Nico had already run into a ghost once, not that he had seen it but he had seen stuff that could only be done by a ghost.  It wasn’t hard to believe with everything else going on.  He’d heard another wolf mention a similar tale.  So, if ghosts could wander about then where was mom?  Unless these were only certain spirits who had done something or were something or were summoned by those statues.  Still, the black coyote pup's heart ached to see his mom.  What if she hadn’t shown up because he was the reason she’d died?

With that thought in mind, he’d had Echo go pass a message along to Jack that he was going to be gone for a little bit.  Nico had just told Jack he wasn’t with his parents anymore and had never told the boy they’d passed on.  Nico certainly didn’t want to explain that right now, it’d keep for another time if it ever even needed to be said.  Jack would want to come with him if Nico seemed upset and he had a feeling his friend would recognize a fake smile from him.

Nico made his way to where the last place he had ever seen his family, the willow trees.  There was a particular tree, with a root that went off the ground, up a bit and down.  Claw marks had also been set in the bark, rather like a personal grave marker.  It didn’t need all that.  Nico would have known the spot of land anywhere.  He recalled dad dragging it to the hole he’d made to bury her in. Nico sat down near it now, staring at a pile of dirt and at what lie below the dirt.

Tears had welled up in the child’s eyes, fears of this being silly and nothing happening along with fears of mom showing up and pointing out how he’d failed her.  Sniffling, trying to swallow a lump in his throat so that he could speak, his first attempt was just, “mom?” The voice cracked.

This was dumb.  Nico glanced behind him, looking for some danger that was surely lurking.  Shivering, as if he could already feel a spirit in what was really just the wind.  Nico waited a few seconds, forcing his heart to calm and his muscles relax so that he could speak again.

“Mom?  Ghosts walk about now, at least, I believe they are ghosts  So where are you?  Are you still buried under the ground?  Are you one of the stars in the sky?  Or do you only go to the rest of the family?” The last words came out angrier than he expected, guilt turning to jealousy at the thought. “I didn’t mean to!  I never wanted,” and the words broke off again as jealousy turned back to pain and remembered guilt.

“I’m sorry.” The boy cried out loudly.  If there were larger predators there that wanted a coyote pup for a kill then let them come.  He wasn’t finished saying what was to be said and what was priority.  “I’m sorry, it's my fault.” The pup’s head droops low, staring sightlessly into the dirt.  “You said to stay close and I didn’t.  I just…” Nico started to say why he hadn’t but that was an excuse and a worthless one.  He had just wanted to play and explore.  Naively unaware of the tiger that had been nearby.  Mom had come to save him and she had but, at the cost of her life.

“I made a mistake,” the boy squeaked out, “but please, I want to know.  I need to know if you still love me, I mean, can you if you’re dead?  I mean dead clearly come back.  I think,” unless what walked the land was something other than dead ghosts? “Do  you hate me?” The last words were the most dreaded, the most feared.  It was like someone squeezed his heart inside with the bitter pain the coyote felt.

Nico’s front feet slid out from under him, his head resting on the dirt that his mother lay below.  The child's tears slid down their eyes, cheek, and finally the ground.  “I want to know,” his words whispered in a soft whine.  “Whichever it is.  Love me?  Hate me?  Please, can I at least apologize?’

Lying there, sniffling nothing seemed to happen right away.  Maybe they come but you have to do something first?  The statues liked gifts.  Mom wasn’t a statue though.  So did he give a gift to a statue or to her?  Did that even work as this was totally different?  Mom had said she liked his songs.  His songs were generally happy things though and his heart didn’t feel very happy right now.

“Mooom, my mom.  I loooove you, mooom oh mom, forgiiiiive me?
mooom oh mom, I am here now.  Please come and seeeee me.”

It was short and lacked his cheery tune yet it did have one.  Perhaps it was his best singing even if sad, there was a heartfelt melancholy that his soul put into the words.  

"Nico"

The living and dead have been roaming the world side by side since the veil has dropped and now Meadow wanders out in a strange forest. Her spirit is dimmed so that those who are alive will not see her but a call has pulled her out this way. She finds it in the form of a small coyote pup talking to a pile of dirt. Head tilts as she approaches, listening to his pleas, as her heart slowly breaks with each passing moment that his mother does not manifest.

Meadow listens to his cries with a mother’s heart, feeling the need to comfort him but holding out hope that who he is seeking will still appear. Her form is hidden from view, insubstantial and invisible to his mortal eye. A mote of light flickers into existence near the pup, circling around and around him as if trying to touch him but unable to. Understanding dawns on the ghost as she listens to him sing, the frantic, erratic movements of the light speaking of sadness at not being able to pierce through the veil and touch him.

Looking to the mote of light, Meadow dips her incorporeal head in acknowledgement before focusing on her own form and wills it into existence. Her body flickers into life, the earthen hued ghost’s body become more tangible as she appears, standing behind the grieving coyote pup. A song fills her mind and she opens her mouth, allowing it come up and out as she slowly moves to the mound of dirt and pup upon it. It feels as if the song she now sings is meant to be for this boy and him alone, so does not try to stop it as it effortlessly leaves her mouth.

Seating herself next to the boy as the song falls away, Meadow turns her bright gaze to him, offering a gentle smile as she says, “Oh sweet boy. Your mother wants to be here but, for some, the veil is just too thick.” Looking to him, the ghost woman opens her arms, offering a hug to the grieving pup if he wants it. Her form may not be completely firm but, if he touches her, the boy will find some substance it just might… give in a way not normal to living bodies.


"Meadow Lark"

Nico had thought himself past acting like a child.  An Independent-minded young adult that was living life his way.  Right this moment he was just a small child that wanted his mom and feared she’d never forgive him.  The song starts and Nico’s head lifts up, looking around quickly, hoping to see mom there was a wolf but it wasn’t her.  The ghost form talks to him, telling him mom wants to be there and can’t.

“But, you’re here, so why can’t she be?” He didn’t really need any technical answer, nor was it a real challenge simply another way of expressing it all hurt inside.  Her greeting reminded him more of mom, her kind warm words made him miss his own mom all the more.  Hanging out with pirates one thing Nico hadn’t seen was someone like this.  No mom to hug and reassure.  Not that he had ever asked for one, nor did he really want the living to know about this.

She opened her arms out and Nico made his way over slowly, hesitant of just walking to a ghost.  The fact it was a wolf certainly didn’t bother him at this point.  He saw far more wolves than he did coyotes these days.  Getting hugged by a strange ghost though was kinda weird, right?  Still, the hug offer was there, and a mother's kindness was there.

Nico tried to shove his head up against a paw but her form wasn’t real, just an appearance.  He could see where there were legs though, her chest and all the furs.  It was something, it wasn’t mom nor a real touch but it was something.  “How do you know?” The soft words whispered, “She told me to stay close and I didn’t.  I was just having fun but, there was a tiger and mom came to save me and it.. well it killed her.  Cause I snuck off.  Are you sure she isn’t mad at me?”

"Nico"

As she sits near him, explaining about his mother wanting to be there, the pup questions why she can’t and a soft, loving smile appears on her pale lips. Meadow looks to the smart boy, sympathy and understanding in her eyes as she gently explains, “We are all made up of energy. All around you, energy thrums underneath the currents of the living. You cannot see them, sweet boy, but they are there. When we pass into the world of the dead, we too become energy. Your mother was special.” She opens her arms to him, watching his slow progression toward her.

While he walks, Meadow continues to explain in a gentle, loving tone, “When your mother passed, she was filled with so much love for you that she did not become a ghost. She became the purest form of love and light that you could ever imagine.” The pup presses into her form and the dead wolf focuses on making her body as solid as possible for him. Hooking a leg around him, she brings a paw up to gently stroke his back, listening as he questions how she knows and explaining what happened to his mother.

Softly, Meadow coos to the hurting child, explaining, “Because I can see her, sweet boy. She is here, following after you, showing you love in subtlest of ways each and every day. She is not angry at you, young one. Remember, she is now the purest form of love. Besides, even if I couldn’t see her, I know she would not be angry.” Stopping to gently place the paw under his chin and push up until his golden gaze meets her emerald green one, she offers him a warm, affectionate smile as she softly says, “No mother would ever be angry that their child lived while they gave their life to save them.”

It is true and Meadow knows it is because parents just want their children to live and be happy. Even if that means that they cannot be there to see it.


"Meadow Lark"

As Meadow speaks of energy all around his eyes slowly move to the right and then left but, his head stays against her where it is. The living become energy on death?  That was a hard thing to understand but for some reason, he was taking the ghost at her word.  Why not?  What did the ghost have to lie about?  

“You can see her? Honest?” Hesitation came in the words this time, a bit of hope sparking but fearing to come out and be crushed if he understood wrong. “so… does she know that my best friend is a wolf?” Oh, right, this spirit was a wolf also.  “and does she know about Oscar?  Can she tell you?”  Hope was there, but he was still enjoying being pressed up against her ghostly leg.  It didn’t have the feel of mom’s or the warmth that he’d feel from mom’s but this was more than he’d had since she’d died.

Her paw moves under his chin and so his head turns up regarding Meadow’s face.  Her claim is a really big one, especially for an unsure child to soak in.  His quiet gaze lowers, looking back to his mom’s grave.  Then back up at Meadow, “thank you.”  

Nico realized he acted like he was a tiny adult all the time so how long did he want to act like a pup that needed help?  Well, he’d said thank you but that didn’t mean he needed to step away right away.  I'm Nico. What’s your name?  Can you be my mom’s friend?  If you can talk with her and I bet it's lonely if you don’t get to talk to someone when you’re dead?”  Does energy communicate? It was now after all, right?  Energy was confusing so just, he’d not worry about that detail. “I have Jack and Oscar and Ajax but she might not have a friend.”

"Niko"

Meadow sits with the young coyote pup, lovingly stroking his back with a gentle, ethereal paw. The dead wolf speaks of energy and how his mother is with him and the pup hesitantly questions if she is be being honest. A warm smile appears on her insubstantial lips and she nods as he questions if knows about his friend and someone called Oscar. Green gaze flicks to where the glowing, pulsing light of his mother dances slowly in the air and the woman is flooded with an overwhelming feeling of understanding and love. Looking back down the coyote pup she softly says, “She knows sweet boy and I promise you, I can see her.”

Letting out a soft sigh, the dead Meadow ponders how to explain what she is being prompted impart to the pup and Meadow decides to begin slowly, “You remember how I said she has become the purest form of light and love? Well, because she was able to become that energy, she does not reside in the mists of the afterlife that I am bound to. She is free to traverse the plains of the living alongside you. When I have leave here, I will go back to the mists but she will remain. She will be beside you sweet boy.”

A gentle smile is on her lips as she lifts his chin, sharing the wisdom that his mother is not angry with him. Meadow is not lying, the glowing orb that is his mother pulses love and understanding with each moment. The pup thanks her and a soft, understanding smile crosses her lips as she offers him a dip of her head. He gives his name and the smile morphs into a bright and radiant one as she says, “My name is Meadow and I will be honored to be your mom’s friend. But she is not lonely Nico. Those emotions no longer trouble her because she is pure love.”

A tug pulls at her ethereal body, reminding her to that she will have to disconnect soon and return to the shadowy land to recharge herself. But there is still something that she wishes to share with the grieving pup. With love laced in every word, she says, “Your mom is glad you have friends and she wants you to know that she is safe and will continue to follow you on your life journey. She asks you not worry about her and to enjoy each moment you are given. She loves you, little Nico.”

A gentle smile is offered as she reaches out to embrace him with her ghostly arms, trying to pass on the love she feels from his mother in the gesture. It is her last gift she can offer Nico before the tug summons her back to the snowy mountains of her childhood. Her sister is there and she offer her a smile. Meadow is still filled with the love of Nico’s mother and a single tear rolls down her ethereal cheek to become part of the snow that is their home. With Nico still in her mind, she races off into the distance beside her sister.


"Meadow Lark"

Meadow said mom could travel the land with him in some form of energy and love.   The boy seemed much calmer now, thoughtful as he tried to decide what to make of all this.  The boy’s black ear twitched as he listened to her.  Mom stayed near him as energy love in some fashion and she didn’t get lonely cause she was love instead of a ghost-like Medow was.  Hmm.

Momentarily he got an even bigger look at the situation as he imagined what it would song like if he told Jack about it.  Talking to a ghost about mom turning into energy and being about but as love and not, not, something?  Nah, he wouldn’t tell Jack about all this.  That could go into emotional stuff.  Maybe he would admit to his mom being dead, maybe.

Nico slowly swept his gaze all about, “I believe you Meadow but, I sure still wish I could see her.” The words were calm, just explaining it and then glancing up at her.  “Thanks, Meadow,” the boy offered her a relaxed smile.  The ghost gave him a hug! A hug?  Well, it wasn’t the most solid hug but the idea was there and still, surely this ghost offered more love than Jack’s mom.  Maybe Sparrow should take mom lessons from the ghost.

Nico stepped away after the embrace, glancing back intending to talk to her again and seeing her fading out. “Goodbye, Meadow.” He watched the spot she’d been in for a bit.  This calmness and peace of heart was something abnormal for Nico.  Not sad and slow or overly energized and reckless, simply calm.

Moving back to mom’s grave, “Well, I guess you aren’t in here then but still, it's special here also.” Nico gave the ground a pat but then he let that much more normal excited smile grow across his face.  “Alright!  Time to go back home!”  

"Niko"