Submission (#2348) Approved

Natsuki was visiting his best friend Maples in his home region of Bellmoril, having gone there for a summer trip. His adopted father brought him over from their home region of Ahza, Natsuki loving to escape the desert sand and dry air for the lovely reds and and golds of Bellmoril’s forests.
After Natsuki got off of the small boat that he and his father took to get to the island, he began to walk into the forests, looking around for his friend before eventually getting tackled and pushed onto the ground.
“Natsuki!” Maples yelled happily, his small fluffy tail wagging as he began to rub his face against Natsuki’s. Natsuki just chuckled as he rubbed his face on his friend’s in return, giving him small licks on the nose, making Maples giggle happily.
They stayed like that for a moment, enjoying seeing each other for the first time in who knows how long. Once Maples got off of Natsuki, they both shook their fur out as they smiled at each other.
“It’s summer!” Maples said happily, hopping around a little and wagging his tail and butt.Natsuki nodded, beginning to walk further into the forest with his friend.“What should we do?” Natsuki asked, looking over at Maples and tilting his head.Maples hummed in response, thinking for a moment before smiling brightly.
“There may not be any rivers here, but we still have our small beaches, yes?” he said in a questioned format, Natsuki just nodding in response.
“Well.. how about.. After we get to my place, let’s go fishing!” Maples said excitedly, beginning to hop around again. Natsuki thought about the idea for a few moments, not having really gotten the chance to fish due to where he lived. When he and his father left their region, he didn’t really get a chance to look at any of the animals living on the land, or at any of the fish in the water below the boat.
After thinking about it, he nodded fast and happily, smiling widely. The sight made Maples hop around even higher, beginning to run fast into the forest now, catching Natsuki off-guard as he then followed. His father ran right behind them, making sure that they were safe. For a moment, Natsuki forgot that his father was still there.

After they all got to Maples' small house on the top of one of Il'durahn’s many hills, they already began to prepare the fishing equipment. After telling both Natsuki that his own father was out on business, Maples began to dig around in one of his personal chests, throwing toys and trinkets out and around the room in order to find his small, hand-crafted fishing rod that he made himself. It was a little worn down, the handle a little rough, and the small branch that was used for the base was a little cracked and somewhat bent.
“Hmm..” Maples hummed out, closing the chest before going to open another one up, doing the same thing and throwing out many toys and other trinkets from the chest before finding another handmade fishing rod, this one obviously not used as much.
He then turned around and handed the rod to Natsuki, nodding and smiling widely.
“We can fish with these!’ he then said happily, looking over at Natsuki’s father with a smile. Natsuki looked back at his father, who just nodded in response, showing that it was alright if they went down on their own to fish.
“Just be careful.” his father then said as the boys got small bags, strapping them onto themselves and holding the rods on their back, both nodding and leaving the house with a kick in their step.

The day had just begun, so there was no fear about being stuck out too late. On their way to the beach, Natsuki looked around and noticed the many different kinds of trees in the forest. Despite being summer, the trees were always a lovely shade of red or gold. The leaves and branches swayed in the wind, making a soft rustling sound that was like music to Natsuki’s small ears. Natsuki would occasionally look down and admire the dirt paths that they were walking on, not used to the feeling. His paws were so used to the feeling of sand, that he forgot what actual dirt and other floorings feel like.
They trotted along happily, Natsuki also admiring the piles of red and gold leaves that showed up occasionally, hoping that the two of them could go play in the piles before he left to go home. He looked up to see the sun shining through the trees, a light orange hue shining right on top of them.

They soon reached the forest clearing, going out and making their way onto the beach.
Maples smiled and hopped down to the water happily, shaking his bag off and picking his fishing rod up.
“Come on! Let’s fish!” he said out in a happy, chipper tone. Natsuki nodded as he then followed along with him, shaking his bag off and taking out his own fishing rod, just then noticing the colorful reef that was in front of them. He gasped softly, looking around happily at how bright it all was, his tail wagging fast as he then plopped himself down next to Maples.
The two sat at the front of the water, Natsuki shivering lighty from feeling the ocean water come up into his paws. 
Natsuki had never actually seen many fish in his life, only the fish that his father cooked for them. The fish he’d normally eat were just typical salmon and trout that his father had bought and brought over from the other regions.
Him and Maples stared into the water intently. Soon, Natsuki felt a tug on his rod, moving to get a better grip on it before pulling. Maples quickly showed him how to use it, Natsuki nodding as he did his best, soon reeling in a small colorful fish.
The two of them gasped out, Natsuki bringing the fish up closer to them before holding it in his paw. He freaked out for a moment from the fish flopping around, soon calming down once it stopped.
“It’s so pretty..” he muttered softly, looking at it from multiple angles now.
“Yeah! And so.. orange!” Maples then said back happily, the two of them staring in awe at the small fish in Natsuki’s paw.
They both admired the orange fish’s black and white stripes, Natsuki noticing that it was much more unique than the fish he’d see being fed to him.
“Hehehehe..” Maples then giggled out, Natsuki looking over at him with his eyebrow raised.
“Kinda looks like a clown..” Maples then said with a few more giggles.
“A clown..?” Natsuki questioned, looking down at the fish before eventually deciding to toss it back into the ocean, watching it plop down and eventually swim away.
“A very odd clown, then..” Natsuki then said with a chuckle, Maples nodding in response as he gently bumped into Natsuki, the two of them rubbing their faces together lovingly before continuing to fish.

They both ended up catching a few more fish that day, Maples reeling in a weird black, white and yellow looking fish with a long nose. They laughed at it before Maples tossed it back into the ocean.
Maples and Natsuki gave every one of the fish silly names, the first orange fish being a ‘Clown Fish,’ and the black, white and yellow fish being a ‘Moorish’ due to it looking almost like a cow that both Maples and Natsuki would see in their books.
After they got done finishing- and the sun started to look like it was going down- the both of them put their bags back on and tossed the rods onto their backs once more. They then said ‘goodbye’ to the fishes, and began to run back into the forest towards Il'durahn, going to go and tell their fathers about their fun trip.
And maybe, Natsuki and Maples could go play in the leaves the next day.