?" He fell back down on the ground. This squirrel....

"We don't convict without a trial, this isn't how we do things." I overheard what Andie said as she wouldn't agreed to this. Mole wanted to say something but just let it go.

"I have run out of options of that squirrel Andie." Raccoon looked at her with a serious expression. "Do what you will, do what is right." Andie looked down in depression. Then, all of a sudden, she raised her paw in the air, voting Surly out. Flonne and I looked at her in shock. Andie...why?

Flonne and I didn't vote because we felt that it wasn't right at all. I noticed Surly looking worried and looked around to see if anyone else didn't vote. But then..."HA! B-Buddy has not voted." Surly pointed to Buddy, who was grilling something from the burning Oak Tree. How in the world did he get here?

"And it has to be unanimous, that's the rule!" Really? It is? "You won't vote against me, will you old Buddy?" Buddy didn't seem to pay attention of what's happening.

"Buddy?" Buddy then noticed Surly and waved at him, accidentally raising his paw. Surly jaw dropped and his eyes widened in shock.

"You were saying?" Andie then looked at Surly, regretting of what she did. Flonne and I..couldn't take this anymore.

"I don't understand, why?" I noticed Flonne looking pretty sad. "I now he may have done terrible things in the past, but he can..have another chance." Flonne began to feel angry as she walked towards Raccoon. I followed her as she confronted Raccoon.

"Raccoon wait!" Everyone turned to her as she talked to Raccoon.

"Please Raccoon, can't you give another chance." Flonne begged him, but Raccoon shook his head, not agreeing with her.

"I'm sorry, but this is the only way Flonne." Raccoon said, which caused Flonne to grow teary.

"But I know he done bad things and receive many punishments, but you can't banish anyone out of the park, besides, we suppose to live in peace..this...I can't take it. I won't vote for this!" Flonne..you're doing this for Surly, but why?

"I'm sorry my dear, but even so, I can't do anything for that squirrel, my dear Flonne...do you really want him to keep destroying everything we worked so hard?" Raccoon asked. Flonne became depressed upon realizing this. "Do what you will...do what is right, my dear." Flonne hesitate at first until she raised her paw in the air. I became surprised that she do something like that. Raccoon, something about him feels so....eerie and suspicious.

"Alex..what about you? What is your decision?" Raccon said turning to me. I noticed that everyone looked at me, I saw Andie, Mole, Jacob, Johnny, Jimmy, Jamie, Surly, Buddy, and even Maya who was at the front of the crowd. Everyone looked at me wanting to know my decision. I..I just can't...I know everyone hates him..but he just can't accept this..neither do I.

"I won't decide." Everyone looked at me at a state of shock.

"What?!" Raccoon said looking at me with an angry look.

"I said I won't vote, what's the point of banishing someone out of this park because what he done? You guys just don't understand his feelings on why he became a thief, so clearly it's all your faults." I pointed out, ignoring everyone' glares and Flonne's surprised expression.

Raccoon kept looking at me with an angry expression until his expression softened. "Very well, we'll skip your voting as well..but as for Surly Squirrel, you are hereby banished out of Liberty Park, and never to returned ever again." Raccoon announced.

I'm sorry Surly, I wished I could've done something...but I failed. Surly was taken to the top of the telephone pole near Liberty Park. Me, Flonne, Buddy, Mole, and Andie went to see his sendoff out of Liberty Park.

"By the authority..granted by Raccoon and the park community.." Mole announced but then he looked down, clinging onto the telephone pole for dear life. "Oh this is too high." Mole decided to go back of what he said. "Surly Squirrel is hereby banished to the city, never to return to our beloved Liberty Park." I noticed that Surly was really angry as he climb onto the wire and started to leave.

"We should have had a trial Surly." Andie said. Surly stopped and listen to her. I feel like..he's regretting about what he done.

"I'm sorry." Andie apologized to him. Surly then left and continued on his way. Buddy tried to go with him, but Surly didn't want him to go. Buddy still cares about him and wants to stay by his side, but Surly won't allow him to go. It almost like, he doesn't Buddy to receive the same punishment as Buddy. I noticed Buddy sliding back down to us. He made a sad look, probably thinking about his best friend.

We saw Surly made it to the other side of the city, he looked at us, still with an angry look. He then turned around at us, looking at billboard with an apple pie on it. Then all of a sudden, it changed into an bald eagle, causing Surly to panic and fell down. We saw him trying to escape from the humans, he was launched back into a telephone wire, landed on a window, a human woman looked at him, thinking that he was a rat, and shut the window closed. Luckily, Surly ducked his head before it closed at him. He popped it right up again and fell down as a brick he was sitting on fell down with him.

They both landed on the curtain and launched and landed onto a truck. Surly fell down and got back up, only to be hit by the brick, but he somehow survive, just how does he do that? Then he ran around trying to avoid many humans and with that he ran into the alleyway. Buddy became sad of losing his best friend.

I patted Buddy's back to cheer him up. I even noticed Flonne and Andie looking sad as they were looking at the wreckage of the Oak Tree.

"Why..did this have to happen?" Flonne muttered sadly. I walked towards next to her, feeling sad as well.

"I'm..sorry Flonne." I apologized to her. Flonne and Andie looked at me with confuse expressions. "If I have done something..none of this would happen." I close my eyes and felt bad for not helping Surly.

"No Alex, you really did do something." I open my eyes and look at her in confusion. "You didn't vote for him, you were trying to protect him, even if you failed, you still helped him." Flonne said smiling softly. I guess she had a point, but I didn't smiled as I showed her my usual emotionless expression, but she got the message of me thanking her.

"Thank you..Flonne." Flonne smiled at me for the support she gave me, but I kept thinking about Surly and how was he doing in his exile, but then I came to think about this Athena person Surly spoke to about.

"Hey Flonne, Andie?" They turned to me with a confuse expression.

"Yeah Alex?" Andie asked.

"While during the nut raid, I overheard Surly talking about someone name Athena." I told them. "Who's Athena?" Andie and Flonne looked at me with a depressed look.

"You see..Athena was..Surly's closest friend." I widened my eyes in shock to hear this. So Surly did have someone he cared about.

"I overheard some stories from some people about why Surly went rogue." Flonne said with a depressed look, she continue on.

"You see, Athena was a human back then as she took care of Surly. Surly lost his parents a long time ago as they were eating alive by cats, when hope was lost for him, Athena came and took care of him. Surly happily lived with her for a long time..she was even the one who named him Surly." Really? Now that's surprising.

"They both loved each other so much..she even thought of him as his little brother, but that when it happen?" 'it happen'?

"You see, they came to Liberty Park to play around, when they climbed a tree to see who can climb the highest, when all of a sudden, Athena fell down and landed on the ground hard." I covered my mouth in shock to hear that happened to her.

"She was taken to the hospital for medical treatment, Surly waited in Liberty Park for her..and waited..and waited..until a few weeks past and she never came back, he tried to go after her, but he didn't know what hospital she was in. Surly then felt heartbroken to lose his best friend and the one who raised him. Since then, he was never the same." I felt bad for Surly..and I can guess that no one would understand him since they weren't bond with a human.

"Flonne's right, I even met Surly back when we were kids, and he was a sweet and friendly child, and we would always play together with Athena, but ever since her she was gone, I wanted to help him, and allowed him to come to the Mill, but everyone wanted him out because of what he done." Andie said feeling sad.

"What did he do?" I asked wanting to know.

"He...caused ice cream truck to crash into the park wall." Wait, how in the world did he manage to do that? "But ever since then, everyone treated him like an outcast and he became an outcast, I tried to reason with people to give him another chance, but they didn't want to listen, not even Raccoon. I just wished I could see the Surly I once knew." Surly...I understand now of how you feel.

"Maybe..if I have could've talk to him, then none of this could've happen." Flonne suggested sadly. I closed my eyes, thinking about what Surly been through. I then remember the times back then, my father abusing me, but mom..she would helped me and told me to never give up on hope.

"Well even so Flonne, nobody can change the past." I told her.

"I..see.." That was what Flonne said.

"Well, we should head back home, it's starting to rain." Andie said looking at the sky. I turned around and saw that the clouds started to turn gray. We nodded our heads and bid our goodbyes. Flonne and I returned back home, waiting for the rain to stop, but I think it's gonna keep on doing this all night, so I guess we have no choice but to go to bed.

"Well, I think we should get some sleep. Goodnight Alex." Flonne headed into her room and decided to go to sleep. I bid her goodnight as well and tried to get to some sleep, but I couldn't because I kept thinking about Surly. I...need to find a way to make the park bring Surly back as a member of the park, and the only way how..is to find Surly and ask him for help.

I grabbed my bamboo stick and put on my scarf and headed into Flonne's room. She was sleeping peacefully on her bed, I look at her with a serious expression.

"Don't worry Flonne, I promise I'll be back, until then I find Surly and bring him back to the park, I won't come back." I then left the home and headed out to the city to go and find Surly. I promise you Andie, I'll bring the Surly you knew back to you.