strayed from the path - open; return

[METEOR]

From a distance, Sorbet’s return looked like nothing out of the ordinary. Plenty of odd creatures joined the Palm Glades over the months Quasar’d patrolled the border—including an ice cream man. Rhinestonestar and Medusa looked to have the whole thing covered, so his presence wasn’t actually necessary… but his paws took him there, anyway. Probably because he didn’t want to be alone with his thoughts, being all moody and sad ever since Sorbet died disappeared under the waves.

However, as he ventured closer, he heard Sorbet’s name being spoken. His yellow ears perked forward, and his walk quickened into a trot. His crush friend returned? Came in another body, like Rhinestonestar had?

Accelerating to a sprint, the vaporwave mess exploded past the dry underbrush. His blue eyes squinted—the cold wind brought tears to them, somehow—and he could barely see his paws. Yet he ran and leaped past every obstacle in his path without crunching a branch or tripping over a stray rock. He raced so fast, his paws didn’t even feel the ground beneath them.

To an observer, Quasar wasn’t running at all. His paws had metaphorical wings, allowing him to run a few inches above the ground at any point.

Quasar attempted to tackle Sorbet, regardless of the maned wolf’s lankier height. So what, right, Quasar was a muscular dog, and he’d fought bigger opponents in the raids.

“Don’t you ever die again. Ever.” A growl rumbled in the back of his throat. He couldn’t lose Sorbet like—BRAIN GLITCH—the others.